The Iago of It All: The New York Times Launches Masked McCain Attack in Shakespearean Saga

The New York Times, having undergone a transgender experience from its former existence as the good Gray Lady, is now appearing as Iago.

Under fire for its savage smear attack on John McCain about his relationship with a woman lobbyist, the Times today fielded David Brooks in an op ed column . In a grand display of passive-aggressive hand-wringing, Brooks manages to lay the whole mess at the feet of McCain staffers.

Cunningly, he also gets in a whack at McCain campaign manager Rick Davis, dissects the personalities of Davis and former staffer John Weaver, and declares at what point McCain's presidential hopes will be over. Waving Desdemona's handkerchief, Brooks, pandering relentlessly for the Times, declares McCain to be a hopeless romantic who likes death under fire but who is "a fine man."

Brooks does everything but directly parrot Iago's famed quote about the warrior Othello: ""I follow him to serve my turn upon him." Yesterday, the Peanut crew, no stranger to Shakespeare, asked if the Times had endorsed McCain only to later knock him down. And so we come to act II, Scene 3:

"When devils will the blackest sins put on,
They do suggest at first with heavenly shows.

Now the meaning of the Times' endorsement of McCain as the best Republican candidate becomes clear. Here, we need to page Dr. Freud, because Brooks, either knowingly, jabbing at someone in the McCain camp, or unknowingly, takes on Iago's own language of poisons: "the poisons have yet to be drained."

Here's an out-take from Brooks' column:

"But while calling around to a dozen senior McCain friends and advisers Thursday, what struck me was the enormous tragedy of the rift. They all love McCain. They all say it is absurd to think he abused his power in the way that is alleged.

But the rift is like some primal sore. It affected every conversation I had Thursday, as it has infected McCain efforts again and again over the past many years.

At his press conference Thursday, McCain went all-in. He didn’t just say he didn’t remember a meeting about Iseman. He said there was no meeting. If it turns out that there is evidence of an affair and a meeting, then his presidential hopes will be over. If no evidence surfaces, his campaign will go on and it will be clear that there were members of his old inner circle consumed by viciousness and mendaciousness.

But lingering over everything is the bitterness of the rift, which has caused duplicity and anger to seep into the campaign of this fine man. The poisons have yet to be drained."

Having done everything but posed downstage to proclaim "Oh, notable strumpet!" about lobbyist Vicki Iseman (without even a handkerchief as proof), the Times has revealed--perhaps too quickly?--its Iago strategy in endorsing McCain.

"Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains.
Yet, for necessity of present life,

I must show out a flag and sign of love, which is indeed but sign. "

Senator McCain: don't pick up any more handkerchiefs with the initials NYT embroidered on the edge, no matter how perfumed.