McCain Watch #3: small and scary edition

McCain's staffing decisions are one of the least impressive things about his campaign. The guy who claims to be against lobbyist influence hiring mostly lobbyists? Check. The guy who claims to be deeply experienced in foreign policy and "need no on the job training" being corrected about basic strategic facts in the Middle East? Check.

Now, we learn that McCain's Deputy Communications Director, Michael Goldfarb, believes that the president has "near dictatorial powers in foreign policy and war." Aside from that pesky bit where the right to declare war is reserved to Congress by the US Constitution, along with raising, governing, funding, arming, and disciplining the military; not to mention that the president's powers in foreign policy are to be exercised with the advice and consent of the Senate. Constitution? What constitution? Now, it's true that Goldfarb said those things before he joined the McCain campaign, but there's no indication that it was not his true belief - or what passes for belief these days. I expect - well, I hope - that this sort of thing will catch up with McCain. If he can't choose decent staff for his campaign, why should he be allowed to pick federal government staff?

McCain: now with even more terrification.