When Diane Sawyer went to the zoo as a kid, did she used to take a stick and poke the old lion in his cage? I ask because the GMA co-anchor did the political equivalent this morning, repeatedly trying to provoke John McCain into taking a rhetorical swing at Rush Limbaugh.

It was Sawyer’s first interview of McCain since the election. One attempt to get McCain to criticize Rush over his much-misinterpreted “I want Pres. Obama to fail” line? OK.  Two attempts?  Pushing it. Three tries?  We’ve departed journalism and entered Jerry Springer fight-picking territory.

McCain was wise enough to refuse to fall for the provocation. But it wasn’t for Sawyer’s lack of trying.

DIANE SAWYER: Another big issue out there of course in the news and on the internet is Rush Limbaugh, who basically says that Republicans have got to take sides. And here’s the question that he posed, here’s the challenge that he posed.

Cut to clips of Rush.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: I don’t 400 words, I need four. I hope he fails . . . We are being told that we have to hope he succeeds because his father’s black, this is the first black president, we’ve got to accept this.

SAWYER: So he says he hopes the Obama presidency fails.  What do you say to Rush Limbaugh?

JOHN MCCAIN: I hope that all of us as Americans can succeed in getting a package that will get this economy going, put millions of people back into jobs, that we can all work together to do so without betraying our fundamental principles of our Republican party, which is lower taxes and spending under control, fiscal responsibility and a high regard for the taxpayers.

With her next question, Sawyer made it clear that she was seeking to stir up a fight.

SAWYER: One more try here.  Do you hope the president succeeds?

MCCAIN: I hope we all succeed, working together.  That’s what the American people want us to do. And if the president gets the credit for it, fine. I’ll give it to him. What I want to do is work to get this country back on its feet again. This is terrible, Diane.  I don’t have to tell you or anybody who is watching how tough this situation is. That’s why we have to act.

Sawyer went back on her promise to to give “one” more try.

SAWYER: Are you offended by what he said?

McCain wouldn’t bite.

MCCAIN: Ah, listen.  I think the important thing for us to do right now is sit down and work together. Mr. Limbaugh is entitled to his opinion, I respect it as I do many other commentators on the issues of the day.