McCain: “DON’T TOUCH ME-DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO?"

[kpete]

McCain Blows His Top
How the Senator Lost it at a Puerto Rican Casino
Michael Kinsley reports an incident in which
Sen. John McCain lost his temper while gambling.

“DON’T TOUCH ME,” he repeated viciously.
“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO?”

It comes in an email from my friend Jeff Dearth, a media investment banker and former publisher of The New Republic. We also went to junior high and high school together in Michigan. He would not make this up.

McCain’s game is craps. So is Jeff Dearth’s. Jeff was at the table when McCain showed up and happily made room for him. Apparently there is some kind of rule or tradition in craps that everyone’s hands are supposed to be above the table when the dice are about to be thrown. McCain—“very likely distracted by one of the many people who approached him that evening,” Jeff says charitably—apparently was violating this rule. A small middle-aged woman at the table, apparently a “regular,” reached out and pulled McCain’s arm away. I’ll let Jeff take over the story:

“McCain immediately turned to the woman and said between clenched teeth: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME.’ The woman started to explain...McCain interrupted her: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME,’ he repeated viciously. The woman again tried to explain. ‘DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO?’ McCain continued, his voice rising and his hands now raised in the ‘bring it on’ position. He was red-faced. By this time all the action at the table had stopped. I was completely shocked. McCain had totally lost it, and in the space of about ten seconds. ‘Sir, you must be courteous to the other players at the table,’ the pit boss said to McCain. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? ASK ANYBODY AROUND HERE WHO I AM.”

This being Puerto Rico, the pit boss might not have known McCain. But the senator continued in full fury—“DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”—and crisis was avoided only when Jeff offered to change places and stand between McCain and the woman who had touched his arm.

................
more at:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-09/john-mccain-shooting-craps-pissed-off/

[speedoo]

1. K&R. Thanks for posting.

Link is being bombed at the moment, but I'll try again later.

[KansDem]

2. Call me naive, but the last person I want to get into an argument with is a pit boss...

I've seen "Casino"

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. He uses very bad cuss words frequently in public

I don't think he is a gentleman

[pleah]

4. This is interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyK-enrF1g

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Would have liked better editing of this story.

It kind of jumps around. Frankly, my first impression was that I don't have enough info to make a determination of who the lady was, how close she was to him. Was it a mild touch, or was she bosoming up to him where someone could take a picture for political exploitation. Oh, and the clips you provided really didn't give me any desire to go into the article to find out for myself.

[kpete]

7. I agree

my fault, not Kinsleys

I spent a couple of minutes - hope it makes more sense now.

peace, kp

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Thanks. I appreciate it.

The brain is lagging today and I can use every little bit of help.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Things that come without reference and have the phrase "He would not make this up"

becomes suspect to me.

It's also written like a seventh grader would write.

However, whether true or not, it certainly seems within the standard pattern of McCain behavior, and so could very easily be true.

[Roland99]

9. "I'm the goddamn Juggernaut!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgAPFKDL6Sg