As John Amato, from Crooks and Liars assiduously points out: Maureen Dowd, Steven Benen, Ana Marie Cox, and Ben Smith, among others have noted how John McCain is playing his war hero card - hard. (Newsweek's Howard Fineman even argues using this POW reference so frequently may backfire come RNC convention time.)

But I think that's a misread.

Here's why it works:

#1. If ever anyone were born...