Kerry and the Mark of McCain

John Kerry fancies himself a very disciplined politician who never tips his hand. But in his hunt for a running mate, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee may have revealed more about himself than he had in mind.

Kerry is now interviewing potential running mates in his own party. But regardless of how he tries to dress it up, today's candidates are backups. The original object of Kerry's affection -- the person he personally courted for the second spot on the Democratic ticket -- was Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. That McCain wasn't interested in the job is now old news. That Kerry had actually turned to a conservative Republican is an insight into the man and how he might govern if elected.

What made Kerry do it?

Yes, the two senators are good friends. McCain even stuck up for Kerry when the Bush campaign tried to question the Democratic nominee's patriotism. And, yes, there are polls that suggested a bipartisan ticket of these two war heroes would be popular, especially among independent voters. What's more, McCain is also highly regarded for his independence, courage, integrity and willingness to take on the Bush administration -- qualities that make him the kind of politician any Democratic presidential nominee would want on his or her side. But a heartbeat away from the presidency?

Apart from campaign finance reform, on which McCain is a standout, his record on a number of critical social and civil rights issues, including judicial nominations, places him firmly in the Republican Party's right-wing camp. It was McCain, for example, who lined up with fellow Republicans in supporting President Bush's ideologically far-out nominees to the federal appeals courts. Moreover, McCain has:

• Voted against a bill declaring the third Monday in January a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Voted to cut off federal assistance to public schools that prohibit prayer in school.

• Voted to strike provisions of the Racial Justice Act that would prohibit the death sentence in state and federal cases if a defendant could prove with statistical or other evidence that the race of the victim played a role in sentencing.

• Voted against a 1996 bill to prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation.

• Voted against measures to increase the minimum wage, against a woman's right to choose, and with Bush 91 percent of the time last year.

What's more, in wooing McCain, Kerry sought to put on the Democratic ticket a GOP senator who voted for articles of impeachment that would have sent President Bill Clinton packing from the White House.

So why did Kerry pursue McCain?

The Massachusetts senator obviously feels a need to compensate for his liberal voting record. What better way to do that, I suppose, than to tap a conservative budget hawk such as McCain who also appeals to mainstream, suburban independent and Republican voters?

So what if picking McCain would have meant turning to the right and away from moderate Democratic candidates? The Kerry camp believes Democrats are willing to do -- or tolerate -- anything to break George Bush's hold on the White House. Kerry insiders are counting on differences with the Bush administration on jobs, health care and tax cuts to keep Democratic voters in Kerry's camp.