Posted by Jed Lewison on Sun Jul 6, 2008 at 9:59 PM Pacific

McCain's Dilemma: Will He Honor Bush In St. Paul?

I don't think I'm alone when I say that there is really only one question about the GOP convention that interests me: will John McCain have the political courage to stand by his convictions and publicly honor George W. Bush's failed presidency, or will he act like a teenager succumbing to peer pressure and pretend that the president doesn't even exist?

The issue isn't that McCain and Bush are one and the same. Clearly, they are not; John McCain is a genuine war hero, George Bush is a genuine chicken hawk. And while John McCain demonstrated an independent streak before he embraced his inner Rove, George W. Bush has always been a tool of the far right, his campaign rhetoric in 2000 notwithstanding.

But the real problem with McCain is that he's adopted George W. Bush's extremist, out-of-touch right-wing policies on issue after issue. There may have once been a time when there was a difference between their policy platforms, but that time has passed us by, and they now share the same destructive vision for America.

You name the issue, and odds are Bush and McCain have the same position: Iraq, energy, health care, reproductive freedom, taxes, fiscal responsibility, judicial philosophy, economic stimulus, housing policy, etc.

There just isn't any significant daylight between McCain and Bush. I think the only significant issue areas where they have differences are ANWR (McCain has indicated a willingness to reevaluate his policy) and cap and trade (on which McCain is sounding more and more like Bush).

So purely on a substantive basis, I don't understand why John McCain wouldn't want to eagerly embrace George Bush at the convention. I know that Bush is tanking hard in the polls, but John McCain is a man of honor and principal -- or so he claims.

Surely he wouldn't seek to avoid the president of his party, the leader of his political movement because of a public opinion survey? Surely John McCain has the courage, strength, and resolve to stand up for what he thinks is right...right?

Or is he just another a politician, only concerned with winning the next election, his convictions be damned?

I'm not sure what the answer we'll be, but we'll find out soon enough.

McCain's Dilemma: Will He Honor Bush In St. Paul?

I don't think I'm alone when I say that there is really only one question about the GOP convention that interests me: will John McCain have the political courage to stand by his convictions and publicly honor George W. Bush's failed presidency, or will he act like a teenager succumbing to peer pressure and pretend that the president doesn't even exist?

The issue isn't that McCain and Bush are one and the same. Clearly, they are not; John McCain is a genuine war hero, George Bush is a genuine chicken hawk. And while John McCain demonstrated an independent streak before he embraced his inner Rove, George W. Bush has always been a tool of the far right, his campaign rhetoric in 2000 notwithstanding.

But the real problem with McCain is that he's adopted George W. Bush's extremist, out-of-touch right-wing policies on issue after issue. There may have once been a time when there was a difference between their policy platforms, but that time has passed us by, and they now share the same destructive vision for America.

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