After reading about the injuries McCain suffered when he crashed his
Navy jet over Hanoi, I began to think I'd been too hard on him, but
after hearing this, I'm sick and tired of his ass all over again.
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West Virginia Senator Apologizes for Comments on McCain
KATE PHILLIPS
Published: April 9, 2008
Senator John D. Rockefeller IV personally apologized to Senator John
McCain of Arizona on Tuesday after remarking in an interview that Mr.
McCain's years as a Navy fighter pilot would not have given him an
understanding of everyday issues faced by Americans.
In an interview in his home state, West Virginia, on Monday, Mr.
Rockefeller, a Democrat, told The Charleston Gazette that Mr. McCain,
the presumptive Republican nominee, could not relate to the everyday
concerns of people on issues like health care.
According to the article, Mr. Rockefeller said: "McCain was a fighter
pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long
gone when they hit. What happened when they get to the ground? He
doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never
gets into those issues."
On Tuesday, the McCain campaign demanded an apology, not just from
Senator Rockefeller, but also from Senator Barack Obama of Illinois,
because he has received the West Virginian's endorsement.
"I have deep respect for John McCain's honorable and noble service to
our country," Mr. Rockefeller said in a statement. "I made an
inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to
him. While we differ a great deal on policy issues, I profoundly
respect and appreciate his dedication to our country, and I regret my
very poor choice of words."
Later in the day, Mr. Rockefeller's office issued an updated
statement, saying Mr. McCain had graciously accepted the apology and
the two had sat together privately during a vote in the Senate in the
afternoon.
The Obama campaign also issued a statement: "Senator Obama has a deep
respect for Senator McCain's service to this country and he does not
agree with what Senator Rockefeller said."
In the Gazette article, Mr. Rockefeller explained his decision to
endorse Mr. Obama, praising his communication skills while taking
swipes at previous nominees.
In the past, Mr. Rockefeller said, the Democratic Party "nominated
people like Al Gore and John Kerry who knew all the answers to
everything and who could not relate to regular people. That is the
main reason a lot of people voted for Bush. People said, 'I could have
a beer with this guy.' "
"Obama is simply unflappable. He takes questions carefully and makes
you a believer," he said, adding that his whole family is united
behind Mr. Obama, unlike any candidate before.
According to a partial transcript of the interview provided by Mr.
Rockefeller's office, Mr. Rockefeller was asked about re****ts of Mr.
McCain's temper.
Mr. Rockefeller said they had been on the Commerce Committee together
for 16 years. "He does have a temper," he said. "Out on the trail,
everything's sort of been monotone."
"I don't think that will survive the general election," he added.
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