Ariz. Sen. John McCain can’t seem to stop talking about “Jersey Shore” cast member Snooki, with whom he exchanged numerous tweets last year over their mutual opposition to a tanning bed tax. For the second time in two months, the Republican politician mentioned the reality television star at a Washington reception.
“I say and tweet profound statements within 140 characters,” McCain said Monday at the Al Jazeera U.S. Forum, according to Politico. “As many of you know, the most famous, probably, and most watched by young people show on television is a show called ‘Jersey Shore.’ I don’t know if you are familiar with that, but there’s a young woman who is one of the stars called Snooki. Snooki obviously avails herself of tanning facilities because she has a very deep tan at all times. And with the passage of the healthcare reform bill – I won’t call it Obamacare, Nancy – part of it was a tax on tanning beds. So Snooki tweeted. She said, I am outraged that President Obama would raise taxes on tanning beds. Senator McCain would never do that because he’s so pale. So I tweeted back, You’re right, Snooki. I would never raise taxes on tanning beds. It’s The Situation. That’s one of the characters on ‘Jersey Shore’ … So what tweet got the award for tweet of the year? Not my profound statement about disarmament with Russia and the START Treaty, not my profound observations about the workings of Congress in the United States Senate, but the tweet I exchanged with Snooki.”
In early April, McCain joked to reporters at a breakfast that communicating with the “Shore Thing” author got him lots of press.
“You heard about my tweets with Snooki,” McCain said. “I got more coverage from tweets with Snooki than any foreign policy or national security statement that I have ever made in my life.”
The tanned celebrity seems favor Republican political figures, having complimented McCain and former President George W. Bush and snubbed Sen. Chuck Schumer. Earlier this year, Snooki traveled to the nation’s capital, McCain’s stomping ground, for the Washington Auto Show.
Because she was in D.C., it was only fitting for reporters and fans to probe her on politics. When asked to determine the hotter between President Barack Obama and Bush, Snooki chose the Texas conservative.
“I thought George Bush was pretty cute … For an old man.”
When it came down to political support, Snooki circled back to her friendly correspondence with McCain.
“I’ve really only talked to John McCain, and that’s because I mentioned him on my show … how, you know, he probably wouldn’t do tan taxing because he’s … pale,” Snooki said.
The war hero isn’t the only McCain to have interacted with Snooki. In July 2010, Daily Beast blogger Meghan McCain interviewed the “Jersey Shore” cast member.
“So when I saw it was Obama and McCain, to be honest with you, the only reason why I voted for your father was because he was really cute and I liked when he did his speeches,” Snooki told McCain’s daughter Meghan, who laughed but admitted this was “a little weird.”