"An Activist, Not a Reporter"
John Hinderaker

We wrote here about CNN's report on Iraq, in which Senator John McCain gave a positive report on progress there, and was followed by CNN correspondent Michael Ware. Ware not only disagreed with McCain, he was unprofessionally derisive, calling McCain's comments "ludicrous," offering to "bring [the Senator] up to speed," and wondering "what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about."

Now, Ware has gone even farther overboard. Drudge reports that John McCain and Lindsay Graham gave a press conference in Baghdad, at which Ware heckled the Senators, "laughing and mocking" them, according to an official who was present.

Maybe Ware was drunk; that would be consistent with his own description of how he spends his time in Baghdad. But he is an extreme manifestation of an all too common phenomenon--the journalist as advocate rather than neutral observer. ...

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Michael Ware heckles McCain at Baghdad press conference
Allahpundit

I guess we were out in front of this story, eh? Everyone’s already linked Drudge’s account of the presser so I’ll give you CNN’s version, which studiously avoids mentioning who it was who made McCain so “testy”:

The Arizona Republican, who is one of the war’s most outspoken supporters, became testy when pressed about his recent remarks that there are areas of Baghdad where Americans can travel safely.

“I just came from one,” he said, referring to his trip to the outdoor market, which required a heavy military escort. “I’ve been here many times over the years. Never have I been able to drive from the airport. Never have I been able to go out into the city as I was today.”

McCain further emphasized that his previous remarks did not mean the fight to secure Baghdad was over, but rather, that “things are better and there are encouraging signs.”

I can’t find video anywhere; please tip us if you come across it. In the meantime, here’s the video of Ware’s appearance on Maher’s show from last March that was referenced in Drudge’s story today. He talks about drinking, bad news in Iraq, and drinking to cope with the bad news in Iraq. The interview begins at 7:00 of the first clip if you’re counting up and 3:00 if you’re counting down. It cuts off right before he says, “In fact, I’m drinking now.” That’s where the second clip picks up.

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They found two suicide-bomb vests today, by the way. Inside the Green Zone.

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Would you like some booze with your news?

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Obama: Senate Will Abandon Timelines After Veto
Ed Morrissey

Barack Obama made clear that Senate Democrats will wind up voting for an Iraq supplemental without the mandatory timetables for withdrawal. Saying that the Democrats would not "play chicken" with the troops, he told the AP in Iowa that the entire exercise was designed to pressure Bush into changing policy:

If President Bush vetoes an Iraq war spending bill as promised, Congress quickly will provide the money without the withdrawal timeline the White House objects to because no lawmaker "wants to play chicken with our troops," Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday.

"My expectation is that we will continue to try to ratchet up the pressure on the president to change course," the Democratic presidential candidate said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I don't think that we will see a majority of the Senate vote to cut off funding at this stage." ...

Interesting. If Obama speaks for the Senate Democrats, then we should see a new supplemental after the spring recess, when Congress will go into conference to resolve the differences between the two bills. That would put the new spending bill at least three weeks out. ...