Powerlying

The admirable Powerline Blog has commentary which consistently refutes McCainism on substance, yet strokes the fellow like an errant puppy. I think they've been schmoozed up the wazoo to bring them to a contorted compliance. Here John Hinderaker. my favourite, on McCain on the report by John Fund that McCain said that he might not appoint a judge like Sam Alito who "wore his conservatism on his sleeve."

Absent more information, I'm inclined to take McCain at his word, as he certainly supported Justice Alito's nomination and, like all or nearly all of the Republican candidates, has held up Roberts and Alito as model nominees.

For the rest of the call, the Senator was his usual charming self.

The previous day Paul Mingeroff wrote in Powerline:

McCain’s twisting of Romney’s words came during the same week that McCain falsely implied that he had not denigrated his own expertise in economics. Indeed, the smear on Romney may have been part of an attempt to change the subject from the economy, and to deflect attention from McCain’s past admissions about his level of knowledge in this area.

That says McCain is a liar. John Fund stands by his story, so why prefer the word of a liar? Presumably because he stroked you and you admire his heroism as a young man. Well, Mr Hinderaker, the conservative worldview is both tougher and more tragic than that. Get a grip.