(From Rachel Maddow last night. Maddow followed up with an interview of Mike Almy, whose testimony regarding being discharged outside official policy McCain heard in the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year, the reality of which he is here denying.)
Angrily repeating himself over and over again, denying reality, and telling others around him that they are wrong, and he alone knows the truth. This is what a mental breakdown looks like. He does not belong in the US Senate. He belongs in a mental hospital. Perhaps there is no discernible difference between the two, given the exaulted status he enjoys:
And to think, this madman actually had a shot to become President of the United States. And to think, this is what Versailles tells us is the model of a sane, responsible Republican!
This really puts that whole thing about not knowing how many houses he owns in context. "Out of touch" does not begin to cover it. The only thing keeping him out of the loony bin is money.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who led GOP efforts to block a U.S. Senate vote on "don't ask, don't tell,", had a testy exchange with reporters shortly after the vote, disagreeing with suggestions the Defense Department actively seeks out gay and lesbian service members.
Video of the exchange posted by ThinkProgress (in violation of Senate rules against photography and filming in the print press gallery) shows the Advocate's Kerry Eleveld and Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner questioning McCain on his insistence that the military does not "go out and seek to find out someone's sexual orientation."
McCAIN: We do not go out and seek. Regulations are, we do not go out and seek to find out someone's sexual orientation. We do not!
ELEVELD: But senator, that's not ...
McCAIN: That is the fact! That is the fact. Now ma'am, I know the military very well, and I know what's being done. And what is being done is that they are not seeking out people who are gay. And I don't care what you say, I know it's a fact.
ELEVELD: It's not what I say.
McCAIN: I don't care what you say! And I don't care what others say. I've seen it in action. I've seen it in action. I have sons in the military, I know the military very well. So they're not telling you the truth.
ELEVELD: Senator, just to make sure...
McCAIN: Just to make sure, we do not go out and seek out and find out ...
ELEVELD: Private e-mails are not being searched? Private e-mails are not being searched?
MCCAIN: ... see if someone is gay or not. We do not go out and see whether someone is gay or not.
ELEVELD: There are documented cases ...
McCAIN: They do not, they do not, they do not. You can say that they are, you can say [inaudible] it's not true! ... Yeah, I'd like to see ...
GEIDNER: It is the case of Mike Almy, Senator.
McCAIN: Bring them to our office. It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy.
GEIDNER: But it is the case that it's happening, Senator.
MCCAIN: It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy You can say that it is the policy, sir, if you choose to. It is not the policy. I would be glad to get that to you in writing.
Almy, an Air Force officer, was discharged in 2006 after the military acquired e-mails he sent to his boyfriend. Such so-called "third-party outings" were banned earlier this year by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, making McCain's statements technically correct that the military does not currently "seek out" gay troops.
"Testy exchange"? Or demented outburst?
Who are you going to believe? The Washington Post or your lying eyes?
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