Did John McCain Call His Wife Cindy a C*nt?

John McCain's temper is no secret. Nor is the fact that he regularly uses foul language toward colleagues and opponents in the Senate. Anyone who witnessed John McCain during this year's first presidential debate also knows that he speaks volumes with his body language, refusing to so much as glance in Barack Obama's direction during the entire 90-minute event.

The fact that John McCain possesses enormous contempt for women is also well-established. During a past race for the U.S. Senate, he told a repugnant joke about rape:

"Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contentedly and to feebly ask, 'Where is that marvelous ape?'"

Later, John McCain told an equally repulsive joke about a teenage Chelsea Clinton:

"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

But John McCain's sick, twisted sense of humor is far from the only evidence of his misogyny. Of course, there are always his votes in the Senate: He has consistently voted against legislation that supported equal pay for women, for instance. And, of course, he doesn't believe in a woman's right to choose.

But most telling, I'd argue, is how John treats his second wife, Cindy McCain.

No, wait, let's back up and discuss his first. Yes, Values Voters, John McCain has been married twice. And no, his first wife didn't pass away. She did, however, become gravely ill. And as a result of her illness and subsequent surgeries, she gained significant weight. And when she gained that weight, John McCain callously left her behind and traded her in for a beautiful thin blonde with lots of cash (and a pesky addiction to prescription drugs). But not before he cheated on her, of course.

For more on John McCain's first wife (including recent interviews), Google "Carol McCain" or "John McCain's infidelities."

As far as we know, John McCain never cheated on Cindy. He did, however, in public, call her a "c*nt." In his book, The Real McCain, Cliff Schecter reports on the crude exchange:

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." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

Three individual reporters from Arizona confirmed this account.

The temperament of our next President is a vital issue in this election. As are women's rights. Voters should not confuse John McCain's politically-motivated decision to add a (wholly unqualified) woman to the ticket with his long-standing views on female rights. Nor should voters dismiss how John McCain has conducted himself in his personal life. If John McCain considers his own wife a c*nt, I ask, what do you think he considers you?