McCain On Blue Dog Dems: "They Bark But Never Bite"

McCain: Dems Will Pass Health Care, "Blue Dogs Bark But Never Bite"

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) predicted on Sunday that health care reform would pass, while a fellow Republican senator was more skeptical.

Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," McCain said that the man he battled for the presidency in 2008 had "the vote" now to get health care legislation through Congress.

"I think that Blue Dogs bark but never bite, so I don't think they have a problem over in the House side," said the Arizona Republican. "I think in the Senate, Democrats are very aware that they don't want a repeat of the Clinton failure in 1994. So I think it is likely they will get something through but it is not clear to me what it is."

McCain went on to whack the president for abandoning a campaign pledge to hold deliberations around health care in transparent, public settings. "The fact is there has been no change," he said. "There is a room where there are a few Democrats in it and some administration officials and they are writing this entire bill. I don't think the American people like that very much."

But the key takeaway from his Sunday morning interview was his belief that health care would pass -- almost assuredly with either one or no Republican supporters. Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah) wouldn't go quite as far as his colleague, predicting simply that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would bring the public option to a vote.

"We know that the process is going to go there," the Utah Republican told CNN's "State of the Union" with John King.

Sources: CBS News, Face The Nation, Huffington Post