Throughout the election, there was this idea put forth (mostly by the media) that somewhere, there was a "real John McCain" -- this nice guy who'd been taken in by forces larger than himself and compelled, against his will, to run a campaign based on nastiness, vindictiveness, and dirty innuendo.

Even afterwards, we've gotten articles plaintively wondering, "Why Is McCain Acting Like Such a Jerk"? Again, as if the real McCain had somehow been banished from the kingdom, awaiting his chance to reclaim the throne.

In my opinion, the McCain of the described meeting ... this is the real John McCain.

John McCain is a dick with anger control issues- who knew?

I mean, besides everyone.

He's spoiled rotten.

I mean, who wouldn't want an unstable, petulant, borderline-racist child running their country?

I think you mean another unstable, petulant, borderline-racist child running their country.

Gotta love that attitude.

A politician who trades support for votes/campaign money... What a shock!

He's become such a "tell" (if I'm using that phrase correctly) for the whole of the republican party. Hell, even my dumb-as-rocks siblings are getting it now.

There is something to be said for people wearing their black hats in public.

The GOP has been running after the racist vote for decades. They lost California thanks to Pete Wilson and his asinine no-school-for-illegal-kids proposition, and now they're losing more states.

I might have more sympathy for Maverick McCain if he hadn't toed the line so nauseatingly during the campaign behind nativism and the rest of the repulsive Republican agenda.

is a class A prick. Thank god he lost.

I can think of no better way to guarantee a permanent Democratic shift in the Hispanic vote than to continue to treat them in this childish, classless, totally GOP manner.

Go, Johnny, GO!

McCain has always been a champion both for ethic immigrants and for minority businesses. He's got every reason to be exasperated with turncoat business leaders who joined the Obama cult because of their brownish skin in common, instead of realizing that McCain was their earnest supporter. Obama is a welfare sugar daddy, but not a supporter of either foreign born Hispanics or minority business owners.

"You people" means "you idiot Obama cultists." It's not an ethnic reference, pretty obviously.

Sorry but I think this article is burying the lede. Say what you want about McCain but what the heck are Hispanic leaders upset about? Obama has been in office, what two months, and he has to deal with two wars, a financial crisis, and a recession. I think the issues of any ethnic group at this point is nobody's top priority.

Oh, I'm sure he did, at least the parts that were quoted. The rest I'm not too sure about, starting with the misleading headline.

P.S. Some of the companies that are glad to have some of you as useful idiots are discussed at my name's link.

The other senators in that meeting with McCain are republicans (Thune and Martinez) presumabley some of those business leaders they were meeting with were supporters or at least constituents and some also republicans. So it is flying off the racist handle to presume, as it seems that John McCain did, that 'these people' voted for Obama because of the relativly greater amounts of melatonin they share. It would seem like he was in a sympathetic audience- how to justify his dismissal of anyone there presuming they voted for Obama?

So why he expects us to be grateful to him, regardless of that betrayal on immigration reform, is beyond me. Now, it's true, Obama is failing on comprehensive reform, but McCain still deserved to lose the Latino vote.

Anyone who believes the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group can be won over a single issue needs to have his or her head examined. Of course immigration issues are important to Latinos, but so too are jobs and the economy, education and a whole array of other issues.

Let me get this straight. Yes, McCain was the leader for immigration reform. Hispanics didn't vote for him, however, now they're disappointed with Obama, so they run to McCain to help them? Actually I always thought Hispanic values were very solid, and more aligned to conservatives. Nobody really

knows what Obama stands for, including Obama. Obama says one thing, but does just the opposite.

oops! kin I say that in here? (don't mean to be politically incorrect or anything ;-) But whatta tool of the right wing White Man's Party.

McCain did propose a pretty good immigration reform bill. It was nice while it lasted.

Then, during the primaries, he renounced it, and said he would not vote for his own bill if it came up again.

For people (not just Hispanics) for whom this is a major issue, there are two possible conclusions:

• He has pretty good opinions on immigration reform, but is a coward/opportunist.

• His original bill was a cynical ploy, and he has pretty bad opinions on immigration reform.

I don't know why he -- or anyone else -- would expect this to gather respect or support from Hispanics or anyone else who agreed with the original bill.

The racist phrase of the new century. He also used it against Obama.

Here's this hothead who is soooo bitter about not winning the election that he isn't able to contain himself. Now are hispanics ready to read the tea leaves about the GOP?

The great, liberal Nordic democracies do not allow illegal immigration or give citizenship based on being born in their country. They search out those working illegally in the country and repatriate them with the help of the local police. Martinez would not like the dedication these countries have to democratic principals and the rule of law.

the Man of Steele how that RNC presidency is working out for him.

At the same time, though, it's clear why he's angry. The Hispanic vote was one of the major factors behind Obama's victory

The reaction seen at the meeting is called having a tantrum. The accepted adult response when losing a contest is called being a good sport. It includes being polite to those who may have sided with your opponent.

It does NOT include rolling one's eyes, blowing steam out of one's ears, throwing votes back in people's faces, and using the phrase "you people". Those are all things that little kids do when they lose at their games.

Which makes them typical reactions for Republicans. Given his track record, the Hispanic community were foolish if they thought they'd get a reasonable reaction out of McCain, whose whole career is full of instances like these. The guy pretends to care about immigration issues - in reality, he's in it for power, just like all the rest of them. In reality, immigration was just the pet issue that he thought would get him elected.

You watch - he'll turn his back on it now just out of spite.