Menendez Hits McCain On "honor"

Democrats seem more and more comfortable now questioning John McCain's honor and integrity _ going after a McCain trait that was once seen as unassailable.

In a Senate press conference Wednesday morning, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), discussing McCain's comments on the economy, said that "with honor comes honesty ... and you can't look at 6 percent unemployment, 8 percent in the Latino community, and say the fundamentals of the economy are strong."

"Maybe, from your vantage point, the fundamentals of the economy are strong when you own seven houses," Menendez said.

While he didn't outright say he believed McCain was dishonorable, Menendez seems to be trying out the new Democratic message that questions McCain's honesty and truthfulness on a wide range of issues. It started Sept. 9 when Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "Last week, John McCain told Time magazine he couldn't define what honor was. Now we know why." 

This is a touchy subject with McCain, a former POW and Naval Academy graduate who has used honor to define himself and his political philosophy. But Democrats lately have shown no compunction about going after McCain and suggesting he's no longer the tell it straight maverick he once was.

"I have a problem with Sen. McCain suddenly, suddenly, talking about greed and excess," Menendez said.