Politico: McCain 'Sane' for Not Being Conservative

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who once said the mainstream media represented his base and assailed conservative leaders as “agents of intolerance,” is now getting back into the media’s good graces by being the favorite Republican of Democrats, especially Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

Mike Allen, who serves as the mainstream media’s conventional wisdom chronicler in Washington, D.C., wrote on Wednesday that McCain is “doing everything in his power to end his career like he began it–as a sane dealmaker, not the pandering, inauthentic conservative we saw during his presidential run.” Allen’s words imply that Republicans who do not want to easily compromise with Democrats are, then, not sane. McCain once referred to such Republicans–like Sens.Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY)–as “wacko birds.”

Allen was referring to a story about how McCain is becoming Reid’s favorite Republican. McCain recently led a group of Republicans over the weekend to cut a deal with Reid so he would not use the nuclear option and change the Senate’s rules with 51 votes instead of 67. Politico noted that, because McCain was so willing to cut a deal, Reid did not commit to permanently taking the nuclear option off the table. Reid did agree not to use the nuclear option this week as part of a deal in which filibusters against three of Obama’s nominees would be ended, while two other nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would be replaced. Republicans agreed not to filibuster Obama’s replacement nominees. 

McCain has gained Reid’s trust on other issues as well, such as on immigration and guns.