John McCain can't win a stand-off with the NC GOP. How can he ever stand up to Congress or protect America? McCain has no leadership ability.

McCain has been rolled by the North Carolina Republican Party. All of McCain's alleged outrage about the NC GOP's racist ad have been for nothing:

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure not only they stop it but that kind of leadership is rejected,” McCain said in an interview with CBS’s Early Show, adding that he has communicated his wishes “in every possible way.”

If McCain says he'll do everything in his power to stop it, and it isn't stopped, clearly, McCain has no power. That's very telling.

The NC GOP has no fears about pissing off John McCain (unlike the press corps, which lives in fear of his outbursts).

While this episode demonstrates the GOP gutter politics, it also really says something about McCain's leadership abilities -- or lack thereof. He is the head of the Republican party and can't get some two-bit political hack in the Republican party to heed his words. How is McCain ever going to handle Congress? Even worse, how is McCain ever going to handle our enemies? If people in McCain's own party don't listen to him, why would anyone else?

Yes, this episode demonstrates the weakness of John McCain's leadership. The NY Times notes:

Unless Mr. McCain quickly gets control of his party, we fear there will be worse to come.

Oh, there will be worse to come, because John McCain can't control his party. McCain is not a leader.