PHOENIX (CBS5) -
We all know politics can get dirty and right now a lot of mud is flying. Sen. John McCain has stood up for a Muslim aid to Hilary Clinton and now some members of his own party are getting nasty.
This all has to do with that call for an investigation into the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in our government. McCain basically said recent accusations leveled at Clinton's aid were out of line.
Now fellow Republicans - and bloggers - are name-calling.
"I hope these ugly and unfortunate attacks on her can be immediately brought to an end," said McCain on the Senate floor July 18. The so-called attacks he is referring to were spawned by five lawmakers, including Michelle Bachmann and our own very own Trent Franks.
"It is contrary to everything we hold dear as Americans," he continued.
The lawmakers have connected Clinton aid Huma Abedin to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group thought to be anti-American. And after McCain defended Abedin, the backlash poured in.
"You know, you get Sen. John McCain, normally you don't go blast somebody on the floor that's a colleague on the same side of the aisle unless you touch base with them," said Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert on the Dennis Miller radio show Tuesday. Gohmert is among the five lawmakers requesting the investigation.
"I wish some of these numbnuts would go out and read the letter before they make these horrible allegations about the horrible accusations we're making," he said.
But the name-calling doesn't stop there.
"I was a bit nasty in what I said about him but, you know, I really think he was out of line to do this," said the founder of barenakedislam.com, who does not reside in Arizona and asked that we not give her last name. She accused McCain of "defending Islamic enemies of America" because of his comments, and even wrote, "Go to hell, senator, it's time for you to take your final dirt nap."
"I regret, you know, adding that line, but it's what I felt at the time," she said. Her website was actually down Tuesday because of an overload of traffic on the site.
We reached out to McCain's office as well as Gohmert's office but have yet to hear back.
Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
