CNN Columnist Tweets: John McCain and Ted Cruz Should Settle Differences with Bloody ‘Duel’

Comedian and CNN.com columnist Dean Obeidallah tweeted on Sunday that he was enjoying the nascent “Republican civil war.” He joked that he would like to see Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John McCain (R-AZ) settle their difference with a bloody duel in the fashion of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Obeidallah added that he hopes McCain would win that duel.

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“Anyone else enjoying the Republican civil war?” Obeidallah asked his nearly 18,000 twitter followers on Sunday.

“Anyone else hoping Ted Cruz and John McCain settle their feud in an Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton-style duel?” he followed up. “I’d be rooting for John McCain”

The comment ignited a firestorm on Twitter and Obeidallah quickly became the target of outraged conservatives.

“My comment is clearly a joke as my friends understand,” Obeidallah said in his defense. “Is Tea Party shutting down comedy now?”

[Photo via persianmirror.com ]

An earlier version of this post described Obeidallah as a “CNN contributor.”

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