Sen. John McCain on Friday abruptly cancelled a Monday fundraiser that had been scheduled at the home of a Texas oilman, after ABC News contacted the campaign inquiring about a verbal blunder the Texan made during an unsuccessful 1990 campaign for governor.
Clayton Williams stirred controversy during his 1990 campaign for governor of Texas with a botched attempt at humor in which he compared rape to weather. Within earshot of a reporter, Williams said: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”
His Democratic opponent at the time, the late Ann Richards — who, coincidentally, would lose the governor’s mansion to George W. Bush in 1994 — highlighted the comments in a TV ad during that 1990 campaign. (see above)
McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said the Monday event was being cancelled, given the offensive comments. He said he could not yet say what McCain would do with donations brought into the campaign by Williams.
“These were obviously incredibly offensive remarks that the campaign was unaware of at the time this event was scheduled,” Rogers said. He added that Williams apologized for the comments back in 1990, but he said that does not excuse them.
Williams told the Midland Reporter-Telegram recently that he had already raised more than $300,000 for McCain and the fundraiser to be held at his home in Midland. Williams said that he needed to help McCain raise money to stop an Obama campaign that would enact “socialist” policies if elected to office.
Here’s an idea, McCain: Why don’t you RETURN the money from such a sexist, hateful and ignorant swine? Or is this a new demographic you’re hoping to capture? The Back Forty:
A man who has such a disgustingly cavalier attitude towards something as horrific, violating and criminal as the rape of a woman has no place in politics, let alone polite society. This is a man who should be shunned by anyone with a conscience. That includes Senator McCain.
It’s not enough that Senator McCain cancels an event because the media got wind of it.
It’s not enough.
Senator McCain should publicly reject and denounce this man.
He should donate every single dirty dollar that this man has raised for him - all $300,000 - to an organization working to combat rape in our society - like RAINN or RVA.
And he should apologize immediately and completely to his female supporters for daring to entertain the thought of keeping company with this despicable, disgusting individual.
No Trackbacks To “McCain Fundraiser: “Rape is like the weather”“
McCain can’t take a step without stepping in fecal matter. Doesn’t his campaign understand the importance of doing some background checks on anyone even vaguely associated with his campaign? I know they know how to use Google so maybe they could start there.
This SOB who was going to hold the fund raiser should be in jail or something. He’s a horrid human being.
I despise Mcsame, but honestly, this is pretty lame, and I say that as a woman. Williams, a jackass I will concede, did not tell the “joke” in a campaign speech–it was simply overheard by a reporter. I’ve said loads of tasteless things in my life, but thank God reporters weren’t listening.
John McCain is an amoral, power-mad creep without one sincere conviction to his name–I mean other than that he should rule the world; he’s perfectly sincere in that conviction. There’s lots of legitimate stuff to nail him on. This is just silly.
how does it feel mccain to be called on who you have been associating with………
Right………..I remember my former husband making a joke about rape once. I couldn’t believe he actually thought a rape joke was funny. After a lengthy discussion about it, he got it.
Any rape crisis counselor will tell you, if it wasn’t already obvious, that rape is, of course, a crime of violence, and sexuality has nothing to do with it. It would be like making a joke out of someone beating the shit out of your mother, sister, wife, or daughter. You probably wouldn’t find that very amusing now, would ya???
Another freakazoid who thinks they’re a master of the universe just becasue they have a lot of stolen green paper. Sheesh, grow up, and EVOLVE.
These are the kind of people that need to be sent to Iraq on the front lines. Just tell em it’s raining.
The “joke” tells you a lot about the man telling it. If he had told it in a campaign speech he would have been an idiot. So the man isn’t an idiot, he’s just terribly heartless and possibly an asshole.
Where is the fake outrage and endless coverage from Faux?
You people obviously have never been to the Midwest or to small towns all over this country. 99% of the people I grew up with
make this guy look like Gahndi!!!!!
wtf, if McCain turns his back on this guy he is turning his back on hise BASE!!!
Dr. (terrorist fist jab) Matt @ 7:
Ain’t gonna happen
can you believe the GOP’s actually asking us to put a guy in charge who doesn’t even know how to turn on a computer, in 2008?
if we’re gonna go that route, why not hand america’s keys over to an amish master butter churner?
or why not just exhume the corpse of ronald reagan and prop it up in the oval office for the next 8 years?!
well, to be fair McCain does need the sexist, hateful and ignorant swine vote to have a chance at winning.
bullfrog @ 10:
I think that’s Plan B
OK, look, I’m not going to be a douche and say “it was just a joke” or “lighten up” or any of that hoohah. I’m not the kind of cat to get offended over a joke no matter how bad in taste it is. But that’s me, and I can understand people being offended by the comment.
What I would say (because I don’t know - heh, maybe I should learn how to use the google) is if Williams has ever expressed remorse for his comment. I mean this was 18 years ago. I was 20 back then, on college radio trying to be all shock jock-y, and I’m sure if I remembered certain things I said or did back then, I’d be remorseful. Did this guy ever apologize? Did he ever try to make things right, with his community, with offended women, with his own karma? Has he repented in his own way & tried to repair the damage he did? Or is he like George Macaca Allen, still shrugging his shoulders saying “What? Wha happa? You pussies need to get a grip.”
And finally, IF he’s expressed remorse, should he be forgiven?
Look, just by virtue of the fact that a: He’s a Republican and b: he’s fundraising for McCain, I’m going to go out on a limb and say he probably only sees his faux pas in selfish terms - if people weren’t so gosh darn sensitive, he would’ve won his election and things would be SO much better for him now. In other words, I’m sure he sees his downfall as the fault of others’ sensitivity, not his own hubris. But I’m only throwing it out there because if someone winds up sending some a-hole like Drudge a link to an article about how Williams has been donating steadily to womens’ charities, and has otherwise tried to make amends, then the liberal blogosphere looks like they jumped the gun on condemning a guy, not being forgiving, ready to demonize everyone associated with McCain, etc. And maybe a lot of liberals DON’T think Williams deserves forgiveness, even if he apologized (again, don’t know if he did). But to Christians or neocons looking for another reason to demonize libs, THIS would be grist for that particular mill.
So, here’s hoping Williams is still kind of a jerk after all these years.
marko @ 8:
too bad.. no more free pass he has to explain his associations…just like barack…have him make a decision
Put this putz in a Texas prison overnight, and I’ll bet he’d be singing the Stevie Ray Vaughn tune “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” falsetto…
Well whatever, the McCain campaign decided to back off that fundraiser that was planned. So I’m guessing the guy never came out publicly and apologized for his “joke”.
Any guy or woman who would make a joke about rape is not a decent person, I don’t care when they made it or under what circumstances. It’s just that simple.
Here’s a little joke for Clayton.
What’s the difference between a hog bein’ slaughtered and McCain, who is running against Obama?
You got me.
Har har har
Hey- C&L guys - Whoever is charge of picking the clips check out this McCain green screen clip- it’s great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnb2IrsU1Cg
peter @ 18:
good stuff……….i would like to see more youtube comparison……more mcFlipFlop…..this guy doesn’t anything except pandering
“…something as horrific, violating and criminal as the rape of a woman…”
Please, don’t put words in his mouth! He never said anything about a woman.
I prefer to think that he was fantasizing about himself being bent over a cactus and getting the Larry Craig Idaho Express treatment…
I’m with slappy magoo on this one (har). This was 18 years ago, and as it says in the summary he did apologize for the remarks back then. This was a tasteless joke from somebody with a sick sense of humour, but that’s all it is.
Clayton Williams’s stupidity helped get Ann Richards elected.
He may’ve inspired Ross Perot’s run for office.
That’s why I much prefer Clayton Moore.
Only Williams would enjoy laying back and enjoying a tornado!
Charming Guy! Is there any McCain supporters who are at least presentable?
A man who has such a disgustingly cavalier attitude towards something as horrific, violating and criminal as the rape of a woman has no place in politics, let alone polite society. This is a man who should be shunned by anyone with a conscience. That includes Senator McCain.
Agreed.
Now, what to do about a man who calls his own wife the C* word and says that she paints her face like a trollop?
McCain’s contributors are like the weather. The harder the downpour of cash the more likely it is that they will soak the American taxpayer when payback time comes. Maube the rape of our treasury would be a more apt comparison. Just lay back and enjoy it folks.
karl @ 19:
By your friends we will know you.
Yeah.
Part of the problem we have here is that Texas politicians have a reputation for colorful language. Ann Richards was a master (mistress?) of this practice.
One of FDR’s vice-presidents was from Texas, and compared his office to a warm bucket of spit.
They ought to build a statue in the Rose Garden of LBJ picking up his houndog by the ears.
Williams and Perot tried to maintain that in a world growing impatient with “folksiness,” particularly since they never were just plain folk. It’s like a Yankee lawyer in a southern court, trying to imitate Matlock.
The worst of all is that Connecticut Yankee prince georgie.
marko @ 8:
Texas != Midwest, an I object to the slander of my region.
As poster #2 explained this is a lame overreach on C&L’s part. I really hate the gotcha! politics. Do we really think the fact that McCain’s acceptance of a fundraiser from one guy who once said something outrageous 18 yrs ago unbeknownst to him indicates anything? I’d be really defensive if it were Obama instead, so I can’t complain about McCain.
flamethrower @ 26:
What treasury? Bush and Cheney have already taken care of that. All that’s left of the treasury is a few moths and a promissory note to China.
LibertyLover @ 25:
personally i’ll settle for him losing the election many of us don’t want to get/take it to this level but unfortunately you have to fight dirt with dirt…….i want to talk issues but many get off talking about past associations.the rev. wright deal that should be done but they’re going to shove it done the throats of people in ohio,w. virginia and kentucky
Satan Williams is spewing his shit again?
LibertyLover @ 31:
No capital reserves left, the nation is $20 trillion in debt, $53 trillion in worthless IOU’s, all of the capital marketplaces are teetering, and the nation is bleeding red ink at the rate of $1.43 billion per day.
What I thought was particularly fascinating about this incident was the role the press (ABC News & Washington Post) played in bringing William’s remarks to light and, apparently, precipitating McCain’s Campaign’s decision to cancel the reception.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com....._with.html
McAlzheimers is such a trainwreck of a candidate it’s not even fun anymore.
Yes, I am a man. But how is what he said tasteless? The comment doesn’t even have anything to with rape, much less the rape of a woman. I’m a big fan of Ann Richards, but this was blown out of proportion then, and it’s being blown out of proportion now. Perhaps the guy is a horrible sexist, but his comments are hardly an indication of it.
Hell, if a bad storm were coming my way and there wasn’t crap I could do about it, I might say the same thing.
to some people 18 years ago is like yesterday AnnRichards daughter Cecile Richards hasn’t forgotten…….that’s her call
Mike @ 30:
Here’s the problem… I grew up in Texas and still have family there (Hi, Mom!) And things change oh so very slowly in Texas. It is still very much the same was it was 18 years ago. And Oilmen don’t change. Claytie also helped fund the Karl Rove/GW Bush’s smear campaign against Ann Richards making innuendoes about her “playing for the other team.”
Yep, some of it is gotcha politics, but McCain is the one who cancelled the fundraiser… now why would he do that, do ya think? Perhaps it is because McCain is trying to woo the women’s vote that would have gone to Hillary? Perhaps if these potential women voters found out that McCain was hangin’ with a guy who once joked about rape, you think that they would be AS LIKELY to vote for McCain in the fall? I think not.
So — a post about this IS relevant, no matter what you may think. If the McCain camp didn’t think that it was important, don’t you think that they would have just gone ahead with the fundraiser?
I apologize. The post is very poorly written. It doesn’t explain the context of his comment. He WAS specifically talking about rape.
But the post above doesn’t indicate that. What he said was horrible.
Wow, “Ultra Slimey”! Good Times……
It seems lately anytime I go to check out a YouTube video that is even mildly damaging to the right wing, I get a “We’re sorry, but this video is no longer available ” message. I think it’s fair to say YouTube has been co-opted . Anyone else get this ?
McCain needs the vote of every woman he can muster to have a prayer in November. Hell, I live in N. California and well remember that remark.
So it boils down to him having honestly not known of the incident (unlikely), in which case the question becomes: where the hell were his campaign managers? Or secondly, he stupidly gambled that no one would recall the incident, and/or make a big deal about it if they did (Bingo!); or finally, he thought the rape crack both inoffensive and humorous, and so dismissed any warning that many women did not (again, Bingo!).
Whatever the explanation, he ends up looking like an incompetent clown (and undoubtedly, a very pissed-off one, too). I’m really looking forward to this campain.
Not only did this vile excuse for a human being (Williams) joke about rape in this fashion, he also ….”waxed nostalgically about getting “serviced” in whorehouses — but he didn’t believe that prostitutes or any other woman had a right to a legal abortion. He also refused to shake Ann Richard’s hand in public. Women accounted for 53% of the vote that year — including 22 % that considered themselves Republican…” paraphrased from Laura Flanders’ book: “Bushwomen”
So the fact that McCain wants to distance himself from this scum is very telling indeed. But he should return the money as well.
iraqhusseinconcilable @ 42:
Never noticed that it had to do with content, but occasionally I do get the message to which you refer. Usually I can play it if I go back, then forward again. Or else copy and paste the link directly rather than opening it from the original page.