The meeting became a platform for the topic of military action in Syria. McCain ripped on Syria at town hall

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) faced a tense town hall on Thursday in Phoenix, with angry constituents opposing U.S. intervention in Syria.

One man, holding a bag of marshmallows, told McCain what he thought of Congress.


“They are a bunch of marshmallows,” the man said, according to CNN video of the town hall meeting. “That’s what they are. That’s what they’ve become. Why are you not listening to the people and staying out of Syria? It’s not our fight.”

( PHOTOS: John McCain visits Syria)

A woman who said her 18-year-old cousin was killed in Syria by “the so-called rebels and Al Qaeda” gave a forceful statement against U.S. involvement, which McCain backs.

“We cannot afford to turn Syria into another Iraq. Or Afghanistan. I beg you. My family is there,” she said, according to a video posted by Mediaite. “…[W]hether you like Bashar Assad or not, I’m not a fan either, but at least he has a secular government going on over there.”

The woman added that the Christian minority in Syria “are unfortunately by you and so many in the Senate are just considering us as collateral damages. And I refuse to believe that, I refuse that.”

But McCain, who faced an onslaught, responded to the woman’s argument.

“All I can tell you is that I too have been to Syria, I too know the people who are fighting there, I met them, I know them and I know who they are,” McCain said. “But to say that Bashar Assad is anything but a merciless butcher, then we have a strong disagreement.”

McCain faced hecklers during his opening remarks as soon as the town hall session kicked off before about 125 constituents, according to a report by AZCentral.com.

McCain stated his opposition to “having a single American boot on the ground” before audience members shouted “not good enough” and “not good enough at all.”

According to the report, one man shouted, “You don’t respect our view! We didn’t send you to get war for us, we sent you to stop the war.”

But McCain took the hecklers head-on before continuing the town hall, which AZCentral.com reports lasted more than an hour.

“You know what? What you’re doing is not just disrespectful — what you’re doing sir, is not just disrespectful to me, but you’re disrespectful to others who would like their opinions and their views heard, so I would appreciate it —” McCain said before applause.

“So I’m sure you’ll respect everyone here, thank you for doing that and you’ll be one of the first I hear from, OK? Not too long,” McCain laughed.