Liar or Bonehead?

Maybe both?

It's fairly common knowledge that the position of President in Iran holds very little actual power. Back when moderate reformer Mohammad Khatami held the presidency, we were regularly reminded that he was pretty much of a figurehead with no real power. Now that the confrontational and controversial Ahmadinejad holds the office, we don't hear so much about how the president is not really the top dog.

Yep.

Anybody remember who the elected political leadership of Iran were when Khomeini was the Supreme Leader?

I thought not.

So it's telling that McCain knowingly perpetuates this lie and the press is generally too lazy or ignorant to bring it up. They don't know, they don't care, and crazy Members-Only Jacket man is too easy a target for making Iran scarier.

Meanwhile, Republican Chuck Hagel has a few things to say about McCain's statements and clearly falls more on the liar side of the equation:

"We know from past campaigns that presidential candidates will say many things," Hagel said of some of McCain's recent rhetoric, namely his policy on talking to Iran. "But once they have the responsibility to govern the country and lead the world, that difference between what they said and what responsibilities they have to fulfill are vastly different. I'm very upset with John with some of the things he's been saying. And I can't get into the psychoanalysis of it. But I believe that John is smarter than some of the things he is saying. He is, he understands it more. John is a man who reads a lot, he's been around the world. I want him to get above that and maybe when he gets into the general election, and becomes the general election candidate he will have a higher-level discourse on these things."