Chris Hayes this morning offered a helpful tip for political professionals everywhere: "Don't compare people to monkeys." And what precipitated this good advice? Sen. John McCain's latest attempt at humor.
Yeah, hilarious. McCain is comparing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a monkey. Pressed on this, McCain said folks should "lighten up," adding, "can't everyone take a joke?"
McCain's comedy stylings, you may recall, have gotten him into trouble before. He thought it was funny when he joked about bombing Iran during his presidential campaign. He's also tried to tell jokes about torture and improvised explosive devices.
And in 1998, at a Republican Senate fundraiser, McCain thought he was very clever when he told a nasty, tasteless joke about Chelsea Clinton, describing the then-president's daughter as "ugly," and suggesting that Janet Reno is a man.
Now he wants everyone to "lighten up" about his "joke" comparing a Middle Eastern man to a monkey. McCain might want to give George Allen a call and ask how monkey comparisons go over with a mainstream audience.
This morning, even a Republican congressman urged McCain to "wise up" and stop making "racist jokes."