McCain's Duplicity Express

Pundits of all stripes are using the following exchange from a McCain rally to prove that the Arizona senator has turned the page on the ghastly attack tactics that his campaign has used against Sen. Obama for weeks now.

McCain supporter: "I don't trust Obama.... He's an Arab."

McCain: "No, ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with."

But, when confronted with a statement made by the Virginia GOP chair, Jeffrey M. Frederick, comparing Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden, Sen. McCain replied that he would have to see the statement in context. Well, here's context, Senator:

He [Frederick] climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary." It is also not exactly true — though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. "And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." (From In Battleground Virginia, a Tale of Two Ground Games)

How's that for context?

Personally, I am quite tired of hearing McCain talk about decency and running a clean campaign when he has obviously chosen not to condemn the statements of his surrogates or signs at his rallies that read Obama Bin Lyin'. (See photo.)

As usual, Sen. McCain is trying to have it both ways: making himself look decent, while allowing surrogates, spokespeople and pitbullshit machine Sarah Palin slander Obama at any opportunity.