Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) former running mate Sarah Palin is not the only high level member of his 2008 who’s been excluded from the senator’s funeral, Politico reported.
According to three people familiar with the guest list who spoke to Politico, McCain’s former campaign manager Steve Schmidt, senior adviser-turned MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace and ex-strategist John Weaver were all excluded from the affair, which was strategically planned in the months leading up to McCain’s death.
The exclusions signal that the McCain family still harbors indignation over the consequences of McCain’s choice of Palin as a running mate in 2008, a decision that earned him criticism from some of his closest advisers, including Wallace and Schmidt. Both publicly disparaged the late senator’s choice in the aftermath of the 2008 campaign, giving interviews to Mark Halperin and John Heilemann for their 2009 book-turned movie “Game Change.”
McCain was open about feeling betrayed by those former aides and didn’t interact with Schmidt for nearly six years. The two reportedly made amends in recent years, according to Politico, and Weaver has confided to friends that he “and McCain had no unfinished business,” in Politico’s words.
All three former campaign officials are now affiliated with MSNBC.
This is just gross. Really gross. There are no two people in the media who’ve shown more love and respect for McCain than Wallace and Schmidt. Not inviting those two is just petty as hell.
Frankly, I doubt I could care less about who did or did not get invited to a funeral.
Is it me or is there a little too much sanctimony about McCain just because he opposed Trump in the end
He did unleash Sarah and there’s shit like this .
Before you get all teary eyed and emotional
Party Before Country
Always
Donald Trump endorses Paul Ryan, John McCain
And
John McCain Backs Donald Trump, Says GOP Must Abide Voters’ Wishes
This is the saddest thing I have read this week. Steve and Nicole are certainly not perfect, but I believe they are two of those rare conservatives who have scruples and do care about the country. I also have no doubt of their love and respect for McCain.
McCain could have said no to taking on Palin, this smacks of not taking responsibility. I am also pretty sure I have heard both Schmidt and Wallace express their deep regrets for foisting Palin on an unwitting public.
I think this is very petty and mean to not allow them at his funeral. I wondered why they haven’t been on MSNBC this week, this answers it.
ETA: And now both Nicole and Steve have become amazingly sharp critics of EVERYTHING individual-1 does, unlike McCain who voted with trump’s hellish agenda the vast majority of the time.
Being an airman, I thought McCain was never a petty officer; I was mistaken.