E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
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:
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.
As far as I'm concerned you folks are making a mountain out of a molehill...that nutcase in Iran would love to see the U.S. wiped off the face of the map. Call him a monkey, A..hole, piece of sh!t...don't really care. That nutcase is a monster.
John, these people don't understand veteran to veteran, so no need trying to explain.
They seem to think that kissing the enemies ass is going to bring peace. It is a shame
that the hippies of the 60's are leading our nation.
I love it. The liberals are now taking up for a freaking terrorist who trains people to hate and kill Americans whenever possible. Taking up for the President of Iran. McCain cracks a joke in front of other American hero's who served this country and you're taking up for the President of Iran.
Liberals are the most sickening bunch of hypocrites on this planet.
No, the liberals are not. Nobody is taking up for the Prick from Persia. People, including liberals, are, however, not pleased to see our leaders acting like teenage bullies.
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.
Kudos McCain , the only insult was to the monkey , I'm sure he doesn't like the comparison to abbajibbajub .Nevermind what the libtards have to say , their PC melted brain matter is about as relevant as a wet fart .
I'm glad McCain told the hypocritical liberals to F off if they don't like what he said.
Most Americans are more concerned with the disaster in the White House...shrinking economy, continued jobless and outrageous dumb spending:
Obama's Stimulus money....
The U.S. government handed over a staggering $54 million in "stimulus cash" to Connecticut's
politically-connected Mohegan Indian tribe, which runs one of the highest grossing casinos in the country.
$1.15 million in stimulus funds was allocated for the installation of a new guard rail around the non-existent Optima Lake in Oklahoma.
$100,000 in federal stimulus funds were used for a martini bar and a brazilian steakhouse.
$233,000 in stimulus money went to the University of California at San Diego to study why Africans vote.
One Denver developer received $13 million in tax credits to construct a senior housing complex despite that fact that the same developer is being sued as a slumlord for running rodent-infested apartment buildings in the city of San Francisco.
A liberal theater in Minnesota named "In the Heart of the Beast" (in reference to a well known quote by communist radical Che Guevara) received $100,000 for socially conscious puppet shows.
California's inspector general found that $1 million in stimulus funds for a program to give summer jobs to young people was improperly used for overhead expenses such as rent and utility bills.
A $3.4 million "ecopassage" to help turtles cross a highway in Tallahassee, Florida?
The list is endless....
The Obamination of America continues with the help of the leftist media and lots of voter ignorance....
@Jfart
The President cannot spend a dime...Congress does the spending...Your point?
The president ok's the spending, by a simple veto he can stop any bill. So he is as responsible as congress.
McCain??? Hell NBC, look and see the crap in the White House and watch his continued incompetence, wrong direction as gas prices are on the rise again in Obama's shrinking economy....
Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to propose a Tier 3 rule on vehicles. These Tier 3 standards will cause gasoline prices to rise up to 25 cents a gallon.
Obama’s energy secretary (Chu, gone but worse is coming) has said he thinks we'd all be better off if gas cost $7 per gallon
Obama puts moratorium on drilling in the Gulf as oil rigs are moved to South America. South America is ecstatic to get them, the profits and the JOBS
Obama kills the Keystone pipe line
Obama/Democrats – No oil from ANWR
Obama: My Plan Makes Electricity Rates Skyrocket (Yes Obama, we know)
,Could you imagine what gas prices would be now if Obama and accomplices were able to inflict Cap and Trade on America.....thank you Party of No.
The Obamination of America continues...... what a shame for the future of America
Jfart....
I will not take the time or space to point out all your lies...but
"Obama kills the Keystone pipe line" is the most flagrant. The Keystone Pipeline was stopped at the request of the governor of Nebraska...A REPUBLICAN!
This is racist, but when Biden says to and afircan american crown that Romney wants to keep you in chains is not?
African American crown?
Take a look at the feet of the Statue of Liberty.....IN CHAINS!
Now if he would have compared Odumbass to a Monkey, that would have close to racism. Close.
DeerHunterbow...
Being a name-caller makes you look so bright and intelligent. You must have great dignity and maturity for a 3rd grader.
Say What?-809562
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Next?
Anything to please the feeble-minded. Can you tell some funny stories about crippled kids? Or kids with cancer?
Keep sharing your pearls of wisdom with us Say What. Talk about ignorance and feeble mindness. Parrot speak as good as it gets. You seem to think that your liberal spew is somehow superior to anyone else here. What a chump.
Rvon...
One thing is certain.....I am far superior to slime like you.
The GOP calling McCain racist, how ironic.
How's the quote go? "I don't think that means what you think it means...."
its a known fact that john mccain is a racist !!!!! thats old news !!!
Everyone's a racist , people all over the world tend to stick to their own people , that would make them racist .
A monkey is a better living being than achmeddonkeyhumper anyway so why all the fuss ? Unless the monkey is getting pissed ..
McCain referred to him as the monkey that they sent into space last week. Big F**king deal! I'm a dinner jacket is a POS get over it. Why don't you all focus on sending a letter to the President to straighten out the economy he's been promising to fix for the last 4 years and has failed miserably.
McCain isn't nothing but a War Mongrol & yes he is also racist! Likes to play his veteran card so many times, it just turns my stomach! He should move on, too old to being having a say in this countries future!
Racist? No
Unbecoming of an elected government official? Yes. The Senator should know better and probably regretted saying it immediately after he did.
Leader of countries should be treated with respect for the office even when we disagree with them, or their country, or even how they assumed power. It's called diplomacy.
I don't know I think Macmood Im-an-Idiot is the the exception to that rule.
I must be missing something. While clearly being called a monkey isn't flattering I don't see how it's racist. Charles Darwin and evolution are about all homo sapiens not any particular race; all humans evolved from apes. I thought all McCain meant was that the man is noisy, ineffectual and comical like a monkey, and of lesser intelligence than a human being, regardless of race. I'm all for condemning racist remarks but expending a lot of energy on an imagined slight doesn't help anyone.
Am I a racist if I call my kids monkeys?
Your family life, whether or not there is some genetic hanky-panky, is your own - just as long as you refrain from beating them.
To quote one of the comments above, "There's a difference between McCain and Jon Stewart - one is a comedian and the other is a US Senator." First, it's funny the names are in that order. You would think that Mr. McCain would know better than to say something like that, knowing it will get to the media. It is apparent that being in the position of "U.S. Senator" is too much for him to grasp, as he must hold himself to a higher standard other than "playground name calling" status. Let us not forget the youth of this "United States" also reads these remarks and see's and/or hear's this man as a leader? You must think before you speak Mr. McCain...
It's not racist to make fun of terrorists.
Politically correct BS. Everyone knows that the monkey reference was to when a monkey was sent into space. It made no reference to ethnicity, skin color, or culture. Get over yourselves people. I'm going to start crying racism if people mention my skin is light, that I have freckles, and/or that I have red hair.
I have heard some people loudly express particularly unflattering opinions of reds. Nothing yet about freckles, though. Stay tuned.
McCain is well aware that his followers are racist as can be, so he has no fear of being called racist. That is one of the reasons he is not president McCain. The majority of us don't want a racist presidnt.
WOuld be better than the president we have now! At least some of the welfare grubbers would be cut off, and illegal people wouldn't be allowed to stay!
Obviously the critics didn't listen to the actual words he said. His comment had nothing to do with color, race, or creed. It only referenced the fact that a real monkey was sent into space. And this guy was playing the role of the monkey being sent into space. Either that, or some of the people responding were not smart enough to realize that we sent an actual monkey into space.
Oh my gosh - On my gosh. People need to grow some thicker skin. Perhaps McCain was just making the comedic allusion that Ahmadinejad "behaves" like a wild animal (ie - monkey) and was making no reference to that he "looked" like one. I am no big McCain fan, but this is making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Such a bruhaha of such a lame joke. I'm fairly sure that the monkey is Iranian, but the Senator did not really suggest that the Prime Minister is a monkey. Besides, what about the worm, the turtle, and the other critter that preceded the monkey? Surely that indicates that the monkey was not the first Iranian in space, and that the Senator was mistaken.
Oops. Read the tweet CLOSELY. Did say he was a monkey. Racist? Not really. Foolish? Probably. Noteworthy? Not particularly.
After McCain's loss, he has slowly become a bitter man. How sad.
"Better to say nothing and be thought an idiot, than to open your mouth and confirm it"
Exactly!
Spot on!