History Forum / General / British History / August 2008

DSH
Lux et Veritas et Libertas
Vires et Honor
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Democrats take aim at McCain's temper

By: Daniel W. Reilly
August 26, 2008

DENVER - John McCain's Democratic colleagues in the Senate are zeroing in on
his oft-discussed temper, questioning whether the presumptive Republican
presidential nominee is too volatile to be commander in chief.

In separate interviews with Politico on Tuesday, Senate Majority Whip
Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said they have
seen McCain "explode."

"He has a huge anger problem," Boxer said. "And he never hid that. ... I
have seen it happen on the Senate floor many, many times. . He has exploded
at me a couple times."

Boxer said McCain has always apologized after the dust-ups. Nonetheless, she
insinuated that McCain's temperament makes him unfit for the White House.

"It's all well and good to apologize," Boxer added, "but if you are in
charge of that black box, I worry about that."

Durbin noted McCain's temper is "well documented," saying that he had been
on the receiving end of it for what he considered "minor things."

"I was in a confrontation with him . and he was quick to explode," said
Durbin. "It simmered for a long time."

Republicans have accused Democrats of inventing the temper line of attack to
knock the Arizona senator. But Durbin called it "an important issue."

Boxer pointed out that many of McCain's GOP colleagues have also spoken out
about his volatility, highlighting an incident told to the Biloxi Sun Herald
by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

Cochran told the newspaper that he watched McCain get involved in a physical
confrontation with a Nicaraguan government official during a 1987 trip
there. According to Cochran, McCain grabbed the official by the shirt collar
and "snatched him up like he was throwing him up out of the chair."

McCain has said the account was "simply not true."