McCain Gets Testy in Des Moines

John McCain showed his combative side in a videotaped interview with the Des Moines Register yesterday, taking umbrage at questions about whether Sarah Palin might be inexperienced and whether some of his campaign ads might have stretched the truth. “I have always had 100%, absolute truth, and that's been my life of putting my country first," McCain asserts with annoyance in one clip. "And an assertion that I've ever done otherwise, I take strong exception to."

When asked why he picked an inexperienced running mate, McCain replies, “I strongly disagree with your premise that she doesn’t have experience. I fundamentally disagree, and I’m proud of her record.” When the interviewer mentions that some conservatives have doubted Palin's qualifications, McCain sarcastically replies, “Really? I haven’t detected that,” dismissing any critics as “Georgetown cocktail party” conservatives. (More John McCain stories.)