McCain HAD One Rght

Five days ago, McCain shocked me by stating,

"I believe that we have a new strategy that is making progress and it’s not to say that things are well everywhere in Iraq; far from it,” McCain said. “We have a long way to go.”

“We read everyday about suicide bombings, kidnappings, rocket attacks and other terrible attacks,” McCain said. “What we don’t read about everyday and what is news since the surge began is a lot of the good news.”

“These and other indicators are reasons for very cautious optimism about the effects of the new strategy,” McCain said. “I believe just as we read about all the negative events in Iraq, the American people must be aware of the positive development under this new plan.”

I was floored by McCain's statements. At the time I said:
It is kind of hard to not to like the guy when you see that he is capable of telling the truth, if only for political points with the Republican base. If McCain acted like this all of the time, I might even like him.

Well I was wrong about McCain. It is easy to not like him.

In what appears to be perfectly implemented "Clintonian-Triangulation" McCain has backed away from his previous statements. According to Drudge:

In two interviews before the Army took McCain and 60 MINUTES on the heavily guarded visit to the al-Shorja market last Sunday, the senator said security had improved in Iraq. Upon his return, he also told a news conference he had just come back from a neighborhood one could walk around in freely. The remarks made headlines and he now regrets saying them. "Of course I am going to misspeak and I've done it on numerous occasions and I probably will do it in the future," says McCain. "I regret that when I divert attention to something I said from my message, but you know, that's just life," he tells Pelley, adding, "I'm happy, frankly, with the way I operate, otherwise it would be a lot less fun."

McCain is a snake... no, he is a worm.

This is a calculated move. First he tells the Republicans something they have been longing to hear - that things aren't as bad as being reported in the press. Then in an effort to appeal to the middle he says he misspoke, but still thinks we can win in Iraq. Finally to appeal to the left, he lashes out against the President, claiming Iraq is all his fault.

He is trying to be everything to everyman, but at what cost to the truth? Truth is not subjective. Either things are getting better in Iraq or they aren't. The press is either being honest, or they aren't.

You can't take each position and try to appeal to everyone.

I take back any nice thoughts I had about McCain. He is scum.