Is Bush Still Messing with McCain?

Posted by javavoodoo on September 17, 2008 under Opinion, Politics | Read the First Comment

George Bush ran one of the nastiest campaigns in history against John McCain in the 2000 Republican primary. Even going so far as to send flyers out to North Carolina voters saying McCain had an illegitimate black child. (Source) The McCains have an adopted black daughter. I think it’s fair to say that for years, John McCain and George Bush had a strained relationship.

But one thing about John McCain is that he won’t let a little thing like his personal principals stand in the way of his blind ambition to become president. John sucked up his personal dislike of W, and became one of the most reliable Bush votes in the US Senate, voting 95% of the time along the Bush line. Since declaring for President, McCain has reversed himself on virtually all the other 5% of issues where he and Bush were politically apart.

You have to almost think George W. Bush still enjoys messing with John McCain.

Yesterday McCain said we cannot bail out AIG. Then Bush bails out AIG late yesterday afternoon, so today McCain reverses himself saying “we had to bail out AIG.” (Source) A 180 degree turn in under 24 hours!

The same thing happened earlier in the campaign on the topic of offshore drilling. McCain was against new offshore drilling, then Bush came out and said, “hey, let’s drill in the Gulf of Mexico” and so McCain had to do another quick turn and become Pro offshore drilling. (Related)

To be fair, McCain did say it would only offer a “psychological” benefit. But then he started chanting, “Drill Here, Drill Now” so maybe he’s just trying to psych out those high gas prices?

Still George Bush has a well documented mean streak. Call it the frat boy prankster in him if you will, but you can’t miss it in his smirk when he thinks he’s landed a zinger to some reporter. For his part, McCain did give Bush only 8 minutes at the RNC this year. Maybe he was worred what W might say?

The way the Bush team doesn’t tip McCain to their decision making, makes me think W’s still enjoying making John squirm as long as he can.