He's referred to Czechoslovakia four times recently.  He said that illegally imported cigarettes might be a good way to kill Iranians.  He said that the al Anbar Awakening began as a result of the Surge even though it predated it.  He's concerned about the border between Iraq and Pakistan (aka Iran).  He vowed to veto every beer.  He said that Iran was training Al Qaeda, was corrected on camera, acknowledged his mistake, and then did it again later that same week.  Last year he claimed that Baghdad had safe areas to walk around in, go shopping, and so forth.

Then he went over there.

You can't see the damned helicopters in that picture.  Yeah, I usually have air support when I go shopping.  I'd like to remind you that he also said that General Petreaus went out for drives in Baghdad in an unarmored Humvee.  That was not only wrong, it was insane.  There are no unarmored Humvees with our troops in Iraq, and if there were and somehow our top general was dumb enough to ride in one, well, thanks John for telling everybody he's in one.

His staff attacks anybody who points any of this out.  Mentioning that Senator McCain's timeline is wrong is, according to his spokesman, belittling the troops.

Do I think that John McCain is too old to be president?  No, I actually do not.  I do not know the man and as such I do not know if he's always had such a slight acquaintance with reality or facts.  He may not be a "details" guy.  I dunno.  I don't really care as to the why.

Do I think that John McCain has been lying?  Don't know, really.  I don't think so.  I certainly hope not.  I'm frankly worried he's starting to believe things like his Iraq timeline, at least when he said it.  He's never really been known for outright mendacity, so I'm inclined to believe that he thought that this was actually true at the time.

Several of the above are gaffes.  Gaffes, in and of themselves, are not a big deal.  Anybody will make 'em.  Add them up and it looks pretty bad, or course.

The al Anbar/Surge timeline thing, though, that's not a gaffe.  He did not misspeak, not in the conventional sense.  He attacked Senator Obama for failing to understand the basic history, yet in the very same attack evidenced his own lack of understanding of that same basic history.  So he either lied or did not know what the fuck he was talking about.

I don't think I know which one of those is worse.  If I had to guess, frankly, I'd prefer that he lied.  At least a liar can be competent.

Gang, spread the word.  Don't make it about his age, though.  We don't know that that's the reason, and it ultimately doesn't matter why he can't keep his facts straight.  By all appearances he just can't keep 'em straight.  The media is giving him less press than Obama, but it's still ample rope for Senator McCain to hang himself.  He cancelled his only media availability for the week already.  He can't do that indefinitely.  He ain't in the White House like President Bush.  He cannot ignore them forever.

Please, America, provide the audience.  Please pay attention to what this man says.