This time last year, while I was a CPAC, John McCain's guys (Patrick Hines!) were practically invisible, sneaking off to a parallel universe of cocktail parties and making excuses for their altogether absent leader. Fine, we all thought, he got the memo that he is no friend of the used and abused Conservative Right and he'd best not show his grizzled face.
Now I will relish the boos that will certainly resound from the CPAC hall when Tom Coburn quits blowing sunshine up his briefs, calling him "his friend", and trying not to gag.
If there are no "BOOS", (along with painful personal reasons) I will have decided correctly to eschew the invitation to this year's Conference, in the face of the reality that our Republican party is but a broken line up of political whores.
As I have said before, my heartburn with supporting Fred Thompson was my apprehension that he was only in it as a shill for McCain. Since Fred has yet to endorse anyone since his exit, he seems like an obvious choice. But I say too obvious.
With my ear to the ground at home, I predict here (as I correctly predicted one year ago (to much ridicule) that Huckabee (who?) would place in the top two in South Carolina) that McCain will tap my own Palmetto State Governor, Mark Sandford as his South facing window dressing. No one wins the Big House without us Blue Ridge Bible thumpers. Like it or not, Juan.
The toothy, folksy, but very well heeled Governor of South Carolina would be the only thing that will bring this Conservative military spouse to the voting booth this November. Because as I have said before, when the wheels come off the bus in two years, I want a DEMOCRAT behind the wheel.
John McCain is one heroic bastard to be sure. Accent on the bastard. But having met him at numerous Marine Corps receptions inside The Beltway, I am always struck by the oxygen that is sucked out of the room upon his arrival. Mark Sanford is the levity John McCain needs right now. But also knowing Mark Sanford, if he does accept this ill-timed invitation, it will be with much trepidation to the future viabilityof his own political aspirations.
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As I watch his CPAC crow fest, I only hope that McCain has the tact wait until tomorrow to bend Huckabee over the railing now that he has served well in his role as useful idiot. I only hope he kisses him first.
>>>>>>>UPDATE>>>>>>>
McCain kisses Huckabee off DURING his CPAC speech. Sad. Predictable.
I don't call him McVAIN for nothin'.