John McCain loses it

The immigration bill has divided Republicans and infuriated the Republican base who feel that it is a surrender on protecting the border. As such it will throw a barrier up in front of John McCain's desire to gain the GOP nomination since the very people whose votes he's seeking are the ones so angry about this bill.

And he won't help his case at all with this story about his furious reaction to a fellow Republican's objections to the bill.

Presidential hopeful John McCain - who has been dogged for years by questions about his volcanic temper - erupted in an angry, profanity-laced tirade at a fellow Republican senator, sources told The Post yesterday.

In a heated dispute over immigration-law overhaul, McCain screamed, "F- - - you!" at Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who had been raising concerns about the legislation.

"This is chickens- - - stuff," McCain snapped at Cornyn, according to several people in the room off the Senate floor Thursday. "You've always been against this bill, and you're just trying to derail it."

Surprised by McCain's foul-mouthed broadside, Cornyn told him he was "out of line."

Cornyn said McCain couldn't "just parachute in at the last minute and begin making all these demands" - a not-so-subtle shot at the Arizona Republican's recent AWOL status in the Senate while campaigning around the country for the White House.

That's a sore point with McCain, who has skipped 42 votes this year and hasn't been closely involved in the "comprehensive immigration reform" deal for months, even though he is a sponsor of the plan.

McCain blew his top after Cornyn brought up his worsening Senate attendance record.

He shouted at Cornyn in front of a bipartisan group of senators and aides who had gathered in ornate meeting room, according to several people who were present.

"I know more about this stuff than anybody in this room," McCain added.

The blowup is likely to further revive questions about McCain's "anger-management problem."

It is precisely this arrogance about knowing more than others and his assurance that his position is the most just that gives so many of us pause in contemplating a McCain presidency. He bragged in the debate on Tuesday of his ability to work across party lines. He better look to his problems at working together within party lines if he wants to win the party's nomination for president.