I was all set to write a long, (and certainly tedious) piece about Senator McCain’s great safe walkabout the al-Sharqi open air market “just three minutes from the Green Zone.” Senator McCain spent about an hour in the market showing off demonstrating that there truly are areas in Baghdad where Americans can walk around safely in the daylight – especially if your shopping companions include 100 heavily armed US troops, a special counter-sniper bodyguard heel-stepping you, and three Blackhawk and two Apache helicopters hovering overhead. (Probably to carry the packages.) Video (and accompanying acid comments) available here and here.

It was such a safe trip that Senator Lindsey Graham, who accompanied McCain picked up five rugs for $5 a piece. Here’s hoping that VISA charge clears.

If you go and check out the video you may note that Senator McCain and the officer escort next to him (that must be the guy detailed to carry the packages) don’t seem to be wearing the same type of body armor we usually see the grunts wearing.

It looks like Pinnacle’s Dragon Skin armor, which is far superior to the Point Blank armor produced by deep-pockets Republican campaign contributor David H Brooks’ company, which is what the troops are required to wear. (See “Army Orders Soldiers to Shed Dragon Skin Body Armor Or Lose SGLI Death Benefits;
[But U.S. Generals In Afghanistan Wear It]” Scroll down to the article.

It was reported that six more Americans died in Iraq yesterday while Senator McCain, the "straight talking" train wreck had his ego-walk.