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John McCain Called ‘Racist’ After Cracking Ahmadinejad ‘Monkey’ Joke: ‘This Is What Passes for a Serious GOP U.S. Senator These Days’

Feb. 4, 2013 12:27pm Erica Ritz

John McCain Called Racist After Joking About Ahmadinejad Being Like the Monkey Iran Sent Into Space

Sen. John McCain speaks to a crowd of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney supporters in front of the Niceville City Hall complex in Niceville, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. McCain was in the Panahandle Tuesday campaigning for Romney.Credit: AP

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is under fire on Twitter for being one of many to mock Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that he wants to be the first Iranian to reach outer space.

The news follows Iran’s declaration that they successfully launched a monkey into orbit. There’s still some confusion as to whether they actually did it, but the Iranians are sticking to their story despite expert testimony that two different monkeys are seen in the “before” and “after” photos).

Regardless, John McCain joked:

So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space – wasn’t he just there last week? “Iran launches monkey into space” news.yahoo.com/iran-launches-…

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) February 4, 2013

The backlash was swift, with at least one other member of Congress joining in the criticism of McCain’s tweet (content warning):

(Photo: Twitter/@SenJohnMcCain)

When McCain later added, “Re: Iran space tweet – lighten up folks, can’t everyone take a joke?” Representative Justin Amash (R-MI) didn’t seem able to let it go.

Maybe you should wisen up & not make racist jokes. “@senjohnmccain: Re: Iran space tweet – lighten up folks, can’t everyone take a joke?”

— Justin Amash (@repjustinamash) February 4, 2013

Amash is reportedly of Palestinian descent.

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Comments (111)

frogg
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:07pm
He only call him a monkey. My words are a little harsher. He compares to Hitler, so calling him a monkey is a fine compliment in my book!

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- spirited
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:19pm
  If only the monkey could protest insult.
  
  Report this comment
- 1911CK
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:35pm
  So now monkey is a race?
  
  Report this comment
- 00100111
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:35pm
  Is it a requirement for being a liberal to have thin skin and sand in their vaginas? Geez, these losers are offended at absolutely everything. Can they try not being a victim all the d*** time?
  
  Report this comment
- poorrichard09
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:45pm
  I had thought that it would be a great laugh to photoshop Amadinjad’s face onto the monkey! :-D
  
  Report this comment
- apexmoon
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:57pm
  I’m surprised that PETA isn’t protesting saying it’s inhuman to compare a monkey to Amadinjad
  
  Report this comment
- term limits for congress
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 2:05pm
  The monkey-lovin’ prophet will smite McCain. It is not for us to judge.
  
  Report this comment
- Independent4233
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 3:37pm
  Calling the ridicule of a Persian “racist” has to come from someone too uneducated or too stupid to know that Iranians are Caucasoids, the same race as Europeans, although many of them nowadays have a tan complexion, but a very large number are white as well.
  
  Indo-Europeans orginated between the Caspian and Black sea areas, which is not far from what today is known as Iran. When there were floods in their area….about 5000 B.C….. they migrated to Iran, which is a form of the word “Aryan,” denoting Indo-European people. They also occupied Egypt, the entire Mediterraean area, Afghanistan and a large contingent of them settled in the Indus River Valley, which is located in what is now India.
  
  So if the left wants to scream racism, they would be less thought of as ignorant if they understood a bit about anthropology.
  
  Ethnicity is not a race. I wonder what race they think the Persians are.
  
  Report this comment
- JQuentinEvermann
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 4:14pm
  Mexican, Arab, Indian, Gay, female…all these things have become a “race” in the past 4 years. I wear glasses, so be careful insulting my vision, lest you be called a racist as well.
  
  I hate what this world has become.
  
  Report this comment
- AZRACISTBIGOT
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 5:36pm
  LMAO. When the PC Whackjobs cry “Foul” and “Racism”, I hope McCain grows a pair and stands by his words.
  
  It was Ok when Ahmanutjob’s buddy in Egypt called the Jews Apes and Pigs. Not a word from the PC Police on that one.
  
  Report this comment
- Detroit paperboy
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 5:47pm
  He just insulted Allah baba…..his head will soon be removed from his body by a very tolerant Muslim follower…..McCain is now Salmen Rushdie…………….praise be to olly baba
  
  Report this comment
- SniperFace
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 5:51pm
  Wouldnt the people that refer to McCain calling ahmadinejad a monkey as racist be racist? When I think monkey I dont think Black people…but apperently the people that act all upset are themselves racist but try to project onto others. Either that or they are not smart enough to know that Iran shot a monkey into space and now ahmadinejad whats to be shot into space…..see the connection and or compairson. I expect this out of the left but who the f@#$% is this weak repub jumpin on the ignorance wagon.
  
  Report this comment
- henryKnox
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 6:39pm
  Exactly which race is a monkey in all of this? The people that take offense to a joke like this do not deserve the attention. Someone once told them that it is an offensive thing to someone, but they’re probably not sure who, and so now they are like Pavlov’s dog and they salivate everytime their here the word monkey. Disgusting.
  
  Report this comment
- dwilco77
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 9:09pm
  At least he kept him in the Mammal category. I would be more inclined to place him in the excrement category.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 9:39pm
  Iranians are Caucasian & Indo-European to boot.
  
  As much as i hate McCain’s RINO politics, he said nothing racist. The joke is apropo.
  
  Report this comment
- wzanesdad
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 11:28pm
  I thought it was hilarious…..amash needs to grow up a little, punk a$$.
  
  Report this comment
- TheAlamoLives
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 9:36am
  I like the “Monkey” joke, but I liked it better when McCain said “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”.
  
  Report this comment
USNRET04
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:07pm
McCain needs to immediately apologize to all monkeys for that offensive joke

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- Exidor
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:55pm
  Exactly! Comparing Iminadinnerjacket to monkeys is an insult to all primates.
  
  Report this comment
- Ash_Kiker
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 3:19pm
  Oh God… now they will have to put Berkas on all the monkeys so the muslims won’t rape them….
  
  Report this comment
unitedwestand58
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:06pm
LOL! That was a good one! :)

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SquidVetOhio
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:05pm
Ever notice how the people who drop the racist victim card first are always seemingly white rich liberals?

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- starman70
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 3:29pm
  I rarely agree with anything RINO McCain says or does BUT I have to agree with him on this one.
  
  Report this comment
ThemDemsLie2much
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:00pm
So, Iamanutjob is a black man now? You sure you want to go there? Most of those guys are way whiter than I. Guess he should be praised for having light skin instead of dark too since Blacks seem to stride for light skin and straight hair and discriminate against dark skined blacks but John’s the racist for making fun of an actual Monkey / Man situation. You lefties are about the most ignorant human beings there are. So is Zimmerman still white? Make up your minds morons.

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- doomytram
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:08pm
  Zimmerman is still White – Hispanic. But NBC will edit out the Hispanic part. This is about Obozo’s /Jarretts muslim outreach. That’s what those Iranian talks are about.
  
  Report this comment
- missdagnytaggart
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:38pm
  I was always under the impression that Iranians are Caucasian.
  
  Report this comment
garys43077
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:57pm
If a white guy called another white guy a monkey would that be racist? No, I didn’t think so. Guess what, Iranese/Persians are basically a tanned version of Caucasoid, which means caucasian, which means white. So I guess white guy McCain calling white guy Ahmadinejad a monkey is not racist.

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jackact
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:53pm
‘Racist’? …no.
Ineffectual Washingtion insider ‘RINO’…yes
Please get it straight.

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- doomytram
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:57pm
  nailed it.
  
  Report this comment
- redfish52
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:00pm
  Now that was funny…I don’t care who you are….funny….funny…funny. Oh course you people that are saying this is racist probably didn’t have any comments on The Little Monkey Man when he called the US The Great Satan now did you?
  
  Report this comment
Tri-ox
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:53pm
Whatever. McCain is as much of a monkey as Ahmadinejad – Iran has their monkeys, and we have ours. McCain is a pasty-white progressive amnesty-monkey, and Ahmadinejad is an off-white muslim-terrorist monkey. Monkeys come in all races and nationalities.

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Bonnieblue2A
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:53pm
Progressives will jump all overSen. McCain’s joke but refuse to attach the racist label to to the Iranian leader when he calls IsraeliJews as pigs and monkies. Go figure.

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USPATRIOT101
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:51pm
Since when do we defend a man that wants to destroy the US?? I don’t care what anyone calls this POS. Those of you that feel like this is racist statement, you need to pull your head out of your arsses.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:06pm
  “Since when do we defend a man that wants to destroy the US??”
  
  Wake up. Our Secret Service is doing it everyday.
  
  Report this comment
Fubared
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:50pm
Should have been dog. Therein lies the issue. It’s like an ever changing rock, paper, scissors and the left makes up a different rule everyday over what trumps what. Very confusing.

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toto
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:49pm
Far as I’m concerned, we should offer to send Ahmadinejad in one of our old rockets, one way trip of course, I would definitely chip in. On the issue of the comment. This is the kind of commentary you get when people who are not deserving of even an ounce of respect are supported by the PC police. Ahmadinejad is a man who has earned the death penalty for his actions in the world, and there are probably a lot of Persians and other victims who would agree with that. Tired of the left trying to force the conferring of respect on the wholly unworthy. Common sense, is it dead?

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TalonTed
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:48pm
While this joke was no doubt in poor taste, I have to believe it has nothing to do with the fact that he is equating a brown-skinned person with a monkey. It has everything to do with the fact that Ahmadinejad is a crazy, out of control, nut job. But, I can certainly understand how someone could construe it to be a racist comment.

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- strawberry411a
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:54pm
  When the so called journalists of this country ignore and semblance of a real story and resort to something as ridiculous as this, we all know it’s over. By the way MSNBC any luck on finding your president’s article in the Harvard Law review. Guess not.
  
  Report this comment
justangry
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:47pm
So we’re supposed to like John Mc’Cain now, Ms. Ritz? Rush to his defense and all? Just curious. Personally, I’ll stick with Rep. Justin Amash.

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- VetMike
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:52pm
  Gee, not like your Liberal friends don’t rush to excuse all kinds of behavior (Reid on Menendez; Clinton’s I didn’t have sex with that woman and on and on). You need to exine yourself and your hypocrisy.
  
  Report this comment
- Pablo
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:54pm
  No, we’re supposed to keep our eyes open and act appropriately. I like Amash far more than I like McCain, but he’s out of line here. What race is Ahmanutjob? Hint: Iran = Land of the Aryans.
  
  Report this comment
- justangry
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:39pm
  @Vetmike, I don’t like McCain, because he’s a stinking progressive (bolshevik) too. In other words, Libertarians are way to the right of the neocon trash controlling the RNC.
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:41pm
  McCain is a racist along with his supporters.
  
  Report this comment
ThemDemsLie2much
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:46pm
China is also racist! They call Obama the same thing over there and claim he is unpatriotic to America. It is only a joke if a Dumb Azz Democrap says it! Typical double standards of the left.
Hey, Justin Amash, ok for you to have sex with a Monkey and kill your daughter though right?
POS MUSlime. You and yours are the biggest Racist. ES&DMF.

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...sam
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:45pm
right….. if I was that monkey I’d be pissed.

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doomytram
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:41pm
The Volkswagen commercial with the white Rastafarian guy in the Super Bowl just got a break. The racist commercial with a white guy with the perfect hey mon Rastafarian ascent is classic PC police material. I couldn’t care less about McCain being deemed racist and the PC police running him away. Just get us a Tea Party replacement for McCain from Arizona. Oh how ridiculous the PC Muslim Police are and oh how close these police are to Obozo and Jarrett and Soros.

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- Maji
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:54pm
  So calling the white house the “monkey house”would be a bad
  thing?? You know where..
  They speak no evil of themselves
  See no evil they do
  Won’t hear of evil they’ve done!
  
  Report this comment
DougHuffman
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:40pm
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is that the one with the mole over his eye or the one with darker hair? I thought the dark haired one was trapped and maybe killed at the Fordow Nuclear “accident”. What, you have not heard of the nuclear accident? Only covered at http://www.wnd.com/?p=361469

Look who’s among 40 dead at Iran nuke plan.

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BatesclanMary
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:39pm
It was funny made me laugh people are so stupid and it makes a differance who says what.

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SquidVetOhio
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:38pm
That awkward moment when pink-o liberals make me defend John McCain…..

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- WillG
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:41pm
  Same thought.
  
  Report this comment
- doomytram
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:48pm
  just for a moment though… he does think the Taxed Enough Party are trolls.
  
  Report this comment
willingtoupe
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:37pm
Thanks for the reminder of how glad it is for him not to ever win the Presidential Election. We need to get rid of the likes for him that are residually left in the racist G.O.P so General Powers can take the leadership of having the Party run properly.

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- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:01pm
  Yea, the guy that voted for Obama purely because they share the same skin tone. No, he’s not racist.
  
  Wait, is this a parody account?
  
  Report this comment
Cavallo
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:37pm
They can call GW a monkey all day. Only certain people born of certain skin color can say certain words, or make certain comments. John? Did you really think bashing conservatives and making nice with the media would get you a pass? You still have an “R” next to your name. I thought you would have learned this when you ran for president.. I guess in your delusion you’ll just blame Sarah.

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Steelhead
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:36pm
just think this deranged old man had a shot of being our president, how shameful of the GOP

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- Cavallo
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:47pm
  It’s not his fault, he was raised by his “typically white” Grandmother, and sat in a church that routinely talked about honkies and crackers… wait,…. That’s someone else.
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:51pm
  Steelheadisadouche, and is not considered one of Holder’s peeps. And it shows. Try Choco city.
  
  Report this comment
- SquidVetOhio
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 1:03pm
  Do you have your “I <3 Mahmoud" burka on today?
  
  Report this comment
raybaker35
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:35pm
And this is how it goes. If a brown person said that about a white person it would be fine.
We are living in hell.
A white male will have a very difficult time getting elected president for years.
Welcome to the new reality.
hell

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- Shasta
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:49pm
  Wow, that had not occurred to me, but you are correct. For the foreseeable future, when it comes to POTUS, white males need not apply.
  
  Report this comment
- spirited
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 3:15pm
  Obama and shuck n grin & lazy in the same paragragh are racial code words according to Colin Powel. –Go figure.
  
  Imagine if anyone in politics said that Obama needs to stop his shananagins and to stop monkeying around shooting hoops….that he doesn’t belong on the golf course.
  
  Report this comment
lefty5005
Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:34pm
Double standard extreme, if it has been a Democrat this wouldn’t even be news. Of course, I would not insult a monkey by calling it the Iranian President.

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- doomytram
  Posted on February 4, 2013 at 12:46pm
  Iran and the Monkey astronaut is the definition of Muslim Outreach. Obozo and Jarrett Hagel and Bite Me are more aligned with Iran than they are the Tea Party. Unfortunately, McCain is a tweener. He is left of center and an embedded RINO. Who hates the Tea Party, because the Gnome thinks we are Trolls, but he also hates the Far Left like the PC Muslim Police and Obozo, so the tweener McCain can go pound sand for all I care…. just appoint a Tea Party Senator to replace the Gnome McCain.
  
  Report this comment
- CathyvanDyke
  Posted on February 5, 2013 at 12:05pm
  Is there a double liberal standard when it comes to outrage on an issue?
  
  Axelrod Jabs Gingrich: ‘Higher a Monkey Climbs … More You Can See His Butt’
  December 13, 2011
  
  Newt Gingrich has joked that God wanted him to be a bear, not a gazelle. But President Obama’s chief campaign strategist David Axelrod today said Gingrich is more like a monkey.
  
  Speaking at a Washington press briefing, Axelrod said the former House speaker’s climb to the top of the pack will further expose his least flattering personal and professional qualities.
  
  “Just remember, the higher a monkey climbs on a pole, the more you can see his butt,” Axelrod said, citing a piece of political wisdom he said he learned from a Chicago alderman. “So, the speaker is very high on the pole right now and we’ll see how people like the view.”
  
  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/axelrod-jabs-gingrich-higher-a-monkey-climbs-more-you-can-see-his-butt/
  
  Report this comment

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