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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:
haha, i thought it was funny.
tom-73...nicely stated.
clark-861484...lmao
Carry on!
That comment was terrible, he may have just have had called a black man an ape. How atrocious coud he be!
Ha! Ha! Now that was good!!!
There is nothing wrong or inappropriate about that comment. I've heard worse insults in Kanye West lyrics.
Also, your grammar is atrocious.
Mitch- 21374 copy cat copy cat, you drawing air is atrocious KMA
Did I miss something? What was the racist comment? Looks to me like MSN just wanted to say Racism and McCain in the same sentence. Ahmadinejad is a loser and a killer, who cares what people want to call him. I love how liberals love to hate on our own leaders, but people like Sean Penn "Big Liberal" will hang out with these losers like Hugo Chaves and no one cares.
Amen Brother!!! Who does care about a killer...just bleeding hearts
Of course he is a racist. Youy know McCain your your little "I'm a war hero" act is wareing a little thin, your no hero...your a scum bag and that is all you will be remembered for.
No you're wrong Nick 1103972...He was a war hero, that's one reason why you get to open your mouth and say stupid things....It's a free country baby!!
smitchell
You are exactly right!
I don't generally care for McCain, but I will say this for him --at least he's consistent. Unfortunately hard time in a tiger cage has made him very crazy.
That's racist? Haha! Liberals need to lighten up!
I'm with you! They don't understand that if not for people like McCain, they would not be able to say some of the stupid things that they get to say!
Must be a helluva slow news day if this story makes top of the page headlines.
HEY....? HEY..? BARRACK....HEY..?
What..? What..? That You...'OLE BEN ......'OLE BEN GHAZI...That You..??
Yeah Dat's Me.....I'm Back again..
Hey..I Told you ..Stay 'outa Here..Till Things QUIET DOWN..I Got Panetta 'Coverin' US SOON..
It's Gonna be Alright...The media won't say 'Nuthin...
But..? aww shoot..I'm Leavin...Now..well...O.K
Good Ben..Good...'An Don't come back...
Hey McNasty, when I'm with idiots, I can make jokes that idiots understand, right? And that makes me in sync with idiots.....such a lofty goal. Way to lead, oh worthy Senator Whitey-Righty.
Although I have disagreed with McCain on many issues, I really don't see this as a serious transgression. However, he shouldn't tweet this stuff. Saying it in a private or semi-private gathering is enough.
Like he said...."get a life" Your an idiot
I didn't hear the pimple of iran being called a monkey. There was a question about a monkey having been sent into space. Calling him a monkey is a disgrace to primates. The world would love to see this slug sent into space on a one way journey.
Isn't the Iranian guy white? I thought it was okay to call white people monkeys. see bushorchimp.com
He should have saved all the millions he bought his way back into Washington with and retired. His party needs to retire him before this gerts any worse
Sorrowful11...your an idiot too!
boy this really shows racism, holy cow never saw anything like it before
Talk about racism NFL 95% black 5% white, NBA 99% black 1% white
makes about as much sense as this FU***** article of jounalism
calling any leader of any country a monkey, disqualifies you - period !
especially, when there are lots of monkey-look-a-likes in the GOP !
Senator McCain's comment is insulting, but only to monkees, which are being compared to an idiot. Anyone who thinks the Senator's comment is racist, is also an idiot. It has nothing to do with racism, but with Ahmadinajad, who is a lying, obfuscating, hate-mongering thug. When the Iranians claimed to have launched a monkey into space, I asked which one, Ahmadinajad or their equally idiotic "supreme leader" Khameni.
Reyfl- self correction: thereof/ their. TEE-HEE
Actually, America's most prominent racist are comrades obama and holder,
McCain can't hold a candle to those guys???
Obama will not do anything about Iran untill they sneak a bomb (radiation) into the United States---there are many people from Viet Nam--Iraque--China--India--Cuba----- who hate the United States and its people--the Mexicans are the worst haters--even though there are 1,400,000 -illegal Mexicans households getting benifits such as food stamps--medicaid--supplementary social security--free phone--subdized housing--WIC---plus taking jobs from Americans--such as the 800,000 illegal Mexicans that Obama gave amnesty to so they would not be deported and could get jobs==GO FIGURE------Thanks Obama
you're an illegal too !
As long as you're not native american indian !
Don't forget that !
OMG...you really are an idiot!!! Wow
What's all the fuss? Ahmadinejad is a piece of s..t and i believe the monkey comment is right on, nothing to do with racism. Chill out all you PC people and get a life and a sense of humor.
I'm most likely going to get kicked off this site but I really don't care.
As she monkey joke hell we have a joke and a monkey in our white house.
we let everyone talk here... even you... monkey...
Spoken from a true idiot!! Volker 2395940
haha we e eew eeee weee weee oink oink all the way home , opps joke , dont make fun of meeeee oink oink
Monkey is a compliment for the little bastard. And, as I said before, Iranian is not a race so McCain's comments cannot be racist.