Comments on "Some Joke Involving a Rape and Ape Was Said."

That picture makes his McCain jaw seem more protruted and deformed than usual.

I don't even get McCain's joke. If you're gonna joke about rape, please, please at least make it FUNNY!

Like Yogi (probably apocryphally) said, it's deja vu all over again.

Yeah, I don't get the joke either really.

Um...the woman enjoyed being raped into unconsciousness by a gorilla, I think.

Oh god. Are there still former Clinton supporters (of either gender) supporting this man over Obama?

(Incidentally, the linked story says it was in 1986, which was before 1990.)

In his defense, it's a well-known fact that the National League of Cities and Towns is a pretty raunchy crowd.

Key bits of context that didn't make it into ECB's post:

back in 1986, during his initial run for the Senate, John McCain allegedly told a crude joke...

...the McCain campaign denied that he had ever said the offensive gag.

Till this day it has never been proven definitely true or false as to whether the Senator ever said the line.

I don't get it either. Did she like the ape's sexual technique or was she happy to be beaten senseless? Either way, not funny.

*sigh* what an asshat

@8 I'm not sure how that context really makes it any better. Unless it's definitely false, but the context doesn't provide that either.

Right, no context. It appears that he didn't say this joke. All that can be confirmed is that there was a joke with rape and ape. Which could mean anything.

Also, 1986??? Give me a break, old news.

@8 The Stranger is something like a newspaper and some of the bloggers are like reporters. Stop trying to confuse us with facts and "context". Whether the story is true or not - it should be. And Obama is a Muslim.

Yes, Medina, McSame is OLD news.

Sure sounds like Bush III to me.

190 days and a wakeup.

Ho hum. Yeah, we all know politicians are not allowed to tell jokes like that. But who cares? It was 22 years ago and we don't have proof he even said it. I just hate this trivial, dumb brand of political commentary.

do people really care about jokes that may or may not have been told over 20 years ago, which people may or may not have apologized for telling, or which people may not have told themselves but apologized anyway, but perhaps not fast enough for the liking of some people? i mean, really, really care? like, make or break who they will vote for? i doubt it.

this is not useful to anyone. it's tedious nitpicking, and considering the state of our country right now, i find it hard to believe there aren't more pressing issues to get fired up over. still, it's nice to see mccain in your crosshairs for a change.

Leaving out the information from the FIRST PARAGRAPH of the source you're citing that this was in 1986 and that it's not entirely clear that he even actually said it is really lame and sad. Are you trying to get a job at Fox News? I'm no supporter of this clown, but there's plenty of real, substantive stuff to go after him for. All this kind of deliberate manipulation does is reinforce the Right's view of liberal media. Why do you keep playing into their hands? There's no need to distort this man's record. Keep it honest, for god's sake! Huffington Post reported on this honestly. You spun it into Sean Hannity-land. Seriously.. Why do this?

Idiot.

He's got to have cancer. The damn bulge on his face changes size!

To me, this one's almost as bad:

"Back in 1998, he odiously declared before a GOP crowd: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

I'm a bit too young to remember how heinous certain members of the media were to the youngest Clinton. Way to go, McCain...make fun of rape victims and 18-year old kids.

@20:

No, really? Wow. You should be a doctor, with diagnostic skills like those.

(And in case the sarcasm isn't evident: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C0CE3DA103EF933A1575BC0A9669C8B63)

McCain's got us in STITCHES!

You know, I dislike McCain as much as any Slogger, but this accusation is pretty lame. A tasteless joke told over 20 years ago? That's his worst crime?

Yes, it's a pretty offensive joke. I've told hundreds of offensive jokes over the last 20 years. So, apparently, has McCain.

There are lots of valid reasons not to vote for him, but a 20 year old joke is not one of them.

Okay, okay, this one gets me every time:

This guy goes to his doctor and says, "Doctor! Doctor! Every time I have sex, I get nauseous, and I go blind. What do I do???"

His doctor says, "Relax. It's probably just the mace."

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

I have to say I am very disappointed the punchline didn't include Grape Ape.

Well, there's not enough substance on this to nail McCain, and we certainly have plenty of documented crap to get him on. For example, I know the transcript of the viagra vs. birth control issue was covered, and it's already ancient by now, but did you see the video of the interview? Is he going to look that squirmy when he decides to bomb Iran?

So "ape" rhymes with "rape". Is that what's supposed to be funny about it? That "joke" is pretty much a non sequitur. Bizarre.

Maybe it's some kind of King Kong reference? I am more puzzled than offended.

Oh but it's cool for the Stranger to throw the word "retarded" around, right?

I can hear a difference between the Williams joke and McCain's. Not that it's wonderful, nor that it doesn't bear out his essential malevolence, but I think you should plumb the subtleties more.

Yeh, this one misses - his telling this stupid tasteless joke misses especially since mcain can't even remember what he said ten seconds ago let alone 20 years ago. Give this one to grampa.

But it was fun watching the conservatives idiots get their knickers in a twist over this post. Enough of this I am going to go beat my pow pinata some more - got to be candy in there somewhere.

McCain used to have TWO facial bulges. Now he only has ONE. The scar from the skin cancer excision is on the side of the remaining facial bulge. Discuss.

Also: No one gets puffy like Republicans get puffy. Something about their lifestyle choices is even less healthy than usual for the USA. Discuss.

Exactly @12, 16, 18, 24 etc. WTF Erica, A vague accusation from 1986?

Why is this even on slog? Makes me wonder what other essential details ECB leaves out of her posts on a daily basis. Another good reason to skip over anything she writes.

I'm an pbama supporter but i must stand up for mccain on this one. It's a bad joke,yes. but there's no need to be a nazi about it

John McCain is cunt.

My friends, you ate that New Yorker cover up; what's wrong with this, you little jerks?

Also, my friends, has no one contacted that marvelous ape to see how he feels about being accused of rape? That marvelous ape is a good friend of mine and I don't appreciate false accusations, you cunt.

We won't support ball-less NO-Bama and will re-defeat him in November!!!!

Can we please retire the whole wife/trollop/cunt line? He (apparently) said it, it's awful, we've all heard about it, and it's been run into the ground...

move on.

This is the kind of thing that would end somebody's campaign. If they weren't a Republican.

What michael strangeways @38 said.

Michael, you hate women.

I bet you call women "cunts" in mixed company, and then fall back on the very shopworn cliché "but the Irish do it." As someone who is Irish, I am deeply offended that you would even think that.

I should just start calling you Archie Bunker, shouldn't I?

You need to start listening to Enya and the Indigo Girls and reading Chekov plays