February 23, 2006
Rocky Shoals At Port McCain
Good policy ain't always good politics, and to the (probable) frustration of his political supporters, Sen. John McCain has a way of making clear that distinction.
Looked at solely through the prism of presidential primary politics, the latest controversy over UAE port decision pits two of McCain's purported primary strategies against each other: courting Bush loyalists and courting conservatives.
Can you find a Bush loyalist (Jimmy Carter? The NYT editorial page? Sean Hannity?) who's on Bush's side here?
McCain is a smart political cookie and clearly understands the short-term peril of standing against the weight of elite political opinion.
So even if you're inclined to believe that McCain puts his finger to the wind like every politician, you'd have to construct a fairly convoluted argument to make that theory fit here.
While other potential '08ers like Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) were stepping out this week to criticize the WH, McCain issued a statement saying Bush had "earned our trust" and "deserves the presumption" that he "would not sell our security short."
(Why not ask Frist and Allen where they think Bush has earned that presumption? If Bush has not, doesn't that undermine the entire Republican argument about Bush, trust and national security?)
Somewhere along the line the two roads diverged in a yellow wood. McCain, of course, took the road less traveled.
McCain sees the President's perspective. It's the only explanation for deliberately positioning himself against both Bush loyalists and movement conservatives. And even Democrats.
Posted at 03:32 PM
Comments
McCain's moments of independence are becoming fewer and farther between. Hard to make a case hes doing much more than a cynical cozying up to Bush. With his record on issues the Republican base cares about, it may be his last ditch hope.
For a different take:
http://www.senatemajority.com/john_mccain_any_port_in_a_stor.html
Mike Gehrke | 02.23.06 05:48 PM
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You missed a third possibility for why John McCain is supporting the president on the UAE deal - McCain has sold out to Karl Rove in order to garner Rove's support in 2008.
Remember, Rove and Bush did McCain in during the SC primary (black baby smear, Manchurian candidate smear, McCain's wife's a drug addict smear.) Remember too that McCain has pissed Bush/Rove off a few times during the last five years, especially with his criticism of the handling of the Iraq war and his pushing of the anti-torture bill.
But notice also that when the chips have been down, John McCain always seems to support President Bush these days just when so many other Republicans are splitting from the president's side. In fact, McCain's support has been pretty consistent ever since the 2004 election season.
Think lately how McCain has tempered his criticsm of the Iraq war management (unlike the other GOP "maverick" Chuck Hagel, who has increased his criticsm) and how McCain has given Bush a pass on Katrina (has McCain even said anything about the Katrina aftermath or did meeting the president in Arizona with a cake on the day New Orleans was flooding embarrass him into silence?), the Medicare fiasco, the domestic wiretapping controversy, and a few other issues.
Even on the torture issue, McCain never criticized Bush for issuing a signing statement while Bush was putting his John Hancock on McCain's anti-torture law.
Could you not make an argument that McCain is doing his damnedest to make Karl Rove happy during the lead-up to '08 so as to avoid the SC primary smear jobs from happening again? Thus McCain is backing the president and storing up Rovian good will by suggesting everybody take a chill pill and just trust the president on this issue.
This is just a theory, of course, but I have to say that since 2004, it really feels like McCain has lost his coveted straight-talking "maverick" GOP status to his political aspirations for 2008.
reality-based educator | 02.23.06 05:53 PM
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Wrong. McCain knows that the temporary furor will eventually die down and Bush values loyalty over anything else and this loyalty will not be forgotten among either Bush insiders or the loyal base (all 39% of them which who will not abandon Bush come hell or high water). He is sacrifacing temporarily for a hopeful payoff down the road. It is the politics of cynicism at it's worst.
McCain has his finger in the air alright but he is just testing the long term winds and not the short term ones.
Isn't it time that the "McCain is a Maverick" meme die? He is the consumate insider who plays inside politics like we are seeing here.
Jeremy | 02.23.06 06:04 PM
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Frist steps up and George Allen hides...Allen wasnt tough...he put his finger to the wind and expressed "concern"...not unlike his gimmicky line item veto gambit at c-pac...allen has shown the cautious approach is his approach...commit nothing...flash and no thunder....
Mccain did the same thing as Allen...but Mccain has nothing to gain or lose on this...he came up with a gang of 14 type position...that is his style...and it probably works for him...if you dont think Frist is the real winner with conservative national security crowd you are out to lunch...
btw, the real story should be that while an important issue for 08 politics broke out...Allen was in Jeffco, Virginia shoring up his base for Senate fight against Bill Webb...
James | 02.24.06 01:38 PM
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