I watched Sen. John Mccain's victory speech Tuesday night, listening as he trudged thru assaults on his opposition's likely positions on issues ranging from Iraq to taxes. He then made one of the least intelligent ad I'll-founded claims I've heard in presidential politics; Mccain claimed the US has the best health system in the world.

You could chalk this amazingly wrong characterization as just another pander, more raw meat for the adoring audience in the hall.

Or you could see it as a verbal faux pas of dramatic prorportion. Most Americans' view of our benighted health care 'system' is it OSS anything but the best in the world - when you spend twice as much as the average developed nation which ranks well below average in most indicators of quality, its hard to justify any level of approval.

Which is how the real audience- the one outside the hall- likely saw the Senator's comment. If you are lying in bed trying to figure out how your company will be able to afford healthcare, or you are locked in a job due to a pre-existing condition or have to choose between heat or drugs or have a kid without insurance and a bad ear infection you'd just be incredulous.

How can anyone think McCain can fix a problem if he doesn't even acknowledge its existence?