I'm friends with Nicco, I really love the guy, and his dance with McCain doesn't change any of that.
But here's the deal: McCain has a credible chance of convincing large numbers of uninformed liberals that he is compatible with a progressive agenda. What he's got going for him is his association with campaign finance reform, and a personal demeanor full of cultural liberal signifiers. (Unlike just about any other Republican in the running, he's a guy a Connecticut yuppie could safely invite to a party and not worry about him embarrassing himself.)
If he can swing a handful of defections of high-profile progressives, then he's got a real chance of adding the phrase "McCain Democrats" to the lexicon in '08.
Therefore: when folks jump up to help McCain achieve this, there's got to be a price -- even when they're friends of ours. That doesn't mean we stop being friends with them, or that we do anything mean.
It just means don't let them have it both ways when it comes to politics and business.
Democrats are on the rise. Republicans are on their way out of power -- whether it happens this year or not. Despite this -- actually, because of this -- the threat of McCain winning with false bi-partisian appeal is very real.
Democratic consultants and figureheads need to know that going off to work for McCain means losing their place in the rising Democratic tide.