by Molly Ivors
So, I hear that, according to my friend Cliff Schecter (well, that's what Facebook says, anyway, though as far as I can tell he's not a rebel Scrabulous player like me), John McCain, when running for office in 1992 pulled out the C word on his sugar mama bride. In public. In front of reporters.
In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. 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."
Now, we here at Whiskey Fire are all about the bad words. Well, not as much as those naughty Sadly, No! folks, but we do our best to lower the level of discourse whenever possible. Still, we try to retain our scorn and f-bombs for those who actually, you know, deserve it, not for those who are closest and dearest to us, not to those we live off of, and not, generally speaking, those whose politics and policies don't actually hurt people.
I don't know Cindy McCain, aside from her public persona and the whole skimming pharmaceuticals from injured vets thing. But I've known women like her, the Stepford Hostesses who made all kinds of deals and compromises to hold social position, oftentimes with a man who is all but impossible to actually live with.
But in 1992, when this story is reported to have taken place, Cindy McCain was more or less a basket case, which makes the whole cunt thing even more unforgivable.
In the early 1990s, Tom Gosinski was the director of government and international affairs for the American Voluntary Medical Team, which did relief and medical volunteer work in third world countries.
Hired by Cindy McCain in 1991, Gosinski enjoyed his job, but he began to notice McCain's erratic behavior in the summer of 1992. In his journal, he wrote that he and others suspected the boss was addicted to painkillers and might have been stealing them from the organization.
From Gosinski's journal, July 27, 1992:
I have always wondered why John McCain has done nothing to fix the problem. He must either not see that a problem exists or ... not choose to do anything about it. It would seem that it would be in everyone's best interest to come to terms with the situation. And do whatever is necessary to fix it. There is so much at risk: The welfare of the children; John's political career; the integrity of Hensley & Company [Cindy's parents' business]; the welfare of Jim and Smitty Hensley [Cindy's parents]; and the health and happiness of Cindy McCain.
The aforementioned matters are of great concern to those directly involved but my main concern is the ability of AVMT to survive a major shake-up. If the DEA were to ever conduct an audit of AVMT's inventory, I am afraid of what the results might be ... It is because of [Cindy McCain's] willingness to jeopardize the credibility of those who work for her that I truly worry.
During my short tenure at AVMT I have been surrounded by what on the surface appears to be the ultimate all-American family. In reality, I am working for a very sad, lonely woman whose marriage of convenience to a U.S. Senator has driven her to: distance herself from friends; cover feelings of despair with drugs; and replace lonely moments with self-indulgences.
In his journal-writing over the next few months, Gosinski would alternately complain about Cindy McCain and express concern for her well-being.
So her employee who she fired for copping wise to her Limbaugh-esque prescription scam saw more clearly and cared more deeply about her problems than her spouse. Of course, that meant said employee had to be destroyed: his wrongful firing suit was buried by being settled out of court, and the DEA case against Cindy McCain was likewise sealed. Until, of course, the McCains sought to punish Gosinski by accusing him of extortion. Once that happened, their own lawyer got the story into the public record, and the rest is history.
But I can't help but dwell on the fact that yes, this guy called his wife a cunt in public, and that he did so at a time when she was clearly having problems. Classy.