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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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So now calling someone a monkey is now automatically a racist act? This is getting out of hand, people!
It wouldn't be such a big deal were he not a US Senator.
But he is, he should know better and he should at least admit that he spoke inappropriately, but he can't even do that.
I am glad he said it. Nice to see one American with a spine and a sense of humour.
He spoke appropriately, I think he was quite civil, no where close to how Obama speaks about those who don't support him and those who didn't vote for him, the other 50%, he won by a small margin, so when obama says a "majority" of americans support him, its only by a few points, hardly a majority.
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.....
In the narrow minded eyes of a liberal, 50.9% to 47.4% is a shellacking, remember?
Hey 25sed: That's more than the Bushes ever got...even after stealing one election.
And this is a surprise to any of you here, Why? Have you been living under rocks the past ten to fifteen years?
These Liars, Political terrorists are all Racists. The voters are just too stupid to keep voting them back in! So either Do something contructive about this by getting petitions together & signed and Vote out these Radicals or Shut the he.....up.
what an absolute joke this man has become - he is way past his expiration date - it is torture listening and worst watching him - and he could have president - amazing - if he was not stupid enough to select palin - please just drift away while you still have some dignity - embarrassing
I think its funny. Good one Senator. The Iranian devil should be shot.
Glad to see Feisty put her vibrator down long enough to spread her party line.
I wonder what that smell was coming out of my computer
Can I mention that your dear friend Ahmedinejad had to mount a media campaign to counter the notion that he had BODY ODOR issues?
Just remember and repeat after me, "Marxist speech is protected under the First Amendment, but anything other than Marxist speech is HATE SPEECH and therefore banned..."
In other words, if you want to SILENCE an opponent, call them "racist"--a term that has pretty much LOST ITS MEANING from such overuse. That Senator McCain, who spent YEARS as a POW before most of you were even BORN, had the temerity to oppose the Dear Leader in a free election means HE MUST BE DESTROYED by the
President's hand-puppets in the media.
And when the Dear Leader wishes to be President-for-Life by either running in or cancelling the 2016 elections, the media will call it good. Constitution--WHAT CONSTITUTION???
George Orwell, and Karl Marx, could not have forseen better what you've been indoctrinated, er, uh, I mean, "educated" into believing...
I am a Democrat and as far as I am concerned McCain paid his price in full to this country to say what ever the hell he wants to say.
Deb P.
Wonder how he walks with both feet in his mouth.
There's a difference between McCain and Jon Stewart - one is a comedian and the other is a US Senator. Comedians don't have to be diplomatic, but US Senators do.
And since when either a comedian or Senator have to use finesse with Iran leaders. bunch of weed smoking idiots.
I think you need to remove your foot from your mouth.
First there conservatives want war, now they bitch because Mr. Mc Cain insulted the most ignoramus jerk on the planet earth.
No wonder the GOP is screwed up.
That`s nothing compared to what I say about most of you...
I understand the context of Sen. McCain's comment, but I am still a bit disappointed in the Senator. I have a great deal of respect for Sen. McCain and have been impressed with his record and willingness to help both sides of the aisle come together on issues critical to America as a whole. For the present, I will file this as an unfortunate aberration.
I have a great deal of respect for McCaine, he has tried to surve the public, both in his past as military hero, and now as a level headed but fustrated Sen of Arizona. he has always tried to do huis best, and yes things can slip, from his mouth, is it raly that bad, what he has just stated, this dictator, will be firing nuk's soon, and we might be at the recieving end, for 75 % are christains here, he being a good Muslim, wants us christains dead, I yes call it the way you see it. England just before England was act by Germany, Englands Sir Camberland made a deal with Hitler, and came back to England,, were safe he won't attack us, people were not allowed to make coments about Hitler, A mad man with power, should always be kept in check.
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McCain is a senator from a state where cowboys killed Indians and he still has the same world view as the cowboys in the 1800s.
Forget that global communications, two world wars, the threat of nuclear annihilation, the world wide net, and jet propulsion have made the world smaller than it was in the cowboy days in the Old West. We can still tell monkey jokes about people of color if we are an old white senator from a backwards-thinking state like Arizona.
I think McCain is a senile, pathetic, washed up fool who is aligned with the idiotic party. That "said", I don't think his comment was meant to be racist. We live in a PC world these days, I understand why, but again don't think that was his intention. We old white guys have to be careful about what we say these days, there is still a lot of racism, homophobia and misogyny out there.
Yup, almost all racism isn't "meant" to be.
George B.-773075
As an old white guy, I understand your sentiment and, yes, in the context of Sen. McCain's statement I think it does not meet today's criteria for political correctness, but I do not think it was an intended racial slur. I think Sen. McCain has a record that places him in the upper echelons of of the US Senate and has the potential of helping America at this very critical moment in our history. He definitely needs to avoid ANY conversation with McConnell ans Isakson.
Senator McCain has insulted monkeys everywhere!!!
Well, it is in bad taste! It might not have come from him as a politician a few decades ago as the caution played out a traffic police.
Sorry, one would have to exercise alertness of interacting with someone exhibiting potential cognitive impairment given his progression of age.
And McCain is just a plain old ass, as in a-hole.
Speaking of jokes, here's one for you:
Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel , "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses
and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land." Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land."
Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land! I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc .... I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press 1 for English. I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal. They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck...... Folks, we're screwed.
Hilarious.
Yeah, haha, because making light of war and cracking racist jokes is just so funny. No wonder the Republican Party can't get any votes outside of the white bigoted male demographic. One thing to make a joke, another thing to be part of a pattern.
To all you liberal tree huggers who wrote comments in here. You all seem to mark McCain as a racist. He more then any one is not. How many of you would have forgiven the "Gook VC" if they did what they did to him , did it to you. I don't think many if any would. And I would bet you would to this day still be calling them Gooks. As for the president of Iran, he made a joke about an idiot who wants to wipe us and Isreal off the map. I think his joke was funny and probably true. (hahah). So all of you who had something negative to say against McCain in here are monkey's too as they all stay together.So stick it up your Azz's
Bobaloo
You are saying the liberal tree huggers wrote hate comments, your wrong amigo, it was 80 % of the conservatives giving him down the road, you better go back and re read the post. most Democrats stood wit him including me. you want to pat a babies ass from Iran , you go right ahead, when that baby tries to stick a rocket in your ass you will change your mind.
obama in the service????now thats a funny picture....imagine all of our soliders getting wiped out by friendly fire from obama...he would have a target rich enviroment.....
or he would have ran.or shot his foot to get out.....
he is FAR from military material.....
obama in the military......hahahahahaha
I'm a retired military veteran myself, and I don't see how that gives me the right to make racist jokes. I'm guessing McCain was very happy with the former despot who ran Iran as if his family owned it and all of its people.
it's as funny as bomb bomb bomb iran (sing to beach boys barbara ann) joke was a while back
but not nearly as funny as dumping your first, automobile accident disabled wife for a young heiress....
Don't be surprise if sorry PETA will soon be all over McCain for his disparaging and insulting remark about monkeys.
Oh, McCain's a riot... Remember his best joke? Back when he got the world world laughing at us from his vice presidential running partner selection?
Never put John McCain in a position where he has to choose between doing the right thing and his own ambition.
i am sure he meant to imply how the monkey is smarter then that leader but people will take it just the way they want to, i have a lot of black friends and most of them will say a black person is more racist then the average person out their.. i have found out that everybody will say things when upset and if you don't have a education and a job or some age like a senior citizen then i don't care enough about you to worry anyway.