IS JOHN McCAIN THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE?

The Manchurian Candidate movie, originally released in 1962, was about a former Korean War POW who was brainwashed by Communists (Chinese) into becoming a political assassin. (If you haven't seen this film, with an all-star cast, it's worth renting.)

The more I watch John McCain on the campaign trail, the more puzzled I am by his behaviors and ideas. There's something strange about this guy, from the way he calls everyone "my friends," to his often trance-like affect, to the truly bizarre things he says that have little or no relation to reality (example: his comments while in Iraq recently about the relationship between Iran and Iraq - Joe Lieberman (Joe Lieberman!!) had to correct him).

I'm not trying to impugn McCain's reputation as a war hero, but he was a POW, and he was subjected to torture. Might his tormentors have implanted subliminal codes into his brain that would lead to his becoming an assassin of politics in America? Certainly G.W. Bush has done significant damage already to American politics, not to mention our Constitution and many laws and treaties. But now we see "the presumptive Republican Party nominee" cozying up to Dubya, embracing the Bush invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Bush doctrine of foreign policy, supply-side economics, and etc. In other words, we ain't done yet, if this Candidate gets elected.

Keep an eye on this guy as the campaign clicks into high gear following the Republican and Democratic conventions. Watch for that glazed look, the robot-like speech, the strange pronouncements. Is his "handler" nearby? Is Mrs. McC a Stepford Wife, or a secret agent carrying the magic code word that will set him off?

Stay tuned.