McCain apologizes for saying ‘regrettably’ Long Island is part of US, calls it a joke

[alp227]

Source: AP

Don’t diss Long Island — you’ll hear about it in a New York minute.

Republican Sen. John McCain was trying to make a point during debate on a defense bill Wednesday when he said Long Island “sometimes regrettably” was part of the United States. That drew a swift rebuke from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who took to Twitter to demand an apology.

“All of America saw how heroic Long Islanders were on 9/11. Long Island deserves an apology,” Schumer said.

McCain then stood on the Senate floor to explain it was a joke and referred to “wonderful Long Island.” He also apologized to Schumer — sort of.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mccain-apologizes-for-saying-regrettably-long-island-is-part-of-us-calls-it-a-joke/2011/11/30/gIQApP94DO_story.html

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Wow, John McCain sure has a gray idea of humor.

Speaking of LI, Bill O'Reilly grew up there. Peter King has represented a district there (NY-3, including O'Reilly's hometown) for a long time. LI has the first 6 or so House districts of NY (see http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=NY) and those other than King's are Democratic.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Yeah, go Schumer--- and they wonder about their approval rating? I live...

on Long Island and I don't give a shit what McCain says about it. I don't know anyone here who gives a shit what McCain says about it. I don't know if anyone even knows McCain mentioned it.

Well, they know about it now after Schumer shoots his mouth off. Good for a few headlines and righteous outrage for a day or two and then back to the usual bullshit.

[No Elephants]

4. So, no grudge against McCain for having said it, but you're pissed at Schumer for asking for an

apology?

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Yeah. McCain made a snide, forgettable, comment, but Schumer's making...

a big deal of it.

Schumer's got a really big mouth and always knows where the microphone is, but rarely says anything worthwhile.

[No Elephants]

21. Actually, McCain made a bigoted remark and Schumer called him on it.

Also, an elected U.S. official dissing any part of the U.S. IS a big deal.

We're not even allowed to do that at DU and DU is not living off tax dollars.

Side with the Republican bigot who took the wrong position against the Democrat who is taking the correct position, though. It's your right as an American.

[TreasonousBastard]

27. Bigot? Don't be silly. It's a wisecrack, and making a big deal of it...

is a huge waste of time and poisons the atmosphere even more.

[Hulk]

2. And just think.....

...we could have had this dumb shit bozo as our Commander in Chief. The flunky in his Annapolis class, crashed how many jet fighters prior to taking wreckless risks over N. Vietnam and getting shot down (costing yet another US fighter), and then comes home as "a hero"? BS.

[Javaman]

3. And just think Nassau County is a big repuke strong hold. LOL. nt

[No Elephants]

5. Rethugs seem fine with Rethug politicians who treat them contemptuously.

Must be some kind of Jedi mind trick.

[Javaman]

9. "this is not the Long Island you are looking for..."

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

13. LOL!

More like "This is not the America you are looking for," though.

Or,

"All your money are belong to us and our friends!"

[harun]

7. I could see him saying this about NJ, but LI? C'mon....

:spank:

[Jennicut]

8. I have family out on Long Island. Aside from the terrible Long Island Expressway I quite

like it there and have been there almost every summer since I was a kid. Okay, so the accents are ridiculous and the traffic is crazy. But clearly, McCain has never been to the Hamptons or Oyster Bay or any of the other great areas along Long Island. I am from Connecticut but my family on my mother's side is all out there still, they came from Italy to New York City and then to Long Island. Never mess with Italian Long Islanders.

[E-Z-B]

10. And "regrettably", Arizona is part of the US as well

No joke.

[No Elephants]

14. Seriously. Show us your papers, then get off our lawn.

[vminfla]

11. Good to see Schumer tackling the big issues

how many jobs is Schumer going to create by complaining and focusing on an off-color remark?

[No Elephants]

15. How many jobs did McCain create by making a bigoted remarkt?

Perhaps you should join forces with Treasonous Bastard in being more offended by Schumer's mentioning McCain's bigoted remark than by McCain's making it.

[vminfla]

18. When did Islandism become a thing?

I know we have laws protecting against discrimination for race and religion, but when did certain zip codes become protected classes?

[No Elephants]

20. You're 0 for 2--so far.

First, again, you sided with the Republican taking the wrong position against the Democrat who called the Republican on it, on the basis that the Democrat had not created any jobs in so doing.

I responded to that and all you could do apparently to defend your original post was change the subject. Deflecting to change the subject to Islandism, something you made up, rather responding directly.

Great posting technique. I guess admitting your original position was off base or simply remaining silent was not an option for you, so you made it worse?

Second, I said that McCain's remark was bigoted, not that it violated anti-discrimination laws.

Kindly look up the definitions of bigoted and stereotyping. Heither has a single thing to do with laws or legally protected classes. You might also try reading the DU explanation of a bigoted or insensitive remark, paying particular attention to the ban on broad brush stereotyping of a region of the country.

See also Reply 21.

So, your second attempt to defend a bigoted remark by a Republican against the Democrat who correctly called the Republican on bigotry is even more off base than your first inexplicable attempt to do so on the basis of failure to create jobs.

[vminfla]

22. Your 0 for 3

First you ascribe political motives to a throwaway comment by McCain, then you attempt to defend Schumers overly sensitive reaction to this imagined slighted.

When I point out the absurdity of your argument, you again double down and attempt to make it political, like Schumer did.

I guess admitting your original position was outrageous does not allow you to admit that other people consider Schumers over-reaction much ado about nothing.

McCains comments were not bigoted? how can you be bigoted by a zip code?

Kindly look up the definitions of bigoted and stereotyping. Neither has a single thing to do with real estate.

So your 0 for 3. There is no bigotry, there is merely a thin-skinned politician.

[No Elephants]

24. LOL! More deflection. And I was right--You kept going until you were 0 for 3.

Kinda knew you would. Hence the "so far" in my prior post.

Now, as to what little substance your response attempts:

What political motive did I ascribe to McCain's comment? I said it was bigoted. Sadly, bigotry knows no political boundaries.

I did, however, point out a simple fact: That both you and Treasonous Bastard sided with the Republican who was in the wrong, and against the Democrat who pointed out the Republican's wrong.

That is not attributing politics to McCain's remark in any way. It is simply noting a fact about positions taken in posts aon a Democratic message board, though. Sorry if that distinction escaped you. It was really very clear.

You never pointed out the absurdity of any of my comments. You simply made more absurd comments of your own. (Now, again, what the hell did either McCain's remark or Schumer's have to do with job creation? And what does bigotry have to do with laws or court-protected classes?)

As to whether people can be bigoted against an area of the U.S., I already responded to that.

Obviously, you either did not look up the definitions of bigoted and stereotyping (or the DU rules), as I recommended, or you are unable to understand them.

[vminfla]

26. 0 for 4

this is fun.

You allude to some perceived bigotry that McCain allegedly has and yet proffered no single item of bigotry. How is McCain in any way bigoted? How does one become bigoted to slabs of concrete and glass?

How about Schumer's bigotry against people with a sense of humor? Clearly his bigoted comments attacking McCains joke is violating Mccains civil liberties and free speech rights.

[HockeyMom]

12. I like Levy's response the best

If you don't consider LI to be part of the US, then send us back our tax monies from Washington!

[christx30]

16. People here

on DU talk about Texas in such a contemptuous way. I've was born and raised here in Austin. I'm not offended per se, but it does bug me sometimes.

[No Elephants]

17. Aw, leave McCain alone. He just wants Long Island to get off his lawn--all of them, in fact.

[Auntie Bush]

19. Good ole LI. I grew up there and lived on the Great South Bay for 30 years.

Great place to grow up...beaches, sailing and ocean! But now the traffic is horrible and I'm glad to be in beautiful green VT.

[Odin2005]

23. Alabama is "regrettably" part of the US.

[kgnu_fan]

25. I want him to apologize us that Arizona is a part of US

one of the most racist states in this country, dragging us all down