As a sitting Senator, every member of the upper chamber has numerous opportunities on a daily basis to influence the debate and enhance a conservative agenda.  This goes far beyond a mere voting record; it’s about being a loud and effective voice for the cause.

We see this every day from people like Ted Cruz who shamed Democrats into supporting his bill  denying a visa to an Iranian terrorist.

We see this every day from people like Mike Lee who rail against the Chamber of crony capitalism.

We see this every day from people like Jeff Sessions who single-handedly exposes the open-borders agenda and gives voice to the American side of the amnesty debate.

And unfortunately, we see this every day from people like John McCain, who not only vote with Democrats, but give voice to their most destructive causes.

Just today, John McCain decided to storm into a committee hearing and heap garrulous praise upon Obama’s nominee for Secretary of HHS, Sylvia Burwell.

We are living through a time when Obamacare is destroying the healthcare sector and forcing millions of Americans to become dependent on a subpar delivery system. We are witnessing the end of the middle class living with self-respect and independence.  We are witnessing the creation of a part-time workforce as a result of the mandates.  Yet, John McCain, who is not a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), showed up to the confirmation hearing uninvited just to drool over Burwell:

McCain told the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee when he first heard Burwell was being nominated to replace HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, he advised his “friend” against taking the job.

He said the move would mean she would be leaving the toughest job in Washington as director of the Office of Management and Budget for the most thankless job as secretary of HHS.

“Who would recommend his friend take over as captain of the HHS titanic after it hit the iceberg?” McCain asked.

McCain touted Burwell’s resume as OMB director, chief operating officer of the Gates Foundation, and president of Walmart, and recommended his colleagues visit Bentonville, Ark., where Walmart was founded, to see what an American success story looks like.

There is one thing to say she is smart and “qualified,” but to storm into the hearing to slobber over someone who is all-in on Obamacare is destructive to any effort to fight the unconstitutional administrative power grabs.  Most appallingly, McCain predicted that Burwell will be much more responsive than Sebelius.  Really?  What message does that send to the Obama administration, which has been stonewalling on providing information with regards to the implementation?  McCain is unilaterally surrendering to the administration, even as they continue to violate Obama’s own law with administrative legislating.  Can he promise us that Burwell will be open with Congress and will not overwrite portions of the law?

I guess it sends the same message to Obama on transparency in healthcare as McCain’s fight for amnesty does in the realm of transparency on immigration.  It gives voice to the opposition.  And that is exactly what McCain relishes.