Yesterday, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN and made an amazing pronouncement: Not only is Mr Bu$h’s surge escalation working, but it has produced entire neighborhoods in Baghdad that are safe to walk through. That’s right, Americans can walk in parts of Baghdad unmolested.
This bit of happy talk was greeted with some vague sense of discomfort by Mr Blitzer, who always seems to have a problem calling "bullshit" on Republican lies. Not so Michael Ware, who’s been reporting from Baghdad for four years. Catch the video here. Mr Ware gets two recommendations, one for courage (four years in that hellhole,) and one for best line this year in political reporting.
"I dont know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about..." It appears that when Mr Ware discussed these claims with military sources, with "laughter down the line."
After a good night’s sleep, Senator McCain is now denying he ever said that. But video cameras are so doggoned inconvenient.
This is the latest in a long string of McCain missteps, misspeakings, and flip flops. It should be obvious to the average observer that Senator McCain is having problems establishing a sound, consistent, logical platform on which to base his Presidential candidacy. It should be obvious to the charitable observer that something has gone wrong on the "straight talk express."
Senator McCain had a long and rather distinguished career as a naval aviator. He suffered untold traumatic torture for five and one-half years as a prisoner in North Viet Nam. He is now 70 years old. Perhaps the toll of advanced years and the physical and mental stress of combat and imprisonment have taken a big bite out of Senator McCain’s reservoir of vigor and he should consider an honorable retirement.