Posted by Jed Lewison on Tue Jun 3, 2008 at 3:38 AM Pacific

John Bush McCain can tell you all about sexism

More than anything, John Bush McCain wants to face a divided Democratic Party in November. That's why he has recently gone out of his way to praise Hillary Clinton, telling an audience yesterday that she "has inspired generations of American women to believe that they can reach the highest office in this nation."

Clearly, McCain is trying to take advantage of the allegations that Barack Obama has run a sexist campaign made by Geraldine Ferraro and others.

There's something ironic about John McCain's strategy, however, because ten years ago, when Bill Clinton was still president, McCain told one of the most offensive and sexist jokes I can ever remember a major politician telling. Speaking at a large Republican fundraiser, McCain said:

Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno.

What kind of man would ever make such a cruel joke about a teenage girl? (Remember, Chelsea was seventeen at the time.) Why focus on her appearance? (And not that it makes a difference, but McCain couldn't have been more wrong -- Chelsea was and is quite beautiful.) Just as bad, John McCain singled out Janet Reno simply because she was an older single woman with a short hair cut.

After telling the joke, spoke with Maureen Dowd in his attempt to do damage control:

"This is the bad boy," he said in a phone interview. "It was stupid and cruel and insensitive. I've apologized. I can't take it back. I could give you a whole bunch of excuses, but there are no excuses. I was wrong, but do you want me crucified? How many days does it need to be a story?"

...It is downright weird that Senator McCain would be the one to break the taboo against cheap shots at the lovely and self-possessed Chelsea. He said he thought he'd heard the joke on Jay Leno. But Mr. Leno, not one to shrink from the tasteless, protests: "I've never, ever done a Chelsea joke nor would I. Political humor is like the Mafia -- everything's open game as long as you don't go after the families."

McCain was lucky; most reporters decided not print the actual words of his joke. If they had, his political career almost certainly would have taken a different course. But they didn't, and now he's running for president of the United States, trying to fan the flames of sexism to divide the Democratic electorate.

How ironic.

John Bush McCain can tell you all about sexism

More than anything, John Bush McCain wants to face a divided Democratic Party in November. That's why he has recently gone out of his way to praise Hillary Clinton, telling an audience yesterday that she "has inspired generations of American women to believe that they can reach the highest office in this nation."

Clearly, McCain is trying to take advantage of the allegations that Barack Obama has run a sexist campaign made by Geraldine Ferraro and others.

There's something ironic about John McCain's strategy, however, because ten years ago, when Bill Clinton was still president, McCain told one of the most offensive and sexist jokes I can ever remember a major politician telling. Speaking at a large Republican fundraiser, McCain said:

Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno.

What kind of man would ever make such a cruel joke about a teenage girl? (Remember, Chelsea was seventeen at the time.) Why focus on her appearance? (And not that it makes a difference, but McCain couldn't have been more wrong -- Chelsea was and is quite beautiful.) Just as bad, John McCain singled out Janet Reno simply because she was an older single woman with a short hair cut.

After telling the joke, spoke with Maureen Dowd in his attempt to do damage control:

"This is the bad boy," he said in a phone interview. "It was stupid and cruel and insensitive. I've apologized. I can't take it back. I could give you a whole bunch of excuses, but there are no excuses. I was wrong, but do you want me crucified? How many days does it need to be a story?"

...It is downright weird that Senator McCain would be the one to break the taboo against cheap shots at the lovely and self-possessed Chelsea. He said he thought he'd heard the joke on Jay Leno. But Mr. Leno, not one to shrink from the tasteless, protests: "I've never, ever done a Chelsea joke nor would I. Political humor is like the Mafia -- everything's open game as long as you don't go after the families."

McCain was lucky; most reporters decided not print the actual words of his joke. If they had, his political career almost certainly would have taken a different course. But they didn't, and now he's running for president of the United States, trying to fan the flames of sexism to divide the Democratic electorate.

How ironic.