McCain's Brother: VA Suburbs "Communist Country"

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate John McCain's brother made an apparent joke at a campaign rally this weekend that might not play well in parts of newly competitive Virginia.

Joe McCain, speaking at an event in support of his brother, called two Democratic-leaning areas in Northern Virginia "communist country," according to a report on The Washington Post's Web site.

"I've lived here for at least 10 years and before that about every third duty I was in either Arlington or Alexandria, up in communist country," Joe McCain, a Navy veteran, said at an event in Loudoun County, Va.

Joe McCain then apologized, but the remark drew laughter at the event, according to the report.

Virginia has long been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, but Democrat Barack Obama is running even or ahead of McCain in recent state polls. Obama is being helped by fast-growing communities in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Northern Virginia, which tend to vote more Democratic than other parts of the state.

One of those areas is Arlington, Va., where John McCain owns a condominium.

"This was Joe McCain's unsuccessful attempt at humor," said McCain campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho. "John McCain and Sarah Palin are committed to winning the support of voters in Northern Virginia and understand the region's importance to victory statewide."

Comments

[iv64]

He is as funny as his brother the dictator.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/101098/mccain:_%27i_always_aspire_to_be_a_dictator%27/

[LeawoodKansas]

How about that Joe? Heeehhhh, heeehhh hhheeh? Funny guy. Heeehhhh Heehehheh.

GO AWAY... All the McCains GO AWAY. All of you.

[tempting]

http://www.linktv.org/specials Check out these issues before you make up your mind.

[rock2casbah]

Palin says women are going to hell if they don't vote for her. Now McCain calls Virginians communists in front of drumroll please.....Virginians.

They are some real braniacs, You betcha!!

[AddictedToHope]

Va-gina Americans Unite!!

[huffyISaHottie]

brother joe should'nt stray from the POW story

[IForgotMyName]

Well, seems to be the genetics. Both McCains make stupid jokes for which they later have to apologize.

[SouthFloridaDem]

Uh, right. The home of the CIA in McLean is the center of Communism in the US. The northern Virginia high tech corridor -- a shining beacon of capitalism and mega-corporations too numerous to mention here -- is really the home of communism in disguise. All those government contractors (you know, the ones who get the no-bid and cost-plus contracts in Iraq?) who are headquartered in Reston, Alexandria, Chantilly, etc. VA are really pushing for communism.

This is the biggest crock of crap I've heard in, well, at least a couple days out of the McCain campaign. We're already questioning the mental capacity of one McCain -- now we have reason to question the mental fitness of another!

[Lagniappe]

I strongly and heartily recommend that everyone here type in "Christian Mafia" by Wayne Madsen into your search engine. Arlington is the home of the Fellowship,profiled in Jeff Sharletts new book about the NEO Cons and their uber Dominionist view. They have been buying tracts of real estate. Folks, McCain's brother may be the real maverick here,for speaking the truth about that which has been conspicously hiding in plain sight-and woefully underreported by the media.PLEASE read this article.

[jp5472]

Having been a resident 7-8 years ago and a consultant to many companies in this corridor, including the NSA at Ft Meade and the State Department, I guess I was just blindly leading the communist takeover. But then again Robert Hanssen of the FBI, who lived in Vienna VA, in 2001 was the biggest spy ever exposed...maybe that Joe McCain is just too smart for us and knows of more communist spies! You know, the old "truth in humor" thing...

[SouthFloridaDem]

Right, and he's not telling us who those communist spies are unless his brother is elected president!

[sparrowgal]

Please, give them a day or two. They're frighteningly bound to top even this idiocy!

[kicksave7]

Communists = anyone who isn't a Republican...from the McCain campaign.

[LouisvilleLiberal]

This is so 50 years ago....these old men are showing their age. Anyone under 40 can barely remember how terrified our leaders had the voters of communism. Back in the day, communists were the terrorists of that genearation and the Cold War was that generations War on Terror.

Republicans keep power when they keep voter afraid.

But, this just sounds ridiculous.

[wookierage]

now that's what I call "winning our hearts and minds"

[politicalmomma2]

An attempt at humor? The McCain family and campaign have quite the talent for that. Considering that Northern Virginia is home to thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of immigrants who fled communist rule for a safe, democratic home in the United States, this "humor" seems less funny than pathetic, desperate, and sad.

[tempting]

http://www.linktv.org/specials Check out these issues before you make up your mind.

[sangsue]

Go rot!

[Kindheart]

There is no way that Johnny will win in the Virginia suburbs of DC. Now with his brother saying that, I hope that everybody in that area will be sure to vote against Johnny.

[robXdion]

Good job little brother! Now Obama can go up double digits in VA too.

[HateLieCheatKillRepubWay]

Do you get the Northern Virginia; you are communists.

[rnb]

There are other communists around here? Where are they all hiding?

[bootcamp]

McCain has nowhere to go now but down. He can run away from President Bush, but he can't run away from the Republican Party. The Republicans will be regarded from now on as "the party that wrecked America." Over the weeks ahead, as carnage in the economy and the financial markets ramps up, it will become increasingly clear. It is important that this meme be spread through the internet. I urge all commentators to adopt and spread the idea that the Republicans are "the party that wrecked America." It will work because it is the truth. Just spread the word.

[MajorKong]

Perhaps Senator McCain, having experience with real Communists, might enlighten his brother as to what one looks like.