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- Jan 27, 1999
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This week's Newsweek has as its cover story John McCain. The article is not entirely flattering.
Part of the story I knew--and has little bearing on whether McCain would make a good president. He was a rebel at Annapolis and finished at the bottom of his class. And before he was shot down, he was not a particularly good Naval officer or aviator, brave but to the point of being foolhardy.
The other part of the story I knew, but to a lesser extent. McCain has long been known to be prickly and have problems with his temper. But the article depicts McCain as vindictive, and I had no idea as to the number of Republican senators McCain had cursed or even had physical contact with.
Examples:
--Former senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire: "You can disagree without being disagreeable. And I don't think John is able to do that."
--Shoved Strom Thurmond
--Cursed Chuck Grassley of Iowa to his face, and McCain and Grassley did not talk for a year.
--In front of large group, told John Cornyn to __- you in immigration bill negotiations.
--Thad Cochran of Mississippi: "He gets very volatile. He gets red in the face. He talks loud. I was surprised to find so many senators who had had a personal experience when John had lost his temper. I certainly don't know no other president since I have been here who's had a temperament like that."
--After the Boeing scandal, McCain's adies passed the word that any company that hired certain former Air Force offficials would risk McCain's displeasure.
Part of the story I knew--and has little bearing on whether McCain would make a good president. He was a rebel at Annapolis and finished at the bottom of his class. And before he was shot down, he was not a particularly good Naval officer or aviator, brave but to the point of being foolhardy.
The other part of the story I knew, but to a lesser extent. McCain has long been known to be prickly and have problems with his temper. But the article depicts McCain as vindictive, and I had no idea as to the number of Republican senators McCain had cursed or even had physical contact with.
Examples:
--Former senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire: "You can disagree without being disagreeable. And I don't think John is able to do that."
--Shoved Strom Thurmond
--Cursed Chuck Grassley of Iowa to his face, and McCain and Grassley did not talk for a year.
--In front of large group, told John Cornyn to __- you in immigration bill negotiations.
--Thad Cochran of Mississippi: "He gets very volatile. He gets red in the face. He talks loud. I was surprised to find so many senators who had had a personal experience when John had lost his temper. I certainly don't know no other president since I have been here who's had a temperament like that."
--After the Boeing scandal, McCain's adies passed the word that any company that hired certain former Air Force offficials would risk McCain's displeasure.