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June 22 - Here in your nation’s capital, three parties roam the landscape these days: Dobson-Rove Republicans, Reid-Pelosi Democrats and McCain-Media Independents. At least for now, the McCain-Medias control the game. Going forward, the question isn’t so much whether the leader of the MMs can win the presidency, but whether he will try to do so as an independent or a Republican. If Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hopes to win in ‘08, by the way, she’d better hope McCain chooses the MM route. It’s her best chance.
To an almost comical degree, John McCain is everywhere in Washington, a Batman without mask or cape, plummeting from rooftops into every situation. Sen. Dick Durbin is resisting apologizing for his errant Gitmo “Nazi” remarks? McCain chastises him on “Meet the Press” and, presto, Durbin issues a blubbering apologia on the Senate floor. Conversely, if you want to convene a commission to investigate allegations of prisoner abuse at Gitmo—the very same abuses that prompted Durbin’s remarks—why then, here’s Sen. Lindsey Graham, a faithful McCain lieutenant, to lead the charge. Want to investigate sleazy casino lobbyists who have close ties to the administration of George W. Bush? McCain’s committee is calling witnesses. Want to defend John Bolton, the president’s dyspeptic nominee to be ambassador to the U.N.? McCain is your man. Want to put limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants—arguably the biggest environmental issue of the 21st century? McCain has a tough bill with fellow MMer, Sen. Joe Lieberman. But want to oppose the Kyoto Accords in the name of American sovereignty? You guessed it.
I dunno, McCain may even be the man to see if you get a parking ticket downtown.
So here’s the question: Why is this McCain’s Moment? There are lots of reasons. For one—and this is not a new observation—we in the so-called Mainstream Media can’t get enough of the guy. He’s got an inspiring personal story, of course, but that’s only part of it. McCain, quite simply, is good copy. He knows precisely where to stand on which issues to generate publicity. Battered between right and left, the Mainstream Media is drawn to him because he’s unpredictable, because he is alternately and equally critical of both parties, castigating Democrats for standing in the way of Bolton’s nomination one minute and aiming harsh words at Bush political allies the next.
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