On Monday, John McCain had a truly combative meeting with the editorial board of the Des Moines Registers discussing, heatedly, everything from Sarah Palin to health care to the shine of his maverick brand.
At one point he took great exception, near anger, with an assertion that the Straight Talk Express had taken a detour, challenging the questioner to provide examples that he had been untruthful or too attack-oriented during the campaign.
"I have always had 100 percent absolute truth and that's been my life of putting my country first. And I'll match that record against anyone's. And I'm proud of it. And an assertion that I have ever done otherwise I take strong exception n to. And you will have to provide better proof than a bill that Sen. Obama supported that clearly calls for the teaching of sex education of young children."
Earlier in the interview McCain was equally as animated when asked about the qualifications of his running mate, Sarah Palin. At one point, it seemed, he caught himself getting heated and deliberately backed off.
"So, with due respect, I strongly disagree with your premise that she doesn't have experience and knowledge and background," the Arizona Republican. "I fundamentally disagree and I'm proud of her record."
There were, in addition, some bizarre moments, such as when the editorial board noted that - having served in the military, then in Congress, and now being over the age of 65 - McCain has always been covered by a taxpayer-financed health care plan?"
"I was out of the military for a while before I went to congress. But that is an interesting statement. And I have never been an astronaut, but I think I know the challenges of space," he said. "And I have never done a lot of things in my life that I think I am familiar with. I have always been a free enterprise person who thinks families make the best choices for themselves.
"I did go a period of time when the health care wasn't very good," he added, in reference to his time as a POW
The Des Moines Register editorial board is left-leaning but they did endorse McCain's candidacy during the Republican primary.