Pundits focus on McCain gaffes

WASHINGTON, July 22 (UPI) -- A string of verbal gaffes committed by likely Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain is raising questions about his age, observers say.

If elected, McCain would begin his presidency at age 72, the oldest ever for a presidential first term. After three weeks of mistakes, such as saying "Iraq" when he apparently meant "Afghanistan" on Monday, observers are wondering if he still has the mental acuity for the job, The Politico reported Wednesday.

The political Web site said voters will compare McCain to their own relatives and will be watching closely for signs of old age impairment, even though there are plenty of examples of men in their 70s who are as physically and mentally fit as ever.

Late-night U.S. comedians have already turned McCain's gaffes into joke fodder. The Politico said CBS's David Letterman elicits laughs any time he says the words "McCain" and "nap" in the same sentence. McCain tried to roll back some of the controversy last week during an appearance on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" by pretending to doze off.