Branded!

Can you technically even be a "maverick" and espouse something other than a classically liberal, progressive ideology?

That's the question posed by John Swartz in this NYT's column that delves not just into the etymology of the term—which began with a 17th Century member of the Maverick family, who "got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants"—but also the current low opinion the Maverick family has of McCain and Palin using their family name today.

AP: McCain visits German restaurant — in Ohio

(WARNING: This post contains at least one pun.)

A funny/endearing headline for McCain, courtesy of the AP — who may or may not be in the tank for him at this point.

WaPo picked it up as well — because, basically, this is a joke too tasty* to turn down that I'm sure the McCain campaign lunged for in an effort to redirect some media attention toward their candidate on Obama's big day in Berlin.

From "the Trail":

Asked whether he was trying to make a point by coming to a German restaurant while Obama was in the real country, McCain took a mild swipe at his rival.

"Well I'd love to give a speech in Germany to [sic!**]-- a political speech -- or a speech that maybe the German people would be interested in. But I would much prefer to do it as president of the United States rather than as a candidate for the office of the presidency."

"Oh, Burn!" These petty, yellow snowballs are probably why nobody follows the news (well, that and all the depressing stuff).

*[Chortle.]
**[For shame, WaPo copy editors!]

Look! He's McCain A Joke!

[Headline Note: At a team meeting today, we seem to have decided that this blog will suffer from a deluge of McCain/Making puns.]

So, when I think about John McCain's reputation as being cozy with the media (whom he has jokingly referred to as his base), I often also think about him doing funny things like these appearances on Conan's "Secrets" segment. I went through the effort of pulling these off Hulu instead of the other grainier options (because this is a classy outfit around here):

McCain Takes Money From Swift-Boat Backers

"USA Today points out this morning that John McCain has had no problem accepting $70,000 in donations this cycle from backers of the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth in 2004, despite his condemnation of the group at the time." [verbatim from tpm election central]

Air Bud: Dog And Pony Show [Wherein The McCain Campaign Has A Former Kerry Swiftboater Defend McCain's War Experience]

This is George Everett "Bud" Day—a former U.S. Air Force pilot who served during the Vietnam War, was a POW cellmate of Sen. John McCain, and spoke out against John Kerry in the above Swift Boat Veterans For Truth ad.

You would think they'd pick a less controversial member of the "McCain Truth Squad" to deal with the recent Wesley Clark non-troversy, but they didn't(!), and so, life is hilarious again.

Despite McCain being one of the first to condemn the ads attacking Kerry's war record in 2004, his campaign had Bud refute Clark's statements during one of their regular conference calls with the press—audio of which can be heard here at tpm election central. In addition to McCain's record, Bud also defended his own participation with SBV's4T saying, "The Swift Boat 'attacks' were simply revelation of the truth."

I hope this makes it on the Daily Show tonight! This is like a "gotcha back quote" for this unfair "gotcha quote."