McDrain

As noted by DKos, this will be trivialized by the 'serious' people as a mere slip of the tongue:

Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran.

He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda...

McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

But, and it's not a big but, what if he was deliberately applying this inference to muddy the waters, fool just enough people, those who may only hear or read the first part of this pathetic attempt to re-demonize Iran? It has been a ploy we have seen from the right on numerous occassions, throw something out there, get the sound bite, retract late on a Friday afternoon. The harm has been done. 25% of the idiots on the right, the 'base', imbibe the koolaid and will forever associate Al Qaeda with Iran, even when that proposition is anethema to both parties.