Remember when Senator McCain said that Baghdad was now safe, and that an American could “walk freely” through parts of the city without any trouble? Well to show he was serious about his statement, Mr. Straight-Talk-Express did so the other day in a bulletproof vest, and was accompanied by 100 American soldiers, 3 Blackhawk helicopters, and 2 Apache gunships overhead. You know, just the usual entourage that any American would take when strolling through any other neighborhood.

McCain then held a press conference to highlight his triumphant stroll through Baghdad, which right-wingers could then use as proof that Iraq is better off and that people are not dying in vain. Right-wing gossip blogger Matt Drudge went even further to attack a reporter critical of the senator’s statement. Drudge posted an “exclusive,” in which he claimed CNN reporter Michael Ware was an alcoholic who was laughing at and heckling McCain during the conference. Drudge cited an anonymous source, and when actual video footage of the event showed nothing like what Drudge had reported, his “exclusive” miraculously disappeared from his site. What a douche.

h/t C&L