For fourth time, McCain references country that doesn't exist

For a fourth time, John McCain this week referenced Czechoslavakia, a country that hasn't existed in 15 or so years. McCain spoke of Czechoslovakia in the present tense - it was dissolved and split in two in 1993. This matters because it's John McCain's supposed area of expertise, foreign and military policy. Foreign policy is also one of my areas of expertise. Have I said "Czechoslovakia" since 1993? Yes. But every time I've said it I immediately caught my mistake and corrected myself. In McCain's case, he actually believes that Czechoslovakia still exists. That's bizarre, and a bit scary. But don't worry, Mrs. Greenspan and David Broder will tell us that they know John McCain, they've seen his soul, so we should ignore stories like this because they know what he really meant. Which is a fascinating standard for news reporting - don't report what they say, report what you think they meant to say, or would say, if they'd gotten it right.