Saint John, he of the "Straight Talk Express", has turned into one lying sack of shit. In old aviator parlance, he's hit the ramp, taken a cut-pass, screwed the pooch...you name it, he's now done it. In everyone else-speak, Dude's done Jumped the Shark.

I used to like John, even though he's an unapologetic Reagan republican, and pretty unwavering in his conservative views I always thought better of him than most politicians. Because of his background? Perhaps. Because I met him and liked him when I was an impressionable young Enswine at Cecil Field? Maybe. But mostly because, even with all the bad points against him, after his trials and tribulations as one of the Keating Five, I figured that he'd value honesty over expedient political deceit, maybe because he was willing to work with Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform and take on the solons of Conservitard-dumb, I mistakenly believed that he'd at least hew to the principles of his alleged mentor, Barry Goldwater.

No, Saint John is just another low-life, vote-pandering pol whose primary purpose in life is self-aggrandizement on a truly Liebermanian scale. (Hey, I'm gonna invent the Lieberman-Nader Scale of Politcal Self-Aggrandizement...more to follow).

So what's this rant about? Here's St. John today:

Republican Sen. John McCain, a staunch defender of the Iraq war, on Tuesday faulted the Bush administration for misleading Americans into believing the conflict would be "some kind of day at the beach."
...
"I think one of the biggest mistakes we made was underestimating the size of the task and the sacrifices that would be required," McCain said. "Stuff happens, mission accomplished, last throes, a few dead-enders. I’m just more familiar with those statements than anyone else because it grieves me so much that we had not told the American people how tough and difficult this task would be."

I don't hear him calling for his "Good Friend and Distinguished Colleague, the Gentleman from Kansas, Mr. Senator Roberts" to get off his 100% bought and paid for corrupt ass and release the alleged investigation into the mis-use of intelligence by the NeoCon Cabal and the 1600 Crew that fomented this war.

McCain, and a tiny minority of senators currently serving can personally attest to the horrors of war first-hand. For any of them, especially McCain, to now be sitting there and clucking soporifically about the "bad intel" to soothe the base and make them believe that he's always opposed Beloved Leaders Excellent Adventure and the choices made by the Minions of Gozer running the show is pure bullshit.

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. This was the reason that the President felt so strongly that we needed to take military action to disarm Saddam Hussein, since he would not do it himself.

As the military effort continues, I think you will see information develop for yourself, firsthand. This is one of the reasons that there are so many reporters present with the military. In many ways, you will have these answers yourselves. You are there, you are on the ground. And you will find the answers and they will speak volumes themselves.

Q So you expect the weapons will be found?

MR. FLEISCHER: There's no question. We have said that Saddam Hussein possesses biological and chemical weapons, and all this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes.

And Saint John said nothing.