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John McCain's Staff in Damage Control Over 'Wedding Crashers'
NEWSMAX.COM ^ | JULY 19, 2005 | JAMES HIRSEN

Posted on 07/19/2005 3:45:07 PM PDT by CHARLITE

He's a movie star now.

Yes, Arizona senator and aspiring presidential candidate John McCain recently made his cinematic debut in this summer's bawdy romantic comedy "Wedding Crashers."

The cameo appearance may create a big-screen problem for McCain, though, and it doesn't have anything to do with his Clinton-defending cameo co-star James Carville. It has to do with the flick's thoroughly warranted R rating.

In the movie, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn portray divorce mediators who crash weddings and seduce bridal attendants.

There's a fast-moving montage in the film, done in the style of a music video, where Vaughn and Wilson's characters are featured in bed with a shifting procession of naked women.

The Los Angeles Times opined that this Hollywood excursion is "perhaps not the most predictable showcase for the film debut of a former presidential candidate who five years ago conducted Senate hearings in which he personally took Hollywood to task for the preponderance of R-rated films."

Regarding McCain's participation in the film, Wilson recently revealed on NBC's "Today" show that he had "cold-called" the senator's office and that McCain's staff was extremely cordial and told him they would have an answer for him within minutes.

In less than an hour Wilson received a call letting him know that McCain had agreed to the part.

Prior to the movie's release McCain was joking about the appearance, but now his staff appears to be engaged in some damage control.

Eileen McMenamin, McCain's communications director, claimed that when the senator accepted the role he understood the film would be rated PG-13.

"The senator has not seen the movie," said McMenamin. "He agreed to do the cameo role for a fee, which he donated to charity."

Although "Wedding Crashers" employs the same style as other sex-laden comedies like "American Pie" and "There's Something About Mary," it does have a couple of elements that help place it on a somewhat higher plane.

It eventually conveys the moral judgment that the coarse behavior in which Vaughn's and Wilson's characters engage is wrong. It even has the screen figures suffering for their transgressions.

And ultimately the movie celebrates the institution of marriage.

The Left Coast Report says it's yet to be seen whether McCain's decision to join the "Wedding Crashers" cast will prove advantageous to a future GOP presidential primary opponent. But, hey, if it is, he can always do "Wedding Crashers 2."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: cameo; fallout; hollywood; johnmccain; movie; political; problem; public; relations; role; weddingcrashers
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To: USAFJeeper
The whole "the file is in the computer" scene still makes me laugh. I liked the shades of "chimps from 2001: A Space Odyssey" to be particularly funny.
41 posted on 07/19/2005 4:14:56 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Paul8148

The only difference in the alternate ending is that it ends when Stiller's character wins and there is no rule violation that allows for the "sudden death" faceoff.


42 posted on 07/19/2005 4:16:59 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: pbear8
"I don't know...do 'bawdy' and 'romantic' really belong in the same sentence?"

I believe so.

43 posted on 07/19/2005 4:17:19 PM PDT by Sam Cree (Democrats are herd animals)
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To: andyk
John's a cutter from way back.

A tiger don't change his stripes.

Whoever put a X rating on this stupid movie, in a move to influence us knitters, does a disservice.

44 posted on 07/19/2005 4:18:58 PM PDT by battlegearboat
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To: Army Air Corps

If you can dodge a wrench....

That still cracks me up!


45 posted on 07/19/2005 4:19:02 PM PDT by USAFJeeper
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To: USAFJeeper
Rip Torn is one of the best character actors around. I liked the mail-order scammer that he played in "Trial and Error." Good stuff!

Back to Dodgeball. The scene where Stiller electrocutes himself for picking-up a doughnut was disturbingly funny.
46 posted on 07/19/2005 4:22:59 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: CHARLITE

John "Ready for My Close-up Now" McCain is so narcisstic he j--ks off to his own shadow.


47 posted on 07/19/2005 4:24:47 PM PDT by citizencon
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To: Army Air Corps

You realize I now have to go home and watch the movie again. Cause I feel silly sitting in my office laughing out loud!


48 posted on 07/19/2005 4:25:13 PM PDT by USAFJeeper
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To: USAFJeeper

"Cause I feel silly sitting in my office laughing out loud!"

No worries. Your fellow employees ("Co-worker" just sound too Marxist to me) will just think that you are disturbed and leave you alone.


49 posted on 07/19/2005 4:29:48 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: CHARLITE
Senator McCain should contact Senator Obama and they can jointly discover the "core values" of both the Democrat Party and Senator McCain.
50 posted on 07/19/2005 4:34:49 PM PDT by shrinkermd
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To: CHARLITE
"The senator has not seen the movie," said McMenamin. "He agreed to do the cameo role for a fee, which he donated to charity."

The John McCain Presidential Campaign Fund? Lincoln Savings and Loan?

51 posted on 07/19/2005 4:38:40 PM PDT by hattend (Alaska....in a time warp all it's own!)
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To: CHARLITE

Do evangelical voters really care about this? Did we not all laugh uproariously at "Animal House"? It's just a throwaway film, who cares?


52 posted on 07/19/2005 4:40:49 PM PDT by montag813
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To: Bommer
"Touch his strawberries and he'll destroy your party"


53 posted on 07/19/2005 4:43:01 PM PDT by CHARLITE (I propose a co-Clinton team as permanent reps to Pyonyang, w/out possibility of repatriation....)
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To: CHARLITE

Not really an aberration. More like evidene of what's inside him - keywords "amoral" "immoral" "jerk"


54 posted on 07/19/2005 4:44:06 PM PDT by 185JHP ( "The thing thou purposest shall come to pass: And over all thy ways the light shall shine.")
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To: aynrandfreak

McC is a full fledged whore. He's on the Board of Christie Whitman's PAC. They are funding moderates in the hopes of defeating conservative congressman and senators.


55 posted on 07/19/2005 4:52:20 PM PDT by OldFriend (MERCY TO THE GUILTY IS CRUELTY TO THE INNOCENT ~ Adam Smith)
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To: CHARLITE

The old cod fish ought to be ashamed of himself. He just grosses me out.

Not to mention it was just in poor taste.


56 posted on 07/19/2005 4:54:08 PM PDT by television is just wrong (http://hehttp://print.google.com/print/doc?articleidisblogs.blogspot.com/ (visit blogs, visit ads).)
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To: Halls

Have you seen the movie? There is no one who could reasonably say anything bad about McCain for appearing in this movie. Here's the scene:

The daughter of a high profile, old-line family, cabinet secretary (State, Treasury?) is getting married. Huge wedding, 500-600 guests at some high end yacht club, and they pan the receiving line for perhaps 5 seconds. Just to lay on the fact that the father is important inside the beltway, he happens to be greeting McCain and Carville at that point. That's it.


57 posted on 07/19/2005 4:57:15 PM PDT by Cousin Eddie
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To: OldFriend
"He's on the Board of Christie Whitman's PAC. They are funding moderates in the hopes of defeating conservative congressman and senators."

This really is far worse than a silly (and ill-considered) cameo appearance in a Follywood production. He's such a traitor. Many of the Vietnam vets with whom I worked closely to promote John O'Neill's UNFIT FOR COMMAND, told me privately that a lot of them think that John McCain has a few screws loose. One said, "We think that he's just not all there, most of the time."

......for what it's worth......

Char :(

58 posted on 07/19/2005 5:00:05 PM PDT by CHARLITE (I propose a co-Clinton team as permanent reps to Pyonyang, w/out possibility of repatriation....)
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To: CHARLITE

McC hates the Christian right with every fiber of his being.....as does Whitman.


59 posted on 07/19/2005 5:01:20 PM PDT by OldFriend (MERCY TO THE GUILTY IS CRUELTY TO THE INNOCENT ~ Adam Smith)
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To: Cousin Eddie

I don't want to see the movie, it has nudity in it and that is enough for me to say no thanks. Fact is McCain was in a movie where there was a boob fest in it. Whether or not his part was hardly anything to write home about, he still was in the movie.


60 posted on 07/19/2005 5:16:26 PM PDT by Halls (Terri Schindler Schiavo was murdered legally in our country, NEVER FORGET!!!)
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