As many folks know--because the MSM wouldn't let you not know--Al Franken told some nasty, disgusting and genuinely offensive jokes back in the day. Worst of all, while brainstorming for a skit, he threw out the idea of including rape.
I'm not going to defend that. Why would I? It was wrong, and he should have to repent that kind of garbage.
And he's taken some political hits--because the Republicans have gone on the attack, and the media has gone along with it.
Which is fair enough.
But, that makes the media's complicity in John McCain's hatred of women all the more galling.
John McCain has said even WORSE things than Al Franken has ever dreamed. Including his own doozy of a knee-slapper that you'll have to read to believe.
More below the fold.
I'll start off with a couple of people whose work inspired me on this:
Melissa McEwan
and our own tedski, who broke this at his blog Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion.
We know about McCain's girl and woman-hating joke about Chelsea Clinton:
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."
Then there's his dry, nuanced wit when dealing with the woman in his life:
At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt."
But, some would say, he's turned over a new leaf. Right?
Wrong. His reaction to "beat the bitch?" He laughed it off, of course:
But, of course, it gets much, much worse.
Not possible, you say?
Ask yourself what kind of man thinks the following 'joke' is funny:
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?’
This is a man who has opposed equal pay legislation for his entire career and has promised to appoint judges who are actively hostile towards women's rights.
That's one promise we can expect him to keep. Go ahead and ask him what he really thinks he'll do for women as President. He'll just laugh.
Update I: Here's a PDF of the original story about the joke.
Update II: See also
Crooks and Liars
Jed Report
Wonkette
Think Progress
America Blog
Feministe
Update III: Per Sam Stein at the Huffington Post, the reporter who broke the story in 1986 stands by the accusations against John McCain.