“Joke” Indeed

Here’s McCain, joking about bombing Iran at a time of high tension between the US and that country:

Now here’s his description of that remark from last night’s debate:

Obama: Sen. McCain, this is the guy who sang,
“Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran,” who called for the annihilation of North
Korea. That I don’t think is an example of “speaking softly.”

This is the person who, after we had — we hadn’t even finished Afghanistan, where he said, “Next up, Baghdad.”
[* * * *]

McCain: And, Tom, if — if we’re going to go back and forth, I then — I’d like to have equal time to go — to respond to…

Brokaw: Yes, you get the…

McCain: … to — to — to…

Brokaw: … last word here, and then we have to move on.

McCain: Not true. Not true. I have, obviously, supported those efforts that the United States had to go in militarily and I have opposed that I didn’t think so. I understand what it’s like to send young American’s in harm’s way. I say — I was joking with a veteran — I hate to even go into this. I was joking with an old veteran friend, who joked with me, about Iran.

What happened to not telegraphing hostile countries of your intentions? How is this “joking with an old veteran friend,” was McCain actually sharing an inside right-wing joke at a campaign event, where it could easily be “misunderstood?” Or last night was he simply hiding behind the “veteran” status of his “friend” to deflect criticism for his whacko remarks on Iran? I have a suggestion, McCain’s new campaign slogan should be “I will bomb people. I know how to bomb people. I’ve done it myself.”