Lying About The War Is Fun! (Pt. 1)

Backstory on this: A week ago, Sen. McCain-- who intends to run to the right of the President on the war issue-- traveled to Baghdad to prove how safe and awesome it is now. The centerpiece of this was a 'stroll' he took around one neighborhood market. Just him... oh, and "100 American soldiers, with three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships overhead". Very safe indeed, Senator!

Well now, the Senator wants you to know he regrets that botched photo-op-

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a '60 Minutes' segment coming on Sunday says he misspoke in comments he made about security in Baghdad earlier this week and admitted that heavily armed troops and helicopter gunships accompanied him when he visited a market there.

'60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley accompanied McCain to Baghdad and then interviewed him afterward after the senator drew wide criticism.

"I'm happy, frankly, with the way I operate," McCain explained, "otherwise it would be a lot less fun."

Lying about blowjob = impeachment. Lying about war = fun! What a grand old party!

I would add that this botched photo-op was exposed because the media chose to actually reveal the relevant facts about his super-extensive military protection and the general dangers of Baghdad in general. That's their job and, this time, they did it. If only they hadn't voluntarily allowed the wool to be pulled over their eyes at the beginning of the war (the Jessica Lynch BS, the staged tearing down of the Saddam statue, 'Mission Accomplished', etc), we wouldn't still be stuck in this holding pattern with the war.

Finally (via Atrios), Grover Norquist unintentionally unravels a mystery I'd been pondering... if the war is issue #1 for the hardcore Republican base (the 28%-ers) and Sen. McCain is the most hardcore on that issue, why is he their least-preferred presidential primary candidate? The answer reveals that indeed the base doesn't care about the war, they are simply the Cult of Bush.

Says Norquist: "The base isn't interested in Iraq. The base is for Bush. If Bush said tomorrow, we're leaving in two months, there would be no revolt." Bingo. Sen. McCain can wrap himself up in the war all he wants, all that matters to the base is that he has insulted Lord Bush in the past. So he will lose. God only knows what these morons will do when January 2009 comes around.