"double-standard" doesn't even begin to cover it...

The All-White Elephant in the Room - New York Times:

Mr. McCain instead told George Stephanopoulos two Sundays ago that while he condemns any “anti-anything” remarks by Mr. Hagee, he is still “glad to have his endorsement.”

I wonder if Mr. McCain would have given the same answer had Mr. Stephanopoulos confronted him with the graphic video of the pastor in full “Great Whore” glory. But Mr. McCain didn’t have to fear so rude a transgression. Mr. Hagee’s videos have never had the same circulation on television as Mr. Wright’s. A sonorous white preacher spouting venom just doesn’t have the telegenic zing of a theatrical black man.

Perhaps that’s why virtually no one has rebroadcast the highly relevant prototype for Mr. Wright’s fiery claim that 9/11 was America’s chickens “coming home to roost.” That would be the Sept. 13, 2001, televised exchange between Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, who blamed the attacks on America’s abortionists, feminists, gays and A.C.L.U. lawyers. (Mr. Wright blamed the attacks on America’s foreign policy.) Had that video re-emerged in the frenzied cable-news rotation, Mr. McCain might have been asked to explain why he no longer calls these preachers “agents of intolerance” and chose to cozy up to Mr. Falwell by speaking at his Liberty University in 2006.

Lets make this clear once and for all: preachers who preach politics can not in any way preach The Word, and the color, race, sect, or political party affiliation of a religious nutcase preaching politics in no way changes the fact that they are a religious nutcase preaching politics and should be ignored.

The endorsement of a political candidate by a religious ("Christian") preacher is proof of one thing and one thing only: that preacher has no idea what Jesus actually said.  Not even the merest concept.  He totally gets it wrong in every sense of wrong.

and more...

The All-White Elephant in the Room - New York Times:

Speaking of Katrina in New Orleans, [McCain] promised that “never again” would a federal recovery effort be botched on so grand a scale.

[... but ...]

Mr. McCain took his party’s stingier line on Katrina aid and twice opposed an independent commission to investigate the failed government response.

You can not successfully convince us, especially the citizens of New Orleans, that you really mean "never again" until you openly admit your own culpability in it.  This is the first and great "duh", and the second "duh" is like unto it: You also can not convince us "never again" as long as you refuse to actually ask and answer what really went wrong in the first place.

Mr. McCain, you are, in spite of this "moderate" label you stick on yourself, a party spokesman through and through.  You have never, not once, on any issue where true morality and common decency (or even reasonable fiscal policy) really matters, ever voted against The Republican Party Line.  Never.  All the distancing of yourself with Bush and yet you have refused any investigation into his unconstitutional and illegal policies and have supported every unnecessary aggressive action and fiscally disastrous policy to have come from this administration.

And if the Democrats grow a spine this fall (I'm not holding my breath), you will be forced to answer to that again and again.  Not that the right-wing media would notice, but you would quickly discover the difference between a "smear campaign" such as you got in 2000, and the truth.

for best results, let a computer read it for you...

On the package of CostCo pure maple syrup, the following can be easily read...NOT:

"For best results, use by 0C/12/2008".

yes, the month value was rendered in hex.