You Can Have It All, My Empire Of Dirt

Now do you believe McCain’s candidacy is over?

Let’s recap. McCain kinda-but-doesn’t-really suspend his campaign to make himself the indispensable man in the bailout agreement. He gets to Washington as an object of ridicule and the deal falls apart — something that at least some people, admittedly Democrats, attribute to McCain’s transparent stunt. Then, despite Harry Reid saying he’s going to keep the Senate in session until there’s a deal, McCain abruptly announces he’s… going back to campaigning (not that he stopped!) and will attend the debates. His statement is here. But to get all bloggery:

Shorter John McCain: When the going got tough, my friends, I got the hell out of the kitchen. Wait, what’s a mixed metaphor? WELL AT LEAST I DON’T PLASTER ON THE MAKEUP LIKE A– This mic is on?

So, in summary: Humiliating failure. John McCain didn’t screw the pooch. He was the pooch.