Claim: McCain called Republicans against massive immigration "a**holes" (McCain denies)

Posted Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 2:59 pm

This passage is from the new book Game Change by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Bear in mind that a John McCain spokeswoman denies that McCain ever said such a thing, and Lindsey Graham didn't repond to Ben Smith's request for comment [1]:

[McCain aides John] Weaver and [Mark] Salter begged McCain to ease up. He was already the face of the Iraq surge. Now he was becoming the face of what opponents called “amnesty.” Just tone down the rhetoric, his advisers pleaded.

McCain refused. He was disgusted by republicans in Congress and talk radio gasbags such as rush Limbaugh who bashed immigrants. “They’re going to destroy the fucking party,” he would say.

As McCain’s town hall meetings devolved into shouting matches over immigration, the candidate let his frustration show through. He called Lindsey Graham in despair. Listen to these people, McCain said. Why would I want to be the leader of a party of such a**holes?

[1] politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0110/
McCain_aide_denies_party_of_aholes_line.html

Tags: 
politico
ben smith
john mccain
lindsey graham
rush limbaugh
mark halperin
john heilemann

Comments

eh (not verified)

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 07:27

A total loser, might well not even win re-election, so who cares?

Mary (not verified)

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 11:28

HE ruined the party-he and the entire lot of unprincipled RINOS!!!

Sgt. Joe Friday (not verified)

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 17:58

The really funny thing is, Limbaugh has probably mentioned immigration - at all - fewer than a half dozen times in over 20 years on the air, and always in the most bland way imaginable. Judging from the way the quoted passage is worded, it's my guess that McCain was way more concerned about what Limbaugh thought of him personally than anything Limbaugh did - or perhaps more accurately - didn't say about immigration. Obama's a terrible president, but McCain is a crackpot, and would have been just as bad in his own way. That's why I didn't vote for either one of them.

Mary (not verified)

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 22:20

Rush was a primary opponent of the comprehensive "amnesty" bill. Not sure who you listened to cuz that's when I started listening more to Rush....he gets it.

Mary (not verified)

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 22:22

Oh nd don't forget Mark Steyn who frequently fills in for Rush and calls himself "The Undocumented talk show host"

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 19:05

Mary is right