McCain seeing red?

It looks like Senator Obama may have gotten under Senator McCain's skin on the issue of the GI Bill revision that just sailed through Congress, despite the aged Senator's objections. When Obama questioned McCain's motives for voting down the measure, which would drastically expand college benefits for those soldiers who serve at least one term in Iraq, McCain shot back, "Perhaps, if Sen. Obama would take the time and trouble to understand this issue he would learn to debate an honest disagreement respectfully. But, as he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions. If that is how he would behave as president, the country would regret his election."

In case you're wondering, Senator McCain's reason for voting against the measure is clear: he is upset that the Senate defeated his much more conservative version of the bill last week. He is explains it this way: "The most important difference between our two approaches is that Sen. Webb offers veterans who served one enlistment the same benefits as those offered veterans who have re-enlisted several times. Our bill has a sliding scale that offers generous benefits to all veterans, but increases those benefits according to the veteran's length of service."

It sounds reasonable, but think about it in a slightly different way: "I want to get our soldiers to voluntarily accept more tours before they get out, get educated, and we have to replace them." Now it sounds more selfish. Want an even more cynical interpretation? "The more time a soldier spends in a war, the greater the chance he will be killed, and then we don't have to pay the GI Bill benefits at all." Now it's downright cruel.

But the bigger point is this: notice how, when Obama differs from McCain, McCain says Obama's criticisms are "cheap shots" but when McCain continually references Rev. Wright, even while denouncing his own pastoral endorsements, it's fair game?

It sounds to me like we're one, maybe two, weeks away from another of those famous full-blown John McCain meltdowns. And this time, it won't happen early enough to save his party.