I’m at a Loss for Words

In a week in which it comes to light that President George W. Bush revealed that God told him to invade Iraq–with all that implies–and former Repulican presidential candidate–and pretender to the vice-presidential slot along with John McCain–Mike Huckabee made a supposedly jocular comment in the middle of a speech to the American Rifle Association to the effect that his Democratic opponent, Barak Obama, was taking cover as someone had him in their sights, I am at a loss for words.

Is John McCain’s Memory Failing?

Is John McCain’s memory failing him, or is he trying to insult our intelligence again? Neither hypothesis says much in favor of the Republican front runner’s decency or competence.

In a recent interview with K. Brinkbäumer and M. Hujer for Der Spiegel, reported in Spain’s El País newspaper, when asked (my translation), “Would you agree to speak with someone like Mahmuid Ahmadineyad, the Irani president?” McCain replied:

As long as Iran continues to proclaim its intention to finish off the state of Israel and as long as they do not
cease the use of nuclear arms, I will continue to say that this is an unacceptable situation for us.

This gem is from a man who could plausibly be the next president of the United States of America. Let’s put him straight here, just for the record:

• Iran has no nuclear weapons. Iran doesn’t even have any nuclear power plants.
• The only Middle East country which has nuclear weapons is Israel, which possesses a formidable atomic arsenal–some analysts say the world’s fifth most important–including a submarine-based second-strike capability.
• To pretend that this massive Israeli threat to its neighbors, whether tacit or explicit, is not a determining factor in all Middle East diplomacy is to be less than candid.

So, Mr. McCain, permit me respectfully to suggest that you desist from your campaign to become president of the United States. For one reason or another, you’re not up to the job.