Yesterday, to the immense surprise of no one, Vladimir Putin was reelected to another term as Russia’s president. To say the election was marred by irregularities is sort of like saying that a Chicago mayoral election is not on the up and up.

The ballot stuffing seen today in Moscow and elsewhere in the Russian election is an effort to steal the influence of 140+ million people. Demand justice; demand laws and courts that matter. Take your future back. https://t.co/Jh6W8gq7Zx

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) March 18, 2018

Two points of interest here. A. This is Russia, what the f*** did you think was going to happen? B. There is a great deal of evidence that Putin would win an actual open election but that would ruin the super villain ambiance.

Today, the White House called to congratulate Putin on his win.

And good old John McCain lost it.

An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election. https://t.co/lcQTBi7CA1

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) March 20, 2018

If you want to subscribe to this view, knock yourself out. As far as I’m concerned this is just another part of John McCain’s incredibly poor diplomatic judgment that has yet found an opportunity that can’t be missed due to his childish acting out or a war that he opposes. Congratulating people winning elections is something that American presidents do.

Let’s go back to 2012, when Putin was again elected by using the vote-early-vote-often method.

And the next year when Xi Jinping was elected as president of China without even the semblance of a democratic process:

President Barack Obama on Thursday offered his congratulations to new Chinese President Xi Jinping after he was formally elected to the post and told him that Washington looked forward to working with the leadership team in Beijing, the White House said.

If you search Google long and hard you will find this is what John McCain had to say on those occasions:

Nothing.

McCain getting his Depends all twisted and knotted over this is just cynical opportunism and play for attention. Which is to say it is is quintessential John McCain.