Just a heads-up to be aware of the symptoms of Phony Outrage Exhaustion, or POX, a common malady that generally strikes anytime a deep cable pundit gets up on his/her high-horse and starts bellowing about non-issues in mock anger. And, as we know, in an election year "anytime" is "ALL the time." These early symptoms include feelings of deep frustration accompanied with listlessness - followed in short order by sweaty, spasmodic compulsions to kick in the front of your television set (i.e., the screen).

Untreated, this condition can advance to the sometimes fatal (to your sense of hygiene) SeanHannitis.

This year, there is a subtle strain of POX circulating in which this characteristic, embarrassingly fake anger is replaced with stealthy insinuation. Just this morning, John McCain was asked by "Today's" Meredith Viera whether his inability to quash that race-baiting anti-Obama ad in North Carolina indicated "weakness" on his part. Regardless of your opinions about McCain (my own: he'd make a nice county clerk, but what's with that bulgy JAW?), any sensible person would suggest an answer along the lines of: "No, Meredith, I've met with the North Carolina State Republican Committee and we all agree - your ASS IS TOO DAMN FAT!"

His actual, on-air answer, oddly, was more subdued and boot-licky.

At any rate: Be watchful.