DOUBLE SHOCKER: McCAIN SAYS HE'S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, BLAMES IRAQ CATASTROPHE ON CHENEY

I don't think anyone with 2 functioning brain cells could have doubted that McCain was running for president. He even confirmed it himself today in a rare moment of candor. One of the first orders of business is to distance himself from the unpopular-- even despised-- Bush Regime and the Iraq policies he has so ardently supported.

His first step in that direction-- after complaining that Bush's timidity to commit enough troops to Iraq is dooming the McCain Escalation Plan-- was to launch into a vicious attack against Dick Cheney. He blames the much-hated vice-president for a "witch's brew" of a "terribly mishandled" war.

Although McCain had once lavished praise on the vice president, he said in an interview in his Senate office: "The president listened too much to the Vice President... Of course, the president bears the ultimate responsibility, but he was very badly served by both the Vice President and, most of all, the Secretary of Defense."
McCain added: "Rumsfeld will go down in history, along with McNamara, as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history." Donald Rumsfeld served as President Bush's secretary of defense from January 2001 to December 2006. Robert McNamara was Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War.

No telling when McCain will abandon his soul-sister, Holy Joe Lieberman, and join a growing list of Republicans and Democrats telling Bush they oppose the "surge" (aka- the McCain Escalation Plan). Does anyone think Lieberman and Bush will kiss again before the SOTU tonight?