Earlier this month, after Russian President Vladimir Putin penned a NYT op-ed intended to meddle with American minds over the Syrian conflict, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) vowed to publish his own in the iconic Russian newspaper Pravda.
In it, McCain blasted Putin:
"(Putin) is not enhancing Russia's global reputation. He is destroying it. He has made her a friend to tyrants and an enemy to the oppressed, and untrusted by nations that seek to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world…"
McCain, who has never been one to stand up for LGBT rights, also shockingly slammed Russia's anti-gay laws:
"They write laws to codify bigotry against people whose sexual orientation they condemn. They throw the members of a punk rock band in jail for the crime of being provocative and vulgar and for having the audacity to protest President Putin's rule."
Unfortunately, McCain's diatribe did not reach his intended audience, for it was published in Pravda.ru, an online site, and not the well-known paper.
Politicker reports:
Pravda.ru, the news outlet that actually published McCain's piece, is an electronic news website founded in 1999. Even though the website also bears the name Pravda, it is not connected to Pravda newspaper. The website has English and Russian editions and covers everything from politics to fashion and celebrities.
While editors at the communist Pravda publication said last week they were not going to accept an op-ed by McCain, a spokesman for the senator said McCain submitted one anyway, in addition to Pravda.ru, since there was confusion over the two different Pravdas. As expected, it was not published by the newspaper.
Putin said Thursday in a press conference he was not aware of McCain's opinion piece about Russia.
McCain also received a sound mocking from Jimmy Kimmel last night.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…
