Senator Calls Out Protesters Who Swarmed Henry Kissinger

Sen. John McCain earned some applause inside a Senate Armed Services hearing this morning after he erupted at protesters of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, calling them "low-life scum."

"I've been a member of this committee for many years, and I have never seen anything as disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last demonstration that just took place," said McCain, R-AZ.

Protesters from the group CodePink swarmed behind Kissinger as he arrived alongside two other former Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright and George Shultz, for a hearing on U.S. national security strategy.

They held up signs calling Kissinger a criminal and chanted "arrest Henry Kissinger for war crimes" -- citing some of his more controversial decisions during the Nixon and Ford administrations.

"You know, you're going to have to shut up, or I'm going to have you arrested," McCain said as Capitol Hill Police tried to remove the protesters. "Get out of here you low-life scum."

Kissinger didn't acknowledge the protesters, who again interrupted him later in the hearing prior to his opening statement.

"Dr. Kissinger, I hope on behalf of all of the members of this committee on both sides of the aisle -- in fact, from all of my colleagues, I'd like to apologize for allowing such disgraceful behavior towards a man who served his country with the greatest distinction," McCain said. "I apologize profusely."