More interesting than her remarks is Drudge straining to push this. The banal, noncommittal quote:

“I don’t know why she said what she said,” Mrs. McCain explains in an interview with ABC News’ Kate Snow airing on “Good Morning America” Thursday. “Everyone has their own experience. I don’t know why she said what she said, all I know is that I have always been proud of my country.”…

Asked by Snow if she would feel safe with Obama as president, McCain replied, “I would feel safe with my husband as president . . .I think Barack Obama is a fine man and Michelle Obama is a fine woman (but) this is about who would be better and I think my husband would be better.”

And the calm, measured reaction of America’s newsman, hip-deep in the Obama tank and eager to stir up a little outrage:

Bad idea to have the would-be first lady perceived as needling her counterpart, especially on a day when the big headline from Michelle O’s appearance on The View is how touched she was by Laura Bush’s graciousness on this subject, but what else could she have said? If she takes the Bush line and laughs it off as a simple misunderstanding (which would be odd, since she’s needled her about this before), it complicates things for Team McCain if/when they decide to make the “proud” thing an issue. “I don’t know” is the safest way to play it. Exit question: Has anyone ever before been “unleashed” by essentially dodging a question?