It is such an indictment on the pathetic notions of journalism from a journalist--especially when it comes to dealing with media darling John McCain--that CNN reporter Jim Acosta can't even recognize a legitimate question being asked of a presidential candidate and characterized it as being under fire from a heckler. Many thanks to C&Ler Jerald, who caught this little tidbit during the interminable "CNN's Ballot Bowl" this weekend for us.

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At an appearance at an Episcopal high school in Alexandria, Virginia during his Biography tour, a student calmly and rationally pointed out the rather obvious political overtones to the assembly (despite it not being portrayed as such to the student body, evidently) and asked what McCain's intent was being at her school. Oooh! That's so harsh! The nerve of that student! Rush her to Gitmo now! Seriously, to Jim Acosta, that's heckling.

ACOSTA: But it was earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia, where he [McCain] visited a high school—a uh, high school…Episcopal high school in Alexandria, Virginia--where apparently a student there started heckling the Senator and John McCain then had to respond. So here is John McCain responding to what appears to be a student heckler earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia: STUDENT: We can see that this isn't completely absent, uh, political motivation isn't completely absent, yet we were told this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here, not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification. MCCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. [laughter] This meeting is over. [laughter] Um, this is an opportunity and part of a series of visits that I'm playing...paying...we started in Mississippi, uh, where my family's roots are back to the middle of the 19th century, to here. We're going from here to Pensacola, Florida, to Jacksonville, Florida, and a couple of other places where...we're going to Annapolis, where I obviously attended the Naval Academy. And it's sort of a tour where we try to not only emphasize the values and principles that guided me and I think a lot of this country in the past, but also portray a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future, and a lot of that is in retrospect, but a lot of it is also advocacy and addressing certain challenges that face the nation. I hope that attendance here was not compulsory. ACOSTA: So there you have it, John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire, able to handle that heckler there...

Dude, did you just liken that question to being in a combat zone? Hang it up, Acosta. You're just an embarrassment now.