Dan Nowicki

The Republic | azcentral.com

The deadly terror organization the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL, prominently quotes "crusader" Sen. John McCain in the latest issue of its propaganda magazine.

In a feature titled "In The Words of The Enemy," the ISIS magazine Dabiq says McCain, R-Ariz., went to the Senate floor on June 12 "to rant irritably about the victories the Islamic State was achieving in Iraq." The magazine quoted McCain's floor statement at length.

In a written statement, McCain called the distinction "a true badge of honor" and compared it to Russian President Vladimir Putin's sanction of him earlier this year.

"When first you get sanctioned by Vladimir Putin and now that ISIL says that I'm the worst of the worst, I'm deeply honored," McCain said Monday in an interview with The Arizona Republic. "When I get that kind of reaction, it means that they think I'm a problem. And I want to be a problem to them. I've been told on several occasions that they view me as their greatest enemy."

ISIS is considered a dangerous terrorist threat by U.S. officials. Attorney General Eric Holder earlier this month told ABC News that the ISIS threat is "more frightening than anything I think I've seen as attorney general."

McCain told The Republic he doesn't feel personally threatened by either the attention from ISIS or from Putin.

"There's an old saying that you know people by their enemies -- well, I hope that that's true," McCain said. "I hope that the North Korean guy is next."

Nowicki is The Republic's national political writer. Follow him on Twitter at @dannowicki.