You know the MSM is reaching POW saturation when Maureen Dowd writes an op-ed about McCain overplaying his prisoner card. Toward the end of her article, Dowd writes, “The real danger to the McCain crew in overusing the POW line so much that it’s a punch line is that it will give Obama an opening for critical questions.”

McCain and Company opened the door to imaginatively including his time in Hanoi in myriad statements. If they want us to remember their candidate’s POW status, then let’s help them out in an equally creative way.

Hence the McCain POW contest. What other things can the initials stand for? Come up with an answer and supply a reason for your response. (Tip of the hat to Liam and commenters for POW interpretations in a post made yesterday) For example, when people think of McCain as a POW, they should think of a:

1) Person of Wealth (or in Parallel Universe Rove’s world, a Prisoner of Wealth) - It is silly to debate how many houses the McCains own. Once the number exceeds four, it is clear that they are rich and, accordingly, privileged. As this NYT article points out, McCain did not work for his wealth – he married into it. McCain’s newfound wealth gave him the funds to enter politics. (McCain was able to lend his inaugural 1981 campaign $167,000.) Their wealth and privilege would disturb me less if McCain didn’t try to pretend that he understands the plight of middle class Americans. His foray into a Pennsylvania grocery store clearly shows he does not. (feel free to provide other examples).

2) Paucity of Wisdom - For starters, think Iraq War vote, confusion between Shia and Sunni, drill here/drill now, tire pressure gauges, the Pakistan/Iraq border, and Czechoslovakia. In addition, here is a nugget from McCain’s own book Worth the Fighting For (via this article) "Although I seem to tolerate introspection better the older I am, there are still too many claims on my attention to permit more than the briefest excursions down the path of self-awareness. When I am no longer busy with politics, and with my own ambitions, I hope to have more time to examine what I have done and failed to do with my career, and why." My interpretation of this quote: McCain tendency is to act now and think later. Should not the process be the other way around?

3) Puerile Old Whiteguy - McCain’s can be crude and cruel. His joke about Chelsea Clinton was, at minimum, in poor taste.  This article gives a non-humorous lesser known example of his cruelty. (Look for the story that ends with McCain saying, “I'll embarrass a Democrat any time I get the chance.”).

4) Prisoner of War (or in liam’s post, a Promoter of Wars) - In this alternate interpretation, he is trapped by his own hawkish tendencies. He believes, for example that victory (whatever that means) was possible in the Vietnam War. This NYT article describing McCain’s response to 9/11 (McCain was more hawkish than Bush) should send chills down anyone’s spine. McCain can’t seem to resist the temptation to use force and is, therefore a prisoner of his temptation.

5) Pawn of W (as in Pawn of Dubya) - Much of John McCain’s mindset and campaign pledges equates to an extension of 43’s Presidency. Think Iraq policy, tax policy, offshore oil drilling. The title of this post was chosen exactly because McCain and Dubya now think and act similarly. The KJMA(w) implies that try as hard as he might, McCain cannot separate himself from W.

So, in regard to John McCain, what do you think the letters P, O, and W should stand for?