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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.’”
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McCain was once admired. He will now retire or die in shame.
Foolish boy...
I think when you can go through what Senator McCain went through for our nation, then you get your opportunity to pop off. Try being a prisoner of war for a while. I guarantee most of us would not have the fortitude to survive, let alone come back to our country and serve like he has. It is shocking that people would actually defend that creep from Iran. I wouldn't call him a monkey -- that is an insult to monkies. Did you hear about the man in Syria who questioned his daughter's virginity (she was FIVE) so he beat her to death? He avoided the death sentence with a $50K contribution and got a slap on the wrist. Wake up America, what is there to defend about Sharia law and Iran? You want them coming over hear beating our daughters to death at FIVE because they question their virginity. Call him whatever you want Senator McCain and don't back down.
Just me, you are 100% correct. there is not anything racist about this to start. McCain is a hero and endured much pain more so than the a holes w/ their post on this matter.
Well Fiesty a guess you didn't see your shadow when you crawled out of Obama's as* short winter
????
Why the big deal? This is just a minor McCain barb. The guy is senile and going down hill fast. Hopefully he resigns soon or is defeated, before he does any more damage to this country.
McCain needs to keep his mouth shut,( better yet go to a nursing home)Its not you sons that give their lives though is it!
He's become an irrelevant a.s.s. who should have retired years ago.
People need to get over using his Vietnam war experience as an excuse for asinine behavior better suited to a playground. There were 2.7-3.4 million of us that served in Nam, and each of us is a hero and each our opinions are just as valid as McCain.
Also, saying that objecting to McCain's words is akin to supporting Iran or its leaders, is ludicrous. You can be against one and not for the other.
Oh, you mean like John Kerry's Viet Nam experience, or CHuck Hagel's Viet Nam experience. It is laughable to watch liberals tout the Viet Nam experiences of those they like, then attempt to diminish the experience of those they disregard.
Maybe we should trot out the Horrific Viet Nam experiences of Richard Blumenthal of CT, who lied about being in Viet Nam. He never set foot on the soil, but CT Dem's thought it best to disregard that little faux pas and elect him anyway.
It appears that you believe your opinion is relevvant, but he is just an irelevant a.s.s. Looks like you are the bigot my friend.
Maybe if you say it enough that little voice reminding you that you're a traitor will go away, but I bet it won't.
@25 I never said anyone should get a pass on their behavior for their war experience. You are extrapolating on your own fanciful conclusion. Also, as an AF nurse I served in country 68-70 [and was injured], and also in the 1st Gulf War: I continued my service working at Andrews and Bethesda until i retired in 1996. I have helped more vets than you can imagine. I am entitled to my valid opinion without some low life like you demeaning and questioning me. The term bigot is not even relevant in this conversation. Perhaps you should know the meaning of a word before you use it.
@skibum-if you are insinuating I am the traitor--tell me what sacrifices you have made for your country? i have given my career to this country and its vets since the 1960's.
The two of you are an example of obnoxious low information citizens, whose erroneous childish retorts are of little use in an adult discussion.
NO John McCain YOU get another life and leave the Senate to those who understand international issues. You, Sir, are a 76 year old IDIOT!
You have shown yourself to be a younger idiot. Congratulations
angry rhetorical insults are the last bastion of the ignorant 25sed
McCain - the face of the NEW Republican Party. Yikes!!!!
You are an A$$ Hole.
Boozer - it appears you a graduate of a Texas school.
NBC get a life!!!!!!!!!
Any liberal who finds fault with McCain calling that certified piece of sh*t Iranian madman a monkey, is nothing but an Iranian Monkey TURD.
Who says that Iran is our Enemy? Only because the USA keeps poking at them. Lets worry about our own problems here instead of across the world!
Um, under the International law you Progressives like to cite their attack and capture of the American Embassy constituted an attack on American soil and therefore an act of war. Idiot without knowledge makes you a child and a Progressive.
Republicans are going to poke at Iran to start a war. Nothing more nothing less.
But It was OK with the liberal CS when they called GWB a monkey wasn't it ? FK these PC (__*__) .
I was thinking the same thing. He does look like a monkey, and I think it's OK to make fun of our enemy.
Maybe Del Justin Amash should go back to the good old days in the Democratic Controlled South, where racism really existed and see what it truly was. He could take all of the pansy current day Democrats with him who like to throw that word around. Unless you saw it or experienced it, you have no clue what racism really is and should delete the word from your vocabulary. It is apparent Amash is trying desperately to cling to his office in a Democratic Sate. He needs to get a life, along with the other PC wussies who are also clueless.
An absolute insult to monkeys everywhere if they are compared to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad!
The man is old time racist....approaches the immigration reform as to help those who clean out houses and serve our food.....reflects the whole GOP philosophy.....
What's the big noise? The guy has been senile for ages now, he probably doesn't even remember saying it . Much noise about nothing.
McCain does not really care what he says as long as it makes the news either on TV, on the web, radio or in print.. He does not really care. This Monday McCain is in the news so McCain's week is made.
Really what did the Vietcong do to this guy? He has become a liability on all planes.
If McCain was elected POTUS in 2008, Sarah Palin would have been VP. We would have lost soldiers in Libya because he would have sent young marines there to fight on the ground. He would had had young americans dying in Syria today and in Iran we would be following BIBI to the gate of hell. Bomb bomb is his motto so Bahrain and Kuwait and the Strait of Hormuz would have on fire today and oild prices would have tripled and the economy would have in depression. But McCain does not really care.
There would have been no end in sight in Afghanistan with the number of US forces there tripling. We would have found ourselves in a soviet style quagmire without any clear purpose. Just koking of course he would have said. Get a life. We have the military we should use it.
The only part of the World that is not worth this cranky old man's attention is black Africa. That he does not give a penny. Anywhere else he would send american soldiers to fight and be killed.
Let McCain keep on seeking the limelight. The people of AZ will wake up soon and send him into retirement.
McCain has reached his expiration date. Time for him to go home and be nursed.
Well Said! Hey NBC and other News Sources.... Please report this opinion!
If he had been elected our Ambassador to Libya would be alive, unemployment would be back to normal levels, we'd have less illegal immigrants destroying America, North Korea wouldn't be threatening to nuke us and Hanoi Kerry would still be in Massachusetts.
Skibum99
You have no idea how the economy works do you? So unemployment would be at normal levels is the economy is in a depression with the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to more that 35% of the world oil shipment, is shocked up with mines and naval fights? Wishfull thinking did not help GWB and his pals over Iraq, it will work in your case.
You have no idea how military alliances work, do you? So North Korea a friend of Iran is less likely to attack the US if the US is engaged in 4 military fronts and with a weak economy? You say so. So it would have been.
'The Pelican is a wonderful bird.. Its neck can hold more than its belly can". (Somerset M.) But nobody bets on the Pelican.
All joking aside, I would like to think my Vice-president had more smarts as well as class than to make such stupid remarks for the whole world to read. This is really a negative for the U.S. and those anti-US are going to get every bit of mileage out of this crass remark made by our second -in-command, who could be the Commander-In-Chief, imagine that......
That is a really Bidenesque comment. Good one.
Shocking....liberals are crying racism. Who cares he was joking around just like Biden jokes around...both left and right need to get over it....
Its time that the press quit reporting on McCain. He should have shut his mouth when he lost back in 2008. All I can say is, Thank God he didn't win the election. I can only imagine how many other military actions he would have us in!
ahmadinjad, hagen, holder, msnbc commentors, cnn are all monkeys in comrade obama's mob and he is the silverback!!!
I think liberals are just a hyper sensitive group of people. Extremely shallow when it comes to self esteem and always, nervously looking to single out anyone who doesn't agree with them politically. If any Senator with a "D" after his or her name had said the exact same thing, this wouldn't have made it past the local conservative blog.
Just goes to show how unstable and pathetic the left has become in this country. The real racists are the ones who keep African Americans holed up in the inner cities, feeding them welfare and denying there's a public school problem. The same ones who fought school choice and somehow think feeding them veggies and fruit will fix the problem. The same ones who deny the violence in the inner city exists and thinks it's the rednecks in the south we should worry about. The same mindless group of people who outlaw "large" soda's, suspend 1st graders for "pointing their finger like a gun" and think government spending should continue to grow until we are bankrupt.
If you follow the idiots on the left you might want to buy a parachute because it's a long way down when you go over the cliff.
Tsk tsk. Remember, if you disagree with a liberal, you are a bigot. We may have to send you to a re-education camp if you are unable to adjust and agree with their philosophy.
Obama always blaming someone else for his failure
campaigning his BS today stay at the white house
and get to work this gun ban is just a excuse to
not work on the debt and jobs if he wants to do
something get his a@@ to Chicago see how many guns
there are registered DUH what a damn idiot
You call a monkey that wants to kill you a monkey and it's racists. Give me a break! Weenie lib BS as usual!
Well, reading all the Neg. comments regarding Senator McClain's ''JOKE" personally I thought it was Appropriote...No one has a sense of humor anymore...Especially the Demo's..of course they never had one ...and those Neg. Remarks, well, they can be found with the ''WALKING DEAD'..
He was a bad pilot....the press made him into a hero when in reality he squealed like a puppy ....jejejeje....