John McCain -- who built his political persona and his 2008 presidential campaign around the claim that he's a "maverick" -- told Newsweek recently: "I never considered myself a maverick."
When POLITICO asked McCain about the contradiction at the Capitol this week, the Arizona Republican grew visibly irritated and snapped: "I've been called a thousand things. It's absolutely ridiculous."
He said 48 percent of the homeowners in his state are underwater on their mortgages. He said he's always "done what's best for my state and the nation." Then he said it again, adding, "People can consider me whatever they want."
And then he darted into the Senate chamber without explaining himself further.
But if McCain won't say why he's abandoning the "maverick" title now, some of his closest associates will: It's politics.
"When you're running for president, you show the public at large that I'll put the country ahead of the party," said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain's closest friend in the Senate and the Republican who has played the deal-maker role ceded by the Arizonan. "When you're in a primary, you've got to prove to people you're a good conservative. That's the difference in the forms. John has a record of conservatism that's being highlighted now because he's in a Republican primary. When you're running for president, you highlight that part of your record, and it shows you're willing to govern the country as a whole." |