"There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods today."

John McCain

McCain has an interesting concept of how safe Baghdad is. He was fortunate enough not to fly the unfriendly skies with Senator Mel Martinez.

A military plane bearing three Republican senators -- including Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida -- dodged three shots Thursday as it left Baghdad, according to an interview of Martinez released by his office.

No one was hurt in the attack, which occurred five minutes after the plane took off from the Iraqi capitol, Martinez said. He added military personnel believe the three shots were RPGs, or rocket-propelled grenades.

A near death experience isn't going to stop Martinez from being a Bush loyalist. Martinez said, "incredibly significant progress has been made on the military front." Is he talking about the U.S. military or Iraqi insurgents?

Republican Senators Richard Shelby and James Inhofe were also aboard.

There was no direct identification of the forces on the ground, but Shelby said there was no doubt in his mind they were enemy insurgents.

"The place we were flying over is pretty dangerous with dangerous people. I know it wasn't our people," he said.

Indeed.