Cindy McCain on “The View.” (Photo: Steve Fenn/ABC, via Associated Press) Cindy McCain brought up a hot topic — stories of her husband’s hot temper — while dishing to Barbara Walters and the ladies of “The View” on Monday.
(You can watch video of the exchange here.)
Ms. Walters asked the potential First Lady and “View” guest co-host what she considers to be the biggest misconception about her husband, John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
“The temper issue,” Mrs. McCain said resolutely.
“You know, he, like anyone who’s concerned about America, he’s passionate about issues — all of us are,” said Mrs. McCain, her gesturing hands indicating her firmness on the anger-management issue, which was examined in a lengthy Washington Post feature Sunday.
Mr. McCain was also asked about the issue yesterday during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.”
The Times’s Elisabeth Bumiller captured his remarks during the interview this way:
Asked how he could insure voters that his temper was under control, Mr. McCain responded, “Look at my record. Look at my conduct on the campaign. Look at — I mean, look, I am very happy to be a passionate man. I love this country. I love what we stand for and believe in, and many times I deal passionately when I find things that are not in the best interests of the American people. And so, look, 20, 25 years ago, 15 years ago, that’s fine, and those stories here are either totally untrue or grossly exaggerated.’’
He added, “One thing I’ve learned over time is that stories get better and better over time. ”
Mark Salter, a top aide to Mr. McCain, dismissed The Post’s story as “99 percent fiction” today in an e-mail to The National Review blog The Corner.
Mr. Salter said he had, to the Post, “insisted that McCain’s temper is no greater than the average person’s, and that I personally know 20 or 25 senators with much worse tempers. He argues, sometimes heatedly, with his peers, but he doesn’t hold grudges or pick on people subordinate to him.”
Mrs. McCain, on “The View,” said again that people are misinterpreting her husband’s passion for a quick temper.
“We all have our pet issues, we all have whatever it is that we’re involved with,” she said. “He is passionate about the future of this country. Some people mistake that for temper. It’s not. It’s a clear passion that I’ve never, ever seen.”
“Does he have a bad temper with you?” asked Ms. Walters, cutting her off.
“No. I’ve never seen that,” Mrs. McCain said.
Ms. Walters also asked her what’s the biggest untruth about her out there.
“Oh, I think maybe that I didn’t want to be in this race, or perhaps I don’t like politics,” Mrs. McCain said. “That’s not true. I’m reserved about my place in all this.”
