There is always somebody who wants to run everybody off the cliff.
McClain sees himself as like Henry Clay, the "Great Compromise" guy. Obviously Clay stopped the Civil War from starting in 1830-40 instead of 1861, but in 1840 the casualty rate would have been much lower and the Constitution preserved. (Railroads.) Sometimes it is better not to put off "civil" war.
Essentially, that's what Bush is doing. It's NECESSARY to fight now... it was BEST to fight the Friday before that spineless gang-of-7 made their deal with the devil.
Sort of off-topic I know, but I am not sure that a Civil War in 1840 would have worked out any better for the South; in fact I think it would have been a more dramatic defeat. The rail network in the North was much smaller in 1840, but there was a network; the South reall didn't get into the rail and industrialization business until the mid 1840s. So you would have had a weaker but still numerically and industrially stronger North facing a South with comparitvely less population and industry than they had in 1860 compared to the North.
Of course, none of that stopped my local wargaming group from using that very scenario as the background for six miniature wargame tournament sessions back about 10 years ago. Wars are very entertaining in 25mm scale; much less pain and bloodshed all around.