A CNN hagiographer reporter named Stephen Collinson actually wrote these words — not in an editorial, but in a straight news story. No, really, he did:

In a Washington moment for the ages, Sen. John McCain claimed the role of an aging lion to try to save the Senate, composing a moving political aria for the chamber and the country that he loves.

With a deep-red scar etched from his eyebrow to his temple, the legacy of brain surgery less than two weeks ago, McCain beseeched his colleagues to forsake political tribalism and restore the chamber to a spirit of compromise that had helped forge national greatness.

Here is exclusive video of Collinson reading over this lede one last time before filing the story:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VgufM9iLbI]

But seriously, nothing against McCain, who was just doing that McCain thing that Washington journos have been getting moist over for years. I saw the speech. It was a good speech, but really, “one for the ages”? This is a good example of why people hate the media. Again, it’s not that this particular story slobbers over McCain, but that the reporter could not resist grotesque editorializing.

(And by the way, McCain, who earlier said he would vote no on the BCRA, flip-flopped tonight and voted yes. The measure failed anyway.)