McCain Tells Letterman: "I Don't Want To Talk About The Bleeping Campaign"

NEW YORK — John McCain paid a lighthearted visit to David Letterman on Thursday, joking: "I don't want to talk about the bleeping campaign."

The former GOP presidential candidate also praised President-elect Barack Obama for some of his staff choices, including Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton, and shared Letterman's incredulousness at Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Letterman's "Late Show" was a land mine for McCain after the Arizona senator abruptly canceled a Sept. 24 appearance, saying he had to return to Washington to help with the nation's economic problems. Instead, he stopped by to see Katie Couric and Letterman mocked McCain mercilessly. McCain apologized three weeks later.

McCain, whose first post-campaign talk show appearance was with Jay Leno, was asked by Letterman what the transition from a frantic campaign to a slower pace was like.

"I don't want to talk about the bleeping campaign," McCain said with a smile. "Understand? If you think I'm going to go back to that bleeping situation, then bleep you."

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McCain said Clinton will bring "instant credibility, a certain amount of celebrity" when she travels around the world as the nation's top diplomat.

"She is extremely knowledgeable on the issues," he said. "I think it's a good team and I think it's a very wise choice. And I would like to say that I think President-elect Obama has made a number of very wise choices which I think shows a centrist approach to government, which, obviously, the way America and the world is today, is necessary."

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He still disagrees with Obama politically, but McCain said, "I applaud his selections."

McCain said that Blagojevich, arrested and accused of trying to sell Obama's Illinois Senate seat to the highest bidder, once asked for a meeting and told McCain he was going to be a great reformer.

Letterman said that people consider Blagojevich either stupid or nuts.

"What do you think?" Letterman asked.

"I think it's a rare combination of both," McCain replied.

McCain also talked with Letterman about the times he crashed airplanes, and when he was shot down over North Vietnam and taken as a prisoner of war. He said there's a statue at the site in Hanoi where he was taken prisoner that says "26 on October 1967 the famous air pirate was shot down. John McCain was captured."

"You know, you don't get a lot of statues," McCain said. "At least before you die."

Comments

[MyGuyO]

Does Str. McCain really need to be in the public eye so much after his big loss?

Will always remember what he told a reporter during the primaries.­.."If I lose this election, don't worry about me. I'll go back to my Sedona ranch and work for the people of Arizona." Okay, Str. McCain, when are you going to start?

[westphilly726]

John,how about we erect a statue of the men who weren't captured.Y­ou're a fossil.You belong in a museum next to the other dinosaur bones.

[Colmore]

Has anyone heard of this statue before? I wonder how much it cost him? He still likes to think he was the ONLY POW, that he alone suffered. He is as phony as Bush. He lost, get back to work. Every time I see him I wonder "How in the HELL did he ever get labeled as a ladies man"? He is a foul mouth little toad. John, in your own words "Bleep You"!!!!

[rgunnsav]

Hey Colmore,
The statue has been there for perhaps decades. It was installed by the Vietnamese (whether the gov't or private citizens, I don't know) to memorialize what they perceive is a big moment in their history--shooting down the plane of an American Hero.

This is such anciently old news that your response is sorta sad. Try a ten-second Google search first next time, to avoid such embarassment. By the way, I voted for Obama, in case you think my reply is some sort of political thing.

[Colmore]

No embarrassment whatsoever on my part. I have seen this little man countless times talking about his POW status as though there were no other (899) prisoners. Not once has he mentioned this statue. Why erect a statue to one person out of 900?? He was no "hero" hence the nickname Songbird, and the sealed files. One would think that coming from the background he has, he would have more "class". He is such a lowlife, foul language to all even his wife. Praise the Lord this loser was not elected president.

[JumpingCholla]

I'm not surprised he doesn't want to discuss his dirty campaign. This is just his rude and contemptuous way of telling everyone he isn't going to, so don't bother asking.

[NotMcCain]

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

I think he showed himself a complete phony in the campaign..­..and now, too.

He's a politician through and through---funny and charming when he CHOOSES to be. A humorless liar when he goes on the attack.

It's a part he's playing now, just like before. A more likeable role, definitely, but you really see the true character WHEN IT MATTERS.

McCain will NEVER get back the affection I had for him in 2000 This election was too much of an education.­...

[MyGuyO]

Senator McCain ran one of the most dirtiest campaigns ever. Who will ever forget it.
It really hurts me to listen to the TV pundits saying what a gracious man he is. Of course, now that the campaigning is all overwith.
Amazing.

[XME]

Well, he's a better comedian than he is a politician­...

[LiberalInTexas]

Count me among the group that is glad McCain is free of the campaign. He is so much more likeable and respectable when he gets to control his own message. Watching him foresake his ideals as a puppet for the worst of the right wing and clearly hating it made me cringe.

This the problem with being a Liberal. We want everyone to get along; we want to forgive.

[UsofA]

You know, John, if I'd run the sort of campaign you ran and had brought Sarah Palin onto my ticket, I wouldn't want to talk about the bleepin' campaign either.

[MalloMel]

I don't think that John did that. It just doesn't seem like him. More likely, his handlers, whomever they are, did it. Think Cheney, or someone else from the Bush administration.

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

Doesn't matter whether Johnnie Mac just "signed off" on everything, or if he was the evil mastermind behind all the s*** that his campaign pulled. It was HIS name on the ballot, so HE was ultimately responsible. [Insert here, Truman quote about one-dollar bill.]

At least Johnnie DID spare us that nasty "Reverend Wright" ad that never aired. I give him credit for that, at least.

[DCinFrance]

When left to himself, he's okay. John would be a good drinkin' buddy. Not a president, just someone to do a shot and a beer with.

[profounddogs]

Hmmm ... Kinda like Bush, huh???

[Clayton139]

Really ! BLAHH !!!

[pbcrunch]

which is why neither of them should have been president. i'm glad we didn't make the same mistake three times in a row...

[MalloMel]

Don't forget that Johnny graduated at the bottom of his class. Just what we needed at a time like this. Humpph!

[rzzza]

everytime i realize this grotesque, twitchy old man lost in an electoral landslide, i giggle, and giggle, and giggle with giddy glee.

tee hee hee hee

[profounddogs]

How he ever thought he was capable of running this country, yet alone the free world is a joke, kinda like those who audition initially for American Idol. For some reason, they think they are talented. They are delusional, just like *old* John McCain.

[MalloMel]

Bush thought he could run the country, and he did... right into the ground. I'm serious. Bush screwed us real good. I just wish he could experience the same as the average American that he screwed.

[MyGuyO]

It was a very scary thought, wasn't it?

[StillIRise]

In the midst of adversity, one's true character is revealed.

Both McCain and Obama had their share of adversity during the election campaign. Obama withstood the adversity, and the integrity of his character was untouched by it. He came out of it a stronger candidate and even more favorable in the eyes of the public.

McCain fell apart, and the ugliness of his character overshadowed the good that he had attempted to portray himself to be. He came out of it a weaker candidate and less favored by even those who wanted to support him.

I appreciate that McCain has retreated back to his old persona, but it's still just a persona. It doesn't change who he really is on the inside.

[Clayton139]

It is just a Persona ! I bet by the amount of homes the McCain’s have and assets that, he has took quite a few of those Blagojevich Paper Bags, or Horse Trades ! Why did Blago want to meet him so bad ! John McCain has showed me what a FAKE Politician really is !!!

I hope Barack Obama really puts a standard of TRANSPARENCY and REAL INTEGRITY that future presidents will be compared to in the future of this country !

George Bush will go down as the worst, most secretive, corrupt, President ever in my eyes !!! Cheney, Rove and the whole administration too !!!

[profounddogs]

"It doesn't change who he really is on the inside."

You got that right!

[jsgaetano]

Centrist? But I thought Obama was the Most Liberal member of congress, was a far left socialist, beholden to the far left, etc etc etc.

Seems like McCain didn't believe a single thing he said. That's why he's a Republican.

[DCinFrance]

I think John is kicking himself in the rear from here to China. He caved and payed. Given that, still not presidential material.

[jsgaetano]

Definitely not presidenti­al... but it's not like that term actually means anything to Republicans.

[profounddogs]

Yeah, and according to John McCain he "still disagrees with Obama politicall­y." What has that ever meant folks? What is he talking about here????

The only think I think is different between the two is a basic human quality -- human.

[myclarity]

It means not being in favor of : redistibuting the wealth, reimposing the inheritance tax, increasing capital gains and dividend taxes, or building a failed socialized medicine system like some European countries have to start with. Obama is the exact fulfillment of what starry eyed dreamers, living in the hate Bush world, created by liberal media propaganda would want. We can only hope it is only as bad as Clinton all over again and not worse.

[AmbivalentGuy]

Now that's the McCain I used to like.

[kdublya]

True that.

Ultimately, he's responsible for the failures of his bid. Which he readily admitted during his concession speech. It's as though he sold his soul to lugubrious undertaker Steve Schmidt.

[DS3M]

Agreed. I know this is flame bait on this site, but if that Mac was in the campaign the whole time, why did they bother with palin and all the other trickery? He should have just been himself - affable, intelligent, old.

[profounddogs]

Because McCain is not a leader. If he was a true leader he would have lead with his own ideas, his own thoughts, etc. Whereever did he get the notion that he could be a leader? Let alone of the Free World???

Like I said, it's similar to the people who audition initally on American Idol. They are delusional in thinking they have talent.

[profounddogs]

Now, which McCain are you talking about again???

[vjthedj]

Where was the real Mc Cain during the campaign? The present McCain is the old McCain, for what he was know for. He was liked by Both parties. He had a great chance to win the presidency, but that was when he should have won the primaries during the 2000 election, but lost to Bush due to Rovian tactics.

[StillIRise]

People are who they are. One doesn't change one's character like one might change one's clothes. There is no "old McCain" and "new McCain," there's just John McCain, and we saw a side of his character during the campaign that is more real than the persona or image that he wants to and has presented for these many years. What we saw in John McCain before was an illusion, but what we saw in John McCain during the election, was the reality. Even if he had won the election in 2000, we would have ended up with the reality of who John McCain is.

[profounddogs]

True that.

[Citizen-Jane]

Wasn't John a part of a scandal himself?

[AprilPA]

Yep, the Keating Five scandal.

[MalloMel]

Yes he was, but they covered it up pretty good.