He's said it before…

…and it bothers me a bit more every time I hear it. Senator McSame…

"I am running for the office of commander in chief. That is the highest privilege in this country, and it imposes the greatest responsibilities."

Of course, there is no such office. The authority of commander in chief over the armed forces, the cornerstone of civilian control of the military, is one of the enumerated constitutional powers of the presidency. An important one, surely, but not so important that the framers granted it its own clause, let alone section, placing it on a par with the president's power to ask his cabinet for written reports. McCain may prefer a more, ahem, activist interpretation, but me, I'm fine with the framers.

The office in question is much larger and encompasses a much wider range of powers and corresponding responsibilities. In confusing the smaller part with the larger, McCain manages to diminish the presidency, flaunt his constitutional illiteracy and once again demonstrate his complete inadequacy for the office he actually is seeking, the office of President of the United States.