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

[jstock]

You know what should make McSame "angry?" The tens of thousands of people whose lives have been ended or permanently ruined by our invasion and occupation of Iraq. The shredding of our Constitution, The sanctioning of torture. I could go on and on...

The McCain of 2000 was at least a man I respect. As a Democrat, I wouldn't have voted for him anyway, but at least I had some respect for him. Not anymore. This is not a good person.

[ObamaEdwards]

No way is this hothead going to succeed at spinning his out-of-control rage as righteous indignation on behalf of the American people. He has deep emotional problems, some of them fallout from his being tortured as a POW. Instead of getting the psychiatric help he desperately needed, McCain traded on his ex-POW status to marry a rich girl and use her family's money to support a political career. He has been running on rage ever since. He is unstable and has no business even campaigning to be president. This guy may look and sound like a winner, but his capitulation to the enemy during the war caused his father deep shame, and McCain harbors that. He will blow up again and again at the wrong time, at the wrong person, in the wrong place, because in his soul he has nothing left to lose. But WE have plenty to lose, if we let this emotionally disturbed man represent us to the rest of the world. He needs therapeutic help, not increased responsibility.

[AurigaRa]

yeah yeah yeah
false or exaggerated - that about covers everything.

Just keep telling us how "democratic" you are John.

[brueso]

and I get angry when my g*ddamned c*nt of a wife cakes makeup on herself like a g*damned trollop

[rubicon101]

nice..way to talk about a man who spent a number of years in a prisoner of war camp to save your sorry little ass.

[EnuffsEnuffAlready]

The fact remains, he said it. Nice way to defend a man who spent years in a POW camp and then has so little character that he votes FOR torture.

[CarlyCorday]

rubicon, your comment discredits every former POW who did not grow up to marry a rich woman whose daddy would buy him a senate seat (first he hadda divorce the woman who stuck with him while he was being your "hero"), and all 60,000 names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall (those too dead to be president when they grow up) and every student who got into a prestigious military academy by working hard and making A's while your hero made F's and D's, and every 19-year-old who doggedly went to Nam, came home and either entered humdrum obscurity for better or worse, or hit the streets with PTSD, homeless and disabled. Your hero is too busy running to be your president (running on his years as your hero in a POW camp) to vote for the new GI Bill for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He wouldn't vote for it even if he weren't busy. Your hero missed more senate votes than any other candidate, or any other SENATOR except the one who stayed home with brain damage. Your idea of what a hero is makes me sick. Your hero voted for TORTURE. MOST of his senate votes make him the enemy, ON THE RECORD, of our military. Find another hero, if you know what's good for you.

(My son went to Iraq, he will have to go back soon, so save your robotoc, never-thought-out comebacks for somebody safer, bubba, you got that?)

[Ashall]

According to his biography, McCain himself is partly responsible for his plane going down. It was said he didn't listen to his supervisor's warning to take an extra safety precaution...one that might have prevented the crash! Don't be so quick to make assumptions. Thank you John McCain for the service for your country, but perhaps that doesn't necessarily groom you for being commander in chief at the age of 72. Perhaps those "gaffes" or "mis-statements" regarding Shiites or Sunis are indicators of a deeper problem. Were I a republican I'd be having more than second thoughts about this particular nomination!

[TheHandyman]

First, the Viet Nam War, just like the Iraq War was never fought to save anybody's ass. Notice that we lost that War and Viet Nam has not once attempted to invade us. Getting shot down out of stupidity and poor airmanship is nothing to be proud of. He fucked up and got caught through his own ineptness. He chose to stay and be tortured when offered his release, another sign of stupidity. With another idiot at at the controls of this country like him we'll soon loose our ass.

[dwillisno1]

hey rube icon No doubt my ass is sorry, sorry for you. And no doubt that John McCain was a prisoner of war for whom any American should have nothing but the utmost respect. His being a prisoner of war however, was not in any way participating in the saving of my sorry ass as the War in Viet Nam had nothing to do with saving our asses. Neither does the War in Iraq have anything to do with sorry ass saving, nor WMD location, nor flower and candy solicitation, nor liberation of Iraq. BTW What brueso said was not a nice way to talk about anyone or anyone's wife period!

[stonepier]

It's not about anger - it's about control. McCain shows a lack of control.

Do get angry, by all means. Get angry about the early-2001 terrorist threats that were ignored. Get angry about official lies and about this useless war. Get angry about our loss of international esteem. Get angry about the fact that we've tortured people.

Then do something about it, in a civil, organized fashion.

[AndrewInToronto]

"And if I lose the capacity to be angry, then I don't think I should be president."

That he this this is a criterion for being president is insane.

[Tommygun264]

Why shouldn't McCain offer up lame excuses that are easily countered - it's not like any of the reporters on the farcically named "Straight Talk Express" will ever follow up. They don't want to risk not being invited to the Senator's next weenie roast.

[indie17]

Would that be Lindsey's or Lieberman's?

[DustyRebel]

Unfortunately, these kind of stories, him being a hothead, calling people...his wife...names or even attacking someone, are things the Right laps up. They love it or it doesn't bother them.

I guess it might turn off moderate or independents, but then all those people did elect Bush. Twice.

[ohioangel]

After the camera turned off he said to his publicist:

Why the &%^^ didn't you tell me that *&^%^$ was going to confront me on that $^%#$@ book! Who the $#%$ cares what my temper is? I'm running for POTUS and this ^%$$% better not mess up my chances or all you *(&(^%&^$###@I(*&*^& are going to be in for a &%^$$ surpise! You %^^&^$$#!

End quote.

[moda31]

so wait a minute he can't remember if it did or didn't happen, but wants to make sure to point out that those kinds of things happen in campaigns. huh? how do you not know if you did or didn't physically attack a colleague? it's not that hard of a question, did you or did you not exchange blows with that man? feel free to ask bill for advice on answering questions like that. yes getting angry at times is okay, but physically assaulting someone because you're angry at them, is not.

[Boboday555]

McCain doesn't stnad a snow-ball's chance in Hell when he debates Obama!
Obama's unrivaled grasp of the issues facing the voters and ease with speaking is sure to provoke one of McNasty's pattented outbursts and that'll just about do it for "The Little Punk!"

[bailey2006]

I am quite sure that McCain's campaign staff is prepared to handle his temper come debate time. You watch, they will have pumped him so full of Valium that he will be like a zombie. They will be crouching behind him, pulling the string every time he is ask a question.

I am looking forward to the McCain/Obama debates. They are going to be a doozie!!

[Boboday555]

If McNasty doesn't have a Napoleon complex, I don't know who does.
The Punk is angry he is only as tall as a teenaged girl and he can't let it go.
Is this the kind of President we want; an angry little boy with a short-man complex?
Haven't we had enough of petulant immature spoiled brat Presidents for a while?
How about we elect an adult for a change?

[Gary47]

Hey Johhny-boy, it's not about whether you are angry. It's about whether you can be a civilized adult when you are angry. The answer for you is apparently not. Watch us spend the next several months provoking you to anger just to so we can show voters that uncivilized part of you. It's a campaign. Get used to it.

[CarlyCorday]

Oh, I can't wait.

*smile*

[CarlyCorday]

I am 57-and-a-half years old, female, 130 pounds, noticeably small-boned, five-foot-seven. And I would really really like to throw down with John McCain. I think I can take him.

But then...lol...I have some "issues" and I'll admit it. And I'm not running for POTUS, either.

Furthermore, it wouldn't surprise me if McCain would throw a punch at me if I said anything he didn't like. Not one bit, folks. Picture that.

[ohioangel]

Carly LOL I spit out my water reading that! Take him DOWN!

[AurigaRa]

you go girl

[desmirl]

Senator McBombBombIran is a bully and a jerk. But didn't EVERYBODY know that?