 Due in large part to his presidential candidacy, McCain missed over half of his Senate votes in 110th Congress through early August 2007.This was more than any other senator except Tim Johnson, who was absent due to health reasons.On judicial appointments, McCain was long a believer in judges who “would strictly interpret the Constitution.” McCain drew the ire of the originalist and similar legal movements in the U.S. in May 2005, however, when he led the so-called "Gang of 14" in the Senate, which established a compromise that preserved the ability of senators to filibuster judicial nominees, but only in "extraordinary circumstances."