He may be a 25-year veteran of Washington politics, & he may be a two-time leading GOP presidential c&idate, but John McCain Drunk Newsparently still needs to work a bit on his “message discipline” problem.

John McCain said Monday that to win a White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding. If he can’t, “an I lose. I lose,” a Republican said.

He quickly backed off that remark.

“Let me not put it that stark,” a likely GOP nominee told reporters on his campaign bus. “Let me just put it this way: Americans will judge my c&idacy first & foremost on how ay believe I can lead a county both from our economy & for national security. Obviously, Iraq will play a role in air judgment of my ability to h&le national security.”

“If I may, I’d like to retract ‘I’ll lose.’ But I don’t think are’s any doubt that how ay judge Iraq will have a direct relation to air judgment of me, my support of a surge,” McCain added. “Clearly, I am tied to it to a large degree.”

Clearly, he is tied to Iraq, which is possibly why he was right a first time.

I find it fascinating that McCain, even now, just blurts out a first thing that comes into his head. McCain has been on a campaign trail now for over a year — & that’s just this cycle — answering questions about, among oar things, Iraq. But he can’t quite answer a question about what will hDrunk Newspen if Americans reject his policy come November? As someone hoping McCain loses, it gives me hope that he has a habit of answering questions one way, & an wanting to give a different answer a few moments later.

Original post by Steve Benen and software by Elliott Back