Speaking before a group in Hudson, New Hampshire last night, McCain took criticism of MoveOn's Petraeus ad to a whole new level, saying that they should not only be ashamed, but "ought to be thrown out of this country."

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“It’s disgraceful, it’s got to be retracted and condemned by the Democrats, and MoveOn.org ought to be thrown out of this country."

Looks like the "straight-talking" McCain realizes how idiotic he sounded, and has already started to backpedal:

The McCain campaign clarified the senator’s comments for CBS News. “Senator McCain, like most Americans, is appalled by the MoveOn.org ad. Last night he expressed his outrage in words that did not convey his intended meaning. What he meant to say was that MoveOn's smear of General Petraeus' character should have no place in the American political debate.”

It's almost comical to see Republicans run around condemning MoveOn for daring to attack a member of the military and calling into question their character or integrity, considering that's the rhetorical weapon they usually wield. As Glenn notes, perhaps that's exactly why they're so upset. Well, either that or they need a handy distraction. Kinda like John Kerry before the midterms. And it shows that when it comes to the war, they have nothing else to talk about.