McCain Responds To Report That He Attacked Congressman

On Tuesday, The Huffington Post published an explosive excerpt from Cliff Schecter's new book "The Real McCain," alleging that Sen. John McCain once physically attacked fellow congressman Rick Renzi.

Perhaps the most remarkable story of McCain's temper involved Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi. Two former reporters covering McCain, one who witnessed the following events and one who confirmed the facts provided by the first, relayed it to me as follows: In 2006, the Arizona Republican congressional delegation had a strategy meeting. McCain repeatedly addressed two new members, congressmen Trent Franks and Rick Renzi, as 'boy.' Finally, Renzi, a former college linebacker, rose from his chair and said to McCain, "You call me that one more time and I'll kick your old ass." McCain lunged at Renzi, punches were thrown, and the two had to be physically separated. After they went to their separate offices, McCain called Renzi and demanded an apology. Renzi refused. Apparently this posture made McCain admire him, as they became fast friends.

This morning on Fox News, McCain was asked about the report (as well as other alleged profanity-laced tirades on Capitol Hill). He ostensibly denied the reports, but left plenty of wiggle room, saying they were "either false or exaggerated." Watch it:

FOX: There was an incident referred to in the book reportedly from 2006 saying you exchanged blows with Congressman Renzi. They talk alleged profanity-laced exchanges with other lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Is there any truth to that?

MCCAIN: No. In fact, there were witnesses every time I've been around Congressman Renzi, who's a friend of mine, and we have a very good relationship. But the point is that I have a record of reaching across the aisle and working in a bipartisan fashion, of getting things done in Washington. Those reports are either false or exaggerated. But the point is that these kind of things happen in political campaigns. I've been in office for 24 years, and I've gotten angry when I seen spending out of control. I've gotten angry when I see people who do such things like in the Abramoff scandal, which I investigated and which ended up with people in federal prison. I get angry when I see these cost-overruns and wastes of taxpayers' dollars, and earmark and pork barrel spending. And if I lose the capacity to be angry, then I don't think I should be president.

To read more from The Real McCain, buy a copy for yourself here.

Comments

[Verified]

Dyslexia = a perennially frustrating condition. Correction: And so McCain repeatedly reminds us during the interview....

[Verified]

And so McCain repeatedly reminds us in during interview what "the point" really is. And of course the Fox News blond doesn't repeat her question which was, in fact...uh...the point.

Cliff Schechter is my hero for writing this book. He is risking a lot of backlash, but isn't courage a quality necessary (and sadly lacking these days) for good journalism? There will be many who will say his book is just mudslinging. The sad truth is, there's an extraordinary amount of mud surrounding McCain.

As much as we would like to hold up the nobility of the American electorate, we all know how many everyday non-blogging voters are astonishingly lacking in insight about the personal shortcomings of our leaders. GWB is in office still, and it took most Americans a long time to see what the rest of us saw immediately. They couldn't tell Nixon was corrupt or that Reagan was senile. If Schecter's book helps reveal to the semi-informed, even to a small degree, that the real McCain is a frighteningly unstable man behind a gentlemanly facade, then I say bravo Cliff.

[Mojane]

When are people going to wake up -- especially the MSM and McCain's colleagues and even enemies. They seem to feel compelled to preface every comment they make about McCain to the effect that he's a "brave and honorable man" blah, blah, blah.

He flew or so 20 missions over Vietnam, dropping bombs, killing God only knows how many. A hero?!!! Many men have been held as prisoners of war and tortured, many not living to tell their heroic stories. Lots are being held by our government as "enemy combatants" for years, tortured, and not even charged with a "crime". Habeus Corpus gone, not just for them, but for us as well.

He has believed and promoted his own myth so fervently that he's sold everyone else his bullshit. He's a cocky little pissed off idiot. We've had almost 8 years of that insanity. We want more of the same?!!!! HELP.

[phal4875]

We can all see some of the humor in having Senator McCain running for president. The really frightening thought is that he could win. George Bush has been an embarrassment for many reasons, but McCain will turn the U.S. into an object of pity. McCain is not remotely intelligent; he is belligerent; he is very poorly informed; and his health - both mental and physical - is a major concern. Are his memory problems just a function of stupidity or aging, or are they symptomatic of something more serious?

[weinbob]

I just can't get behind McCain. Sure his Mom is ninety something, but his Dad passed away at McCains current age. He has had some medical issues and was tortured. While graduating 5 the from the bottom of his class in Annapolis out of 975 plebes his was never the brightest bulb, but lately he has had several major brain farts. The temper, the C word, and the probability that he was fooling around with that lobbyist just give me pause.

At least his wife is wealthy and will not be running around collecting bribes under the disguise of "speeches" . Have we ever, ever, ever had a candidate or person in elected office where the spouse is allowed to fly in, shake hands, deliver some remarks and fly back home to the joint checking account with bundles of CASH!

[cyndeewi]

Although I am a Obama supporter, McCain would be the next person that I would vote for. I would not use his age against him, while supporting Obama, I am come to realized people will not for Obama because of his race, or anything else they can use in the guise of just saying it is his race that offends them. This has been a hair raising experience for me, I know look at the person and what they have to offer. McCain is honorable and decent. No matter how Hannity and other fox news hosts try to make him say bad things about Obama, to date he has stuck to the issues.

[Malacandra]

You must have definitions of the words 'honor' and 'decency' that differ substantially from mine.

John McCain has been an enabler of the Bush administration's use of torture, by first objecting tepidly... and then looking the other way and voting to permit it.

For all his talk of supporting the troops, John McCain has not co-sponsored the GI Bill that's in the Senate to offer them benefits commensurate with their service to the country.

John McCain has reneged on his obligation to abide by the rules of accepting public funds for his campaign.

He's violating the McCain/Feingold legislation that bears his own name!

This is a man who dumped his first wife, a model who was disfigured and disabled by a horrible auto accident, after years of cheating on her (in some cases with women who were his subordinates)... in order to marry a younger, wealthier woman who launched his political career.

Is that honor? Integrity? Honesty? Decent?

Far from it.

I respect the fact that once, many years ago, John McCain suffered horrors and indignities on behalf of his country. But he's done many, many things since that time to dishonor himself.

[JJinWI]

You support Obama, but would vote for McCain?

"McCain is honorable and decent" are you totally disconnected, or what?

Name one honorable thing John McCain has done, and I will name you
three that he has taken advantage of his positions in power.

Get a clue, or please resist using your right to vote.
Turn off FOX News and quit drinking the kool-aide already.

[maddog2112]

When someone says they support Obama but would vote for McCain, it sends a really bad message about Obama. If you like Obama for his policy ideas, plans for our countries recovery, hope for a better tommorrow, restoring America, and then say I would vote for McCain (under any senario) it gives the impression that Obama voters like him for all the superficial and wrong reasons. I support Obama myself but I would be thriled with a HIllary victory too. Both of these candidates would be a good choice for America, where McCain would be a continuation of the worst administration in US History. If you like McCain, then vote for him, but stop peeing in the conrflakes with comments like "I am a Obama supporter, McCain would be the next person that I would vote for." It damages the credibility of Obama's campaign and demostrates that someone lacking in judgement and knowledge of the issues enough to vote for McBush would support Obama.

If you voted for Bush last time or think Bush 2 might be a good idea, do your country a favor and turn off fox news, pay more attention to the things that really matter, and sit the next couple elections out,

[NCGigi]

What is it with this guy? Why do people like him? Is it because he looks like Bruce Dern, the actor, who often portrayed insane people? He sounds crazy as a bed bug.

[ShimeyShimey]

You can't expect moral behavior from immoral people.

[SEQUOIABISON]

He is a bitter angry old man who in my opinion is very dangerous to the health of the world much worse than Bush.

[Nyla785]

'Colorful'? what is this, the South Korean parliament? This is America. Stop covering up and minimizing McCain's problems. He's up for the Leader of the Free World. Always known as 'a loose cannon' , McCain is the LAST thing our nation needs after Bush's trashing of our good name.

[avraamjack]

.
So McCain is colourful. So what?
.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Colorful? He can't control his temper and he has no control over his impulses. He doesn't listen to those who don't agree with him, and his views are fixed. Obviously not fit to be President.

[avraamjack]

.
You could also say he is highly expressive leader who does not compromise his principles.
.

[TN]

Will someone please pull the Senate voting records for 2004,2005 & 2006. Every vote I watched was all republican senators voting together in one big block. This could help to squelch the bi-partisan, reached across the isle talk.

[MsLiz]

Aisle, not isle. It's that passageway which separates Democrats and Republicans in each house of Congress.

[bbbbmer]

...oh great! a bipolar president with psychopathic features... just what we need to make peace in the world....

[richsmith]

McInsane's bid for the presidency has the potential of developing into a movie plot that the likes of Federico Fellini would envy.

[richsmith]

Remember Zio Teo in Amarcord? Well, here we have our own Zio Gianni, who we could gain infinite pleasure from lampooning, unless by some freak accident in our finite world of spacetime and by reason of the the gross masocistic instinct of the US voting population Gianni actually becomes the President for 4 or 8 years and we live through the horrible waining era of the Imperium Americanum.

[Jtt]

Why does McCain get to say things like :

"I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." ( http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/hongop.shtml )

But Senator Obama is guilty of racism just by association. McCain tried to worm out by saying he was speaking of his captors but are any in the black power movement given such leeway when speaking of "White Racists"?

[noamjunior]

excellten point

[MsLiz]

Because Vietnamese people do not make up the majority of US voters, who are scared of vengeful blacks rising up against them?

[UsStupidWhiteMan]

End of story. If you can't trust Fox News who the hell can you trust?

[instagladiator]

You're not serious?