John McCain Tells Joke. Again, and again, and again...

Politicians are funny sorts: all that need to be loved and validated constantly (well every four years or so). We advise psychiatric help.

However, what politicians are not is funny, ha, ha. Take US Senator John McCain. Five years ago, he – or rather his scriptwriters – hit on a moderately funny quip about how low Congress approval meant “you get down to blood relatives and paid staffers”. Since then he has used it repeatedly on Twitter (27 times at last count) and in the flesh.

Here, gaze on in wonder at some of the best, or worst, examples, and then watch him tell his ‘joke’ at a rally in the clip after.

May 20, 2006: "You get down to blood relatives and paid staffers."

August 28, 2007: "I don't know if you saw a poll lately. It showed the approval rating of Congress was at 18, I think an historic low since Gallup has been taking polls. You get down that low, you're down to paid staffers and blood relatives."

February 22, 2008: "The latest approval rating of Congress was I think 24 percent. They're reaching all-time lows. By the way, you get down that low, you get down to paid staffers and blood relatives."

May 1, 2008: "But I would say when you look at the president's low approval ratings, look at congressional approval ratings. And you're down to blood relatives and paid staffers."

July 11, 2008: "The approval of Congress is down to 9 percent -- anyone here in that 9 percent? We're down to paid staffers and blood relatives."

August 20, 2008: "Nine percent. Now, anybody in that 9 percent, please raise your hands. But you know, you get down that low, you get down to paid staffers and blood relatives."

November 7, 2010: "If Republicans somehow feel that we have now been embraced by the American people, look at the last approval ratings of Republicans, which I think was 17 percent. You get down that low, you get down to paid staffers and blood relatives."

October 11, 2011: "You know, we look at the president's approval rating. Have you checked ours lately? Thirteen percent approval. We're down to paid staffers and blood relatives, and if we keep this up, we may be down in the single digits."

October 26, 2011: “Congressional Approval at All-Time Low of 9%” - We're down to paid staffers and blood relatives

(Image: Rex Features)