“It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway...

[Guest Larstrup]

 

A White House official mocked Sen. John McCain’s brain cancer diagnosis at an internal meeting on Thursday, a day after the Arizona Republican announced his opposition to President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel.

Special assistant Kelly Sadler made the derisive comments during a closed-door White House meeting of about two-dozen communications staffers on Thursday morning.

“It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway,” Sadler said, according to a source familiar with the remarks at the meeting.

The White House did not deny the account of Sadler’s remarks, which came amid a discussion of Haspel’s nomination and McCain’s opposition to it.

“We respect Senator McCain’s service to our nation and he and his family are in our prayers during this difficult time,” the White House said in a statement to The Hill.

Sadler did not respond to a request for comment and the White House did not make her available to The Hill.

The Thursday morning meeting was led by deputy press secretary Raj Shah. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was not present. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway showed up to the meeting after the remark was made, according to the first source.

A source who heard Sadler’s remarks could not confirm her exact wording, but agreed that Sadler made comments along the lines described by the first source.

Both sources said they believed the comment was intended as a joke, but that it did not go over well with others at the meeting.

There was “discomfort” in the room after Sadler’s comment and the conversation continued without addressing it, according to the second source.

Sadler is a former opinion editor for The Washington Times. At the White House, she focuses on illegal immigration, often sending out press releases to highlight stories about the issue to reporters.

The White House is engaged in a high-stakes nomination fight for Haspel, who faces opposition from many senators for her association with harsh interrogation techniques as a CIA agent after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, urged his Senate colleagues to oppose Haspel’s nomination, saying that “her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying.”

The president has long had a fraught relationship with McCain, who has been a sharp and unrelenting critic of Trump and his administration.

In a speech shortly after announcing his presidential bid in 2015, Trump responded to criticism from McCain by saying “he’s not a war hero” because he was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387182-white-house-official-mocked-dying-mccain-at-internal-meeting#.WvS87tyIwjs.twitter

[Guest Larstrup]

John McCain refused early release from a prison camp where he was tortured so as not to leave his men behind. He has shown the kind of unimaginable strength, courage, and honor that these small men could not even dream of.

But that doesn’t stop these vile and disgusting people from either mocking him or  lying about him. 

 

[Guest Larstrup]

 

[TotallyOz]

To me, this is vile. But, the whole administration is vile and I can't for the life of me understand how anyone could support this man, his team or his Presidency.

[MsAnn]

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/386565-hatch-ridiculous-for-mccain-to-request-that-trump-not-attend-his-funeral

Of course he tried to walk it back the next day...

 

Report: Hatch calls McCain request that Trump not attend his funeral 'ridiculous'

By Luis Sanchez - 05/07/18 03:50 PM EDT

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said on Monday that it is “ridiculous” for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to request President Trump not attend his funeral.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Hatch said, adding that he hopes McCain reconsiders his request, Politico reporter Burgess Everett reported.

Hatch's comments would represent the first criticism from a GOP colleague of McCain's reported decision to not have Trump attend his funeral. 

 

Hatch said it was up to McCain whether to invite Trump, but said if he were in McCain's position, he would invite the president.

 

"Well, he's the president of the United States and he's a very good man. But it's up to [McCain]. I think John should have his own wishes fulfilled with regard to who attends the funeral," he told Politico.

McCain is undergoing treatment for brain cancer and has not been in the Senate this year. The New York Times reported on Saturday that McCain does not want Trump at his funeral and requested Vice President Pence attend instead. 

Trump and McCain have repeatedly battled since the then-GOP presidential candidate in 2015 insulted the Arizona senator by saying he preferred war heroes who were not captured. McCain endured years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Last year McCain foiled Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, leading Trump to call out the senator at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year.

In his recently finished memoir, "The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and other Appreciations," McCain criticizes the president for caring more about "the appearance of toughness" than American values. 

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are expected to deliver eulogies at McCain’s funeral, according to NBC News.

Tags Donald Trump Barack Obama John McCain Orrin Hatch McCain

 

[TotallyOz]

Fuck Hatch.

My mother died years back and her request to not allow one of my Aunts to attend her funeral as she was never nice to her was something I did.  The rest of my family got angry but I told them they were welcome not to come as well.  Some did not.  In the end, it is about McCain and not Trump and McCain's wishes should be granted.  He is not a true leader and would only be there to gain attention for himself and not to pay respect to McCain.