McCain's "Bomb Iran" Joke Draws Fire

Liberal Group MoveOn.Org To Air Ad Attacking Republican Presidential Hopeful

(AP)  The liberal group MoveOn.org is launching an ad against Republican John McCain and his joke about bombing Iran, arguing that the nation "can't afford another reckless president."

The group plans to spend about $100,000 to air a commercial on network and some cable television stations in Iowa and New Hampshire, states that hold early contests in the presidential nomination process, spokesman Alex Howe said Friday.

McCain, campaigning Wednesday in South Carolina, answered a question about military action against Iran with the chorus of the surf-rocker classic "Barbara Ann."

"That old, eh, that old Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran,'" he said. "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, anyway, ah ..."

His audience laughed, but MoveOn.org called the comment dangerous.

"America has lived through six years of a reckless foreign policy," an announcer says in the ad. "We're stuck in Iraq. More than 3,000 Americans are dead. And thousands more wounded.

"Now comes John McCain with his answer to what we should do about Iran. John McCain? We can't afford another reckless president."

McCain defended the joke during a campaign stop in Nevada on Thursday.

"Please, I was talking to some of my old veterans friends," he told reporters in Las Vegas. "My response is, Lighten up and get a life."

Asked if his joke was insensitive, McCain said: "Insensitive to what? The Iranians?"

The McCain campaign had no immediate comment to the ad on Friday.

The head of MoveOn said McCain displayed "more out-of-control bravado."

"At a tense moment, when cooler heads in his own party and many retired military leaders are calling on the president to negotiate with Iran, Senator McCain's outburst isn't merely inappropriate; it's dangerous," Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, said Friday.

McCain's comments, posted on YouTube.com, had been viewed at least 118,056 times as of Friday morning.

[edjohn66]

I liked McCain so much better before he pandered to the radical right....

Now he's just another arch conservative in the Republican Party. What's his excuse for his comment? "Extremism in defence of my joke is no vice." Or something like that. What a nutjob.

[davek455]

he's finished

[jonny_chaos]

what a tool. obviously the poor man is trying to out bush bush.

[walt1944-2009]

McCain sounds more like George Bush every day, even down to his sick "jokes". McCain's campaign is looking more like a vaudeville act with McCain sitting on Bush's knee and playing the dummy. Only it appears that he isn't playing the part, he really IS the dummy!

[perception5]

Well looks like more of the same......the liberals and their out-of-control extreme left-wing pals want to turn America into something close to Germany 1938.

Ronald Reagan made the same type of kidding when he was President right before a his weekly radion address saying "My fellow Americans we begin bombing the Soviet Union in ten minutes"

Ronald Reagan is MOST responsible for 100's of millions of FREE people in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Our President is WORKING on freeing 10's of millions of people in the Middle East.........but the corrupt Dems along with their fellow corrupt liberal Dems in our MSM wolfpack are working hard to make this NOT happen..............really sad lot.....

[ttenchantr]

Must be a slow news day. It was a joke. Everybody relax. Anyway, it's not like he's going to get elected anyway.

[toolmangler-2009]

If they had left him alone McCain would have assured us (Dems) of victory in 008, now the rightys will find someone more capable than him and "here We go again".

[cathaleen]

If Bill Clinton said it, everyone would laughing, so lighten up.

[randalds]

He is genuinely senile. He must be as there is no other possible explanation. He used to be his own man, a man of respect, but now he's become a right wing toady. It's getting more embarrassing to watch by the day. Again I say, if there is anyone at all that really cares for him, in his family, his friends, or on his staff, please pull him aside and tell him it's time to retire. Watching him go senile in public is getting to be humiliating for him and all of the rest of us. Go away John! Now!

[carol532]

Nobody can make a joke anymore without some fool being offended - I thought it very funny.

[agnim]

"McCain's "Bomb Iran" Joke Draws Fire"

Another of our lunatic so-called 'leaders'.

Does America need more proof that this loser is senile?

Whatever credibility McPain had garnered over the years is speedily eroding away because he refuses to LEAVE THE SCENE as his FACULTIES FAIL him!

Thank the stars that the American people won't be stupid enough to even make it close for this old fool to be president.

With this reckless and despicable comment in this delicate climate, and which makes light of bombing a country to kill thousands of women and children, McPain has disgraced the US Senate and the American government.

[agnim]

".half the world is betting that we're stupid enough to invade Iran and the other half is holding its breath hoping we don't.
Posted by ozilot at 01:28 PM : Apr 20, 2007"

Well put, Wizard! LOL

And in this tense climate a US SICK SENATOR no less is making light of bombing a country, which the insane bush is seeking every excuse to bomb before he leaves office and create more hell for America and the world.

[tuckerndfw]

Anyone who considers bombing anything to be a joke is unqualified to be holding public office.

George Bush "joked" about an impending execution in Texas while he was governor of Texas and running for president the first time.

People who "joke" about death and destruction are psychopaths. Including Bush & McCain.

[interobserv]

It amazes me how one moment of poor judgement can bring out the worst on both sides of the issues.

The Senator should have exercised better judgement and restraint. He didn't. Does that mean he is unqualified to be President? Let the people decide.

I know if Bill Clinton, Al Gore or John Kerry had said that, Roger Ailes, Rush-to-Judgement Lamebrain, and the rest of the Faux News comedy ensemble would have tried to have them for lunch!

By the way, let's understand where the real corruption is and who is responsible for it! And it is NOT the liberals or the democrats or the (real) republicans. It sits squaley on the shoulders of the "...temporary occupants of the White House..." (D. MacArthur)

[karlimhof]

"Please, I was talking to some of my old veterans friends," he told reporters in Las Vegas. "My response is, Lighten up and get a life." McCain

I don't believe any old veterans would find that "joke" funny.

More and more McCain seems feeble and senseless - not presidential timber.

[peterbaldwin-2009]

This is like the senile elderly judge still on the bench, that the bailiff has to constantly awaken during hearings, and where no one dares tell him its time to hang up his robe and retire.

There is a debate in the blogosphere over whether its early onset Alzheimers or late onset PTSD. Whatever the psychiatric diagnosis, it is crystal clear that McCain is cognitively impaired and his judgment is way out of whack. Becoming a living, breathing caraciture of "bring em on" Bush is just another nail in the coffin of the Republican Party. That the party can not act to rein in a Presidential contender who is a raving lunatic but instead applaud and encourage him in his bizarre antics surely must frighten the electorate.

[flreason]

Perceptions5-Ronald Reagan made the same type of kidding when he was President right before a his weekly radion address saying "My fellow Americans we begin bombing the Soviet Union in ten minutes"

Big difference...Ronald Reagan didn't know the microphone was live when he made that comment. It was a joke intended as an off-mic warm up to be heard only by his staff and techs. McCain knew he was speaking in public. While I don't think it needs to be blown out of proportion, loose lips DO sink ships, including the ship-of-state.

[peterbaldwin-2009]

Can you imagine, keeping in mind the escalating bellicose rhetoric between the US and Iran, Tony Blair (Yo! Blair!)or Angela Merkel giggling while singing Bomb Iran to the cheers of the British or Germans?

They too must be frightened by a jingoistic cowboy, sitting in the Republican wings, ready to start a new war just for kicks.

[tuckerndfw]

What do you suppose would happen to the average American who "joked" about bombing his workplace or school?

How about someone who "joked" about bombing the White House?

But, then again, Pat Robertson publicly advocated "nuking" the State Department and nothing happened to him. It appears prosecuting people for making "terrorist threats" depends solely on who makes them. Or, to where they are directed.

[afmca]

I am far from being a McCain supporter. Even in 2000 I knew he looked better than he was - he is just now showing his true stripes BUT this PC nonsense is out of hand ... it appears we can no longer joke around. Iran threatens the world daily and I hear very few people openly condemning them. Free Speech is guaranteed .. if you don't like it don't listen .. or better yet .. don't support him.

[middleman8]

Is McCain looking for a "Kennedy Special" ??

[bernieb14]

afmca

Right on!! If Americans can't joke around a little, especially about a crazed lunatic like whatever his name is, then we might as well become like Iran. If you don't like humor then go live in a dark cave somewhere.

[peterbaldwin-2009]

Thank god that the more closely McCain's public persona morphs into Bush's the closer his polling numbers resemble Bush's - in the swamp.

Then we have cross-dressing Guliani mincing around with a limp wrist talking tough, while he stands right behind Cheney in the Guiness Book of Records for Vietnam deferments. And Romney is bragging about using a semi-automatic on squirrels, while he got a deferment to go to France as a missionary.

Don't Kerry and Gore look good these days.

[macusweil]

It is very clear McCain has drank the neo.con koolade, the straight talk express has gone off the rail for good. No hope for this guy now. One more sad and pathetic old man. He now represents more of what is wrong with the GOP than what is right.

[toldyouso21]

Okay, I dislike McCain (or any other Republican candidate so far) In fact, I, like many independents feel that unless the Democrats do something really unethical and heinous--I may never vote Republican again on a national level in my lifetime. That said--this is stupid. The spending of the money is stupid. Let some kid run it on you tube for about 50.00. It will still get the same press and the 99,950.00 other dollars can be used somewhere else.

As for McCain's remarks--between kids not even being able o joke about going crazy anymore or emailing their friends about freaking out and bombing people, and not being able to joke about anything without offending or scaring half the listening audience (man joked about a bomb on a plane and got arrested) we are fast approaching a true 1984 Orwellian, Big Brother moment. We don't want that--trust me. When there are cameras in our homes, taps on our phones and everyone is trying to turn everyone else in. Now anything we say can and will be used against us? I thought that was only for criminal arrests--now it appears--it is for everyone at any time. this is petty--but whoever opened this door (Rove) now should realize that smears, slurs, instant coverage and spin rules the political landscape--live by the bs--die by the bs. America is sucking a bigger weenie every single day.

[vastr-wcon]

Stroll-through-Baghdad McCain has passed delusional and is now well into lunatic territory.

Video of his Bomb song will probably be the basis for a new al-Quaida PR and recruitment effort. It will undoubtedly help Ahmadinejad strengthen his position.

Never in the history of this country has a senior elected politician so embolden its enemies.

McCain should be tried for treason. He is an embarrassment to Arizona and the nation.

[bernieb14]

mascarponi said:
'McCain obviously does NOT have the judgment and diplomatic sense of dignity that is required to begin repairing the damage wrought by the Neocons since 2000'

OK, so it's OK for John Kerry to joke around about how stupid our US soldiers are because they wouldn't have joined up if they couldn't make it in the real world. Remember that?
But it's not Ok to joke about Iran and their sociopathic leader? Give me a break!!

[infidel_us]

(AP) The liberal group MoveOn.org is launching an ad against Republican John McCain and his joke about bombing Iran, arguing that the nation "can't afford another reckless president."

Soros has no sense of humor.

[dblbar]

Thank the stars that the American people won't be stupid enough to even make it close for this old fool to be president. Agnim

I don't know Agnim.....I thought that at the last presidential election......

[bernieb14]

peterbaldwin

You must be Alec's other stupid little brother. You sound just like an extremist Hollywood Baldwin liberal. Pathetic!!!!!

[stevex47]

Ya, this is a guy I want as president....riiiight.

And that's as humorous as Mission Accomplished. You want to be a candidate? Engage brain before opening mouth. And for gosh sakes don't say nuk-u-lur.

[infidel_us]

He should spend his money on therapy for Alec Baldwin because, "the nation can't afford another reckless liberal." :)

[sdb101-2009]

Iran has mass rallies where they shout "Death to America", declare they'll "wipe Israel off the map" and call us the "great Satan"-the leftists keep their big mouths shut.

As soon as a neocon replies with an appropriate response, the leftist are ready to wage war-not against our enemies-god no, but against those who seek to defend us from the islamofascists. So who's side are you on Dumbasscrats?

Both the leftists and muslims are working towards the same goal (the West's defeat) and are proving themselves to be a dangerous 5th column in the West. We best be ready to defend ourselves from both these elements that are hostile to freedom.

[fizzal-2009]

Some people think dropping a bomb is an explosion, but the real bomb droped there is the right of freedom thats already exploding in Iraq.

[toldyouso21]

I just heard on the news that the Republican congress are very worried about what Bush is doing because they are afraid that they will not only not be elected in 2008 but quite possibly the party may not recover for years. the Consensus is that Bush and his Iraq war policies have wrecked their ascendancy and possibly the Republican party. But yet....note how they all still support Bush in the Senate and many in the Congress--can't blame Bush for beating a dead horse when they are the ones who keep handing him the stick.

[coffeehead-2009]

They are ALL sick -
disgusting, while our kids die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In light of the killing of 5 marines and 4 private contractors in Iraq on 3/31/04, we thought it would be appropriate to repost this video by Jason for America. If you missed it last week, Bush attended the Radio and Television Correspondent's Dinner and made a few jokes about our failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Pretty poor taste, if you ask us, when our soldiers are dying for his mistakes. Jason pulled together some clips of Bush's dinner speech and juxtaposed them with some not so pretty pictures from the front. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l5bSxpCKEI

[bernieb14]

sdb101

WELL SAID: Liberals are a bunch of little panty waists without a spine. I can't concieve this great country of ours being ran by a panty waiste President who is so afraid to offend a country like Iran while taking it up the rear by them at the same time.

[jimibear]

"OK, so it's OK for John Kerry to joke around about how stupid our US soldiers are because they wouldn't have joined up if they couldn't make it in the real world. Remember that?"

Actually, no, because it never happened. His joke was that BUSH was stupid and got us stuck in Iraq - both of which are true, but it's not particularly funny that a moronic warmonger is in the White House.

You NeoCons are past masters at twisting the facts and then making your opponents defend against something they never said or meant. Well, that's called a "lying smear", and it is despicable.

I agree that McCain is a dolt for joking like this, and I can certainly see his idiocy as an Al Quaeda recruiting tool. At the same time, I think this is being blown out of proportion, like everything else the media get their claws into. It was a joke. It was stupid. As another poster said, if you don't like his actions, don't vote for him.

[zoltaric]

It was a joke you retards.

Yes, where is everybody when the Iranian parliment is chanting "Death to America" before each session?

I'll tell you what. BOMB IRAN!

Death to Islam!!

[feelfree1]

McCain and the bloodthirsty and dagerously ignorant cowards that support him, should be equiped with box-cutters, and dropped into Iran from 20,000 feet.

This would be a win-win scenario.

[amazedd]

Tried Peggy Sue
Tried Mary Lou
But I knew they wouldn't do
You got me rockin' and a-rollin'
Rockin' and a-reelin'
Barbara Ann
Bam, bam
Bam Barbara Ann

-- The Fonz

[peterbaldwin-2009]

If Al Gore had become president in 2000 American would have avoided an unnecessary neocon war, American would be awash in budget surpluses, and the world would be well on its way to combating global warming, income inequality, and the proliferation of guns. If Kerry had become president in 2004 our troops would be home by now and we would be looking at a new prosperity instead of endless deficits.

Both these guys did their stint in Vietnam on the ground, unlike the sissy chickenhawks destroying our country. All Americans should be ashamed for not electing them decisively.

That these guys are now on the sidelines is disgraceful.

[jimibear]

bernieb, I am sure there are many things of which you can't conceive. That tends to happen to stupid people.

No one has suggested that anyone was afraid of offending the Iranians. The point poeple were making is that when Americans are fighting and dying in one stupid, pointless war, to joke about starting another is in poor taste. Which it is.

I can't see why you would want someone as president who thinks that death and war are apt subjects for humor in public. It shows poor judgment and great disrespect. How do you imagine the mother of a dead soldier feels watching a presidential candidate sing, "Bomb bomb bomb ... bomb bomb Iran"?

The difference between NeoCons and real humans is that when a real human sees someone *** up, they call it a ******, regardless of who did it. With the NeoCons, their boys can do no wrong and the opposition can do no right. It's the same kind of moronic black & white "thinking" that started the Iraq mess 9in the first place. "Yer eeder wid ush er yer wid duh terrorishts."

Idiots.

[bernieb14]

mascarponi

Of course you didn't complain when John Kerry said his so called little joke about our soldiers being stupid, but we all hear you loud and clear complaining about John McCain telling a GOOD joke about our enemy Iran. You've got it backwards, which is why I had to bring up Kerry and his joke.

[klingon69]

Agnim;
SO? I remember when that song was popular during the hostage crisis, you remember, when Carterlet 50 of our people languish for over 400 days in Iranian Custody.
I agree, nothing good comes out of Iran or Iraq for that matter.
We bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end WW2, killed thousands upon thousands of women and children.
The problem is that now we have to be the benevolent conquerers. We have to make sure that our own liberal media, people and the rest of the world sees us in a good light. Look, bomb the entire middleeast, send in road crews and make a giant parkinglot.

[mudrose-2009]

If Al Gore had become president in 2000 American would have avoided an unnecessary neocon war, American would be awash in budget surpluses, and the world would be well on its way to combating global warming, income inequality, and the proliferation of guns. If Kerry had become president in 2004 our troops would be home by now and we would be looking at a new prosperity instead of endless deficits.

And we'd all be on our way to somewhere over the rainbow.

[hazelknows]

If he had hosted the Tonight Show or Late Night, I would of considered it a joke. He's a very serious person, which leads to believe he means it.

[jimibear]

"If Al Gore had become president in 2000 American would have avoided an unnecessary neocon war, American would be awash in budget surpluses, and the world would be well on its way to combating global warming, income inequality, and the proliferation of guns. If Kerry had become president in 2004 our troops would be home by now and we would be looking at a new prosperity instead of endless deficits.

Both these guys did their stint in Vietnam on the ground, unlike the sissy chickenhawks destroying our country. All Americans should be ashamed for not electing them decisively.

That these guys are now on the sidelines is disgraceful.
Posted by peterbaldwin at 02:46 PM : Apr 20, 2007
+ report abuse"

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!

Well said, sir.

[bernieb14]

jimibear

So you think McCains little song is going to start a war with Iran? If anything it will be all the negative rhetoric coming from the extremists in Iran. They burn our flag in their streets, they shout death to America and kill the infidels in America, and you're worried about McCain's little song offending them? Pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[inventagod2]

I have noticed some 'cherry-picking' being done on recent posts to these CBS boards. Posts are being removed, mostly those critical to Bu$h. I understand that CBS is closely tied to some big-money boys, and they own the 'news'. I will continue to post, and will return to re-post, until I am 'removed'...