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'Straight Talk Express' takes a detour

An editorial  —  9/02/2008 6:13 am

John McCain is getting a bit testy these days.

There was a time not too long ago when he invited reporters to ask him about anything, maintained that he has nothing to hide, and said there was no such thing as a dumb question. He even dubbed his campaign bus the "Straight Talk Express" when he was campaigning in the Iowa primary.

When he started flying around the country as the presumptive Republican nominee, he initially pledged that the straight talk would continue in the air. Somewhere in the past few weeks, though, things have changed. Either he or his handlers became alarmed at McCain's openness and his propensity to go "off message."

That's what two Time magazine reporters found out last week when they were granted an interview with the Arizona senator.

"The McCain on display in the 24-minute interview was prickly, at times abrasive, and determined not to stray off message," James Carney and Michael Scherer reported.

For example:

Q: What do you want voters to know coming out of the Republican convention -- about you, about your candidacy?

McCain: I'm prepared to be president of the United States and I'll put my country first.

Q: There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first, but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?

McCain: Read it in my books.

Q: I've read your books.

McCain: No, I'm not going to define it.

Q: But honor in politics?

McCain: I defined it in five books. Read my books.

The rest of the interview went about as well.

Perhaps last week's Democratic National Convention and Barack Obama's home run acceptance speech have made McCain a little testy. He's long been known, after all, for his quick temper.

As Hillary Clinton once asked in a campaign ad, who do you want in charge when the phone rings at 3 a.m.?

Sounds like it shouldn't be John McCain.

An editorial  —  9/02/2008 6:13 am