The redoubtable Jane Hamsher raised a taut issue recently over at Firedoglake, and I've been waiting for someone to follow her lead. But so far, not a word. So I'll take the plunge.
Jane points out that John McCain's Botox treatments are becoming not only conspicuous, but also flat-out ridiculous:
...his entire forehead is frozen so badly his brows don't even move. His eyes are immobile (he probably had the crow's feet done, too). The whole top of his head looks cadaverous, like it's been coated in funeral parlor wax. It should start to wear off in a few weeks but lordy me, that's one of the worst jobs I've ever seen.
My question: Is the MSM going to give John McCain a pass on his Botox?
They skewered John Kerry in 2004 for possible Botox injections.
They pounced on John Edwards' $400 haircuts.
They've scrutinized every one of Hillary's wrinkles.
Rush Limbaugh wondered aloud whether the U.S. public really wants to see a woman age in office. Will Rush also be asking whether we want to see a 72 year-old man shoot himself in the face every few weeks in order to stave off those presidential sags and wrinkles? (Hey, it's only going to get worse with HDTV, folks.)
Yes, Reagan dyed his hair. But he let his face go all craggy. And he confronted the "age issue" with a pointed quip rather than a toxic syringe.
I'm starting to lose the ability to see a huge difference between what Roger Clemens injected into his butt versus what John McCain injects into his face. Both are using drugs to boost their performance in a competitive arena, and both are trying to mask liabilities associated with the aging process. If we're going to ban steroids in athletics, shouldn't we be thinking about banning or at least eschewing performance-enhancing drugs in the body politic?
I'm also starting to dread the specter of a McCain presidency under such conditions: We can expect Burt Reynolds and Joan Rivers to become frequent White House guests, in order to make McCain's face-job look good by comparison. Bill Kristol will write the predictable paean to McCain's classically manly visage and ruggedly good looks.
Call him John McVain, a guy who believes in cosmetic touch-ups and cover-ups, on the campaign trail and beyond. Be forewarned: What you see is not what you get.