McCain may have switched parties in 2001.

Curator · 02-01-2008, 09:12 AM

John McCain was very close to leaving the Republican party in 2001 and becoming either a Democrat or, much more likely, an independent a la Jim Jeffords who would caucus with the Democrats.

Quote:

In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist.

Democrats had contacted Jeffords and then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) in the early months of 2001 about switching parties, but in McCain’s case, they said, it was McCain’s top strategist who came to them.

At the end of their March 31, 2001 lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Bethesda, Md., Downey said Weaver asked why Democrats hadn’t asked McCain to switch parties.

Downey, a well-connected lobbyist, said he was stunned.

“You’re really wondering?” Downey said he told Weaver. “What do you mean you’re wondering?”

“Well, if the right people asked him,” Weaver said, according to Downey, adding that he responded, “The calls will be made. Who do you want?”

“Within seconds” of arriving home from his lunch with Weaver, Downey said he was on the phone to the most powerful Democrats in town. One of the first calls he made was to then-Senate Minority Leader Daschle.

Daschle said that throughout April and May of 2001, he and McCain “had meetings and conversations on the floor and in his office, I think in mine as well, about how we would do it, what the conditions would be. We talked about committees and his seniority … [A lot of issues] were on the table.”

So, what happened? Vermont’s Jim Jeffords left the GOP and gave control to Dems. At that point, McCain then broke off discussions.

McCain really is a maverick and is all over the board.

He can stay stuff that even a flaming liberal can agree with…and in the next moment go bat shit crazy about Bu$h’s Iraq mess.

That’s why he is super dangerous in the General Election.

Heretic · 02-01-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curator

That’s why he is super dangerous in the General Election.

Being wrong about Iraq doesn't make him dangerous, nor does his maverickism. What makes him dangerous is that to get reelected in 2012 he'll have to keep pandering to the right wing base.

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