Really the 70-year old senator from the retirement state of Arizona was not dozing, nodding off, catching 40 winks, getting a bit of kip, sawing logs, counting sheep, in the land of Nod or parked with his blinkers off.
No, he was reading the president’s speech, following along in the hymnal like a good GOP choir boy.
Or so insists Mr. J.Mark English, a blogger whose site has been down all morning. Otherwise I would share the link.
Patrick Hynes, the founder of Ankle Biting Pundits and a paid blogger for McCain, has been blasting out a blog entry that also defends the aging presidential aspirant from Arizona:
“I hope no one will be bamboozled by the ten second video on Drudge of Sen. John McCain reading a copy of the president’s speech last night, in which Drudge claims Sen. McCain was asleep. Please notice the person in front of him, also with down-turned eyes, reading along.”
I have met Patrick once and found him to be great guy to talk to over a few drinks. But I think he has lost his judgment here. Why not admit that the old boy was asleep? Even Reagan dozed. The race will not be run or lost on McCain’s sleeping habits, but it could be lost on the public perception of his staff’s truth-telling habits.
Perhaps a bit more respect is due “the old boy” — who also happens to be a very highly decorated veteran, which, as a vet, I respect — since he is the most credible active proponent of an aggressive policy in Iraq.