Memories: McCain Sings Streisand

When today John McCain dissed Barack Obama for "[flying] off to Hollywood for a fundraiser with Barbara Streisand and his celebrity friends," a memory stirred (or, one could say, lit the corner of my mind). I was sure that there was some sort of McCain-Streisand connection. But whatever could link McCain, a longtime Republican, with Streisand, a longtime Democrat who performed at the 1993 inauguration of Bill Clinton? And then suddenly it hit me: On October 9, 2002, McCain had hosted "Saturday Night Live" — that show hosted by celebrities — and performed in a little skit called "McCain Sings Streisand." We have reprinted it below in its entirety; here's the video. Includes special shout-out to Alaska.

McCain Sings Streisand

Announcer: He has served his country in the military.. the Congress.. and the Senate. Now, he serves America - with song:

Sen. John McCain: [ singing ]
"Love, soft as an easy chair
Love, fresh as the morning airrr..."

Announcer: Sen. John McCain sings some of the most beautiful songs ever written:

Sen. John McCain: [ singing ]
"People, people who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world."

Announcer: All these songs and more, available on: McCain Sings Streisand.

[show slide of CD, complete with cover photo of McCain wearing a Superman t-shirt ]

Sen. John McCain: I've been in politics for over 20 years. And for over 20 years, I've had Barbera Streisand trying to do my job. So I decided to try my hand at her job. Check out this classic:

"Memories, light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories, of the way we were."

Do I know how to sing? About as well as she knows how to govern America! Here's another gem for ya:

"Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see-ee-ee me-ee?"

Pretty annoying, huh? Now you know how I feel! My new CD is a must for all of Barbra Streisand's fans, as well as log-cabin Republicans. And a special added bonus, just for Babs - a portion of all sales will be used to damage Alaskan wildlife preserves. So, order today!

"Nobody, but nobody's gonna rain on myyyyyy parade!"

[Fade]

There's no real reason to post this, really, other than the coincidence — McCain! Streisand! SNL! People who perform in front of cheering crowds with a cordless mike! Actually, from what I recall it was a pretty decent episode — McCain was quite an active host, in at least seven sketches including "Wake Up, Wakefield!", a pseudo "Hardball" and "Meet The Press," and playing author Frank McCourt and John Ashcroft. Oh, gosh, being a celebrity host looks like fun. Not quite dress in drag fun, but still.

Lifted completely from SNL Transcripts. Photo from SNL via About.com, with slight modification.