Dana Milbank is a funny guy who writes a daily political sketch for the Washington Post. But last night, appearing on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olberman, he didn't get any laughs for a bad-taste dig at John McCain, who has battled several bouts of skin cancer.
Discussing the unlikely possibility that McCain's birth in Panama makes him ineligible to run for president, the following dialogue took place, according to MSNBC's transcript of last night's programme:
Keith Olberman: Are there rumors this is being floated by the McCain camp itself so he can drop out at some point if he really gets tired of this?
Dana Milbank: If he really gets tired of it he just can drop out and he could always use that cancer thing, if he wanted to.
And they say British journalists are cynical and mean-spirited.
