Gramm-pa's closest aide: The press wanted to "embarrass the sh** out of" McCain

By GottaLaff

"Blame the press" is the mantra of the bad-losery, jittery right:

Mark Salter, Sen. John McCain's closest aide, told Time magazine that the changes to how McCain campaigned -- such as no more "straight talk" with reporters on the campaign bus -- were actually forced by the press.

Said Salter: "The fact that we didn't do the back-of-the-bus stuff is only a function that you guys really wouldn't let us. Once the cameras demanded to be there, it became, What can McCain say that we can circulate on the hour and embarrass the shit out of him? So he just couldn't do it, and it wasn't a Bush hijacking or anything, it was recognizing reality. We were being mocked by the meta-narrative writers for being undisciplined, lacking a single central message."

Here's an idea: Accept responsibility for a horrendous, disorganized, erratic, mean-spirited campaign.