John McCain Called Me a “Jerk!”

By Jamie McIntyre Friday, November 20th, 2009 4:03 pm
Posted in Asides

I am in Nova Scotia at the Halifax International Security Forum, and I asked the former Presidential hopeful a question at a press conference.
“Jamie McIntyre. You probably remember, me from my years a small cable outfit out of Atlanta Georgia…” I said.
“We remember you well, you jerk,” McCain shot back with a playful smirk on his face.
“That the ultimate Sen. McCain compliment,” chimed in Sen. Mark Udall, who was standing by McCain’s side at the podium.
Having known Senator McCain for years, and well aware of his sense of humor, I, of course, took no offense.
But afterward a colleague came up to me with a shocked look on her face, “Why did he call you a jerk?” she asked incredulously.
I explained he really DID mean it as a term of endearment, not a slam.
But then I began to think about how things look different in transcripts, if you miss the wink of the eye, the sly smile. And before anyone gets the wrong idea, I thought a better set the record straight.
He was joking.
Oh, and after getting his butt kicked by Barack Obama, McCain is a “loser.”
And I mean that in the nicest way. ;-)