We've got Zell Miller. The Republicans have --
John McCain.
"I believe my party has gone astray," McCain said, criticizing GOP stands on environmental and minority issues.
"I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy,'' he said. "But I also feel the Republican Party can be brought back to the principles I articulated before."
The maverick senator made the remarks at a legislative seminar hosted by U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Lowell) as he again ruled out running on a ticket with Democrat John F. Kerry.
The Arizona Republican took on President Bush for failing to prepare Americans for a long involvement in Iraq, saying, "You can't fly in on an aircraft carrier and declare victory and have the deaths continue. You can't do that."
I'll take McCain over Zell any day of the week. But what the hell is McCain up to?
Is it the veep? Many of you would freak if McCain switched parties and accepted a Kerry offer, but I'm not sure I would. I want Bush gone, and a Kerry/McCain ticket, with McCain talking about how the Republican party has lost its way is pretty freakin' powerful.
On the other hand, he's, what do you call them... a Republican. His 2002 ratings, with Kerry's in parenthesis:
Americans for Democratic Action (liberal): 20 (85)
ACLU: 0 (60)
AFSCME (labor): 29 (88)
LCV (environmental): 41 (94)
Concord (pro-balanced budget): 95 (65)
National Taxpayer's Union (anti-tax): 75 (18)
Chamber of Commerce: 79 (55)
Christian Coalition: 79 (55)
Ugh. He's no Trent Lott, mind you, but those are not happy numbers (which are based on the percentage of times the senator has voted with that particular interest group).
It would make no sense for McCain to go independent, a la Jeffords. His notoriety stems in large part on his "maverick" status inside the Republican party. It's the same reason Zell doesn't get his lame ass out of our party. So if McCain is going to do something dramatic, it would be switching parties, and that makes no sense unless his switch brings something to the table, such as a change in control of the Senate.
Or the vice-presidency.
McCain seems to be laying the foundation for such a switch, whether we like it or not. Keep in mind that his voting record would immediately improve if he were to switch parties (party discipline, while not absolute, is still a powerful force. Especially since he still has to raise money as a Republican for his reelection fights). So it may be a bit unfair to hold him against his past record. I'd be more interested in where he would stand in the future on issues like choice and the war in Iraq (which he strongly supported).
But man, hate it or love it (and I can see the arguments for both sides), a McCain vice-presidential nomination would be explosive. It would dominate the news for endless cycles. If anything, it might threaten to overshadow Kerry. We would be in for a wild ride.
(Thanks to DonBinTN.)