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Matthias Schrader / AP
Sen. John McCain
Updated 12:52 pm ET. Always one to speak -- or Tweet -- his mind, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) Monday made a joke comparing Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a monkey, something one Republican congressman charged was “racist.”
“So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space - wasn't he just there last week?” McCain said in a tweet that also linked to a story about Iran launching a monkey into space.
Some didn’t take so kindly to the not-so-diplomatic quip, prompting McCain, 76, to respond: “Re: Iran space tweet - lighten up folks, can't everyone take a joke?”
Seeing that, Michigan congressman Rep. Justin Amash, 32, shot back.
“Maybe you should wisen up & not make racist jokes,” Amash tweeted.
Not everyone on the right agreed with Amash. Conservative John Podhoretz, for example, Tweeted this: "How dare McCain say something demeaning & disparaging abt the foremost anti-Semite on the planet." And this: "So...it's defend-the-Jew-hater-from-the-war-hero day."
It’s not the first time McCain’s made a joke about Iran that landed him in some hot water. During his run for president in 2007, McCain sang about bombing the country.
Asked by a GOP primary voter when the U.S. would send an “air-mail message to Tehran,” McCain said, “That old Beach Boys’ song, ‘Bomb Iran?’ Bomb, bomb, bomb—, anyway.”
McCain’s response then as now? It’s just a joke -- "get a life.”
“When veterans are together, veterans joke,” McCain said at the time. “And I was with veterans and we were joking. And if somebody can’t understand that, my answer is, ‘Please, get a life.’”
Leave a Comment:
"You didn't make that business". That's the Obamination of America... what a shameful disgrace....
Jfart...
You forget to mention the highways, trucks, communications, products, delivery people, and all the others who are involved in "making a business". That was part of what Obama said....but don't let a fact get in the way of your rants
Hey Say What, EVERYBODY has access to those things but EVERYBODY doesn't have a successful business....Dumbasssssss.... .but don't let a fact like that get in the way of your ignorance...
You need an IQ of 95 or above to understand the "You didn't build that" comment. We know he was talking about roads and bridges but not everybody got it.
@Obamanot
Republicans do not believe in polls, they made that very clear in October!
You posted a poll in #1918!
LOL! Loser
People, do you realize that many of you are attempting to defend the image of the Iranian leader. Who is currently to man most likely to deliberately start a major war. (Toss up between Iran and North Korea)
The man has the social skills that are very closely similar to a leader of a wild monkey tribe. Threatens to attack any monkey that is not part of his immediate group, and will attack any member of his tribe that he believes does not support him. If anything McCains joke should be considered as an insult to the species that most people think of when the word "monkey" is used.
Mike...
No, we are saying our Senators should show class and dignity. They represent the USA to the world.
Class and dignity? I would just like to see our congressmen acting like adults.
SOoooo I guess when the Russians made fun of American Astronauts going into space AFTER a monkey went into space first, as "monkey Americans", THAT was racist TOO?? Polarizing articles are done for a reason. IF you find yourself looking at McCain as a person who has made a racist comment, I'm sad to say there is a lot missing from your life -as it is with the lives of everyone who is accusing him in this instance. THIS entire moment in history has happened before, but it was white men talking about white men. FUNNY that the joke stops there so quickly, and I dont expect a certain double digit IQ segment of the population to UNDERSTAND.
Would calling Iranians - "Rag-Headed" Monkeys be disrespectful?
I don't think it was racist...I think he was saying the president had the intelligence of a monkey.
However I didn't know he sang about bombing Iran. That is really disturbing considering how many Iranian people I know and considering this is Persia they are talking about, even with all the problems the country was once a decent place. Should someone had bombed the US when they had slaves? Then it wouldn't be what it is today would it?
Disgusting this man was even considered for the presidency but the American people are getting smarter by the generation.
Not only should we ban firearms, we need to ban free speech!
Wow...really? When did we become so sensitive??? Omg...
Say what,
Listen to,what I am saying,get it while you can.The people that complain are the ones that are not getting anything.If they could they would.So it's all about getting yours while,you,can
Bullet...thanks. I misunderstood your original post.
Is that a pitch for using Viagra?
John McCain has out-served his usefulness. He should retire while he can still do so gracefully.
IMO, every single time you call somebody racist for insulting a person they don't like or agree with, simply because the 2 people are 2 different races,,, it it YOU who are being racist.
Ahmadinejad is a red butted height challenged Baboon. There I said it, so what?
Also considering most Iranians look like white people, they are hardly people of color (physical color), calling them a monkey wouldn't make sense.
It's also really sad that the majority of people on this board don't know the difference between India, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.
I would also like to point out if you are judging on physical appearance like many Americans do, you are being utterly foolish. In places like India there are people that look Chinese but they are 100% Indian. There are blonde Iranian women with blue eyes...they are Indians' with green eyes and brown hair and white skin. Physical appearance has little to do with race.
Mclame
Should be in a retirement home with all the other soon to be tea baggers
AZ,gods waiting room for tea baggers
"You didn't make that business". That's the Obamination of America... what a shameful disgrace....
____________________
Say What?-809562
Jfart...
You forget to mention the highways, trucks, communications, products, delivery people, and all the others who are involved in "making a business". That was part of what Obama said....but don't let a fact get in the way of your rants
____________________________
Hey Say What, EVERYBODY has access to those things but EVERYBODY doesn't have a successful business....Dumbasssssss.... .but don't let a fact like that get in the way of your ignorance...
And that goes for the incompetent boob in the White House right now that has done nothing in his life but live off of government....
They do? Really? How many disabled vets have access to that much help? Women? Elderly?
Businesses do not succeed without support and customers! Customers want products, access to the business, ways to contact the businesses....and more.
Now, put down your sour-grapes kool-aid, put your hood on...you are late for the cross-burning meeting.
DUMBASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Yes Dumbassssss they do have access.... And successful businesses have to create their own customer base and jump through all kinds of governmental hoops, regulations, licensing, mandates, and put in 20 hour days to just to get off the ground. Things the doofus in the White House and you are clueless....
We can all sit here and say the Prick from Persia is a monkey. The Idiot from Iran. The Turd from Tehran. The Monkey from the Mid-East. We can do that.
But a U.S. Senator should be above that. A U.S. Senator is representing the United States when he/she makes those comments, and that is not acceptible.
The young people don't think and act like McCain. We need more young people especially women to step up and take over the governing of the US. Women and Democrats might have our catty ways but constantly calling people out of their character is not one of them. Thank God that people like McCain are a dying breed and they will not be around much longer.
I agree. McCain's remark is very racist. The ACLU should definitely get involved. No poor, little, defenseless monkey should have to bear the shame and degredation of being compared to a maniacal wing-nut tyrant terrorist! :)
Oh come on, pulling the racist card out on this tree swinger...o.O..He actual looks like the guy on MIB, the pawn shop owner..huh..and i thought he looked like a monkey.. Just becuase some people has facial simularities, make up, or hair of animals and thats what you see.. I wander if you tell the monkey you look like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whats it reaction would be..hmm.. I think MCain looks like a white anaconda..OMG i said white!!!! get a life..
And NO, McCain's comment about the Iranian Raghead was Not racist. McCain is just a racist in general. It goes with the Republican Christian Biggot territory.
You morons who are deflecting the issue by saying the monkey should be insulted are just as ignorant as Mccain. Our leaders shouldnt be hurling ridiculous insults at other world leaders. That kind of behavior is exactly what they should not be doing and is exactly why Republicans have sunk to the bottom of the favorable ratings pool. John Mccain has all the class of a wet noodle.
do you know if it was a personnal insult, NO YOU DON'T..could have been a visual comment.. like my toast looks like the picture of Maryline Monroe..
McCain has reached that stage in life where he is revisiting his childhood. I'll bet he was a nasty kid.
McCain should be admonished for comparing "Almondhead" to a monkey.
Monkeys have been insulted and we must protect them.
Come on folks, it was a joke made about a nutcase. He is a self-described enemy of the USA and a racist. He deserves no respect.
@NC...You are the living nutcase....and a liar.
He deserves no respect. That may be true. But a true leader and a true statesman speaks with dignity even when referencing someone as vile as the illegitimate leader of Iran. A representative of the greatest nation on Earth does not need to be tweeting juvenile monkey jokes about the leader of another nation. It does nothing to elevate our status. It does nothing to build alliances against our enemies. It does nothing to promote the just causes we stand and fight for. Comedians and you and I can make these jokes all day long, but our leaders should be above that. It may be idealistic to think this way, but I tend to be idealistic when it comes to our nation. I expect the best.
Open mouth, insert boot.
Way to go, John.
What's the problem? You're upset because he called the President of Iran (a terrorist state) a monkey? If Kerry said the same thing, you liberals would be calling him a tough guy, way to go Kerry, put Iran in its place. Freaks.
See how the news spread garbage like this, it's like a disease, they are parasites that feed off this junk! And kudos to McCain, the man was a prisioner of war and tortured for his country by luntics like this man that wants to kill everybody in the world and some idiot wants to call him a racists! GO TO IRAN, SEE HOW LONG YOU LAST THERE!
Do the research. John Mccain was never tortured by his captures.Even if he was how is insulting middle eastern world leaders going to help our country in the future? Truth is Mccain doesnt care. He just wants war for war s sake
It's liberals like yourself that are ruining this country. Do a little research before you sound dumber and more ignorant than you already do.