Mulvaney: WH Aide Remark About McCain Dying Was 'Awful' But Just 'Joke'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo




By Allegra Kirkland | May 12, 2018 2:14 pm

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Saturday that a communication staffer’s comment about Sen. John McCain dying was “awful” but not a fireable offense.

Kelly Sadler’s crack that McCain’s opposition to CIA director nominee Gina Haspel didn’t matter because “he’s dying anyway” was just a “joke” told at a private meeting, Mulvaney said in an appearance on Fox News.

“This was a private meeting inside the White House. It was a joke. It was a badly considered joke that she said fell flat,” Mulvaney told Fox.

Link to tweet

Sadler, a special assistant, reportedly mocked McCain’s brain cancer diagnosis at an internal meeting one day after the Arizona senator publicly came out against Haspel for her role in the CIA’s torture program.

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mulvaney-kelly-sadler-mccain-dying-awful-joke

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Keep digging that hole deeper!

[Haggis for Breakfast]

29. No, Mulvaney

Jokes are funny. Her remark was not even meant as a joke, so stop with the BS already. Nobody at that table thought she was making a joke. These are the same people who lost their minds over "good smokey eye" remark but think disparaging a man dying of cancer is funny ? Also, look up "glioblastoma." It can be excruciatingly painful.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Explain your joke to us please.

What was the funny in that?

[forgotmylogin]

15. Exactly.

Where's the irony that makes you go "ha ha"? Without that, it's just a cold, unfeeling statement by an uncaring person.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Interpret my silence

See how easy it is to prevent a leak?

[Glimmer of Hope]

4. We see how you are. Thanks.

[flibbitygiblets]

5. Hey Mulvaney! Your wife is a filthy whore. Just joking!!

Is that the standard we have now? Triumph the Insult Dog's "just keeding" anytime you get caught saying something horrendous?

[MontanaMama]

6. So Kathy Griffin joked

with a prop of bloody severed Dotard head and lost her job. What’s the difference? Hmmmm. What could it be? Oh I know! IOKIYAR. 🤬

[Bernardo de La Paz]

34. Michele Wolf joked about Harah Suckabee Sanders creative use of ashes. . . . nt

[TexasProgresive]

7. "Mick Mulvaney, you are not worth the scraping from my shoes, at least manure is fertilizer!

"Don't take it seriously, Mick, it was just a joke." "Does that make it all better?"

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

8. Being on the president's staff doesn't give you carte blanche to be a jerk.

When I worked as a legal assistant (law clerk) for a circuit judge in South Carolina I knew intuitively there were just some things you didn't say in public or private. He would have fired me immediately had he heard that I made such a comment about someone. Maybe it was because he was a Southerner, or maybe because he was a gentleman, or maybe both, but it was understood without saying that there were just things you didn't say or do.

The tone is set at the top. Trump is still pissed that Rob Porter, his wife-beating secretary, got fired, and is trying to figure some way to get him back into the WH.

And he's still pissed at McCain for voting against his attempt to kill the Affordable Care Act.

So why should he fire someone who says what he is thinking?

[olddad56]

10. that vote, in itself was an act of heroism

[olddad56]

9. somebody has a less than hilarious sense of humor.

But, in Trump's white house, I can see where that type of sick non-humor could be appreciated.

[truthisfreedom]

11. Lock her up!

Burn the witch!

[SergeStorms]

12. Well, I hope you feel the same way....

when someone close to YOU is on their deathbed. Pompous jackasses. They just can't admit when they're wrong. They see an apology as a sign of weakness. I've noticed this in many acquaintances who suffer from being Republicans as well.

[Chemisse]

23. Oh no. It'll all be 'different' then.

Just like the jokes at the correspondent's dinner were just so offensive, but Trump's disgusting statements later dubbed as 'just jokes' are A-okay.

[dlk]

13. "It Was a Joke" is Classic Abuser Rationalization

and a lame attempt at cover for their very intentional put-down.

[Danmel]

22. Exactly. Classic bullying behavior.

Be nasty and then say you can't take a joke.

[0rganism]

14. and how long until we're expected to accept this horrid shit in public too?

the separation of standards for public vs. private interactions is only preparation for lowering standards across the board - and Trump has already driven them quite low. personally i find it much easier to comport myself in "private" meetings identically to how i would in public - just keeps things simple. but then again, it's all more difficult if you're a stable genius.

[SeattleVet]

16. Yet these snowflakes get all upset about other 'jokes'...

[GoCubsGo]

17. That's the typical republican response to being called on on their shit.

Be it mocking a dying man, spewing racist and misogynist garbage, they always claim "It was a joke." when people criticize them for it. Every time.

[meadowlander]

18. Intending it to be a joke doesn't diminish its awfulness.

At best it shows severely impaired judgment and lack of character, at worst, sociopathy.

In either case, why am I paying this person's salary?

[Homer Wells]

19. One thing about RepubliCON jokes

They are always hurtful, and usually in very poor taste

[Paladin]

20. I'd expect no better from a piece of shit like Mulvaney and his cretinous employees. (nt)

[3Hotdogs]

21. Well, some people just don't know how to tell a joke.

[Chemisse]

24. I am not horrified that she said that.

I am horrified that she thinks it. That she is that cold. That the others around her are so equally heartless that she feels it's okay to say it.

[BobTheSubgenius]

25. OF COURSE it's not a "firable offense."

Domestic assault wasn't a firing offense, until they were forced into it.

And, of course the big take-away is not that it was said, but that it was leaked. As we all know, WH meetings have the sanctity of the confessional.

[DownFromTheMountain]

26. Mick Mulvaney is "Awful", and "A Joke"

That is all.

[cpmx2006]

27. Mellon head mulvaney..

Mellon head mulvaney is a stupid stooge just like the rest of spanky's cabinet..

[xxqqqzme]

28. Those in the meeting thought

it was a 'joke' because they all laughed?



Is a 'private meeting' talk the same as 'locker room talk'?


It is difficult keeping up with all their excuses for classless behavior.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

30. Sociopath is as sociopath does. nt

[SWBTATTReg]

31. Party of high standards and morals, eh?

The GOP and RUMP show once again, their lack of decency and morals, to one of their own, who perhaps is near death. Instead of being honored for his service to our country, a few are mocking his service and morals. Despite being a repug, I do remember when McCain corrected the elderly lady in the audience that Obama was not a muslim, and was born in Hawaii.

I'm embarrassed to be an American, where have our high standards gone? Instead of draining the swamp, RUMP has dug the swamp deeper and opened the floodgates wider. Instead of pointing out American abilities and talents, RUMP has instead, shown the world and Americans the worst of American behavior and his abject failures as a so called leader.

No other administration in recent times that I'm personally aware of has shown so much disregard for the rule of law, or 'Christian behavior' (Christian behavior that we grew up w/, as treat all as your neighbor or family, give your shirt if needed, etc.). I've seen the punch of the elbow to the face of the one RUMP protester being escorted off of a RUMP rally a couple of years back, never forgot it, never will. Kathy Griffin, welcome back. Her behavior is nothing compared to the rampant racism, bigotry, and hate that we are seeing with RUMP and his followers.

Disgusting behavior and no excuse for, period. I am not alone in this thinking. Personally, I think we are the new silent majority, believe it or not. A vast number of the people I talk to are disgusted w/ RUMP's behavior, and I think you will see this more and more in the months to come during our next election cycle. I can sense a backlash coming in November 2018, and it will leave RUMP and his cronies gasping for their last breath before it's too late.

I will stand up for decency, and will not be bullied. Besides giving money for campaigns, I guarantee you that I'll make sure at least 10 people besides me go vote. I'll personally make sure that they go vote. Each little bit helps. No more of this pathetic excuse you call a president.

[bronxiteforever]

32. The.Best.People.

[Mc Mike]

33. Sadler's doing the Correspondant's Dinner, next year.

[Vinca]

35. Yuk! Yuk! Yuk! And did you hear the one about the time Mulvaney caught the clap???

Real knee slapper.

[Sunlei]

36. yeah like the Republicans 2009 emailed 'jokes' about Black people in white house.

[Dr_Pretorius]

37. Brain cancer....a laugh riot!

But thank you to Mr. Mulvaney for confirming for the trump bumpkins that scum-of-the-Earth Sadler made the comment.