McClatchy: McCain's history of hot temper raises concerns

[babylonsister]

McCain's history of hot temper raises concerns
By David Lightman and Matt Stearns | McClatchy Newspapers



WASHINGTON — John McCain made a quick stop at the Capitol one day last spring to sit in on Senate negotiations on the big immigration bill, and John Cornyn was not pleased.

Cornyn, a mild-mannered Texas Republican, saw a loophole in the bill that he thought would allow felons to pursue a path to citizenship.

McCain called Cornyn's claim "chicken-s---," according to people familiar with the meeting, and charged that the Texan was looking for an excuse to scuttle the bill. Cornyn grimly told McCain he had a lot of nerve to suddenly show up and inject himself into the sensitive negotiations.

"F--- you," McCain told Cornyn, in front of about 40 witnesses.

It was another instance of the Republican presidential candidate losing his temper, another instance where, as POW-MIA activist Carol Hrdlicka put it, "It's his way or no way."

There's a lengthy list of similar outbursts through the years: McCain pushing a woman in a wheelchair, trying to get an Arizona Republican aide fired from three different jobs, berating a young GOP activist on the night of his own 1986 Senate election and many more.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/51660.html

[PA Democrat]

1. K & R.

Obama was right in stating that McCain has neither the judgment nor the temperament to be president.

[Skidmore]

2. McCain's temper is something I think should be stressed. He is reactive in an irrational way and

not proactive. There is little to demonstrate that his VP choice would be any different. This is a time which begs for cool and rational leadership, not more hotheadedness and vindictiveness.

[BeyondGeography]

3. They call him The White Tornado when he really gets going

[babylonsister]

4. PTSD, previously suicidal, and he could be the next prez? I'm

not liking this.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Loves to gamble, too

if there's a craps table in the hood, JohnBoy is so there. Of course, you need only look at the Palin pick to see he's a gambler.

[BeyondGeography]

7. dupe

[tblue37]

13. Yeah, but frickin' American voters seem to like that sort of

loud-mouthed bullying style.

They also like aggressiveness of any sort, even if it's dumb. I remember when Dany Quayle made an ass of himself in a VP debate, but the pundits all insisted that he won the debate because he ws so "feisty," the very word that they are using to paint Palin as a "fighter."

[ClarkUSA]

5. There needs to be a viral email detailing the worst of McRage's offenses and a link to this article

Hmmm....

[yourguide]

8. damning article.

thanks for posting this...

[Blackhatjack]

9. That is a quite a history of outbursts ... which should concern everyone.

[Sweet Freedom]

10. Ugh, what an angry little child.

Unfortunately, other angry little children will love this nonsense. :eyes: BTW: this story is on the front page of Yahoo if anyone would like to rate it: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3035300

On a side note...I didn't realize how short McCain is. Wonder if they'll put him on a crate when he debates Obama? :)

[renate]

11. poor Cindy... this article makes me feel sorry for her

I wonder what she would have been like if she weren't married to this man. I wouldn't be surprised if she suffers from a mild form of PTSD herself, having to live with someone who's liable to blow up at the slightest provocation, and she probably had to try to protect the children from his temper, too.

[Poiuyt]

15. Kind of makes you wonder what really happened to her wrist

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

12. It's also on Yahoo! front page, 3rd story

It's needs rated up and BUZZED. Here's the link there:

McCain's history of hot temper raises concerns

[unblock]

14. this has to be handled carefully as a political issue

authoritarians expect leaders to have hot tempers and to have a "my way or no way" attitude. i think they think it's actually an essential part of being a leader. of course, the authoritarians are firmly voting repug regardless.

but there are plenty of swing voters in swing states who probably agree, or at least, don't think of being hot-headed as a liability in and of itself.


the key is to focus on the temper being erratic, volatile, out-of-step, etc. THAT'S unnerving.
we can't just say he gets angry only to have the republicans say he gets angry about all the right things.

[Phx_Dem]

16. It's about time someone reported on his horrendous temper. n/t