“Senator Straight-Talk” Considered Bolting GOP in 2001

What was that about Senator John McCain being a man of steadfast, unwavering principle?

Well, according to an alarming March 29, 2007 story in The Hill, it would appear that the Arizona Senator’s knack for abandoning his so-called principles for the purpose of political expediency extends beyond the issue of campaign finance.

 According to the piece…

“McCain was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before Sen. Jim Jeffords famously announced his decision to become an independent…”

Jeffords’ decision handed control of the Senate to the Democrats.  Apparently, that could have been McCain.

Interestingly enough, Candidate McCain is out there trying to brand himself as a conservative as he seeks the 2008 GOP nomination.  Readers of this blog already know that he refuses to abide by the same speech limitations he seeks to legislatively impose on everyone else through his so-called “campaign finance reform” agenda. 

However, most striking is, according to the story, it was not Democrats who approached the Arizona Senator about switching parties in 2001.  Rather, it was McCain’s chief political strategist John Weaver who approached them.

Former Senate Majority and Minority Leader Tom Daschle reports in his new book that he met with McCain several times in April and May of 2001 about the conditions under which McCain would make the jump. 

According to Daschle, such conditions included committee memberships and seniority:

“We had meetings and conversations on the floor and in his office, I think in mine as well, about how we would do it, what the conditions would be.  We talked about committees and his seniority.  [A lot of issues] were on the table.”

And it wasn’t only Daschle with whom McCain was negotiating.

According to The Hill story…

“Other senators who played major roles in the intense recruiting effort, according to Democrats, were then-Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) as well as Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.).”

Some company.

It is time for Mr. Straight Talk to talk straight.    Then again, based on the Senator’s poor fundraising performance thus far, it would appear that the American people have hopped off that bus. 

Whether it is attempting to raise as much “corrupting special interest money” as he can to support his bid for the GOP nomination, or whether it is espousing to the big government principles of the political party now dominated by liberal radicals in return for committee assignments,  it appears McCain will do anything to advance himself politically.

At the very least, McCain should state his obvious intentions to forgo campaigning within the limitations of the presidential public financing system.  

Then again, abiding by those limitations, which are similar to the First Amendment restrictions he seeks to impose on everyone else, would put him at a competitive disadvantage.  And we know that is just not his style.

Not agreeing to the money restrictions makes him a hypocrite.

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