there is a poll and video at the link

John McCain calls Tea Party pols 'hobbits' in fiery Senate speech about Boehner's debt-ceiling deal

BY Aliyah Shahid
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Thursday, July 28th 2011, 12:27 PM
Updated: Thursday, July 28th 2011, 2:33 PM



Sen. John McCain's attack on "Tea Party hobbits" Thursday drew a swift rebuke from freshmen Republican fiscal hawks.

"It's bizarro and insulting for a guy like John McCain, who's been here for so long," Tea Party-backed Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) told CNN. "It's politicians like him that have gotten us to this point where we have a government we can't afford."

"I mean, shame on him for saying that, for going after those of us who were elected six months ago to change the way guys like him have operated in this town forever."

McCain, in an emotional floor speech, ripped Tea Party politicians and activists who are threatening to derail House Speaker John Boehner's debt plan.

He accused the cavalier lawmakers of being "Tea Party hobbits" -- the little, hairy-footed creatures who feature prominently in the Lord of the Rings series.

In J.R.R. Tolkien's popular fantasy series, a band of brave little hobbits embark on an against-the-odds quest to defeat the evil Lord Sauron, who dwells in the fiery pits of Mordor.

"This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP Senate nominees," said McCain of the failed 2010 Tea Party bids in Nevada and Delaware, respectively.

His harsh words came after he expressed disappointment with some "foolish" GOPers who are still hoping for a balanced budget amendment as part of any compromise on the debt ceiling.

"To hold out and say we won't agree to raising the debt limit until we pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, it's unfair, it's bizarre," McCain said.

"And maybe some people who have only been in this body for six or seven months or so really believe that. Others know better."

The Democrats weren't spared either. McCain called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's plan "full of smoke and mirrors" and ripped President Obama for not coming up with a solution.

Angle, who made the unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in Nevada, reacted furiously, noting McCain campaigned for her and that chose Sarah Palin, a Tea Party favorite, to be his vice presidential running mate.

"It is regrettable that a man seeking dialogue, action and cooperation for votes on the floor of the United States Senate has only one strategy to achieve that effort: name-calling. Nice," Angle said in a statement.

CHECK IT OUT:
Share

http://tinyurl.com/3bby3eq

(Mod Edit/ made url tiny/ RB)