The desperate lies of Johnnie Mac

Once again, "Straight Talk" gets thrown under the Express:

Couric: Senator McCain, Sen. Obama says, while the increased number of U.S. troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?

McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlane (phonetic) was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history. Thanks to General Petraeus, our leadership, and the sacrifice of brave young Americans. I mean, to deny that their sacrifice didn't make possible the success of the surge in Iraq, I think, does a great disservice to young men and women who are serving and have sacrificed.

Shorter John McCain: "Pardon me while I lie out my ass, Katie."

He's got some gall opening with a comment about "false depictions" when there isn't a shred of truth to anything McCain says, here. In order to manufacture an attack, he completely reinvents the framing of Couric's question to claim that Obama gave no credit to U.S. forces and that isn't even the real whopper.

It's "a matter of history" that The Glorious Surge began the Anbar Awakening?

Interesting observation, considering that said surge didn't even begin until the Sunnis had already been working towards security goals for months. I'd be curious to find out exactly what history ol' Johnnie is going by. Perhaps the same one where Iraq and Pakistan are neighbors.

Despite this fundamental error/egregious lie, CBS does their best to perpetuate McCain's revisionist history. First, the subheader is priceless:

"Senator Tells Katie Couric Obama Does Not Understand Challenges The U.S. Faces In Iraq"

Of course, since John McCain is so deeply experienced in matters of foreign policy, he is the one who "understands," even when he clearly doesn't.

Worse, CBS chose not to air that portion of the interview on their broadcast, (though it is available on their website, if you read through the entire transcript or watch the 14 minute video clip). After his inability to tell the difference between Sunni and Shia, his repeated Czechoslovakia references, and hot on the heels of his Iraq/Pakistan border blunder, CBS conveniently omits perhaps the most glaring "McCain Moment," yet. No slip of the tongue or outdated reference, here. This is, at the very least, a total lack of understanding, not only of timing, but the basics of how events transpired in the first place.

Obama would be pilloried for his political naïvety for making such a claim. Johnny Cakes will likely just get another box of doughnuts from his adoring stenographer friends in the press pool.

EDIT:

Countdown busts CBS here:




FURTHER EDIT: And here's CBS' actual hackery--about :40 in, after the Olbermann intro (Courtesy Jed Report):