Mildly OT, but very McCain related....

REALLY interesting dead tree edition of Cockburn's newsletter this week-- the McCain's marriage as possibly, perhaps, maybe, abusive and pretty clearly beyond distant. Who knows. Is it worth the salacious details? Iseman disappeared faster than ice in Houston.... But he's pretty notorious on the lack of fidelity front, apparently.

McCain's war record examined -- in this article, he doesn't come out well on broken limbs, on giving aid and comfort to the enemy in exchange for medical care, on making radio broadcasts for the VietNamese, on perhaps not REALLY being tortured (not in the sense that the left is tossing out vis-a-vis current torture policy) -- but actually that maybe he was treated pretty well all in all because he gave out info....

And finally, if you read the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, it looks maybe like McC is disqualified w/o a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress. Of course, the 14th Amendment is a Civil War era amendment, but there does seem to be pretty clear text disqualifying officers of the US from being pres if they've given aid and comfort to the enemy.

If any/all of this is true, it seems to be significant. None of these issues has been covered much if at all. It might be worth the dig. McC has some serious issues, it would seem.

Note that the dead tree edition of CounterPunch is not the same as the website.

What a pleasant surprise to see you on Countdown last night. Keith needs to have you on more since he appears to be the only one interested in educating his audience. Hope to see you on Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show many times in the future.

Stevie Wonder on TeeVee. that was a fun surprise...for McPain, the rain in Spain is mainly in Czecholovakia....

Great job on Countdown, may you have many more opportunities to give your considered opinion on foreign affairs.

Perhaps if she had asked, "Who's buried in Franco's tomb..."

McCain's Senate experience is all on the Armed Services Committee--not the Foreign Affairs Committee. He's probably traveled to a lot of countries over the years, but the only one I'm sure he knows enough about is Vietnam.

Mr. Clemons, as a media professional, let me just say that I thought you came across very well on camera, something that is not easy to do.

You looked real, spoke clearly, and got to the point. Intelligence and on-camera poise is not easy to do (that's why most of the time, TV just goes for people with poise).

I'm not saying you should (I wouldn't wish a television career on any one), but I wouldn't be afraid of doing more appearances like that if I were you.

Steve is too kind, too nice. Neither the McSpain nor the Sunni/Shia moments were "faux pas" -- they were data points that demonstrate McCain's ignorance of foreign geography, culture, and political facts on the ground. How can it be otherwise, for when he opens his mouth, we are treated consistently to blather rather than reasoned discourse. Whatever foreign policy experience McCain has had, he has grown and learned very little from it. If this is his strong suit, the total package is weak indeed.

Steve,

Great job with Olberman!

Perhaps the reign in Spain is mainly on McCain, and he needs to sit in on some of the foreign policy coaching sessions with Palin. Then they both can sing, "By George, I've got it!"

Steve, I suspect you are setting your expectations far too high. If McCain can't see Spain from his backyard, what right do you have to expect him to have any knowledge about the country?

Fantastic job on Keith Olbermann, Steve.

If McCain is latterly adopting the "snub Spain" explanation (and policy), as this link says, to cover for his "Palin moment" isn't that fraud on top of folly.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/18/bush-mccain-zapatero/

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/18/scheunemann-mccain-was-not-confused/

Thanks for the link! I don't have cable....

McC's mavericky temper may cause all sorts of problems. Mavericks don't have to analyze situations, find out background issues, study the lay of the land; they can just make speedy decisions. And they don't need clarifications.

OT -- Can you post on the Houston/Ike aftermath? Any chance that there will be electoral consequences?