Jan Brewer vs. President Obama: John McCain Sounds Off On Testy Exchange

McCain Says Jan Brewer Exchange Shows Obama's 'Prickly Personality'

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) sounded off Thursday on the testy exchange between President Barack Obama and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R).

"Apparently Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, had a similar exchange with the president. It is very well known he has a prickly personality, and I think it has been displayed in both of those cases," McCain told Fox Business Network. "Jan Brewer is very concerned about the security on our border. I think it's a very legitimate concern."

Brewer and Obama exchanged words Wednesday on the tarmac of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. According to the White House pool report, Brewer "handed him a handwritten letter in an envelope and they spoke intensely for a few minutes. At one point, she pointed her finger at him."

The pool report added that Obama appeared to walk away from her while they were still talking and that they had been talking "seemingly over each other."

Speaking with the pool reporter after the exchange, Brewer said, "He was a little disturbed about my book, Scorpions for Breakfast. I said to him that I have all the respect in the world for the office of the president. The book is what the book is. I asked him if he read the book. He said he read the excerpt. So."

Asked what part of the book "disturbed" him, she said, "That he didn't feel that I had treated him cordially. I said I was sorry he felt that way but I didn't get my sentence finished. Anyway, we're glad he's here. I'll regroup."

The White House disputed the account. "The governor handed the president a letter and said she was inviting him to meet with her,” the administration said in a statement. “The president said he'd be glad to meet with her again, but did note that after their last meeting, a cordial discussion in the Oval Office, the governor inaccurately described the meeting in her book. The president looks forward to continuing taking steps to help Arizona's economy grow."

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