Guess Who Else Thinks Rape Is Hilarious?

Reportedly, John McCain. Tedski at Rum, Romanism and Rebellion unearthed an article from the Tucson Citizen, written in 1986 during then-Arizona Rep. McCain's first Senate run, in which it is alleged that he told the following joke during a conference of the National League of Cities and Towns in Washington, DC that March:

Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? 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?"

Says Tedski: "At the time, McCain's spokesperson (Torrie Clark, yes, that one) alleged that this was story was some manipulation by [his opponent's] campaign. Yep, it's always the other guy's fault." Indeed.

Naturally, there were denials that McCain had told the joke, despite multiple accounts of his telling it.

The article also notes that Clark "said McCain did not offer any comment on his attitude toward the 'joke'," which I find just amazing. If I were accused of saying something so viciously ugly, I'd damn well have something to say about it, starting with the bear minimum I don't think that shit's funny.

Even if he didn't say it, the fact that he refused to condemn it is appalling. Maude forbid he alienate the all-important rape joke lovers vote.

He's such an asshole.

H/T to Shaker Ryan, who I suspect nudged Tedski to add a PDF of the original article for me. Thanks, R!

[Rape is Hilarious: Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two.]