Report: McCain Exploded With Rage During Gambling Outing

Writing for the Daily Beast, Michael Kinsley relays a disturbing story about John McCain from Jeff Dearth, former publisher of the New Republic, when Dearth and McCain attended a magazine industry conference at a casino hotel in Puerto Rico in 2005:

McCain's game is craps. So is Jeff Dearth's. Jeff was at the table when McCain showed up and happily made room for him. Apparently there is some kind of rule or tradition in craps that everyone's hands are supposed to be above the table when the dice are about to be thrown. McCain--"very likely distracted by one of the many people who approached him that evening," Jeff says charitably--apparently was violating this rule. A small middle-aged woman at the table, apparently a "regular," reached out and pulled McCain's arm away. I'll let Jeff take over the story:

"McCain immediately turned to the woman and said between clenched teeth: 'DON'T TOUCH ME.' The woman started to explain...McCain interrupted her: 'DON'T TOUCH ME,' he repeated viciously. The woman again tried to explain. 'DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO?' McCain continued, his voice rising and his hands now raised in the 'bring it on' position. He was red-faced. By this time all the action at the table had stopped. I was completely shocked. McCain had totally lost it, and in the space of about ten seconds. 'Sir, you must be courteous to the other players at the table,' the pit boss said to McCain. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? ASK ANYBODY AROUND HERE WHO I AM."

This being Puerto Rico, the pit boss might not have known McCain. But the senator continued in full fury--"DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"--and crisis was avoided only when Jeff offered to change places and stand between McCain and the woman who had touched his arm.

Read Kinsley's full piece here.

Also this week, Brave New Films released a new video focused on McCain's temper, featuring "original interviews with former U.S. Senator from Arizona Dennis DeConcini, former Arizona Republican Party Executive Director Jon Hinz, former Arizona Republic Editor Pat Murphy, and Eleanor Apodaca, sister of a Vietnam POW/MIA soldier. All four attest to McCain's explosive anger, three of them with personal anecdotes."

Watch it:

Comments

[Truthosaurus]

This story about McCain is no better than the personal attacks on Obama.

[wadda]

Nah, sorry. He's not stable. This needs to be brought out.

It is different than jabs at Barrack He's sane Obama.

[MsMadame]

Untrue, the story about McCain is factual and speaks to his lack of self control.

The personal attacks on Sen. Obama are just that 'personal attacks' made to demean and stem from envy, conjured up by a bitter, angry, old man. There is a huge difference. McCain is a bully period! He lacks class and dignity.

A Perpretrator and a victim are not the same, even if the victim at some point fights back to defend themselves. Only bullies and their cheerleaders think that the two are equal.

[IOracle]

My take on McCain is that he has no respect for those not in his position of wealth and influence.

During the debate, a young black man named Oliver Clark asked a question about the economy and how the bailout would help those who were struggling.
Part of McCain's reply was -

"But you know, one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis."

In other words "you" and the rest of the public don't know anything about the economy.

It's an assumption on McCain's part. that those who are not at his "level" are uninformed. I was particularly offended because his condescending answer was directed at a young black man (that tells us a lot.). And, for the record, I am a not-so-young white female.

[UltimeFauchelevent]

Don't get me wrong, I'm for Obama but this Mccain story seems made up. It seems very generic with the "don't you know who I am?" quotes. Even if it is true- you can't grab somebody's hands and not expect them to react negatively. You can't-out of nowhere grab someone like that. If it really bothered you, politely tell them to not have their hands that close to the table

[Heyogirl]

You have a point about what constitutes politeness, but not all people are all that polite. Many years ago I worked with Vietnam vetrans who were having diffuculty dealing with "polite society". This was a few years before Post Tramatic Stress Syndrome became household knowledge. Many of these vets had great diffuculty accepting ANY type of touch and most especially an "unexpected" touch (even if it occurred through absolute innocense such as accidently brushing the vet while walking by them on a crowded street). Unexpexted touchs usually resulted in the vet responding--in the mildest cases with agitation, in the most severe, with violence.

[ShinjiIkari]

I've had this fantasy this election year: with all the weirdness, from Sarah Palin the moosehunter to Rothschild calling McCain's supporters "rednecks"--as a compliment--I was having fun imagining that Richard Pryor was somehow writing this campaign, about the first serious black presidential candidate, from beyond the grave. Somehow, this now seems like a logical third act: would white America elect a psychotic war veteral just because he's white? If so, the joke's on us all.

[MsMadame]

LoL!

[MsMadame]

And yes the GOP leadership would.

[Mikeeee]

At the risk of repeating myself, pick any of the following, as a description of mccain.
Punk: –noun
1. Slang.
a. something or someone worthless or unimportant.
b. a young ruffian; hoodlum.
c. an inexperienced youth.
d. a young male partner of a homosexual.
e. an apprentice, esp. in the building trades.
f. Prison Slang. a boy.

[brokerthanu]

Mikeeee, sound like you're insulting some subsets of people.

[brocko]

DRUDGE REPORT:

WASH TIMES Friday: Obama secretly tried to sway Iraqi government to ignore Bush deal on keeping troops in Iraq... Developing­...

[basquebob]

Drudge and Wash Times? LOL.

[lbjranch]

Huffpo MSNBC LOL

[IOracle]

It's been brought up but not stressed. In the Saddleback conference McCain was asked about regrets of his life and one was "the failure of my first marriage." Said in a perfunctory way. then it was on to something else. I suspect that was to dispense with the question once and for all.
I haven't heard a thing since.
The Republicans are hypocrites. What they do or don't do is all right. (Think of the family issues Palin could be attacked on. Can you imagine what would be going on if she were on the Democratic ticket?)

[annerev]

Why doesn't anyone bring up the fact that McCain left his wife and 3 kids after the war for an heiress. What kind of character does he have? He is an opportunist and it beginning to show more and more.

[gcw]

Well, he has said that he takes responsibilty for the failure of his first marriage. And, he has stated that the Keating 5 trap was "...the worst mistake of my life..."

I guess that's enough, isn't it? Words come very easily to the Senator but following up with deeds doesn't mean a thing to him.

Amazing how they depend upon cliches like, "My record speaks for me." But, if anyone wants to examine that record (war, marriage, deregulation, etc), we are being unfair according to the McC/P group.

For many good reasons, I'm voting for a man with a plan and the people to bring it about. Vote Obama. Vote for dems for Senate and House. Let's get the hard work done.

[Out Liberal]

[exit116]

Apparently it wasn't a good day for him at the craps table, must have gambled away one of his houses.

[Shannon2008]

Don't you mean one of Cindy McCain's houses?

[whatsthatsound]

So often we hear about these outbursts being against women. It seems clear that he is a misogynist. I imagine he is inwardly steaming at Sarah Palin, because she is a.) stealing the spotlight from him and b.) may well be his costliest mistake in his pathetic campaign.

[Wordstosay]

McCain does not want to confront Obama about his past with reform criminals. His real self will be revealed once that happens.

Oh my GOD this nation deserves so much better than this.

Now we have The Dude Palin and his association with an Alaskan hate government organization and a anti Semitic organization what is going on here.

Now the question is why did not the RP not call this guy out doing the debates.? What is wrong with these people Huckbee where are you we need you now! I now have a trust issue with the RP.

[alfrede]

Hi,

As we get closer to election day, and McCain/Palin see that they are going to lose the election, let us hope that Senator McCain is able to hold his temper. Any outbursts would probably cause great damage to the Republican Party.

[CindyinAtl]

Go to Rolling Stone Magazine's website and read the article called "Make-believe Maverick." You will quickly learn what is behind the "Do you know who I am" comments. What a spoiled BRAT! And he calls Obama elitest? What a joke.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

[butterworth]

I hope everyone takes the time to read this article. Well worth the time.

[KeepMeLearning]

I agree--it was a very thorough profile of the real McCain--and a "must read," especially for those who are still sitting on the fence...

[momgag]

Would love it if someone could unearth security camera video of this incident or, for that matter, any of McCain's many, many reported explosions!

[lizr]

there is a reward in heaven and perhaps many of Oba ma's friends would show their gratitude, to any video maven who could come up with this kind of very in demand footage!!

Come on boyz and girlz. You KNOW someone very perceptive has filmed this and is sitting on it.

Do you know how well Loved you will be if you could provide this clearly available footage to the right person or persons

and absolutely receive the gratitude of the entire country

if you could come up with this and make it a certainty that O will be elected after seeing the true nature of the alternativ­e...

[Lupin77]

People should stop calling him a "Maverick" and instead call him what he is a "Gambler." He's too risky for us to have in the White House and his temper is wild.