McCain Scrambles to Refute Party Switch Claims

I had a story the other day that John McCain had been courted by the Dems in 2001, and had seriously considered switching parties before Jumpin' Jim Jeffords beat him to it and stole the thunder. Since then, McCain has been trying to beat that story back by insisting that he never gave a party switch any consideration.

These headlines on Drudge won't do him any good as they either show a poor memory of past events, or a memory that can be "massaged" as needed for the political moment:

MCCAIN MEMORY:

'I was approached by Kerry to run as his running mate and I rejected it out of hand'...

McCain Said VP Slot 'Was Never Offered' By Kerry...

McCain Said 'Obviously, I Would Entertain' Running With Kerry...

I personally tend to believe that McCain did consider a switch, and probably would have gone had Jeffords not gotten there first. McCain is still clearly bitter about being rejected by the GOP in 2000, and by the nastiness of that primary campaign. Although on some issues, such as Iraq, he's been a stalwart, he comes off to me as a victim of "little man's disease" whose ego and desire for the spotlight leads him to acts borne more of political expediency than of deep conviction.