Sen. Al Franken Describes The Moment He Knew John McCain Was Going To Vote No On The GOP Healthcare Bill

Sen. Al Franken was on The Late Show Tuesday, balancing on the line between comedian and politician once again while chatting with Stephen Colbert. While the SNL alum shared a few comedic moments with the Late Show host during their chat, a moment that stood out was Franken’s description of the moment John McCain voted no on the GOP’s healthcare bill in the Senate. It’s brief, but it gives a nice little inside look at what was known before McCain voted and how folks reacted around the hall. While CNN broke things down like an NFL game soon after it happened, Franken talks about the moment he knew McCain was going to vote against the bill and how Mike Pence had left the hall completely. The vice president had been present for the entirety of the previous vote, knowing he’d likely have to cast the tie-breaking vote if it happened. This did not happen again with the main vote and Pence was long gone by the time McCain gave the thumbs down.

He also notes how folks were initially surprised and some wanted to clap, but Chuck Schumer quickly silenced his colleagues. As Franken points out, you want to gloat in a moment like that but can’t and shouldn’t. Besides, the look on Mitch McConnell’s face when McCain voted was enough.

Franken also talks a bit about how funny his fellow senator’s are compared to him, including a great tale about former Sen. Tom Coburn and his lack of a sense of humor. The man Democrats described as “Dr. No” lived up to his name. He also demonstrates the fine art of “pivoting” when faced with questions you don’t want to answer, keeping the discussion on his book the entire time.

(Via The Late Show)

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