Ambassador McCain



(image via moonbattery)

Even as he is being touted as the "face" of Bush's Surge (And thus forever entangelling his own political Destiny to the President's legacy), Senator John McCain is being engaged to show his softer side in backdoor diplomacy with the Reverend Ian Paisley, whom the International Herald Tribune describes, thusly, "One man now has it in his power to help this British-ruled province finally put this lamentable era behind it and move on to a brighter future — or to stand in the way ... That man is the Reverend Ian Paisley, the fiery Protestant preacher, now 80 years old, who leads the province's largest party, the Democratic Unionists." From our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair has requested Sen. John McCain contact the Rev. Ian Paisley, the hard-line Protestant leader in Northern Ireland, to press him to discuss a power-sharing plan.

"McCain, a leading prospect for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, has been increasingly active about Northern Ireland and has had contacts with Paisley. Since 2005, McCain has been actively engaged in promoting power sharing.

"Paisley has told Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern that his party 'will have nothing whatsoever to do' with a new special committee in the Irish Parliament to deal with issues concerning Northern Ireland."

Ireland could use McCain. And we won't entertain the possibility that McCain, like Bush, is hitching his "Legacy" to the Straight Talking Express in the hopes that if -- if! -- McCain gets elected President and successfully prosecutes this most sanguinary War that maybe, just maybe, he won't be relegated to the trashheap of History as the Prime Minister who cleft in twain forever the Anglo-American "Special Relationship" (Because you know Gordon Brown just aint having it)