John McCain’s senility has kicked in:

McCain: Iraq no longer abyss of defeat

WASHINGTON - Disregarding a serious flare-up of violence, Republican presidential candidate John McCain says the United States is “no longer staring into the abyss of defeat” in Iraq, opening a campaign week that will draw him and his Democratic opponents back to Washington to question commanding Gen. David Petraeus about the conduct of the unpopular war. [...]

“We are no longer staring into the abyss of defeat, and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success,” McCain said.

“The dramatic reduction in violence has opened the way for a return to something approaching normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi,” McCain said.

It must really suck to be in McCain’s shoes right about now. Only a true idiot believes we have a chance of winning (whatever the hell that means) in Iraq. And he can’t touch the more pressing issue of the faltering economy. Economic-wise, we’re sitting in a shit-hole. And McCain has made it abundantly clear he’ll be of no help there.