"John McCain embraces and expels Washington like an accordion player belting out a song."

[babylonsister]

McCain leads a dual life as Washington powerbroker

By GLEN JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer


VIENNA, Ohio (AP) -- John McCain embraces and expels Washington like an accordion player belting out a song.

Squeeze in and he touts his vast knowledge of the capital city. Draw out and he casts himself a reformer bent on changing its ways.

It's a remarkable dichotomy echoed throughout the Republican establishment, as a party that's held the White House for the past eight years tries to retain its grip in what has shaped up as a change election.

None other than the current president's brother has shown the GOP's willingness to deny the past as it looks to the future.

"Reform becomes contagious," former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said at a McCain town hall meeting this week in Orlando. "If you start to dream bigger dreams and you start challenging the basic assumptions, you can change how things work, and we've done it in Florida, and the Good Lord knows we need to do it in Washington, D.C., and John McCain is the right guy at the right time to make that happen."

The Good Lord knows we need reform in Washington? Did George W. Bush disown his younger brother after that close call with the hanging chads in 2000?

Did the Democrats control the White House for the past eight years, or both chambers of Congress for the first six of them?

No, Republicans did.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MCCAIN_CHANGE?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT