Get to Know 'The Real McCain'

As the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway, there's already a hurdle to clear: there's a myth that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is a straight-talking maverick who says what he means and means what he says. If McCain takes a stand, a voter can take comfort in knowing that McCain isn't going to reverse course and take the opposite stand shortly thereafter.

Unfortunately, this is total nonsense.

To be sure, the media mainstream not only believes this, it's anxious for everyone else to accept this as the conventional wisdom, as well. U.S. News & World Report Gloria Borger recently asserted, for example, that "[n]o one would accuse McCain of equivocating on anything."

Fortunately, there's a new resource for those of us who know that McCain has already equivocated on practically everything.

Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films have put together The Real McCain, complete with videos showing anything but "straight talk." The inimitable Cliff Schecter will even be hosting a blog at the site, with frequent updates on McCain's transition from independent-minded folk hero (circa 2000) to far-right ideological hack (in advance of 2008).

McCain's flip-flopping has already reached an embarrassing level, on everything from abortion rights to gay marriage, from pre-war predictions to torture, from tax cuts to campaign finance reform. It's a reality that's often lost on the media -- recently described by MSNBC's Chris Matthews as McCain's "base" -- and some of the senator's more ardent backers.

But The Real McCain is setting the record straight. It's the kind of site that's likely to have a considerable impact over the next year. Take a look.