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McCain and Liddy

It seems that David Letterman had the guts to do what noone else in the press has done and question John McCain about some of his “questionable associations,” specifically G. Gordon Liddy, the guy who was so crazy and crooked that the other insane criminals on the Nixon plumber squad had to restrain him. McCain told Letterman “I’m not in any was embarrassed to know Gordon Liddy.” Steve Benen observes:

That’s an interesting response. Liddy is, of course, a convicted felon who has “acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in ‘if necessary’; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson; plotting with a ‘gangland figure’ to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap ‘leftist guerillas’ at the 1972 Republican National Convention — a plan he outlined to the Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis.” Liddy also once famously gave his supporters advice on how best to kill federal officials (he recommended shooting them in the head because they might be wearing flak jackets).

Despite this scandalous past, McCain has accepted thousands of dollars in contributions from Liddy, attended a fundraiser in his honor at Liddy’s home, and told Liddy that he’s “proud of” him.

Also remember, Liddy can be fairly described as “unrepentant.” When asked if he regretted his felonies, “A vein twitches angrily on one of his scales, but he replies in a level voice, ‘No.’”

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McCain is proud to know a man who had no regrets about his serious crimes against American democracy.