McCain: Obama Created More Partisan Environment Than Bill Clinton

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ripped into the president on Sunday for abandoning his pledge to foster bipartisanship in Washington, accusing Obama of creating a more toxic political environment than that which existed during the Clinton administration.

"In some ways, of course, yeah," McCain told Fox News Sunday when asked if the Obama White House was more partisan than Bill Clinton's. "At least under Hillarycare they tried to seriously negotiate with Republicans. There has been no effort that I know of -- of serious across the table negotiations -- such as I have engaged in with other administrations. And that was the commitment that the president made."

McCain, who squared off against Obama during the 2008 campaign, harped on two main issues: the deal the White House made with the pharmaceutical industry to secure its support of health care reform, and the fact that no C-SPAN cameras had been brought into Senator Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) office as the majority leader tinkered with the health care legislation.

"There has never been serious cross-the-table negotiations on any serious issue that I've engaged in -- and that I and others have engaged in -- with other administrations both Republican and Democrat," said McCain.

If blame for the partisan environment was to go mutually to Republicans as well as the president, McCain wasn't offering it. The Arizona Republican never mentioned the role played by the GOP (nor was he asked by host Chris Wallace) in overtly trying to derail health care reform. He was, however, asked if he had grown more conservative and combative in the 11 months since the election.

"I, unfortunately, have always been combative," he said, adding that's he's always been conservative as well.

Comments

[ProudMilVet]

01:01 AM on 12/26/2009

Absolutely amazing ! Republicans still sticking to their strategy of blaming the other side for what they are actually doing . If they do not get 100% of what they want, they label the Democrats as being partisan, obstructive, uncooperative & unpatriotic .

[Carol Chromicky]

11:56 AM on 12/23/2009

There was always an undercurrent circulated about John McCain, he was known to have a temper problem and could be acerbic and downright nasty. I thank god he didn't win the election. Can you imagine what HE would be doing now?

I am disturbed by the tenor at sites like Huffington Post and its current "we eat our young" attitude toward President Obama. I watch John McCain help lead the Repubs obstructionism and thank God that he did not win the election. I listen to the 'udder' nonsense coming from Ms.Palin and thank god he did not win the election. I watched Chris Matthews ask a Progressive pundit, "where would YOU have gotten the 60 votes for the public option? Do you have some other Joe Lieberman in your back pocket?"

It is naive to think that given the extreme use of the filabuster and the united front of obstruction John and his party are adhering to, that healthcare reform would become anything but an exercise in horsetrading.

Please keep your criticism on what is really the problem in Washington, the Repub party. Once again, their plan is to say inaccuracies over and over and over again until they are perceived as the truth. Does anyone else remember the last eight years; the WMDs, Scooter and Dick, Brownie and Katrina, to list a few? Looking at the polls, the thing is working again.DON'T HELP THEM!

[busterbrownthefirst]

10:47 AM on 12/23/2009

What absolute garbage. You do have to give the Republicans plenty of credit for sticking together just about 100% on every issue to say "no." Obama, on the other hand, has been letting Congress ruin legislation, which would otherwise make some sense, by seeking way too much bipartisan compromise. I hope McCain gets defeated in next year's primary.

[Haniel]

01:39 PM on 12/26/2009

...because goodness knows Hayworth would be so much better for Arizona than McCain. John McCain is doing a wonderful job of confirming himself as the fraud we always thought he was in the senate. As far as the Hayworth situation is concerned, that falls into the category of "McCain Made that bed, now he can lie in it."

Life is tough in Jesusland.

[pyradius]

09:43 PM on 12/22/2009

It's a simple game. Republicans have no actual power to stop anything in the Senate. If they don't stick together, what good will it do them to "sell out" and help the other side? It would be selling out the party when the opposition doesn't even need your help. Not too bright, eh?

On the other hand, if the Republicans (who remember don't really have any power) appear universally united against these measures, it is likely to sow uncertainty in some conservative democrats as well. That is the only real power Republican Senators have, so of course they're going to use that to the full extent that is possible. The only way you will see a Republican break from their party is if it helps their own state significantly.

[sippewissett]

10:20 AM on 12/22/2009

McCain is busy campaigning for his seat in 2010. He's looking for ANYthing to make him appear strong and ready to stand up to the Dems. His accusation against Obama -- who has invited him personally to confer on repeated occassions -- is as wild a claim as his supposed indignation at Franken denying an extra minute to Lieberman to speak. He asserted that never, in all of his years on the Senate floor ever heard anyone be denied a few extra moments to make their point and yet there is video to the contrary -- involving HIM: McCain cutting off a Democratic Senator who was arguing against the IRAQ war. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#34517590 =)

I'm looking to folks more creative than me to re-lable the GOP as worse than the "Party of No". They are hypocrites, liars and in office for special interests. We need to re-brand them as such before the next elections come around.

[shryock]

07:35 AM on 12/22/2009

poor mr mccain thinks that bipartisanship simply means republican
and he cannot respect anyone who is polite to him
so of course he cannot understand the current president

of course, if the republicans represented anything other than obstructionism it would help
the party of no, no, never has dug in their heels and decided that the country can hang because they will not support anything obama supports even if it is exactly what they supported yesterday.

[Harvee Wallbanger]

11:55 PM on 12/21/2009

The GOP has based their whole political future upon obstructing and not participating.

If the Dems would propose a resolution declaring the sky is blue, the GOP would filibuster it.

[Wilsonv]

11:20 PM on 12/21/2009

Wow, project much Mr. McCain?

[ProfessorBrooks]

11:09 PM on 12/21/2009

Hogwash. And if there is less bi-partisanship now, you can thank the republicans for that. They haven't seriously tried to govern WITH the opposing party since 1993. There were "Reagan Democrats" in the 1980s, but where were the "Clinton Republicans" in the 1990s? Democrats stood behind Bush after 9/11 (even though they knew he was mentally incompetent); where are the Republicans willing to stand with Obama on the health care reform that every waking person knows is needed? I remember seeing the first "Impeach Clinton" bumper stickers less than 4 months after he took office; 3 months ago I saw a bumper sticker that read "are you ready to admit Obama was a mistake?"--a political party that fosters that intolerant and disdainful mentality is in no position to criticize their opposition for divisiveness.

[liberalbug]

10:39 PM on 12/21/2009

Fighting windmills.

[davemaleham]

10:15 PM on 12/21/2009

Senator McCain, have you ever tried tangoing by yourself. You can't do it. It takes two. And so it is with bipartisanship (or the lack thereof). Just make a list of uncivil, inflammatory, and unprofessional comments and conduct by members of Congress and you'll find your own compadres are the overwhelming masters at fanning the fires of partisanship.

[TheCommons]

09:54 PM on 12/21/2009

Someone needs to take that potion away from McCain that keeps turning him from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

[HHarvey]

09:36 PM on 12/21/2009

According to Mccain Obama created more partisanship because he was elected. The way I see it that's it in a nutshell and the repubs in the senate and congress don't want any part of it. I may not like some of decisions Obama has made, but it's disingenuous to say he created it on his own.

[larmarch5]

09:04 PM on 12/21/2009

I believe the Bagger Meisters get that trophy.

[AlwaysRightLeftist]

08:28 PM on 12/21/2009

That's funny, considering how much support Obama is losing for being TOO bipartisan.

[larmarch5]

09:08 PM on 12/21/2009

Well, the "sound and the fury" is coming from the marginalized margins. And the far side baggers are putting off more independents than you can imagine. On the other side, democrats need candidates they see as someone to vote FOR. C'mon bluedawgs, get your tails from between your legs and show some teeth.