Candidate On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

In case you haven't heard yet, just in case there weren't enough places where the U.S. needed more bad international relations, McCain has created a kerfuffle with Spain.

Apparently, in an interview with Spanish press, McCain refused to answer whether he would meet with Zapatero, Spain's Prime Minister (this is after saying, in April, that he looked forward to meeting him.)

Apparently, the reporter had asked him after having a discussion about Latin America, so there's some confusion about whether McCain simply didn't know (couldn't remember?) that Zapatero was Prime Minister of Spain and not some Latin American country or third-world drug cartel.

McCain's reply: "All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the Hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

Uh...okay. So let's say McCain was just having a senior moment here and thought Zapatero was a Latina American Zapatista rebel, or something like that. Hey, I sometimes misplace my car keys. That would have been a gaffe but nothing to get worked up over. The problem was, the reporter clarified who she was talking about, and McCain kept insisting he was correctly assuming this was some bad guy:

Interviewer: "But what about Europe? I'm talking about the President of Spain."

McCain: "What about me, what?

Interviewer: "Are you willing to meet with him if you're elected president?"

McCain: "I am wiling to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for humans rights, democracy and freedom. And I will stand up to those who do not."

Uh...okay. So what gives? Does McCain think the center-left Prime Minister of Spain is an undemocratic terrorist? Or does he think Spain is some Latin American drug cartel? Hard to tell....

Zapatero

Zapatista

Which does McCain think is in charge of Spain?

By the way, just in case you're not one of the coastal cultural Elites, the title of my post is a reference to a movie by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.