John McCain doesn't regret calling anti-war protesters "low-life scum"

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, offered no apologies on Sunday for his scolding of anti-war protesters during a Senate hearing this week, calling the demonstrators "terrible people" who deserved what they got.

The protesters disrupted a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, calling for former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who was testifying at the hearing, to be tried for war crimes.

McCain, the committee's chairman, lashed out, saying he's "never seen anything as disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last demonstration that just took place."

When the protesters continued their disruption, McCain warned, "You're going to have to shut up, or I'm going to have you arrested. .. .Get out of here, you low-life scum."

McCain said Sunday he would not handle the incident any differently, given another chance.

"These people were physically threatening Henry Kissinger," he explained. "I'm used to people popping up at these hearings and yelling and then they're escorted out. That's at least some version of free speech. These people rushed up. They were right next to Henry Kissinger waiving handcuffs at him.

"He's a 91-year-old man with a broken shoulder who was willing to come down and testify before Congress to give us the benefit of his many years of wisdom," McCain added. "Of course I was outraged, and I am still outraged."

To dispel any lingering doubt, McCain again clarified his opinion of the protesters.

"I think they are terrible people, OK?" he said. "I think they are terrible people that would do that to a 91-year-old man with a broken shoulder ... to physically threaten him. ... That is beyond any normal behavior that I have observed."