McCain: ThisClose to Becoming a Democrat in 2001?

Was John McCain on the verge of switching parties in 2001?

There's a fascinating story in The Hill today, which quotes both Tom Daschle and former Congressman Tom Downey (D-NY) as saying McCain was seriously considering it. According to the story, McCain's close adviser, John Weaver, approached Downey in 2001 to ask him why the Democrats weren't talking to McCain about switching parties. Downey, a lobbyist who is a close friend of Weaver's, says that Weaver told him McCain would be interested "if the right people asked him." Daschle says what followed were two months of talks with McCain, covering issues like "committees and his seniority" among many other things.

So what happened? Before a deal could be done, Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont quit the Republican party to become an independent, throwing control of the Senate to the Democrats. The talks with McCain (and also Lincoln Chafee, whom the Democrats had approached) broke off.

The McCain people are vehemently denying this story. But the level of detail, and the fact that some of it is already included in Tom Daschle's 2003 memoir, have me convinced. Besides, what would be the motive for Daschle or Downey to make this story up? As for the McCain campaign...

If this story is believed, how does it not translate to the end of a short but exceedingly bumpy road for the Straight Talk Express 2008? No wonder Republicans are looking at former senator and "Curly Sue" co-star Fred Thompson so hopefully.

You could shrug it off as just another bad day in a very bad week for John McCain, except for this:

Can you imagine Senate Democrats trying to form a cohesive Iraq strategy with McCain in the party, and Lieberman at his side?

Talk about a nightmare scenario.