McCain has it right.Monday, June 25, 2001 10:49 a.m. EDT
McCain Praises Clinton, Slams Limbaugh
Arizona senator John McCain sought to dispel rumors over the weekend that he was considering bolting the GOP, but ended up praising disgraced ex-president Bill Clinton and Republican turncoat Jim Jeffords while slamming conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh.
"Let me just say that I am a Republican. And I have no intention nor desire nor cause to leave the Republican Party," the Arizona senator told WABC Radio's John Batchelor and Paul Alexander in an interview broadcast Sunday.
When McCain was reminded that WABC was Limbaugh's flagship station, he exclaimed "Oh, God" - then compared the nationally syndicated talker with the Catholic Church persecuting heretics during the Middle Ages.
"I probably shouldn't say this but, you know, in the Middle Ages the Catholic Church disliked the heretics a lot worse than they did the followers of Mohammed."
Before painting Limbaugh as a modern-day Torquemada, McCain said he didn't want to get into a "food fight" with the conservative talker, whose influence was widely credited with helping the GOP capture control of Congress in 1994.
"I certainly hesitate to be critical of him because I certainly don't want to get into a food fight with him. But he has been extremely critical of me, as you know, and that's his right as a talk show host. My point is that, where he and I may differ, is that I believe that the Republican Party should not only tolerate but embrace people who may have differing views."
The Arizona media favorite then went on to praise his colleague Sen. Jim Jeffords, whose defection from the GOP last month handed control of the Senate to Democrats.
"Jim Jeffords [is] from the state of Vermont that elects a socialist as their representative to Congress. Jim Jeffords represents a very different constituency than Trent Lott does. That's the greatness of America. We have different viewpoints, different ideas."
Next the Arizona senator suggested that the GOP should emulate Bill Clinton, who McCain voted to remove from office just three years ago after he was impeached by the House.
"What did Bill Clinton do? Bill Clinton moved the Democratic Party to the center, which gave them two victories in presidential campaigns and a significant victory in the year 2000 as far as the United States Senate is concerned. We lost five seats in the United States Senate because of that move into the center, signing the welfare reform bill, etc., etc."
When the hosts steered the topic back to Limbaugh, the senator admitted his attacks sometimes sting. "Yeah, of course it does, because we're all human beings. Especially when the attacks are on your integrity and your motives, that kind of stuff."
Before painting himself as a persecuted heretic, McCain theorized that Limbaugh was trying to provoke him, but said he didn't like to respond by getting "down at that level." |
