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McCain On Reporters: "Little Jerks"
A fun guy to have a beer with?
The buzz began Monday when the columnist Robert D. Novak posted an item saying that sources close to the McCain campaign were "suggesting" he would announce his selection this week. On Monday night, en route from Buffalo to Manchester, N.H., reporters went to the front of Mr. McCain's plane to get a response.Mr. McCain's initial reaction was not encouraging. "What do you want, you little jerks?" he asked, using what his staff members say is a term of endearment.
Frustration, frustration...
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I wonder how many members of the press he'll have to directly insult for them to start doing their jobs.
July 23, 2008 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sadly, the more McCain insults the media, the more they suck up to him, and cover up for his mistakes.
Cowards.
July 23, 2008 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's true. They love the abuse. It will make them come back for more.
July 23, 2008 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
yeah for some reason when mccain insults people then the press see mccain as a funny old guy. im sure if obama where to insult them then andrea mitchelle criticize obama for "fake" "not sincere" humor. I just think the media likes to be made fun of in a weird way.
Video of Meghan McCain and media get together at McCains house
July 23, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's a great video. I wish more people could see it!
July 23, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
He sure isn't doing anything to help erase that "crotchety" image, huh.
July 23, 2008 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, that is one big laugh to start the day with.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!
McLame isn't having a good time running for president, I take it.
LOLOLOL!!!!
July 23, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama to reporter...."hold on sweety" equals to huge media farce.
McFoolish to reporters..."little jerks"
reaction: what a hoot that McCain is....
Drama drama drama
July 23, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've heard him refer to them as jerks before. In that context it sounded like locker room humor.
July 23, 2008 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please read my POST under Connie Manes, McCain clones Hillary Clinton on Media attacks....
His complaints just might work.
http://coonsey.wordpress.com/
July 23, 2008 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
With McCain's notorious temper, I fully expected him to go off the rails at some point, but this is ridiculous. Its freaking July! What's going to happen when he completely alienates the press corps? My bet is he punches David Gregory in the neck...
July 23, 2008 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me too.
I can't wait. I bet they drug him up to the gills for the debates.
July 23, 2008 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where does this idea come from that McCain can actually beat anyone up? I'm not trying to make light of the injuries he received in Vietnam, but c'mon. The guy's over 70, not in very good shape for a seventy-year-old, and can't even lift his arms above his chest.
The reason it bothers me is that it reinforces this idea that McCain is tough, and will kick ass on America's behalf. The story a few weeks ago about him throwing Daniel Ortgega around the room or whatever sounded like pure fabrication designed to make McCain sound tougher than he could possibly be with his injuries.
He might have been a tough guy forty years ago. But now, all he has is his nastiness and his willingness to bomb any country that looks at us crosseyed, and we should be doing everything possible to make it clear that those qualities do not equal strength.
July 23, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
haha - Vanity Fair one-ups The New Yorker.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/22/vanity-fair-out-with-new-yorker-takeoff/
July 23, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
The thing is, the plate of pills, the walker, those things aren't satire. They're true.
July 23, 2008 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh dear, tsk, tsk...before we know it, the McCain camp will be "banning" the well-respected Vanity Fair journalists from their campaign planes. Will the insanity never end? :)
July 23, 2008 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
O that's priceless.
July 23, 2008 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
What? No colostomy bag?
Here's a link to a full size pic.
July 23, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
The backlash is going to begin - soon the press will feel sorry for ole' Johnny Mac and start apologizing for him even more - a la Katie Couric last night.
According to Ambinder, McCain canceled national press conference today to focus only on local outlets. Apparently they realize they're losing the national narrative.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
July 23, 2008 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Probably to avoid answering about the Surge gaffe and the favorable editing he received.
July 23, 2008 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think so - too late.
McLame lost Joe Klein, and that speaks volumes to me.
July 23, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would be more impressed if he lost "Anonymous."
July 23, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Some times a joke is a joke.
July 23, 2008 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I'm FAR more interested in his brain fart/fuck up yesterday and CBS covering his ass.
July 23, 2008 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see, the left despises the media for helping Bush mislead us into the Iraq war and ignoring one scandal after another in his administration. And rightly so.
The right despises the media because they think it has a liberal bias.
So gently mocking the press by calling them "jerks" as he has for years is bad for McCain exactly how?
It's all part of his Mavericky schtick. As in "I know we have an adversarial relationship but I still like you knuckleheads anyway."
They walk away saying, "McCain may be a politician but ya know what? He's an alright guy."
July 23, 2008 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fun if you're a fan of rape jokes
July 23, 2008 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Greg, please make this your next post, this is shocking stuff:
http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/mccain-campaign-accuses-obama-of-supporting-genocide/
July 23, 2008 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Breaking: McCain camp politicizes Holocaust, accuses Obama of supporting genocide.
July 23, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fucking pathetic.
McCain is so fucked and he knows it.
July 23, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, now I get it.
Maybe when he called his wife the C-word in front of reporters in 1992, maybe that was also a "term of endearment".
Yeah. That's the ticket.
-- ARG
July 23, 2008 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain has a record of referring to anyone following up with him as a "little jerk." In this case, I have to agree with the staff members that it is used comically (though somewhat patronizingly).
My father-in-law, whose age and naval career exactly corresponds to McCain's, uses this phrase all the time when his grandchildren beat him at chess, point out an inconsistency, eat the last piece of pie, etc.
McCain has so many genuine flaws in his candidacy. I don't think we need to make the case that this is one of them.
July 23, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ironic that Col John Boyd, a CRACK fighter pilot and top US military strategist (we've had so few in our history), developed the OODA loop
http://www.chetrichards.com/images/ooda_loop_sketch.gif
because Obama's definitely in McSame's
July 23, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
And what do you expect him to call the press, "You marvelous apes?"
July 23, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain: Whadda want, ya little jerk?
Reporter: I wanna know why yer such a dumbass.
July 23, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rape stories, calling his wife c--t in public, calling the press as jerks, cracking tasteless jokes about Chelsea Clinton - How did this guy even become a senator let alone repug nominee ? It is a crass and classless Bushtard all over again.
Will americans be the laughing stock of the world (again) by electing this guy ?
July 23, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Little Jerk", while demeaning, seems to be meant as affectionate. In any case, the press as accepted it as such for so long that if they take offense now, it's going to look a little strange.
July 23, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
"That's okay, you old blithering nincompoop. Hey, that was meant as a term of endearment . . . "
July 23, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not that I disagree with his characterization, but I 'spect he may be revealing a little too much of his inner thoughts.
July 23, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
The mock sincerity and political correctness of Obamites is nauseating. Nothing worse than humorless pontificating by those with a superiority complex. What a bunch of little jerks.
July 23, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you think he's annoying now while he is on his best behavior, just wait until he doesn't have to face voters in 14 weeks. He'ss be far worse than W.
July 23, 2008 1:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
This along with GWB's dismissive snotty "Goodbye, from the world's biggest polluter" at the G8 doesn't make it very hard to figure out why we hated so much the world over.
July 23, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink