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The “Mac” Is Back. McCain Sets Target On Obama Agenda (LA Times)
Soon after the Senate opened its long-awaited debate on healthcare legislation last week, John McCain strode into the chamber to spearhead his party’s opposition to the massive bill. He offered Republicans’ first amendment and leveled the party’s most politically stinging charge — that cuts in Medicare spending would hurt the elderly.
A day later, McCain took the lead in grilling President Obama’s team on its newly minted plan for the Afghanistan war. Why, McCain pressed, had the president set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops?
“A withdrawal date only emboldens Al Qaeda and the Taliban,” he said.
He’s been down, he’s been out, but the Mac is back.
McCain still strikes his signature pose as war hero and scourge of special interests, but in other ways McCain is cutting a very different profile than he did before he ran for president in 2008.
Gone is the maverick bridge-builder who bucked his party on high-voltage issues such as immigration, climate change and campaign finance reform.
As the GOP has settled on a strategy of unremitting opposition to the Obama agenda, McCain has been front and center on the attack.
The Arizona senator has not been making unique arguments against Obama’s policies. But he has found a unique niche: In a party where congressional leaders are largely little known and short on charisma, McCain is a colorful political celebrity.
At a time when the marquee names in conservative circles are outsiders like Sarah Palin and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, McCain has emerged as one of Obama’s most formidable opponents in Washington — especially on two of the most burning issues of the day.
On healthcare, he led the charge in trying to stir older Americans into opposition. And on Afghanistan, he has played the war hero and defense expert, accusing Obama of playing into the Taliban’s hands.
FOR CONTINUATION OF THIS STORY, CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES: The fight’s back in John McCain — latimes.com.
