Huff and Puff

Arianna Huffington has been flogging her claim that McCain didn't vote for Bush in 2000 since last week when she put it as the top story on her website (the ad for her hot-off-the-press book nearby urged you to click and "learn the truth" about McCain). Others at the dinner party have said it's true while McCain denies it. He said/She said. Need proof? No, just a blog.

It's not like a single vote, taken by itself, matters...and fresh off the racist smear campaign in the South Carolina primary I can't blame the man if he wrote in his own name.

I don't really see how it's that big of a deal, especially coming from Arianna, who has been taking the media to task over the last few months for focusing on ridiculous "character questions" that don't relate to issues.

But McCain's character is a big issue to her. She was a right-winger and lapped up McCain's claims of political purity until a few years ago. His embrace of Bush was a selling out of his principles, the story goes, so it's no longer acceptable to treat him as a maverick. Before it was OK.

"He's a war hero! He was tortured!" she exclaimed recently on The Colbert Report. But the John McCain of 2000 isn't on the ballot this time--he's changed, she informed those who weren't aware. Question: If he was, would that be a good thing? Was the McCain that she adored such a great guy?

I always thought the "Straight Talk Express" was a joke from the get-go not something that recently became hilarious.

Friday: How To Be A Hack