1) So What. 2) Who Cares? 3) Shut Up

The New York Times is reporting, and the cable TV news talking heads are screaming about, allegations about John McCain's relationship with a female lobbyist during the 2000 presidential campaign. Countdown With Keith Olberman spent a big chunk of its broadcast discussing the breaking news.

Really, who the fuck cares? It's 8-year-old news, and the parties deny anything happened. Other things may come out later, and, if they do then, I'll listen. But I probably won't care.

But for now can we get off the blue dress talk and talk about real issues? There are much more important things to worry about.

Let's start with health care and the War in Iraq.

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Other "Who the Fuck Cares?" news baloney from the last week:

* Idiotic conservative outrage about certain remarks made by Michelle Obama. Who the fuck cares? Not me.
* The Clinton campaign drudging up "plagiarism" "news" about Barack Obama. Who the fuck cares? Not the voters in Hawaii and Wisconsin.

The Facts of Life

Let me just state this at the outset: I respect John McCain and the sacrifice he made for his country. I wrote about it here and here, in posts titled "A Republican Who Is Not A Chicken Hawk" and "McCain in Perspective."

In fact, I think the U.S. (and the world) would be in a much better place had he been the Republican presidential nominee in 2000.

But anywho: Last night, McCain's stilted chop-chop gestures seemed so forced and phony, straight from the playbook of some tired media consultant and certainly not straight from the Straight Talk Express. And his suit? Those fake shoulder pads (I'm assuming they had to be fake) were bigger than what Blair used to wear on The Facts of Life.

A Hawk Who Is Not a Chicken

Tomorrow, March 14, marks the 34th anniversary of John McCain's release as a prisoner of war.

His plane had been shot down five-and-half years earlier, on Oct. 26, 1967.

If you need to put these almost 2000 days as a captive in perspective, imagine having spent every waking minute since the fall of 2001 as a prisoner of war. This is what McCain has been through.

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Here's an earlier post on this same topic.

And pictured below: The guy who beat McCain in 2000 poses in a flight suit at a slightly less-heroic photo-op.

McCain In Perspective

Think about everything you've done since Sept. 11, 2001. Every birthday. Every holiday. Every vacation. Every party.

Before Lost and American Idol went on the air (2004 and 2002). Before the Patriots won the first of three Super Bowls (2002), and before the Red Sox and the White Sox won the World Series (2004 and 2005). Before the final collapse of Enron. Before Perez Hilton (and just about everybody else) had a blog. Before YouTube.

This is how long John McCain spent as a prisoner of war.

Imagine five and a half years, 1967-1973, in the Hanoi Hilton.

With his recent turn to the right, and his "pro-surge" stance on the War in Iraq, I would never, ever vote for him, but I sure do honor and respect what he gave up for his country.

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You can watch his presidential announcement last night on the Late Show With Letterman over at CBS.com. LINK.

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You can review what George Bush and his chicken hawk friends did to McCain in 2000 here. When members of the Bush Campaign Hit Squad ultimately meet their maker, I hope they show some regret for the repugnant way they smeared war heroes: McCain and Kerry.

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