McCain can't resist the Iran joke

[Manuel]

While waiting for cheese steaks at Pittsburgh's Primanti Bros., an Associated Press reporter asked McCain to comment on a report that U.S. exports to Iran had increased tenfold during the last seven years -- with cigarettes ranking as the top export.

"Maybe that's a way of killing them," McCain responded. He quickly followed up: "I meant that as a joke, as a person who hasn't had a cigarette in 28 years."

McCain can't resist the Iran joke - Los Angeles Times

 

[editec]

Clearly this guy wants to go to war with Iran.

That or he's a very stupid man.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Clearly this guy wants to go to war with Iran.

That or he's a very stupid man.

Yup. So I will now be watching your jokes for signs of what you REALLY mean.

 

[editec]

Yup. So I will now be watching your jokes for signs of what you REALLY mean.

Good luck with that.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Good luck with that.

What? You mean jokes don't accurately tell us what people are thinking?

 

[busara]

McCain can't resist the Iran joke - Los Angeles Times

way to think on your feet mccain

 

[Christopher F.]

This is exactly what America must avoid, bellicose statements like, "wiping Israel off the map." Where do you draw the line between (poor taste in) humor or insidious empty threats?

Saber rattling only increases the belligerence of Iran's hardliners and undermines America's credibility among our allies.

Mr. McCain should offer a formal apology to the Iranian people, the most pro-America Muslim nation, and America's greatest ally in Iran against Islamic fundamentalism.

usiranalliance.org

 

[Article 15]

Hahahaha!!!

What a hoot, Senator!!!

That's exactly what we need on the campaign trail ... more "jokes" about killing foreigners from our candidates.

I can't wait to hear the knee slapper Barack comes up with to top McCains ...

 

[007]

This is exactly what America must avoid, bellicose statements like, "wiping Israel off the map." Where do you draw the line between (poor taste in) humor or insidious empty threats?

Saber rattling only increases the belligerence of Iran's hardliners and undermines America's credibility among our allies.

Mr. McCain should offer a formal apology to the Iranian people, the most pro-America Muslim nation, and America's greatest ally in Iran against Islamic fundamentalism.

usiranalliance.org

You may have a point. Much of Iran is sympathetic to the western world, and the USA. Jokes like that from mclame won't help anything. He better watch his nasty old mouth.

 

[AllieBaba]

Oh for Pete's sake.

I see a lot of people who need to spend more time exercising their bodies and less time analyzing every utterance of political candidates, looking for screw ups.

I think it's funny. I don't think it's indicative of anything except a sense of humor.

 

[Paulie]

Oh for Pete's sake.

I see a lot of people who need to spend more time exercising their bodies and less time analyzing every utterance of political candidates, looking for screw ups.

I think it's funny. I don't think it's indicative of anything except a sense of humor.

No, what it is is unbecoming of a US Presidential candidate. Plain and simple. Maybe you disagree, but I expect much more professionalism than that from a person who may very well be the leader of the free world in less than a year.

 

[jillian]

You may have a point. Much of Iran is sympathetic to the western world, and the USA. Jokes like that from mclame won't help anything. He better watch his nasty old mouth.

True....

 

[Anguille]

Clearly this guy wants to go to war with Iran.

That or he's a very stupid man.

"or" ?

 

[Christopher F.]

Oh for Pete's sake.

I see a lot of people who need to spend more time exercising their bodies and less time analyzing every utterance of political candidates, looking for screw ups.

I think it's funny. I don't think it's indicative of anything except a sense of humor.

Israelis don't think its very funny when Ahmadinejad threatens to "wipe them off the map" nor would most Americans find it be funny if someone threatened to kill Americans.

There is a time and place for jokes, Mr. McCain can sing "bomb Iran" all he wants privately, but in the name of tact for the Americans he claims to represent, the campaign trail should not be forum for his stand up comedy routine.

 

[AllieBaba]

Tempest in a tea pot.

 

[Paulie]

Tempest in a tea pot.

Because these days, it's just wonderful for the international community to see one of our two presidential candidates joking about foreigners dying being a good thing.

But, you probably view any Iranian as less than worthy of life anyway I'm sure, so it's no wonder McCain's comment doesn't bother you.

 

[Ravi]

I'm with the Baba on this one.

 

[Christopher F.]

Iranian-Americans, one of the most affluent and well educated immigrants to America surely don't find this joke funny.

Mr. McCain may reveal his true character by offering a formal apology to the Iranian peoples because if it was after all, a harmless joke, then what harm is there in trying to gain back alienated voters?

usiranalliance.org

 

[sealybobo]

I'm with the Baba on this one.

At the minimum, it wasn't a very presidential thing to say. I love it!!!! Keep making these mistakes. Alienate gays, Persians, Military people, muslims, hispanics, women, asians.......

Did you see this last night?

Posing the first question in a Denver town hall meeting yesterday, a Vietnam veteran challenged Sen. John McCain on his Senate voting record regarding veteran’s issues, remarking he had voted against increasing vets health funding four years in a row. Ignoring the veteran’s point, McCain testily — and repeatedly — insisted that he had “received every award from every major veteran’s organization in America”:

MCCAIN: I’ve received every award from every major veteran’s organization in America. The reason why I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veteran’s service organizations is because of my support of them.

VETERAN: You do not have a perfect voting record by the DAV and the VFW. That’s where these votes were recorded. These votes were proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase health care of the VA in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And you voted against those proposals. […]

MCCAIN: I’ve been endorsed in every election by every veterans organization that do that, I’ve been supported by them, and I’ve received their highest awards from all of those organizations. So I guess they don’t know something you know.



Watch the video, via AHiddenSaint:

McCain has made the exact same claim before — and it is just a false today as it was then. As ThinkProgress documented, McCain’s so-called “perfect” record has been roundly criticized by prominent veterans groups: He received a grade of D from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a 20 percent vote rating from the Disabled Veterans of America; Vietnam Veterans of America noted McCain had “voted against us” in 15 “key votes.” FYI, Obama votes with the vets 80% of the time and he got a B+ rating.

As for the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars — with whom McCain claims to have a “perfect voting record” — both groups vigorously supported Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) GI Bill that McCain tirelessly opposed. It is also important to note that when Bush signed this bill, he mentioned McCain by name when praising and thanking Congress for passing the bill. So McCain thinks he can have it both ways.

Later in the town hall, McCain admitted he does “not have a perfect voting record,” but then declared that questions about veterans issues were off limits: “I will be glad to debate a lot of things, but not that one,” McCain said.

 

[AllieBaba]

Because these days, it's just wonderful for the international community to see one of our two presidential candidates joking about foreigners dying being a good thing.

But, you probably view any Iranian as less than worthy of life anyway I'm sure, so it's no wonder McCain's comment doesn't bother you.

More hate-filled and bigoted rhetoric from the left.
I don't think Iranians are less worthy of life. I don't think McCain thinks that either. He was making a joke about smoking, dumbass.