In a remarkable series of exchanges with the Des Moines Register editorial board Tuesday, McCain took personal affront to the widely-accepted notion that his campaign has departed from the facts in describing Obama. It makes fascinating viewing, not just for what he said, but how he says it.
Here is a partial transcript. After bringing up McCain’s kindergarten ad, a reporter asks McCain the following.
REPORTER: It seems like with the rescue plan we have just this crisis of confidence. People don’t trust the President, the Congress. They don’t trust the media. How can you go about rebuilding trust without, I would contend, 100 percent absolute truth?
MCCAIN: Because I have always had absolute 100 percent truth, and that’s been my life of putting my country first. And I’ll match that record against anyone’s, and I’m proud of it. And an assertion that I have ever done otherwise I take strong exception to. And you will have to provide better proof than a bill that Sen. Obama supported that clearly calls for the teaching of sex education of young children.
REPORTER: Even something like the ad implying that the lipstick on a pig reference was to Gov. Palin? That just seems like it’s not worth your seriousness in this campaign.
MCCAIN: Well that certainly is your opinion, and I respect your opinion. But it’s not the facts that changes my positions and my honorable service to this country. So I respect your opinion. I strongly disagree with your assertion.
Again, the transcript hardly does the exchange justice. Watch the video. Hat tip to Jon Martin at Politico who flagged the exchange.