John McCain: New GOP Guard 'Wacko Birds'

John McCain may have finally lost it.  In an interview with Huffington Post he referred to Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as “wacko birds.” 

“They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything else,” McCain said. “But I also think that when, you know, it’s always the wacko birds on right and left that get the media megaphone.” Asked to clarify, McCain said he was referencing “Rand Paul, Cruz, Amash, whoever.”

Maybe McCain is angry because Paul and Cruz stole the headlines from his and BFF Lindsay Graham’s kumbaya “My Dinner With Barack” moment on Wednesday. Maybe he still blames those crazy Sarah Palin conservatives who kept him out of the White House (you know that’s what he really believes in his heart… you just KNOW it,) or maybe he is just jealous that a fellow Senator can actually stand, talk and refrain from urinating for over 12 hours, let alone 12 minutes.  

Either way, McCain is single-handedly giving the media the exact narrative they need to attack conservatives’ newest hero.  He is also inviting a robust primary challenge for his bid to get re-elected to the US Senate in 2016 for the 31st year.  

In the long three decades McCain has served in Washington DC, we can’t find any time he’s referred to any other colleagues, past or present, as “wacko birds.” Not Nancy Pelosi. Not Barbara Boxer. Not Al Franken. Not Robert Byrd.  Not Sheila Jackson Lee. Not Hank Johnson. Not Patrick Leahy. Not Robert Menendez. Not Bernie Sanders.  Not Dennis Kucinich.  Not Jim Wright.  Not Anthony Weiner.  Not Alan Grayson. Not Carol Moseley Braun. Not Dick Durbin. Not Chuck Schumer. Not Harry Reid. 

No. The “wackos” are Rand Paul and Ted Cruz — the two men who have single-handedly breathed new life into the moribund and wasted GOP brand.  Moribund and wasted no thanks to the abysmal political skills (or lack thereof) of McCain and his ilk.  

And let’s please remember who joined Sen. Paul and Sen. Cruz during the “wacko” filibuster.  Sen. John Thune, Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Pat Toomey, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Tim Scott and, oh yes, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.  “Wackos” each and every one of them.  

He’s gone too far.  McCain is letting his personal pique and myopic world view cloud his already questionable judgement.  It might be time for Sen. McConnell to have a sit down and reign the maverick in.