McCain honesty comes from being a POW?

I think not.

If that were so my neighbour of several years would not have, after fighting back raging alcohol abuse, cheated on his wife, cheated on his taxes and stolen from his employer.

Yet, after John McCain was apparently able to pull a swifty at the Saddleback church interviews, his people are holding out his experience as a prisoner of war as the foundation for his honesty and the defence against allegations that he had knowledge of the questions that were to be put to him.

Whether he had prior knowledge or not is of little interest. Of course he did. It was a set up. But the fact that his campaign is trying to produce some halo generating honesty out of his having been a prisoner of war is astounding.

Nicolle Wallace, a spokeswoman for Mr. McCain, said on Sunday night that Mr. McCain had not heard the broadcast of the event while in his motorcade and heard none of the questions.

“The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous,” Ms. Wallace said.

Well, my dear Nicolle, what you don't gather and nobody seems to be paying attention to is that prisoners of war learn very quickly to lie, cheat and steal. It's how they survive. Those that don't fall into two categories: Those who simply go along to get along (risking their survival) or those who collaborate with the enemy.

Prisoners of war are famous cheaters and since you conservative monkeys absolutely love referring to the 2nd World War let me provide you the example.

Luftstalag III, a German POW camp in WWII. It contained captured Allied aircrew. Did they behave as honest blokes? Hardly.

Paul Brickhill was there and as a result of watching one of the greatest deceptions executed by the best liars, cheats and thieves of the day, he wrote the book.... The Great Escape.

Prior to that, in the same prison camp, was the escape of Oliver Philpot and Eric Williams in the escape that would bear the name Wooden Horse.

There were over 40 attempts to tunnel out of Luftstalag III and each attempt required the prisoners to lie, cheat, steal and blackmail.

So, when the McCain campaign tries to use his captivity in a North Vietnamese POW camp as an unassailable reason to make him president, let me point out that McCain, the POW, was a liar, a cheat and a thief... or he went along to get along.... or he provided aid and comfort to the enemy.

Got all that Nicolle?

Pick one.