The Old John McCain Is Missing in Action

For a long time, the thing that made John McCain more interesting than other Republicans was his willingness to stand on principle. When he fought for the McCain-Feingold reform bill he was the old John McCain that even a liberal Democrat could admire. That John McCain has been gone for over two years and it now looks like we won't be seeing the old McCain anymore: The Carpetbagger has the story on John's neglect of his famous reform bill:

..."several people involved in discussions about the legislation" said McCain will probably abandon the public-financing system during his 2008 campaign, so he had to give up on a measure he's championed for years to avoid hypocrisy.

Kevin Drum responded, "Can we start keeping score on the number of positions that Mr. Straight Talk has abandoned now that he thinks he has a serious shot at the presidency?" Good idea; I've started a list.

* McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but has since decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans "deserved" the 9/11 attacks.

* McCain used to oppose Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.

* In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

* McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.

* McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White House demands.

I don't know how McCain avoids hypocrisy for something he once fought for and now abandons for the sake of his own ambition. It looks like he won't be the crusader who reforms the corruption now rampant in the Republican Party after all. What a waste of the old John McCain. I fully expect Karl Rove to be working for the new McCain by January.