John McCain: Any Port in a Storm

Sen. John McCain visits Miami today, which is one of six cities that the would see its ports taken over by DP World, a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates if the Bush Administration plan goes into effect. Since McCain is the only Senator this side of the Dole family willing to support the President's plan, he will undoubtedly be questioned.

Here’s what McCain said about the deal:
“The President’s leadership has earned our trust in the war on terror, and surely his administration deserves the presumption that they would not sell our security short.”

Kind words, and a stunning change of heart from somebody who thoroughly condemned the Administration’s handling of the war on terror.

Asked in a December 2004 Associated Press interview whether he had confidence in the Administration’s leadership in the War, McCain was clear:
"I said no. My answer is still no. No confidence."

McCain went on to call for an additional 80,000 Army personnel and 20,000 to 30,000 more Marines to secure Iraq.

"I have strenuously argued for larger troop numbers in Iraq, including the right kind of troops -- linguists, special forces, civil affairs, etc.," said McCain, R-Ariz. "There are very strong differences of opinion between myself and Secretary Rumsfeld on that issue."

So what has changed? Not the number of troops in Iraq. Since McCain “strenuously” called for more troops, the number barely changed, and is in fact slightly lower now than it was then. Attacks by insurgents are higher, and reports of torture – another issue where McCain clashed with the administration -- continue to trickle out.

While little has moved in Iraq, things have changed for McCain at home. The once-maverick has begun grasping at Bush’s coattails among the Republican faithful. McCain has been actively courting Bush’s fundraising network, strategists and supporters among the base community.

This week U.S. News and World Report announced:

Bushies have talked [McCain] him up in private chats with Republican strategists and have even tried to steer people to the Arizonan's effort.Robert Novak noted an apparent use of Bush’s fundraising list for a McCain fundraising mailing

Major political contributors to George W. Bush who have never given a dime to prospective 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain received letters, dated Feb. 8, asking for donations to the senator's Straight Talk America political action committee.

Obviously using President Bush's direct mail list, the letter signed by McCain asks for $1,000 or $1,500 to support candidates agreeing with McCain on "key issues." It specifically lists "limiting federal spending, immigration reform, military readiness, global climate change, Social Security reform, reining-in lobbyists, reducing the power of the special interests and putting an end to wasteful pork barrel spending by Congress."

Each recipient received a card to be filled in for McCain's files. "I'm asking you to update your file card," requests the letter, though the Bush contributors had no previous card in the senator's files.

Newsweek and the Washington Post listed key Bush fundraisers McCain has recently added including Uber-Pioneer Tom Loeffler, Tom Hicks, who bought Bush’s share of the Texas Rangers, and Bush Michigan finance chief Ron Weiser – no doubt with an eye toward a possible quasi-home-state campaign of Mitt Romney. McCain has also has met with Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and received support from Bush’s top media consultant, Mark McKinnon.

McCain has also been actively courting Republican right-wingers he previously avoided. After calling Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson “agents of intolerance” who exerted an “evil influence” on the Republican Party, McCain met with Falwell to determine how to sell himself with conservative voters.