John McCain is keeping $300,000 from this guy Clayton Williams:
So a guy makes a sick joke about rape that was highlighted in a campaign ad, but the McCain camp still thought it was perfectly fine to take his money and have a fundraiser with him until the press comes a knockin’.
ABC’s Rick Klein reports: Sen. John McCain on Friday abruptly cancelled a Monday fundraiser that had been scheduled at the home of a Texas oilman, after ABC News contacted the campaign inquiring about a verbal blunder the Texan made during an unsuccessful 1990 campaign for governor.
Clayton Williams stirred controversy during his 1990 campaign for governor of Texas with a botched attempt at humor in which he compared rape to weather. Within earshot of a reporter, Williams said: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”
Again, McCain is willing to hold on to this guys money…
I guess the McCainiacs didn’t do “A Google”. Or, more likely, they did and they don’t care.
Here’s an idea: Tell John McCain to give back the $300,000 he raised via a man who jokes about rape.
How else is he going to pay off his credit cards?
I thought that was a Bobby Knight quote.
What? Now we’re going to check up on whether campaign donors have ever made an inappropriate joke?
I sure hope there are a few hermit billionaires out there. At the rate we’re going, those will be the only people who will be able to participate in politics.
“Now we’re going to check up on whether campaign donors have ever made an inappropriate joke.”
Probably not, but if the fact that these donors have made these jokes (especially in a public setting, as was the case with Williams) comes to light, then it wouldn’t kill the donee to return the money.
QiB: What? Now we’re going to check up on whether campaign donors have ever made an inappropriate joke?
Seriously.
Let’s see. Eighteen years ago the guy made a really bad an thoughtless joke. In extremely poor taste, no denying it. But it was (say it with me) Eight. Teen. Years. Ago.
Now, if he still holds and/or expresses such a thoughtless and callous view then I’d understand some objection. But he gets banned from participating in the political process because of a bad joke?
Hell, the statute of limitations on most crimes short of murder don’t run that long.
Is an 18 year old sexist joke is demanding a life sentence of scorn with parole? This is ridiculous.
This sexist joke was made a year before Anita Hill testified during Clarence Thomas’ confirmation in 1991. It wasn’t until 1991 and thereafter that this country woke up and began to respond to sexual harassment with enforcement of laws and enacting new laws to protect victims of sexual harassment and rape.
Guilt by association is a big part of the old politics that Obama’s message of CHANGE has inspired me to believe can be replaced with the idea that people can change and learn from their mistakes. If Clayton Williams was interviewed and asked if he still felt the joke was appropriate and he said the joke was not offensive, then that would be an issue.
OW: “Here’s an idea: Tell John McCain to give back the $300,000 he raised via a man who jokes about rape.”
An idea, yes, a totally absurd idea. So you are suggesting that everyone who has told an inappropriate joke in the last eighteen years should not be able to participate in the political process? Should Obama send some money back?
Sorry, my question was:
Is an 18 year old sexist joke demanding of a life sentence of scorn without parole?
That would be ridiculous as I stated in my above comments.
Before my last post, I didn’t realize that Williams apologized for the remark; in that case, Oliver, you are being pretty silly.
You need some context. 18 years ago, Clayton Williams was running for Governor of Texas against Anne Richards at the time he made that joke.
He was a public figure. And that was far from the only stupid thing he said in the campaign.
From Wiki:
“Earlier, Williams made an infamous joke to reporters, likening bad weather to rape, quipping, “as long as it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it”. [3] In addition, it has been claimed that as an undergraduate at Texas A&M, he had participated in visits to the Chicken Ranch, a well-known Texas brothel in La Grange, and the Boy’s Towns of Mexico.[4] His sense of humor was again demonstrated when he urged Hispanic Americans to support his candidacy because he met Modesta in a Mexican restaurant. As a result of his reported comments, Williams was occasionally parodied, such as in the mock political ad, “Satan Williams,” which appeared on Dallas/Fort Worth public television during the 1990 campaign season.”
In short, Clayton Williams is a famous dufus with lady problems. And John McSame is trying to court disaffected Democratic women who support Hillary.
Appearing on stage with Clayton Williams is a dumb way to do that. Taking his money and running away with it is chickenshit.
Jesse Jackson apologised PROFUSELY for his boneheaded “Hymietown” remark - also made many years ago - yet the right still bashes him in the head with it at every opportunity.
First-lady-in-waiting Michelle Obama never called anyone “whitey,” nut she continues to be pilloried.
Therefore…goose…gander…right?
Let’s see. Eighteen years ago the guy made a really bad an thoughtless joke. In extremely poor taste, no denying it. But it was (say it with me) Eight. Teen. Years. Ago.
hey, tim russert built a career out of that tactic….
When I saw the headline, I thought the patron in question was basketball coach Bob Knight. There’s probably an untold story about how “lay back and enjoy it” became a catchphrase among wealthy right-wing barbarians.
I sure hope there are a few hermit billionaires out there. At the rate we’re going, those will be the only people who will be able to participate in politics.
How about each and everyone of us who chooses giving what ever they feel they can afford?
Boy’s Towns of Mexico.
*boink!* *Eyebrows shoot up*
Oh yeah?
Sorry, I just can’t get any outrage going out of some old guy somewhere making a random joke in bad taste.
The man has handed us a weapon. What, we’re too big to use it against him? Because why? We are going to win just because we’re so good and right?
Pfffft.
Use it. Forever.
McCain’s been getting away with pulling stuff like this for so long, he doesn’t realize that the game has changed. He’s absolutely the very model of a Washington politician, and as he admits, he’s living in the pre-Internet days when a politician could do and say things and get away with them because nobody was really paying attention.
Watching McCain speak, I’m starting to sense an uptick in his frustration level that he’s being questioned in a way he has never been before. His lies and many mistakes are being noticed and it’s getting under his skin. Like a dad that comes home drunk every night and you never know when he’s going to blow his top, you just know that eventually John McCain is going to lose it. I’m almost sorry for him, because he really doesn’t realize what’s ahead for him. For a man like him, being beaten by a newcomer like Barack - a BLACK newcomer no less - will be devastating. His golf buddies will look at him and say “he’s the guy who was beaten by the black guy” (except they won’t use such a relatively polite term as “black guy” if you know what I mean). It’s going to spoil John McCain’s good time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cindy McCain won’t be able to face her rich friends at the spa after Barack beats McCain and they end up in divorce court.
“That’s not the Clayton Williams I knew.”
Poof!! All is forgiven!
I don’t understand, no one is banning him from attempting to participate in the political process. No one is saying he should be thrown in jail for what he said eighteen years ago.
In politics, there is accountability for all you’ve said, ever, on both sides of the aisle. No one is saying Richards can’t exist, can’t donate money, can’t hold fund-raisers…All that is being said is that McCain should show some good form and “denounce and reject” the Rape Joker.
I had not realized that self-righteous outrage had an 18 year shelf life.
Good to know. Hard to believe, but good to know.
Look, if you want to undermine McCain’s chances with Democratic women, forget about Williams. Concentrate on finding and airing the stories about McCain’s own history with women, especially the stories he likes to tell his reporter buddies on his big white bus.
Randy Brown: Jesse Jackson apologised PROFUSELY for his boneheaded “Hymietown” remark - also made many years ago - yet the right still bashes him in the head with it at every opportunity.
First-lady-in-waiting Michelle Obama never called anyone “whitey,” nut she continues to be pilloried.
Therefore…goose…gander…right?
Wrong. 180 degrees wrong. You don’t say “We get to do it because they still do.” You say instead “They shouldn’t be doing it and we’re not going to.”
You don’t use someone else’s bad behavior to justify your own. If you want to object to their bad behavior you can’t turn around and copy it. It’s the definition of hypocrisy.
Jackson’s “Hymietown” comment should not be brought back up. It was ages ago, he apologized, let’s move on. And Williams’ bad joke 18 years ago should be similarly treated. Unless he’s demonstrated something objectionable more recently, let’s move on.
ANd just HOW is McCain NOT going to be exactly LIKE Bush and Cheney? McSame is going deep into Midland, Texas to Bush’s oil buddies and getting money.
Oh and McCain is thinking about Lieberman for VP. Why not, but just make sure Cheney is around there somewhere. It ain’t about Republicans, it’s about Cheney and Big Oil.
Margot is right; quit being such girlie men, I mean overly sensitive, forgiving, sissie boys, and fight like a alpha conservative…in other words, try fighting dirty for a change (you may win for once)! They’re gonna chastise you for it anyway! Everyone knows that the progressives will always resort to mud slinging…
Sean - you’re partially right — there’s no current reason (that I know of) to keep slamming Williams. Except, by that standard, there’s also no reason to cancel the fund-raising event, which is just what McCain did. McCain then also kept the money. It’s those twin actions that are hypocritical and revealing, not the original boneheadedness of Williams.
McCain is in a very cash-hungry campaign, and they’re going to compromise whatever principals they had to get more of it. In constrast, Obama, we can safely predict, will be required to return money, reject, denounce, etc., in any similar kind of situation.
Also, here’s a little more info on “Boy’s Town of Laredo”, which is a specialized red light district.
http://googlesightseeing.com/2005/10/21/boys-town/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy’s_Town,_Nuevo_Laredo
travis: Except, by that standard, there’s also no reason to cancel the fund-raising event, which is just what McCain did. McCain then also kept the money. It’s those twin actions that are hypocritical and revealing, not the original boneheadedness of Williams.
Exactly. Concentrate the fire on McCain and his ignorant hypocrisy. The objection isn’t some tasteless joke Williams told 18 years ago. The objection should be on McCain’s willingness to take money from someone he doesn’t want to associate with; his appearing to distance himself publicly while (with far less fanfare) his taking the money anyway.
Progressives can fight effectively without having to get dirty if they just maintain the focus.
I guess the McCainiacs didn’t do “A Google”. Or, more likely,
they did andthey don’t care.Fixed that for you.
No one is saying Richards can’t exist, can’t donate money, can’t hold fund-raisers
Richards? Um, pretty sure she no longer exists, sadly. Though if she’s holding a fund-raiser, I wanna be there.