McCain is Conservative?

You know all that talk about McCain not being a Conservative? You've heard that the party hates him? And you've heard that all the AM talk radio people hate him too? How Anne Coulter will actively campaign for Hillary if McCain gets the Republican nomination? Yeah, you've heard all that too?

Well, for what it ' s worth… this voting record analysis in the last two congresses have him pegged as the 8th most Conservative and 2nd most Conservative senator.

110th Senate

109th Senate

What is it that the Conservatives don't like about him? Is it because he has a differing view on immigration? Well, that's a positive in the business world and can also garner a couple Hispanic votes.

What else?

• McCain's co-sponsoring with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., legislation to prevent global warming?
• His opposition to torture or waterboarding in terrorist interrogations?
• His support for campaign finance reform?
• His backing for regulation of tobacco by the Food and Drug Administration?
• His suggestion of serious corporate governance reforms in the wake of the Enron scandal?
• Perhaps his crusade against earmarking by Congress?

I'd say all the above all put him squarely in position to win disaffected moderates, Democrats, and independents... and pisses off the Republicans - because that list is what his party is for? So if the Republicans are for killing puppies, and he's not, he's the bad guy? Whoa.

His weaknesses are support of the war - and the surge, which since that seems to be holding. And his other weak link is the economy. He even said so. But all he has to say is that he's against all the pie-in-the sky plans of his Democrat opponents (specifically hikes in the capital gain taxes) and he'll have that issue down too.

Anne, Rush, Hannity? Why all the hate? Trying to sell some books or something?