Senator John McCain denied fellow Republican Senator Thad Cochran’s claim that McCain grabbed a Sandinista by the shirt collar and lifted him from his chair during a 1987 diplomatic mission to Nicaragua.

 

“I had many, many meetings with the Sandinistas. I must say, I did not admire the Sandinistas much. But there was never anything of that nature. It just didn’t happen,” said McCain.

 

Cochran, who has often been at odds with McCain over the years, had a different take. “John had reached over and grabbed this guy by the shirt collar and had snatched him up like he was throwing him up out of the chair to tell him what he thought about him or whatever.”

 

It is not odd that a 20-year-old story is going to become known during a Presidential election, but it is odd that a fellow Republican is the one to bring it up. It looks like the bad blood between McCain and Cochran might be deeper than anyone knew.