John McCain's Dark Knight is Dirty Harry

(Washington, D.C.) "The night is always darkest before the dawn." So begins Harvey Dent's observation on Gotham City's crime spree in "The Dark Knight". And it's the same beginning for a press release posted today on JohnMCain.com. But it ends, "And that's when it's time for a little straight talk and lots of hot lead." The press release is "pre-announcing" a thirty-second campaign ad to begin running next month. It shows the Senator from Arizona most likely to channel Barry Goldwater as a "Dirty Harry" type of chief executive, who is always ready "to take out the trash, which may be a little damp from waterboarding."

The ad has caused a good deal of buzz. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was one of the first to respond. "I said George Bush was a failure. I wish I would have reserved judgment." Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean attempted a comment but just couldn't stop laughing.

Republicans themselves are keeping an open mind but tight lips. Minority Whip Roy Blount said simply, "After the second Bush term, I got kind of used to the term "minority," so I guess it's okay." However, the White House is behind the effort...maybe. Judge for yourself based on the following statement by George Bush at his afternoon press conference. "There is nothing wrong with taking out the trash, okay? Look they didn't do it in Naples, and now they have a problem. You can't expect FEMA to be there to help you."

While footage for the ad is still being edited, some has been previewed by high-ranking McCain campaign strategists. From their accounts, it shows McCain watching what appears to be the original "Dirty Harry". McCain begins muttering, "You feeling lucky, punk, punk...Ahmadinejad?" The Senator then appears to doze off and begins dreaming of himself as "Dirty Johnny", who "cleans up the Middle East" by shooting at targets with the faces of the regions leaders on them.