John McCain & immigration reform in the book "Game Change"

[elocs]

by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the bottom of page 283, top of 284 from 2007:

Agitating him (McCain) further was a policy debate about which he cared greatly, and for which he was catching major flak. The issue was immigration reform. With Bush's support, Congress was taking up aproposal that would allow a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. In late May, McCain stood alongside Ted Kennedy and announced his support for the bill.

Weaver and Salter begged McCain to ease up. He was already the face of the Iraq surge. Now he was becoming the face of what opponents called "amnesty." Just tone down the rhetoric, his advisers pleaded.

McCain refused. He was disgusted by Repubicans in Congress and talk radio gasbags such as Rush Limbaugh who bashed immigrants. "They're going to destroy the fucking party," he would say.

As McCain's town hall meetings devolved into shouting matches over immigration, the candidate let his frustration show through. He called Lindsey Graham in despair Listen to these people, McCain said, Why would I want to be the leader of a party of such assholes?

I guess that was then and this is now.

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. Turns out he's not the leader

He's just one of those assholes. His flip flops are breathtaking.

[Arkana]

2. It's called "I'm in a primary against a guy who makes me look like

a flaming liberal and will say and do ANYTHING to keep my Senate seat."

[elocs]

3. No, he's not the leader now, but he was looking to be then.

I wonder how many other Republicans there are now who think the same but just pander now to the Teahadists because it is expedient and they think it will help them to get elected or reelected?

[Angry Dragon]

4. All of them

[elocs]

5. Well, I'm sure that some of them have drank the Kool Aid. n/t