A war hawk dies

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died on Saturday at age 81, will lie in state in the Capital Rotunda in Washington, D.C., and receive a full dress funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.

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McCain, who died following a battle with brain cancer, will also lie in state at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix, a Republican official who is involved with planning told the newspaper. He will then be buried in Annapolis, Maryland.

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Those close to McCain have informed the White House that they plan to have Vice President Pence attend the senator's funeral — but not President Trump.

  The Hill

Unnamed White House officials told The Washington Post that the president “does not want to comment on McCain before he dies,” following an announcement by McCain’s family that the longtime senator will no longer be seeking treatment for his brain cancer.

The White House did not issue a statement on the senator following the family’s announcement Friday, even as top Democratic and Republican figures spoke out in support.

Trump has long had a combative relationship with McCain, who is a frequent and harsh critic of the administration.

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Shortly after announcing his presidential campaign, Trump mocked McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War, saying “he’s not a war hero” and that he “[likes] people who weren’t captured.”

The Post reported Saturday that Trump told people that he does not regret the comment.

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The president has continued to take jabs at McCain for voting against a proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this month, he avoided saying McCain’s name while signing a defense bill named after him, and then again brought up the ObamaCare repeal vote just hours later.

  The Hill

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have been asked to give eulogies at Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) funeral, The New York Times reported Saturday night.

Two Republicans familiar with the funeral arrangements told the Times that, under initial plans, Vice President Pence has also been asked to attend, though President Trump has not.

  The Hill

Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kelli Ward suggested Saturday that the Friday statement issued by Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) family about ending medical treatment for brain cancer was intended to hurt her campaign.

McCain died Saturday hours after she made the suggestion on Facebook, The Arizona Republic reported.

"I think they wanted to have a particular narrative that they hope is negative to me,” Ward wrote.

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Ward’s staffer wondered if the statement released by the senator’s family was “just a coincidence” or “if it was a plan to take media attention off her campaign?”

Are the narcissists coming out of the woodwork to go into politics now? He probably timed his death to bring out Republicans for the 2018 midterms.

Ward posted a follow-up comment on Facebook that appeared to blame the media.

"The media loves a narrative. I’ve said again and again to pray for Senator McCain & his family,” Ward commented. “These decisions are terrible to have to make. I feel compassion for him and his family as they go through this. It’s not the McCains creating a narrative - it’s the media making something out of nothing. The media, the left, and the Establishment have the agenda.

Yes, it's the media's fault.

There has been speculation Ducey would appoint McCain’s wife, Cindy, to his seat, according to Politico.

  The Hill

Please don't. I know that's sometimes done, but really, WTF?

Appointing a replacement in a timely manner could have a significant impact on one of the Senate’s most important upcoming votes: the confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh.

After McCain’s death, Republicans now have a 50-49 majority in the Senate, meaning one GOP defection could sink Kavanaugh's nomination if every Democrat votes no.

A replacement would shift the majority to 51-49, allowing Republicans to lose one GOP vote and have Vice President Pence cast the tie-breaking vote, which would likely go in Kavanaugh's favor.