McCain fields audience question on whether he called wife an expletive

REGISTER STAFF • May 1, 2008

A Clive man drew gasps from fellow audience members at today’s presidential candidate forum by using a four-letter word in a question to Sen. John McCain.

A member of the audience, identified as Marty Parrish of Clive, asked McCain during the event at the Polk County Convention Complex about a rumor that McCain had once used a profane word referencing female genitalia to describe his wife.

A book, “The Real McCain” by Cliff Schecter, accuses McCain of using the word in an exchange with his wife, Cindy, in 1992.
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Here’s a transcript of today’s remarks:

PARRISH: This question goes to mental health and mental health care. Previously, I’ve been married to a woman that was verbally abusive to me. Is it true that you called your wife a (expletive)?

MCCAIN: Now, now. You don’t want to … Um, you know that’s the great thing about town hall meetings, sir, but we really don’t, there’s people here who don’t respect that kind of language. So I’ll move on to the next questioner in the back.

The audience gasped at the question and applauded at McCain’s handling of it. Parrish was escorted from the event and questioned by Secret Service, but not charged. Parrish had checked in to the event as a member of the press.

Parrish, a 45-year-old Baptist minister and technology business owner, said he attended the event specifically to confront McCain about the rumor.

“This is about character,” Parrish said, when reached by telephone afterward. “And in a moment of intemperance, he called his wife the most despicable name a person can call a woman.

he called his wife the most despicable name a person can call a woman.

I'm pretty sure there's some worse ones out there.... Actually I think that one is fairly tame nowadays...

I dunno, a lot of older women hate that word with a passion.

And frankly, if it happened during a heated argument, it shouldn't count unless he's done it more than once. Everyone says things they regret later when angered.

And yes, I fully understand the irony of who that statement is coming from.

And frankly, if it happened during a heated argument, it shouldn't count unless he's done it more than once.

disagree

I guarantee you that once would be enough in my house.

The audience gasped at the question and applauded at McCain’s handling of it.

disagree

I guarantee you that once would be enough in my house.

Until they realized he didn't say "no".

Until they realized he didn't say "no".

That was my first thought..."if it's not an issue, can't you just say 'no'?"

BTW, this pic was on the front page when I opened up the paper here this morning...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs...mp;Profile=1001

I think the point he was trying to get across was "Jesus Christ don't ask that dude"

Except that it *is* an issue for some people, and his response makes it sound like the answer is "yes".

It would've been really easy to slip a "no" in his comment about it being innappropriate.

captions itself, doesn't it

My wife is awesome, she has no problem with the word and indeed doesn't see what the big deal is.

Not that I'd ever call her a name because I wuvs her and stuff.

Why call her a name when your fist says so much more?

Those people are assmunches.

Dude, you don't want to ruin you're wife's Virginia like that. you save that stuff for the whores in college to ruin them for all other men.

So if a canidate called one of his black friends a neggir when they were arguing and that bothered people, would they all be assmunches too?

He was accussed of using a very derogatory word against his wife, and he didn't deny it.

Those two words aren't on the same level and you know it. One has over 150 years of racial hate in its' history.

Right, because women were never oppressed.

Right, because women were never oppressed.

I'd just like to point out that "it isn't as bad as ________" is a retarded argument.

Not when one equates a very bad word with one that is even worse. I'm just saying use a better example.

Oh, and READ A HISTORY BOOK JESUS


Edit: That last sentence is directed towards drewbie.

It's retarded because it leads you into an argument loop where you're like "meh this word is worse" "no meh this word is worse"

So if a canidate called one of his black friends a neggir when they were arguing and that bothered people, would they all be assmunches too?

He was accussed of using a very derogatory word against his wife, and he didn't deny it.

Oh, and READ A HISTORY BOOK JESUS


Edit: That last sentence is directed towards drewbie.

GET SOME REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE.

Cnut offends people, he didn't deny it, that hurts him.