Posted on 04/26/2007 5:41:44 AM PDT by veronica
April 26, 2007 — Sen. John McCain, who officially announced his bid for the 2008 White House Wednesday, stopped by "Good Morning America" to talk about his campaign and ended up defending himself about a joke.
The Arizona Republican said that people upset by his comments about IEDs to Jon Stewart on Tuesday night's "Daily Show" should "lighten up." After being grilled by Stewart , McCain jokingly told him that he had a present for him — an IED that he could place under his desk.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., was furious and publicly assailed McCain on the House floor.
"Imagine a presidential candidate making a joke about IEDs when our kids are getting blown up," he said.
Responding to Murtha's reaction, McCain said that he was going to use comedy during his campaign, just as he did during his military duty.
"I don't know how to react to that kind of hysteria to a comedy show," he told Diane Sawyer on "GMA." "All I'm going to say to Murtha and others. … Lighten up and get a life."
On Wednesday, the same day that McCain announced his presidential run, 218 members of the House voted for a bill that contained a troop withdrawal timetable. McCain said that he would rather lose the election than abandon the conviction that a troop withdrawal from Iraq was a bad idea.
"Everything that I know. … That I've learned about my life … dictates that would be a disaster," he said today. "That opinion is shared by most national security experts."
When asked what he would do differently than the Bush administration, McCain said, "I would certainly go to the American people and explain to them what's at stake. … I do know that I don't need on-the-job training.
Imagine a Congressman saying we had lost the war while our troops were still fighting it!
It caused some rather lively conversation. :-)
That’s so funny that Murtha was “outraged” about the joke when he himself calls our troops murderers and terrorists, and other nasty untrue things, while he’s busting his bloated butt to make sure they don’t get the supplies and reinforcements they need and forcing a surrender.
If McCain thinks that he is, or has ever been funny, he is in worse shape than anyone knows.
As one who has not been partial to John McCain over the last 8 years, I got to say that I've enjoyed him the last two weeks.
McCain has found Murtha’s button. Let’s see if the old fighter jock keeps pressing it, stands by and watch Murtha explode.
It’ll be too funny ‘cause Murtha “jist cain’t hep himself.”
He is very funny. It’s part of his charm. And the American people tend to like candidates who don’t take themselves too seriously. Hillary’s lack of humor and spontaneity is a major minus for her.
McCain at least is sounding better this time around.
American troops and civilians in Iraq make jokes about IEDs, mortars, rockets, etc. all the time. It's called "gallows humor" and it helps us deal with it all.
McCain's right - Murtha needs to lighten up and stop acting so self-righteous. He is CLUELESS about this war.
Had I been Sen. McCain, I’d have suggested that Murtha get a Brain!
It was a “joke” with a serious message to Stewart who was slamming McCain about the war. It was a clever and funny way to say to Stewart, up yours.
If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime—Pol Pot or others—that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners.
Hey Murtha, I have a special one-finger salute just for you!
Suppose it is better than saying “...F’em if they can’t take a joke.”
What’s worse Murtha — joking about an IED or calling our Marines murderers in all seriousness?
I’d like to see Murtha share a cell with Reid — two major traitors to this country.
“Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., was furious and publicly assailed McCain on the House floor.
“Imagine a presidential candidate making a joke about IEDs when our kids are getting blown up,” he said. “
Who bribed you to say that Mr Murtha?
You attack McCain, but are okay with Reid’s insanity, and General Pelosi - obviously your master - having time to meet with Assad, but not the President, nor the General in the Field in Iraq?
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