On Saturday, January 23, Arizona Republican Party leaders maneuvered to disqualify the “Anyone But McCain Resolution” proposed at the Party’s annual mandatory meeting. The same resolution passed by a large majority of Precinct committeemen just the week before at the Maricopa County Republican Annual meeting.
Using the services of a licensed parliamentarian, Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash and AZGOP Chair Robert Graham protected the entrenched McCain from what was sure to be one more humiliation at the hands of the Republican grassroots. Graham had done all he could before the meeting to prevent the “Anyone But McCain Resolution” from being considered, but the opposition to McCain is growing and determined to bring an end to the abusive senator’s reign. Finally it was up to Al Gage, the party’s licensed parliamentarian, to come up with a convoluted argument during the proceedings to end the effort once and for all.
While Ash and Graham scrambled on behalf of the Party’s establishment, McCain partied at the Arizona Cardinals’ rally with Governor Doug Ducey. McCain suffered humiliation at last year’s annual meeting when he was booed and precinct committeemen turned their backs to him. No one expected him to risk an appearance this year.
McCain’s primary challenger, Dr. Kelli Ward did make an appearance on Saturday, and according to multiple sources, as McCain’s crew tried to draw the blood of grassroots members, Ward was quietly tending to at least one grassroots member’s injury. The sight of her and her husband Dr. Michael Ward tending to one attendee, won her even more supporters.
The effort to censure Graham, which to some was launched as a sort of warning shot across his bow, also failed due to Graham’s maneuvers. Attendees say that while they knew he would never allow the censure to be considered and voted on, they hoped Graham would recognize that he has lost much of the support of the grassroots he once enjoyed.