Letters to the Editor
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McCain: Lying or Ignorant or Confused?
It's obvious that media people who directly interface with McCain on at least a semi-regular basis like the guy. He yaps with them frequently, takes their questions, and responds "on the record."
How many presidential candidates or senators, for that matter, conduct themselves that way with the press? So I can understand how, on a personal level, media people can be seduced by McCain's relative openness and apparent candor.
Of course, this does not mean that the press should therefore stipulate to the veracity or wisdom of whatever spews out of the guy's mouth, which I don't think they do. They do treat him nicer than they treat most interviewees, but that's because he treats them nicer than do most big-shot pols.
The McCain Terrorism "gaffes" become a more sensitive issue for the press to tackle because of McCain's age. His remarks indicate confusion on a subject that he has indeed been deeply involved in--for better or worse--for a long time. And the cause behind the mistakes he repeatedly made last week can only be one of three:
1. He's lying;
2. He's ignorant; or,
3. He's confused.
My best guess is that the answer is number 3, and that's why he needs handlers like Lieberman and the other guy within whisper shot at all times.