Washingtonpost.com:
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) confronted anti-war Code Pink protesters at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, saying “Get out of here, you low-life scum.”
The hearing, to include testimony from former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and George Shultz, was on global threats and national security strategy.
“I’d like to say to my colleagues and to our distinguished witnesses this morning: I’ve been a member of this committee for many years, and I have never seen anything as disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last demonstration that just took place,” said McCain.
McCain is a military hawk who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. He was taken captive as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, McCain defended his actions, saying: “Code Pink’s typical protest tactics include interrupting Congressional hearings with chanting and sign-holding, which while disruptive and improper, do not represent a threat to witnesses. What happened today was far different. As Dr. Kissinger entered the hearing room to take his seat, a group of Code Pink protesters rushed up to the witness table to confront him, waving handcuffs within inches of his head. Some senators were concerned enough for Dr. Kissinger’s safety that they came down off the dais to support the witnesses. With no U.S. Capitol Police intervening, the episode went on for several minutes.”
Ugh. McCain used to have some class. The name calling should be beneath him. First off, I am not so sure I don’t agree with McCain, but that is beside the point. He is an elected official and should be able to handle these sorts of things without trampling on people’s first amendment rights and name calling.
Of course, we have to have order in the Capital. It cannot be a free for all. On the other hand, people expressing their opinion, regardless of who likes it, IS one of our basic rights as Americans.
Henry Kissinger might very well be an esteemed guest. To others, he is an agent of war. He is ensconced in history with mixed reviews. He was a powerful person who had the President’s ear. That claim to fame also carries a high price tag.
McCain would have been right to call the Capitol Police to have the hecklers removed. He could have dispensed with the name-calling. That sort of put him right there in scum-bag territory.
Code Pink raised money to send to insurgents in Fallujah.
They routinely support what the civilized world calls terrorists.
They are low life scum.
I have seen no proof of that. Yes, I have heard it but heard it as in blog hearing. I have seen no real proof.
Even if they did, McCain needs to step out of his Senator roll before becoming a name caller.
Perhaps the Capitol Police need the same shaking up that the Secret Service needed. Why are people without serious credentials allowed to be that close to elected officials and dignitaries?
@Cargosquid
I know what I want to say….let’s say there is living proof of what you just said and upon verification, you and I both said they were scumbags. We aren’t on the floor of the Senate. We aren’t attempting to restrict someone’s free speech–even someone we might agree is a scum bag.
After all, the Nazi Party was allowed a parade permit through Skokie, Illinois.
I kind of agree with you but McCain was a POW and tortured for six or seven years and suffered a permanent disability. I don’t know what they were saying exactly about Viet Nam but I’ve got to give him a bye on this one.
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/01/29/code-pink-tries-to-arrest-91-year-old-kissinger-for-war-crimes-get-smacked-down-by-94-year-old-george-schultz/
Okay, it’s a bye 🙂
If you cannot call people that raised money for Fallujah insurgents while we were actually in the process of taking the city scumbags from the floor of the Senate…..where else would you do it? The Senate supports our country and our troops.
Code Pink supports terrorists and communists.
Weren’t they (code pink) restricting Kissingers free speech, or attempting to anyway?
I agree though, how in the hell does someone get past security with handcuffs? Also, what the hell took the capital police so long to get there?
Not, they wanted him arrested for war crimes. Whey weren’t telling him he couldn’t speak.
After looking at a different film, I thought they were threatening. Henry Kissinger is 91 years old and they surrounded him.
They should have been arrested. They violated the rules. I just felt McCain was out of line with the scumbag remark, even though I really dislike that organization. It’s not the worst of sins. But I expect him to rise above it.
I find it strange that free speech isn’t free in the Senate (or House) pr during the State of the Union Address (remember Mrs. Bill Young’s t shirt?) but by God, its protected for Westboro Baptist at funerals and God knows where else. You can say literally anything you want to a woman going into a clinic for what is no one else’s business but by God, don’t say anything to a senator or where a shirt into the State of the Union Address with any political message.
What would have happened to me in 1998 (I think) if I had worn a Stop Operation Rescue t-shirt to the SOTU? I wouldn’t have gotten in. If it was under my coat, I would have been taken out. Not saying its wrong. Just saying its hypocritical.
I don’t much care for John McCain’s brand of politics but if anyone has earned the right to call a bunch of people “Scum” who really did assume a threatening position with Dr. Kissinger, it is McCain. He is, after all, a human being with feelings who bears the scars of the battle to protect the right to free speech.
And remember, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”-Oliver Wendell Holmes I believe.