this is what McCain gets for listening to Bush

What's that country lyric about not knowing the difference 'tween Iraq and Iran'?

John McCain, GOP candidate for president, traveled to the Middle East yesterday and showed once again he has no more clue than the current administration.

McCain said several times during his visit that Iran was training Al Qaeda in Iraq. Oops. Iran is a Shiite theocracy that the U.S.. claims has been training Shiite extremists in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq is a Sunni insurgent group that blows up lots of people, but particularly Shiites. The two groups don't like each other.

You'd think McCain, who has based his presidential run on being the best man to handle the war in Iraq, would know that.

Yet asked about it, McCain said: “Well, it’s common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran. That’s well known. And it’s unfortunate.”

Senator ol' Joe Liebermann, who was with him, then whispered in McCain's ear. "I’m sorry,” Mr. McCain said, “the Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda.”

Guess we can only hope that Joe is in bed with McCain when that 2 a.m. call comes and he has to decide whether to bomb Iran or Iraq to get Shiite terrorists or Sunni terrorists.

Of course, confusion has been the Bush policy thus far in Iraq, and McCain's position is to continue Bush's policy. And of course, "Al Queda in Iraq" is no more the Al Queda group that attacked us than Indiana boys who listen to rap and wear red bandannas are really insane crips.

But Bush and Cheney have consistently told us this war is us and Iraq vs. Iran and Osama. I think down deep they know better. But they have McCain convinced.

Is confusion a policy we want to continue for the 100 years McCain says we'll stay in Iraq?