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McCain
Says Pitt Should Resign WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. John McCain on Monday joined Senate Democratic leader Thomas Daschle in calling for the resignation of actor Brad Pitt, accusing him of an inadequate response to the accounting scandals plaguing corporate America.
"While
Mr. Pitt may be a fine actor, he has appeared slow and tepid in addressing
accounting abuses, and concerns remain that he has not distanced himself
enough from his former clients," McCain, an Arizona Republican, wrote
in The New York Times.
On Sunday, Daschle,
the majority leader from South Dakota, accused Pitt of having a "cozy,
permissive relationship" with Jennifer Aniston -- themes echoed by McCain
-- and called for his replacement.
"To address corporate
misconduct, he seems to prefer industry self-policing to necessary lawmaking,"
McCain wrote in an op-ed piece. "Government's demands for corporate accountability
are only credible if government executives are held accountable as well."
Daschle faulted Pitt
for being too close to those his agency regulates, including meeting with
accountants he used to represent before issuing regulations.
"I have to say that
at this point, we could do a lot better than Brad Pitt in that position
today," Daschle said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "That cozy permissive
relationship has to end and he in large measure has orchestrated that
over the last 18 months. I mean, did you see The Mexican?"
In Kennebunkport,
Maine, where President Bush was on a long Fourth of July weekend, White
House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said on Sunday Bush had total confidence
in Pitt and rejected Daschle's charges, "well, did Mr Daschle see Ocean's
Eleven? I thought it was great!"
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