John McCain, a Tale of Two DimWitties

Philip Baruth at Vermont Daily Briefing has some words to say... er.. type.. about our favorite (?!?) schizoid pol, John McCain:

The Fourth of July should be a day for family and flags and hot dogs. If there’s anything you don’t want on the Fourth, it’s a case of the political dry-heaves from a NY Times chin-puller about a guy you once respected, a long time ago — Arizona Senator John McCain.

And yet, this Times piece will do the trick — if you’ve got the nerve.

Jim Rutenberg and Adam Nagourney trace McCain’s subtle and not so subtle movements toward the Bush camp, beginning back during the bad old days of the 2004 election. Bush was in trouble with Independents — McCain’s people. And McCain’s name was synonymous with Satan in the Deep South — Bush’s folks.

Mutual butt-smooching ensued (see disturbing iconic NY Times photo in facing column).

But what really gives the piece that extra, gut-churning quality is the particular way McCain now speaks of Bush. There’s a deliberately sentimental, emotional quality to his language. Here McCain talks about his personal mission: bucking up a Commander-in-Chief mired in bad poll numbers.

“Behind the scenes, during a month in which he repeatedly came to Mr. Bush’s public defense, Mr. McCain called the president to offer words of support, he recounted in an interview.

“‘I said, ‘Look, hang on, things are bad,’ Mr. McCain said. ‘I said, ‘I’m proud of the job you are doing, and I wanted you to know that I will continue to do what I can to help.’

“‘I’ve tried, when his numbers went down, to be more supportive and outspoken, because I’d love to pick him up,’ Mr. McCain said.

I’d love to pick him up.