In a March 24 column, Donald Lambro, The Washington Times' chief political correspondent, asserted that during his “fact-finding foreign policy trip” Sen. John McCain “burnish[ed] his defense and foreign policy credentials.” Lambro wrote this despite the fact that at a press conference in Amman, Jordan, McCain made the admittedly false claim that “it's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that ... Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran.” McCain had made the same claim to nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt during a March 17 interview and did so more than once during the March 18 press conference in Amman. It was only after Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who traveled with McCain, whispered something in his ear that McCain corrected himself, saying: “I'm sorry. The Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda.” U.S. officials have reportedly claimed Iran is training Shiite militants; Al Qaeda is a predominantly Sunni organization.

Further, in the column in which Lambro referred to McCain's “fact-finding foreign policy trip,” he did not report that the trip included a fundraiser in London.

From Lambro's March 24 Washington Times column:

Meanwhile, the bickering continued between the two Democratic candidates over Florida and Michigan, which have been stripped of their convention delegates by Democratic officials for violating party rules -- feeding an image of a party that couldn't organize a two-car funeral, let alone run the country.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Mr. McCain was on a fact-finding foreign policy trip to meet with overseas leaders, assessing the situation in Iraq and burnishing his defense and foreign policy credentials to be commander in chief.

The contrast couldn't have been sharper: Democrats doing what they are known for -- fighting with one another, while Mr. McCain takes care of business.