Related to the excuses the press loves to make about McCain and foreign policy was this doozy on Hardball last week. When Susan Page was asked a question about McCain's "mistake" in conflating Iran, Iraq, and al-Qaeda, she defended him by saying (paraphrasing) "Really, how many Americans can tell the difference between Shia and Sunni anyway?"

Most Americans?!? This man is running to be President! The whole reason we're in this shitpile is because our leaders didn't think about these differences in any significant way.

If "top" reporters from major newspapers are going to take this kind of approach to reporting, is there any hope?

Yes, I have no idea to what extent this goes on here. At a certain point the permutations (the fact that you Bucky, might very well be LWM, who is in fact Celery, who is in fact Glenn) does suggest the need for dramamine). Who knows, though I would hope that people treat these posting areas more seriously than that.

Check out Salon's item five of 5 Things. Might be nice to have the next time you have to ride your motorcyle after getting demolared.

"But you are being incredibly dishonest. There is no other way to put it. You called McCain a war criminal. I told you that he had never been adjudicated as such by any competent legal authority, international court or body. It was a confession obtained by torture at the hands of his NVA captors. You apparently approve of torture, as well as being completely dishonest. Now you are saying I suggested he never flew missions over Vietnam."

Voila.

You guys are making my head hurt

You needn't suffer a moments discomfort. It's very simple: Buckyl has posited the LWM either wrote posts under my name, or possibly, that Iwrite posts while colluding in some way with LWM. All I am asking is that he point out which posts these are. All he needs to do is press the "read other letters" button for me, or conversely LWM.

I mean, what an accusation to throw around! If LWM is doing this with my handle, I want to know about it.

Oh, BTW, how does he do it? Does he have accounts under several names, some of which happen to be names of other accounts, or am I always LWM.

The liberality or amiability or lack of same in LWM's comments notwithstanding, I do believe he neither needs to or would willingly lower himself to using my handle.

And how does he do it. Bucky, I'm sure you've thought this out, so I'll turn it over to you.

Haven't you heard about how serious McCain's temper is? What kind of knave would be foolish enough to piss off the War Hero by asking him unserious questions about War?

If you're a serious journalist, it sounds like asking McCain the Wrong Question, getting him fired up, and then getting an earful of colorful Navy Talk is an easy way to get your boss pissed off at you while short-circuiting your career. How dare you disgrace your boss and his or her serious publication by asking McCain anti-American questions, such as questioning his belligerent warmongering (patriotism) and apparent ignorance to everything in the Middle East that doesn't include the letters "rael" with an I on either side (Foreign Policy Expertise).

John McCain: Iran Crisis Most Serious Since Cold War

Fox News Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006

Sen. John McCain said Sunday that Iran's bid for nuclear weapons is the most serious foreign policy crisis since the end of the Cold War.

A nuclear capability in Iran is unacceptable," he said. Citing recent statements from Israeli defense officials, McCain said, "Put yourself in the position of the Israeli government. Your first obligation is to defend your people. And here's a country whose president calls for the eradication of your country from the map."

Notice what he says about Iran, that the mere "capability" is enough for him to attack! That is a very low and highly dangerous threshold. If this is his policy, then an attack under McCain is a certainty - as Iran, and perhaps 30 other countries around the world have the "capability".

The second paragraph tells us who is top of mind for him when it comes to the Iraq question. His use of the now discredited Ahmadinejad quote is also telling. Ahmadinejad never said that and McCain should know that. If he does not, he is ill informed. If he does, and still says it, he is a liar, not a straight talker.

He [Ahmadinejad] quoted Khomeini that "the occupation regime over Jerusalem should vanish from the page of time." It is in fact probably a reference to some phrase in a medieval Persian poem. - Juan Cole

Not happy with lying about Iran, and deliberately misquoting Ahmadinejad, McCain goes on to threaten Russia and China. All in the same interview! Wow!

"If China and Russia want to be on record as being supportive of Iran in their nuclear ambitions, then I think that obviously has consequences as well," he warned.

If anyone thinks that an attack on Iran, under McCain, is not on, then I plead with them to think again. The consequences will cataclysmic.

I told you he was here; never leaves. Besides the many sock puppets, there is a small cabal of about 6 people who think each other can post no wrong.

They are all big-government loving types who think the government should do as it pleases as long as a 'good Democrat' is in charge. I do not know exactly what they think a 'good Democrat' is; but, they do love German phrases. :-)

LWM, I beg of you, on the basis of our common humanity, if nothing else, to please not treat the accusation of using my handle with the severity such an unforgivable insult deserves.

I can only assure you that when Bucky lumped me in with the other posters, we was not aware he was consigning them to an inner circle of literary hell, a particular odiousness which was heretofore mine, exclusively.

And LWM, in my admittedly valueless opinion, being mistaken for some of those posters could even be a compliment! Think of them, and try to forget that Bucky included me! No man should have to bear that, and I'm sure it's the first thing he will apologise for!

And by the way LWM, how do you do it?