An AP story today has this astonishing paragraph:

In West Virginia, Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, gave Bush a rifle as a gift. Bush, a self-described gun-owner and hunter, quipped: “I thank you for the gift, but I can’t take it to the debate with me.”

But imagine if the president actually had made such a remark. The press would report it endlessly for a week--and rightly so: most politicians rarely announce that they'd like to murder their political oponents.

But Kerry just did.

Watch this gaffe go right down the memory hole, along with all of Kerry's other gaffes. Because even though the press can't be seen to be as obviously in the bag for the senator as they have been, they'll still do anything they can to keep him propped up.

Update: A far milder gaffe in tone, but equally telling about character:

Mr Bush's campaign staff will have loved his opening comments, praising the limited menu of a local cafe. Mr Kerry said it was perfect "for confused people like me who can't make up our minds about what we're going to eat" - words which would fit perfectly into a pro-Bush attack ad.

(Heck, it already is!)

Update: Oh, and about that gun...