McCain's housing gaffe doesn't matter because - are you ready? - he was a POW

[kevinmc]

Americablog.com

Thank you, I predicted it. It only took the McCain campaign three hours, or so, to invoke John McCain's former POW status to defend him from attacks regarding his gaffe yesterday in which he couldn't remember how many houses he owns. You see, the McCain campaign explained to the Washington Post today, McCain was a POW. It's not entirely clear why that's relevant to a discussion of McCain owning 7 or 8 or 9 homes, and not being able to remember exactly how many homes he owns, but it apparently doesn't matter. Because McCain was a POW. Did everybody get that?

Ben Smith at Politico has more, including a warning that McCain may be overusing the POW card to his detrminent:

McCain aides referred back to McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam in defending him from the mockery over his houses.

This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison," says spokesman Rogers.

It does seem like they're flirting with Giuliani/9/11 territory here, in which at subject that seems utterly immune to humor, used as a first resort, suddenly becomes a running joke among your political enemies and your late night comic friends.

It was McCain himself who warned John Kerry about overusing the "hero" thing.

[Pirate Smile]

1. AND now this is an attack on Cindy.

McCain campaign fires back at Obama for “house” attack – new TV ad to target Obama and Tony Rezko.

McCain official to the Atlantic: Obama “opened the door to this.” Obama’s comments “attack Cindy. She owns the homes. I thought he said the wives were off-limits.”

The ad will be released to network news divisions in time for their broadcasts tonight.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/08/21/drudge-%e2%80%9cmccain-to-fire-back-hard-in-new-addeveloping%e2%80%9d/