Maverick or chameleon?

Sen. John McCain used to enjoy the sobriquet "maverick," and he often did confound expectations with his sometimes contrary (contrary to his Republican colleagues, that is) positions on issues -- campaign finance, climate change, immigration.   But then he reverts to voting with his colleagues on some important issues that seem to cast doubt on his maverick status.

More and more he seems more like a chameleon, because you never quite know what spots he's going to wear.   Last week, he was in all-out hawk high dudgeon over our failure to intervene in the Syrian civil war.   Then he softened it to saying he would vote against the president's proposed surgical strike plan because it doesn't go far enough.   Now he's reversed that, saying for Congres to vote no on supporting the plan would be "a catastrophe."

As if to reinforce this "good McCain" persona, today he echoed his finest moment during the 2008 campaign when he corrected a woman at a rally, who had claimed that Obama is a Muslim.  On Fox News today, he challenged a reporter's condemnation of Syrian opposition groups who shout "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) when watching a government fighter jet being shot out of the sky.   "I have a problem helping those people screaming that after a hit," the news host said.

McCain rose to the occasion: 

“Would you have a problem with an American person saying ‘Thank God? Thank God?  That’s what they're saying. Come on! Of course they're Muslims, but they're moderates and I guarantee you they are moderates.”

It's good that Sen. McCain stands up to bigotry at times.   I just wish he would do that all the time.

Ralph