<center>https://steemitimages.com/DQmUfFFFWoyuhsL4dUtxEKJggxKDbNZoTeaLMV2BtKQndfC/lindsey-graham-ron-johnson-bill-cassidy-john-mccain-777x437.jpg <h3><i> MAGA this, Donald! </i></h3></center>

> John McCain is a traitor and not a maverick.

> He’s simply the most common thing in Washington, a boot-licker for the New World Order crowd. He is committed to a world of war, chaos and filth. And his dramatic vote against the ‘skinny’ Obamacare repeal was as predictable as the sun rising in the east and Hillary blaming someone else for her problems.

> If anything, I would have been surprised had he done one vaguely independent act before he leaves the stage. You know, there is that moment in so many movies where the bad guy has a change of heart and redeems himself slightly with his last act?

> But, sadly, there are no Darth Vaders in American Politics, only Emperor Palpatines.

> And the world has to pay for their commonplace venality.

### For Steemian Eyes Only

The good news is that McCain is pretty much done.  Rand Paul destroyed his chances of ramming through the NDAA before he fades off into the chemotherapy sunset.  But, the damage that's been done here is substantial.  Trump will expand sanctions, further isolating the U.S. from the rest of the world and true to his protectionist instincts.

Putin will respond by further playing the long-game with the EU over how badly they are being treated.  He is playing, with Merkel, the same game he played with Erdogan in Turkey.  Don't over-respond but use a dagger to cut deeply in what looks like a mild way.

Then wait for the bleeding to continue while they negotiate with the Bullies in D.C.  What has been keeping EU sanctions on Russia is face saving.  Merkel can't lift them without tying the action to solving Ukraine in some way.  Russia will not allow NATO on its border and she has to know this.  So, she'll back Trump on Iranian sanctions but split with him over Russia.

This is how Putin will heal the wounds with the EU, by offering generous medical treatment in the form of good deals on energy, agriculture, weapons and border security.  It worked brilliantly with Turkey. It is working with the EU.  As Merkel's plans to subsume Europe fracture, in part because of Trump's bullying her over NATO and his backing Poland's independence, she will be forced to lift sanctions on Russia if she wants to salvage what's left in Germany after the EU begins to blow up.

IF Trump thinks he's going to bully Putin into giving up Iran in exchange for backing down in Syria he's a bigger fool than McCain is.  Signing the sanctions bill will escalate things in a way that will blow apart the post-WWII institutional order in the most violent way possible.

But, Trump is too much the narcissist to see past his domestic media troubles and play the long game.  

### See my other articles on this subject and related ones :

#### Rand Paul Cock-Blocks McInsane on NDAA
https://steemit.com/news/@goldgoatsnguns/rand-paul-cock-blocks-mcinsane-on-ndaa

#### Russia Has the Sanctions Hammer
https://steemit.com/news/@goldgoatsnguns/russia-has-the-sanctions-hammer

#### More Sanctions on Russia Means More U.S. Isolation
https://steemit.com/news/@goldgoatsnguns/more-sanctions-on-russia-means-further-u-s-isolation