Advisers And Friends Worried About "Grumpy McCain"

Advisers And Friends Worried About "Grumpy McCain"

When Politico's Ryan Grim approached Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) after the evening of the Senate bailout vote, the reporter didn't even get his question out.

"Excuse me, you're bothering me," McCain said.

It was a surprising rebuke from a politician who once was famous for palling around with reporters, and who was so media-friendly that he was sometimes known as "the senator from 'Meet the Press.'"

But what friends call "grumpy McCain" is showing up regularly on the campaign trail, and several top advisers worry that it's hurting his campaign by making him appear peevish and hunkered down when the country is looking for a larger and more optimistic brand of leadership.

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