John McCain, Charles Grassley Physical Altercation Confirmed By Washington Post

Sunday's Washington Post features a front-page story examining the notorious temper of Sen. John McCain, including a first-hand account of McCain's physical altercation with fellow GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley.

It was early 1992, and the occasion was an informal gathering of a select committee investigating lingering issues about Vietnam War prisoners and those missing in action, most notably whether any American servicemen were still being held by the Vietnamese. It is unclear precisely what issue set off McCain that day. But at some point, he mocked Grassley to his face and used a profanity to describe him. Grassley stood and, according to two participants at the meeting, told McCain, "I don't have to take this. I think you should apologize."

McCain refused and stood to face Grassley. "There was some shouting and shoving between them, but no punches," recalls a spectator, who said that Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey helped break up the altercation.

Earlier this month, The Huffington Post first reported on charges leveled in Cliff Schecter's book, The Real McCain, that McCain had physically attacked GOP Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi. At the time, McCain issued a non-denial denial, saying the reports about his temper were either "false or exaggerated."

But in the Washington Post today, McCain aide Mark Salter confirmed that Renzi and McCain had a very heated exchange:

Reports recently surfaced of Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican, taking offense when McCain called him "boy" once too often during a 2006 meeting, a story that McCain aides confirm while playing down its importance. "Renzi flared and he was prickly," McCain strategist Mark Salter said. "But there were no punches thrown or anything."

Comments

[WesSmith]

Speaking of bad tempers, how's Bill Clinton holding up?

[ibsteve2u]

Of the things mentioned in this story, it is not McCain's temper that bothers me the most. It is: "taking offense when McCain called him "boy" once too often".

When a man does that to another man, it is an attempt to intimidate and/or provoke.

It is not the action of a mature adult. We don't need another case of arrested development in the White House.

[Trueheart]

"It was early 1992, and the occasion was an informal gathering of a select committee investigating lingering issues about Vietnam War prisoners and those missing in action, most notably whether any American servicemen were still being held by the Vietnamese. It is unclear precisely what issue set off McCain that day."

I thought Huffington Post had a blog a few days ago in which Bob Kerrey, who was present at the McCain/Grassley argument, explained exactly what the argument was about, and said that it was not a fist fight, but rather a very heated argument.

Personally, this bothers me not. Real people get into heated arguments, especially when there are important matters at stake.

[ishok]

Maybe it also doesn't bother you that there is a possibility that some Americans didn't make it home because John McCain did. He was broken and he gave up information...those are facts. What he gave up no one knows that can prove it.
I've seen people so quick to put this man up on a pedestal...I'd like to know more.
I served 20 years in the USAF. As a service member we all understood that there could be situations that could lead to our capture. If captured by BARBARIANS we could be tortured. I don't presume to predict what I would do under those conditions. Under certain stressed I could choose to hold out and die or I could play ball and live. I don't want to oversimplify but we don't know what john McCain did to make it home. But we may be stretching when we go to automatic Hero Worship. He is a man and like all the rest of us he is flawed.

[toby25]

Who cares if John McCain got into a shoving match with Grasserly?? This is not a big story.

[sawdustinhershoes]

It is when this man wants to be president of this country. His behavior shows his lack of self-control. A statesman is what we need to lead our country after the ravages of Bush and Co. McCain is showing himself to be childish and a bully. I wonder what that will translate to on the world stage. Personally, I'm not willing to find out.

[jaynevada]

Check the ABC News story on Congressional Pork: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Vote2008/Story?id=4572406&page=2

"Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., received 53 earmarks for his state, worth $97.4 million."

Obama asked for a earmark for his wife's employer, and her salary more than doubled.

"Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has never asked for an earmark."

Let's all chant together "Yes we can, yes we can. WE WANT MORE EARMARKS, MORE PORK, MORE CORRUPTION"

And then chant "Change we can believe in. WE WANT MORE PORK, MORE IGNORANCE, MORE CORRUPTION".

[sawdustinhershoes]

Talk about cherry-picking an article. What's really interesting is that the ABC article you quoted never gives the basis for their comment that Obama received 53 earmarks for his state. And NO WHERE is it written that Obama got his wife's employer an earmark for which her salary doubled. (I guess you just made that up.)

Additionally, I'd rather have a politican trying to give his or her home state money for schools, or crime control or medical care, than having the money go to Haliburton, Blackwater, and other military contractors. Let's see, if Obama really did get $94 million for his state during his entire tenure, how does that compare with $40 BILLION a month on the Iraq war. Or, how does it compare with the $8 BILLION CASH that the republicans LOST in Iraq - that's right, LOST! No one knows where it went.

So, McCain doesn't ask for earmarks to help the people in his state, because he's too busy cheering for a 100-year war in Iraq that costs TRILLIONS of dollars. Now, you tell me who's more fiscally responsible?

Perhaps if you list this crap you might want to have a basis for your claims. Also, ABC quoted CQ for their story, but in that CQ story, Barack Obama isn't even mentioned.

Jeez, where do you get your info? From Rush Limbaugh?

More importantly, ABC seems to be really trying to give Obama a bad name. I wonder why. Who owns ABC, now?

[basic4matt]

If this is the best/worst revelation you can uncover about Senator McCain, pardon my yawn.

How pathetic. This article begins with "It was early 1992." You want us to believe that Barack Obama's years of terrorist associations (1999-2002) have no bearing on his candidacy, and yet an impassioned outburst regarding a very personal issue is supposed to make us leery of John McCain. I want a President who is compassionate when embracing sensitive issues and I do not want a President who has defined that compassion as a willingness to embrace anti-American terrorists. Obama has not only done so in the past, he has promised to do so in the future. Where is the outrage over his continued promise to weaken our resilience? How can America rise to glory if it becomes resigned to dropping to it's knees?

[NewMexicoForObama]

hehe. This is only the beginning. McCain will lose.

[vixie29]

The fact that he was tortured for his country should rule him out for the job of president. I am sure he has lingering effects of it. In fact it's hard to imagine him not having had years of psychotherapy one can only imagine he has lingering effects (PTSD?) . IF he did, that alone should rule him out. I wouldn't let someone operate on me if I knew they had it, why would we want someone to be in charge of the country who possibly has it? I know we wouldn't let a High commanding officer into a serious position with it, why would we let a civilian? Johnny has too much of wild hair up his arse if you ask me, too dangerous and unpredictable. Can't take that chance and that's not even to mention his age, with his melanoma. All it would take is for it to spring up somewhere the sun doesn't shine and in six months it's in his brain. Too risky, besides his policies are all wrong.

[garywildd]

Obviously you're more impatient than McCain.. you didn't read down to 2006 did you?

[Sciguy]

Oooooh, goody! Maybe Ruffy-Tuffy McCain will go beat up the nasty terrorists for us!

[VietVet]

Could be a new campaign slogan for McCain. "The candidate you would most like to watch in a fist fight"

[americanwomaninpa]

can you read? there wasn't any fist fights.

[sawdustinhershoes]

I actually read your profile to see if your grammar was a joke. Unfortunately for you, it's not.

When Bush speaks, his inability to speak correctly clearly shows his lack of intelligence. He had the opportunity to learn proper English, but he was brought up with an uneducated, low-class mind-set that smacks of a poor upbringing.

You, like Bush, show your lack of an education when you write. Perhaps you should brush up on elementary school grammar before you post again.

[Boboday555]

McNasty is going to get his saggy arse handed to him by Senator Obama in their debates.
When McNasty realizes the audiences at their debates are not the pre-screened, pre-oathed, pre-pubescent neo-crowds he's used to, he'll lose his tiny little neo-mind and say something racist handing all the real states to Obama and winning all the slave states for himself.
Thankfully thosfake states are only a fraction of real America!

[cjger]

All these posts are missing the point. A story like this one is part of the scheme to replace McCain with a more reliable conservative. He will never make it to the November ballot. Health, lack of support from the Republican activists, adjustments from his campaign positions, something will make it imperative that McCain step down "for the good of the party." Some reason will compel the manipulators to replace this once decent man with a Bush-like, pro-business attack dog whom Karl Rove can direct. The Star Chamber can never allow the election of a liberal.

[Boboday555]

This clearly shows John McCain to be an unblalcned little boy and, in light of the Decider's disastrous regime, shouldn't we try to put an adult in the White House instead of another boy?

McNasty is a little neo-punk.

[Honza]

It seems every othe day or week we hear that John MCain, looses it , or has a temper tantrum going back a few years, he's scared material and it stays with the man, ask any war veteran who underwent physical torture. He needs to go to rehab, to get evaluated before it's too late.

[joetrade]

I would like to know why my comments are being trashed?My last comment was publically available in the Huffington Post .Why are you so bloody squimish all of a sudden? The whole truth so be illuminated about this dangerous old man no censorship is needed or required.

[Anciano]

McCain ain't able to lead. He can only bleed, bellow and pout. All right, so he got shot down and did time in the Hanoi Hilton. Five years of that? He's damaged goods. Who knows when and how many ways he snapped. Just because a man is a war hero doesn't make them a guide to a peaceful future.

[liberalissima]

Dear Jaschrod, you have said it eloquently; most of the comments I have read are full of hate and
fanatism for either candidate, but nobody has addressed this issue as intelligent and fear as you; your head is rightly on your shoulders, and your thoughts are clear and to the point. I will say AMEN