McCain’s Turnabout

Wow. Remember Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who vowed to do all he could to help his new president through these terrible times, and then told his colleagues to stop playing games with Hillary Clinton’s confirmation as secretary of State? He had bipartisan fever back then, like many others, back during that euphoric period of President Obama’s inauguration. That was two weeks ago, and of course, so much has changed.

McCain, who at first opposed a waiver for William Lynn as deputy secretary of Defense because of how much his current work at the Pentagon will overlap with his former work with Raytheon, is now taking aim at the stimulus. At first he said he was going to write his own bill — but apparently that wasn’t enough. Now he is petitioning against the legislation online to his e-mail supporters through his political action committee, Country First PAC.

“I appreciate the discussions President Obama is having with my Republican colleagues, but the time for talking has come to an end and we must now begin some serious negotiation. But as of yet, Republicans have not been given the opportunity to be involved. The House of Representatives passed a stimulus bill without a single Republican supporting it. In the Senate, the Democrat leadership is trying to jam the existing proposal through regardless of reservations from a number of members. With so much at stake, the last thing we need is partisanship driving our attempts to turn the economy around,” wrote McCain, according to ABC News.

While McCain has clearly given up on his earlier effort to urge his colleagues to help Obama during the beginning of his presidency, and is hardly alone in criticizing the stimulus, it is not true that the administration is shutting out Senate Republicans in this debate. The process, at Obama’s insistence, is open to amendment, and he is negotiating with Republicans and Democrats alike to find the votes for the bill.

If McCain wants to help build consensus for a solution to the country’s economic crisis, if he wants bipartisanship, why doesn’t he put Country First by getting involved with the rewriting of the bill instead of petitioning protest through his political action committee?

ARE WAGE CAPS FOR BANK EXECUTIVES TAKING TARP FUNDS A GOOD IDEA? Ask A.B. returns Monday, Feb. 9. Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to askab@digital-stage.thehill.com. Thank you.