DOES McCAIN KNOW ANYTHING?

Mark Nicholas found this little gem from the WaPo:

McCain is stumped on the stump
March 16, 2007

The bus had been rolling for a half-hour ... And then someone asked about public funding for contraception in Africa to prevent the spread of AIDS.

"I'm sure I've taken a position on it in the past," he stammered as he looked to his communications director. "I'm sure I'm opposed to government funding."

Sensing a vulnerable moment, reporters kept the questions coming. What about sex education in the schools? Should it mention contraceptives? Or only abstinence, like President Bush wants?

"I think I support the president's present policy," he said, tentatively.

More questions: Do condoms stop sexually transmitted disease?

A long pause.

A stern look.

"I've never gotten into these issues or thought much about them," he said, almost crying uncle.

The AIDS epidemic has been with us for over 20 years and McCain doesn't know that condoms help prevent it from spreading? This far from the only time that McCain's ignorance has been on view but the MSM doesn't put these items on the front page. Here's one even more remarkable, one about McCain's supposed strong point: national security.

From M. Duss at TP's Wonk Room:

Referring to Iran’s recent provocative missile tests, Charlie Gibson asked John McCain whether he thought an Israeli strike against Iran would be justified. McCain responded:

I can’t know whether a strike would be justified because I don’t know the progress or the nature or the significance of the threat. I know that a- the threat is growing because the Iranian continued development of nuclear weapons.

His buddy Joe Lieberman would love a strike on Iran, preferably done by the U.S.