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McCain to Stick it Out in the Senate, Not Resign

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April 09, 2008 7:05 PM

ABC News's Bret Hovell Reports: John McCain said Wednesday that he plans to retain his seat in the Senate while running for president, but also said he will think about whether or not it makes more sense to resign.

McCain was asked whether he would resign this summer, and give his replacement the opportunity to run with McCain at the top of the ticket, rather than wait and resign only if he wins.

"No, I will not," McCain told the crowd at a town hall style meeting in Westport, Connecticut. "I have every confidence that there are a number of Republicans who would be elected in my place. So I do not envision a scenario of resigning my seat."

But McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee and senior senator from Arizona, seemed to consider the pitch as he was speaking.

"I will go back and think about it, and think about the scenario that you just described," he continued. "But right now my intentions are to remain in the United States Senate."

Arizona election law requires that the governor of the state – in Arizona’s case, a Democrat – to appoint someone from the same party as the departing Senator. That person would serve until the next election in 2010.

In the summer of 1996, then-Republican Senate majority leader Bob Dole resigned during his run for the White House. He was defeated by President Clinton.

McCain was also able to earn a laugh on the topic.

"There’s people regularly who ask me to resign," he said jokingly, "but that has nothing to do with my presidential ambitions."

April 9, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (41)

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Watch and see how many of me there are.

Al = lifelong dem, never voted gop once in his life. but has had it with dems nominating unelectables. will vote mccain as a true american and reasonable alternative.

Posted by: al | Apr 9, 2008 9:33:32 PM

al-------go and vote for evil see if we care obama will win this fall and mccain can go back to his senate seat with the very few republicans that will be left after november and waste away into nonrelavence. the democrats will control this nation and take away the tax cuts for thr ich bring home the troops and stop the bleeding of our jobs to china(bushes business partners)

Posted by: tom | Apr 9, 2008 9:38:08 PM

As an Arizona resident of course he should resign He's on AZ payroll isnt he? I never got paid to not work why should he? Whats he doing for Arizona?

Voting record? Patreus testimony?John didnt really ask questions He thinks he knows it all, and gave his opinion Kyl no better? Poor communicators !

We need better representation in the senate. What has he done for Arizona?

Poor example of what he'll do if elected President where's his ethics and by the way Where is he?

Posted by: Robert of Arizona | Apr 9, 2008 10:00:42 PM

Not in Az but I can understand your wanting him to go. Now he is saying that he is comfortable with preemption stikes with countries that he does not like. He has already toled us that he does not like Iran and Russia...
He has not presented an original idea when asked about the economy his answer is to go back 17 years to a Reagan idea.

No matter what your thoughts are on Reagan; any fool can see that the econ has changes so much in the span of near 20 years that I hope he was joking

Posted by: Daly | Apr 9, 2008 10:23:16 PM

McCain is the real deal and will win the GE regardless of the dem nominee.
MCCAIN 08

Posted by: Bev | Apr 9, 2008 11:09:30 PM

The shocking ignorance displayed in many of these quotes makes me wonder what the hell happened to our educational system. Robert in Arizona - McCain is a federal employee and not "on Arizona's payroll" except to the extent that Arizona's citizens (as well as citizens in other states pay federal taxes.

Posted by: Denise | Apr 9, 2008 11:32:38 PM

John McCain: more of Bush only more warlike.I do give him great credit for serving bravely during wartime unlike many other GOP hawks we all know and dispise.

Posted by: AJ | Apr 10, 2008 1:06:41 AM

mccain would be over 80 years old at the end of second term.

Posted by: maz hess | Apr 10, 2008 3:08:29 AM

Hey all of you who claim lifelong membership to the dems, as well as you republicans this year should consider voting responsibly. It's really childish to say, "if my candidate isn't the nominee I'll vote against my party". That is outright silly. Vote for the candidate that is going lead us in the difficult times that face our great nation. Instead of voting against someone who has a pastor that has said terrible things, or a woman who has basically said or done anything to get elected. Or vote against a senior citizen because of his age. All of these reasons are all foolish to vote or not vote for a candidate. Think and vote big picture. God bless everyone

Posted by: keylargo | Apr 10, 2008 3:14:35 AM

I tend to agree with al........... almost. I too am sick and tired of the Democratic party ushering fools into positions of power simply because they are entitled to it. Pelosi, Reed, now Clinton, or Obama? Where are the truly electable good people? I've already decided to vote against the Dem party this year. These two fools don't deserve a senate seat let alone the White House. Only difference between al and I is I'll vote 3rd party as a protest because McCain doesn't deserve to be the White House car washer........ great american......... war hero..... yeah right. What the hell did he do to deserve the honor of being called a hero? The fire fighter who risks his life to save a child from a burning building is a hero. All JOhn McCain did was got shot down, held captive, and then treated better than other prisoners because of who he was. A real hero would have given his last bite of food to the guy next to him in a Tiger cage. McCain laid around in a comfy bed and did VC commercials.

Posted by: dk | Apr 10, 2008 3:37:05 AM

Who would resign and give up the great pay, pension, medical, prestige, and other perks of a senator? If he loses the election, he gets to keep it all. McCain is elderly so who he selects as a running mate will determine how many will vote. The same goes for either Hillary or Obama but for different reasons than being elderly.

Posted by: Longtree | Apr 10, 2008 5:48:34 AM

The only deal John McCain is giving Americans is a raw deal. More debt for the middle class and more war. The exception is the very wealthy who will make out once again reaping all the rewards of a GOP president in office. But of course they will never send any of their children to fight the wars the Rightwingers start and perpetuate. The wealthy Rightwingers are too good to fight in any war you know.

Posted by: AJ | Apr 10, 2008 5:54:22 AM

John should give up his senate seat. If he loses (which I think he will) he should then retire from politics. The guy is OLD, pilots have to retire at 60, maybe people over 60 shouldn't be president either. Remember what happened to reagan during his second term...

Posted by: pt | Apr 10, 2008 7:25:50 AM

McCain will not resign because if he does congress might be able to open up his prisoner of war records.

Posted by: riddelup | Apr 10, 2008 7:27:35 AM

I am amazed by the people who plan to vote for McCain if their preferred Democrat is not elected. Can you people not read? I am a dedicated Obama supporter, with no love for Hillary Clinton, but when I look and Clinton and McCain and ask myself whose policies will come closest to what I believe is right for America.......there's no comparison. McCain is a CONSERVATIVE. He's no moderate, no friend to Democrats. He calls himself a 'foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution'. He supports the most disastrous policies of George W. Bush. He specifically wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, and would probably have the chance to appoint the Supreme Court justices who would do just that.
The methods may be different, but the policy positions of Obama and Clinton are NOT terribly different. A McCain presidency would be antithetical to that of either Democrat.
Please......do not cast your vote in spite. This is HUGE. This matters. This is not about popularity or who you'd have a beer with. The choice here between Democrat and Republican is stark, and the fate of our country (including the lives of our men and women in uniform) hangs in the balance.

Posted by: Brad | Apr 10, 2008 8:42:02 AM

There is an error in this post. If McCain resigns before May 5th of 2008, there will be a special election THIS NOVEMBER to replace him.

This would likely create an open seat race in the 3rd District race as Shadegg plans to run for McCain's seat.

Posted by: AZVoter | Apr 10, 2008 11:01:11 AM

This guy (MsCain) is senile...

And he won't give up - they'll have to carry him out of the Senate foot first!

Posted by: milo | Apr 11, 2008 2:32:11 PM

Some folks don't look at the full picture.Keeping peace and terroists on the run is not so cut and dry. We know little of what goes on behind the scenes and most interpretation from the media is just plain wrong. America needs a person of experience and character that does not lie or fabricate stories. One who has the American peoples interests at heart and not own agenda or ego. As for age--look at many of the senators and justices that are in their 70's and 80's. Are they senile? With age comes wisdom and discernment. So all you folks out there, be careful what you wish for. A change is not good if you can't state what the change is or how it is going to benefit all Americans. Pretty scary rheteric from those that preach to be divisive and angry instead of preaching unity and peace among us.

Posted by: /Winnie | Apr 11, 2008 4:52:11 PM

John McBush will be the death of us all.

Posted by: Bill West | Apr 15, 2008 2:57:58 AM

Bill West, I thought you were talking about Obama until you mentioned age. Even now McBush is taking credit for a bill that he very much opposed. He did not help sponor it as Bush erroneously declared. Check the news articles leading up to its passing. Also, McCain tells half truths about Obama, and some of McCain surrogates lie outrightly.
Obama is trying to stick to the issues of the campaign. McCain and his surrogates are always attacking ghosts, manufacturing offensives. McCain can't win in an straight, honorable campaign, so he goes the low road. I-don't-trust-him. By the way, he needs to keep his senate seat. He will need it.

Posted by: E. Green | Jul 2, 2008 6:47:52 AM

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