John McCain's shameless pandering to Bush donors at the Memphis GOP confab (aw shucks, fellas, don't vote for me ... no, not little old me ... write in our beloved President...) is drawing hisses from most straw poll observers online (though the WaPo managed to do its usual McCain as "rebel" lovefest, despite no signs of such rebellion in his actual performance as a Senator...) Sayeth the still on the McCain bus WaPo:
MEMPHIS, March 11 -- No one stole the show at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference here this weekend, but Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) demonstrated why every other prospective 2008 presidential candidate must figure out how to get around him.
More than any of his potential rivals, McCain found a way to balance embracing a weakened President Bush -- at a time when many Republicans are running away from the president -- while appealing to those in and out of his party who believe Bush and other Washington Republicans have lost their way. No other candidate could claim to offer continuity and change almost simultaneously.
The Arizona senator was full-throated in his support for Bush on Iraq, Iran and even the now-defunct Dubai seaports deal. In doing so, he continued to establish his bona fides as the Republican most likely to defend and extend the president's controversial foreign policy record. At the same time, McCain delivered a stern condemnation of fiscal profligacy and corruption in Washington that was rooted in his reputation as an advocate of change and an antagonist of pork-barrel spending.
Why is McCain sucking up to GWB ... again ...? Because he probably has made a deal with the Bushies to back him, with shoe leather and with that all-important Rangers donor list -- if he will do as Collin Powell once did: put his credibility with the public in the service of the president. Unfortunately for McCain, the outcome for him will probably be the same as it was for Powell: having handed his "public trust" over to the Bushies, he will try to retrieve it one day only to find it thoroughly trashed.
From the Hotline Blog, signs the WH had a hand -- or at least "supported" McCain's stunt:
The only "campaigning" evident overnight for the SRLC straw poll was a flyer slipped under the doors at the Peabody Hotel claiming that "National GOP Leadership Offers Support" For the "Write-in President Bush" campaign. Included on the flyer are quotes from the speeches Trent Lott, Ken Mehlman and Haley Barbour gave to the SRLC yesterday. Also included is the quote a WH spokesperson gave to The Hotline ...
...The Hotliners also have the numbers, indicating McCain's stunt might have been too cute by half -- the confab was held in Tennessee, where Bill Frist had a distinct advantage, and whatever his pleas, it's likely most of the attendees at the SRLC straw poll voters weren't going to support him anyway. (BTW Romney finished a surprisingly strong second, and he wasn't even there, George Allen -- whom Chris Chillizza at WaPo says gave the most rousing speech at the confab -- tied with the President, and hardly anybody gave a crap about Condi or Rudy -- sorry, Chris Matthews... oh, yeah, and about one person voted for Sam Brownback)
Some other interesting asides from the WaPo article, indicating that there may be some method to McCain's madness:
When Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (Ky.) called Bush "one of the great presidents in the history of the United States," the audience rose to applaud and cheer. Former Texas Republican Party chairman Fred Meyer made clear that anyone running for president in 2008 should forget about running against Bush. "Not supporting the president on the high percentage of issues would be a mistake, because people value loyalty."
The other prospective candidates generally followed that script throughout the weekend, finding ways to praise Bush on his judicial appointments or on his steadfast commitment to defeating the terrorist threat. But there were as many echoes of Ronald Reagan in their speeches as there were of George W. Bush, and the thread through many was that this Republican Party must return to the core values of limited government, strong national defense and traditional values that fueled the Republican rise to power since Reagan was elected in 1980.
In addition to McCain and Frist, four other potential presidential candidates spoke: Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Sens. George Allen (Va.) and Sam Brownback (Kan.). New York Gov. George E. Pataki, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Sen. Chuck Hagel (Neb.), all said to be mulling runs in 2008, did not attend. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who might use the 2008 primaries and caucuses to promote his anti-immigration agenda, was not invited.
The question at the end of all this is simple: will Republicans choose to stay the Bush course by backing McCain, when a clear majority of Americans want a complete change in foreign and domestic policy? In the end, what does McCain really offer America that is different form what the Bushies are giving us? My view is "nothing." McCain IS George W. Bush, with a bigger brain and a better relationship with the Washington press corps (I'm fairly sure they'd drink his bath water.) And it's the media that is making McCain the front runner. As long as they continue to love him, he'll remain the guy to beat in 2008, straw poll or no straw poll. (Do you honestly think most Republicans -- let alone most Americans -- want to be led by President Bill First? Don't make me laugh...)
Best McCain quote of the day goes to a commenter named "oakland" on the Hotline blog:
McCain - You are a media darling; and just because Tweety can't quit you, doesn't mean the rest of the country wants a damn thing to do with you. The fundies hate you, Rush hates you, Drudge hates you, liberals hate you, I hate you. You running as the Republican would even force me to vote for Hillary.
Natch. McCain will remain the media front runner, despite the straw poll result. The media is simply too committed to his candidacy to walk away. And having the White House behind him -- even with their huge problems -- isn't exactly nothing. But if 2008 is going to be a "change" election -- and I think it is, it's hard to see how you argue for changing course when you've wholeheartedly endorsed the course we're on. Let's see if John McCain turns out to be a contortionist as well as a blantant panderer and phony.
Update: Firedoglake has a very familiar picture (one you're going to see a lot of as we appraoch 2008...) and the story on McCain's possible violation of the very campaign finance laws he helped write, while stumping for Arnold Schwarzenegger in Cali.
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"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
