McCain: “These things happen.”

McCain did a bob-and-weave on NBC's Tonight Show when it came to the issue of "top advisors" dissing his running mate. Personally, I think it was a cop-out.

Jay Leno: Now, these aides that were criticizing her — and I think everyone agrees there were Republican aides who were criticizing her. I know you wouldn’t go for that. I know you’re an old soul. You don’t let people talk — but why?

Senator John McCain: One — these things happen in campaigns too. I think I have at least a thousand, quote, top advisors. “A top advisor said” — people I’ve never even heard of, much less a, quote, top advisor or a high-ranking Republican official. It’s — these things go on in campaigns, and you just –

...strap on a bigger pair and keep your staff in line and on message, or throw them under the Straight Talk Bus and replace them with team players. Oh, give me a break!

Michelle Malkin is even less impressed: "From the man whose best-sellers include Why Courage Matters and Character Is Destiny comes this underwhelming reaction to the cowardly smearing of Sarah Palin by his own unnamed staffers..." I'm afraid she's right, although it may explain why he was led around by the nose much of the time, and why Palin got restless and wanted to "go rogue," which is another way to accuse someone of being themselves. I can't imagine why he wouldn't be more decisive, unless he didn't think Jay Leno's couch was the proper setting for playing hardball. Whatever. The only reason I voted for this geezer, rather than go third-party again, was because of his choice of Palin. I'm betting I wasn't alone. No, Senator, these things DON'T happen when "straight talk" means exactly that, and you get a grip on the K Street public-relations hacks that comprised your senior campaign staff.

Two good things came out of this; I decided not to stay up late to watch a poor old man humiliate himself, and the GOP will probably be looking elsewhere for leadership in the future.
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