When McCain Says "My Friends",... Updated With Video

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Saturday September 27, 2008 · 5:36 AM PDT

2008/09/27 · 05:36

Dear Senator Obama:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership’s preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I’m embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again.

The letter positively oozes venomous sarcasm. McCain was well and truly pissed over what he believed to be Obama's reneging on a pledge to work together on an ethics reform bill concerning lobbying. It also reveals to what extent that McCain's notorious anger is on a hair-trigger. But the real point of this letter is that McCain is reacting on a personal level not a professional level.

McCain took Obama's act to be a sign of personal disrespect to him. It goes beyond just one senator being ticked off with another. McCain believes that Obama has failed to show the deference due to him. And McCain is not one to ever forget an insult real or otherwise to his lofty status as Senator Warhero.

This personal detestation of Obama was never more evident than in last night's debate. The body language experts will be analyzing both men's performances for days. But my own non-professional observation was that McCain really and truly doesn't like Barack Obama. On any number of occasions, Obama attempted to make eye contact with McCain. McCain assiduously avoided that. McCain could barely bring himself to acknowledge the fact that Obama was even standing on the same stage as he.

Obama's attempt to turn the debate into a professional one-on one discussion of their differences and positions on the subjects raised during the debate was constantly turned aside by McCain' s supercilious attitude. All during the course of the debate, Obama referred to Senator McCain as John in an attempt to humanize both candidates. McCain never once referred to Obama as Barack. It was always Senator Obama.

I think the most important thing we learned from last night was that there is another factor heretofore overlooked in the way McCain is playing out his campaign. It's this deep and abiding loathing for Barack Obama. And when you allow personal feelings to cloud your judgement the disaster that is now his campaign is the result.

And it's not just me. Watch.

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