When former FBI director James Comey took center stage for his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, few expected the political event to crossover into the sports world. But thanks to a comment from Arizona senator John McCain -- and perhaps a brilliant political play -- here we are.
McCain took some heat on social media over his questioning of Comey, and responded by suggesting the reason his questions went over people's heads is because he's been staying up late watching the Arizona Diamondbacks.
McCain released the following statement:
"I get the sense from Twitter that my line of questioning today went over people’s heads. Maybe going forward I shouldn’t stay up late watching the Diamondbacks night games.
"What I was trying to get at was whether Mr. Comey believes that any of his interactions with the President rise to the level of obstruction of justice. In the case of Secretary Clinton’s emails, Mr. Comey was willing to step beyond his role as an investigator and state his belief about what ‘no reasonable prosecutor’ would conclude about the evidence. I wanted Mr. Comey to apply the same approach to the key question surrounding his interactions with President Trump—whether or not the President’s conduct constitutes obstruction of justice. While I missed an opportunity in today’s hearing, I still believe this question is important, and I intend to submit it in writing to Mr. Comey for the record."
While McCain citing his watching of Dbacks night games will be mocked at a national level, there could be some method to the madness.
The statement has a chance to resonate directly with sports fans in Arizona -- a group that will, in part, help decide his future in the state senate. And after an election season that featured politicians comically pandering to sports fans (See: Carly Fiorina), McCain appearing like a genuine sports fan is somewhat refreshing.