Some say there is no rule book in politics. I've heard Jesse Unruh's classic line a thousand times: politics ain't beanbag!

Tough talk and hard hitting advertisements are part of the game. But I part ways with Steve Schmidt, McCain's new hatchet man, when he lowers his own candidate's standards to below zero.

McCain, before Schmidt got ahold of him, seemed committed to not throwing the first dirtball. When McCain tied down his party's nomination he sent out a statement to the press pledging "a respectful campaign focused on the issues and values that are important to the American people".

He repeated this promise in unusually explicit terms in speeches and in interviews. Part of me believed him.

When Schmidt came on board, McCain threw out this "former McCain" notion like a stupid childhood ambition to be honorable. How naive.

His ridiculous celebrity ads were a clear attempt at skirting issues and focusing on the character of his opponent, even though he had no honest ammunition. He dismissed the first dirtball (Brittany & Paris) as "funny" and challenged Obama to have a sense of humor. Okay.

But this week the slimy, sickening hate monger Jerome Corsi released Obama Nation. Filled with demonstrably false and racist garbage, it was published to universal rebuke. Even Fox News was calling out this stink bomb. Remember, Corsi is the same man who:

1. Called Islam "a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion,"
2. Said that the Pope approved of "boy buggering,"
3. called John Kerry a "f...ing commie" and attacked him for being part Jewish,
4. Penned the "Unfit To Command" book which John McCain himself denounced as dishonorable in 2004;
5. Called Clinton a "fat hog," and wrote: Anybody ask why HELLary couldn't keep BJ Bill satisfied,?
6. etc, etc.

Initially today, McCain's comment on this trash was reported as being "we've got to keep our sense of humor."

He has since denied that he was referring to the Corsi book. But the worst and most dishonorable thing of all was the statement that came out of his office while explaining himself:

• "The Senator will have no comment on the book."

What? No comment? Does this McCain remember the other McCain who was attacked with racist and baseless trash in South Carolina by that little jerk George W. Bush? Has he lost all the honor he claims to have proven in Vietnam?

Is he McSame? Or McWorse?