Former NY Post Editor Suggests McCain Lost Vietnam

On the July 30 "Morning Joe" esteemed New York Times list best-selling author Pete Hamill filled in as a co-host and with one extremely blockheaded statement proved once and for all that very smart people can say very stupid things. The former editor-in-chief of the New York Post tried to pin defeat in Vietnam on John McCain.

Hamill delivered the obtuse statement at the end of a discussion about Barack Obama's hubris. That talk was centered on a Washington Post article that claimed Barack Obama opined "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."

After the ideologically diverse "Morning Joe" panel reached consensus that Barack Obama appeared to have a problem with appearing over-confident, Hamill decided to try and prove that John McCain also has a hubris dilemma. 

The acclaimed writer of nine best selling novels maintained "He [John McCain] comes on and says "I know how to win a war...Which war did he win exactly?  We lost Vietnam. There are no other wars."

Yes, Hamill attempted to assign blame on prisoner-of-war John McCain for failure in Vietnam. The absurdity of the statement echoed through the studio. Host Joe Scarborough in awkward laugher asked, "You're pinning that on him?" as they went to commercial break.

While off-air, one could only hope that a producer whispered in Hamill's ear that such smart people are not supposed to say such crass things.

The transcript is below:

Joe Scarborough: Hey Willie, you get a vote at the table too. Do you think Obama may have a little hubris problem here.

Willie Geist: Yes.

Scarborough: Ok.

Mika Brzezinski:  Maybe hubris is good.

Pete Hamill: But So does McCain He [John McCain] comes on and says "I know how to win a war"

Brzezinski: Exactly.

Hamill: Which war did he win exactly?  We lost Vietnam. There are no other wars.

Geist: I don't know that he lost Vietnam.

Scarborough (laughing): You're pinning that on him? We'll be back. Coming up, Freddy Ball game with Sports.