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Poor John McCain can’t catch a break trying to get some daylight between his own self and Preznit Clusterfuck.

This morning, McCaint decided California’s fifty-five electoral college votes (as well as Florida’s twenty-seven!) weren’t worth trying for, as he bravely stood up in front of an appreciative bunch of Houston oilmen and advocated offshore drilling:

"We can do this in ways that are consistent with sensible standards of environmental protection. And in states that choose to permit exploration, there must be an appropriate sharing of benefits between federal and state governments," he said.

McCain got a loud standing ovation from the crowd in Houston, many of whose members likely are connected to the oil companies that turned this city into the metropolis that is has become.

Such courage! Such honor! Kind of like Barack Obama going to Detroit to challenge auto industry executives about making products with higher gas mileage — except, you know, the opposite.

Of course, McCaint’s new offshore oil drilling plan puts him at odds with the Preznit, who has long protected his little brother Jebbie’s Florida turf. Bush opposes lifting the federal moratorium, at Jebbie’s urging. This gives McCaint some precious daylight between himself and the incredibly unpopular Bush. Right?

But McCain’s central message, derided by Senator Barack Obama in a day of political attacks and counterattacks by the two campaigns, was that he was not President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney, and that he would not pursue the environmental policies of his two fellow Republicans in the unpopular administration.

"John McCain stood up to the president and sounded the alarm on global warming five years ago," said the narrator in a television commercial released on Tuesday by McCain’s campaign. "Today, he has a realistic plan that will curb greenhouse gas emissions."

Except, of course, that when it comes to daylight between himself and the Preznit, McCaint always needs to check with the White House Political Affairs Office. Apparently, that got overlooked today.

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) – President George W. Bush will make an announcement on Wednesday about energy and call on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling, the White House said.

"With gasoline now over $4 a gallon, tomorrow he will explicitly call on Congress to also pass legislation lifting the congressional ban on safe, environmentally friendly offshore oil drilling," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Tuesday.

Dana "Pig Missile" Perino in the middle square, to block, please! You gotta wonder, who is the White House rooting for, anyway?