Obama Camp Slams McCain on His Corsi Comments

Jerome Corsi’s craptacular book is being widely criticized, but McCain seems to think his outrageous claims are hilarious:

After he emerged from the meeting, a reporter asked McCain his reaction to the new Jerome Corsi book, “Obama Nation.”

“Gotta keep your sense of humor,” McCain responded, before his aides shuttled reporters away.

That John McCain: Staying classy until the end. However, the Obama campaign has pounced:

“The old John McCain used to boast about honorable politics, while the new John McCain finds Roveian smears funny. Honor is not a laughing matter. What does John McCain think is funny about an intolerant smear artist who called Pope John Paul II senile and claims the government lied about 9/11? McCain has said he wants to run an honorable campaign, but his belief that these smears are funny makes people question whether he now approves of the same reprehensible politics used to smear his own character eight years ago.”

This is a pretty major blunder for McCain to make. Corsi’s questionable ties are now being scrutinzed (going on a White Supremacist radio show?), and he may regret brushing off Corsi’s shameful book in such a haphazard manner. Obama should hit this and hit it hard repeatedly. What, exactly, does John McCain find so hilarious about Corsi’s comments about the Pope and 9/11 being an inside job? That’s a question the media should follow up on, don’t you think?

But it shouldn’t be a surprise that McCain finds this hilarious. Let’s take a look at some of his previous knee-slappers:

Iran:

The Washington Post notes that McCain tried joking about “killing” Iranians again today:

Responding to a question about a survey that shows increased exports to Iran, mainly from cigarettes, McCain said, “Maybe thats a way of killing them.” He quickly caught himself, saying “I meant that as a joke” as his wife, Cindy, poked him in the back.

Ah, Genocide: Always a crowd pleaser.

Rape:

The story, which was reprised on the blog Rum, Romanism and Rebellion before being blasted out by Think Progress, goes like this: In an appearance before the National League of Cities and Towns in Washington D.C., McCain supposedly asked the crowd if they had heard “the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die?”

The punch line: “When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, “Where is that marvelous ape?”

Another knee-slapper. Perhaps McCain should head out on tour with Michael Richards.

Update: Now the McCain camp is issuing this lame defense:

UPDATE: A McCain spokeswoman says he didn’t hear the question.

Wha? Then why did he make a statement at all? Is McCain in the habit of throwing out comments to questions he didn’t hear? Lame.