NC Rep's Name for China: 'Uncle Chang'

Rep. Walter Jones is really not happy that China is helping the US pay for military operations in Afghanistan, and he apparently let his emotions get the better of him yesterday at a House Armed Services Committee hearing with the top US commander in Afghanistan. Jones asked Gen. John Allen when exactly the American people are going to be told the truth: That "we are spending $10 billion a month that we can’t even pay for. The Chinese—Uncle Chang is lending us the money to pay that we are spending in Afghanistan."

Jones' questioning of Allen went on—the Washington Post has the entire transcript—with no more politically incorrect nicknames, although the North Carolina Republican did continue his diatribe against the Afghan war. When Allen responded, he did not refer to the "Uncle Chang" comment, but said that the US is "on track" to hand over the lead in the country to Afghan military forces. Jones has often spoken out against the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. (More Walter Jones stories.)