May 7, 2010 - McCain vows to "Complete the Danged Fence." 2016 - McCain whines about Trump.

[Miles Archer]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/john-mccain-has-a-yuge-donald-trump-problem-20160506

The man who lost to Barack Obama in 2008 had a target on his back, too. John McCain had always styled himself as the maverick of the GOP, willing to buck the party when matters of principle arose.

But McCain's response to his Tea Party primary challenge in 2010 was a massive lurch to the right. He disavowed old stances and even declared he'd never truly been a maverick. And a man who had previously supported comprehensive immigration reform put out a TV ad in which he told a right-wing sheriff he'd "complete the dang fence." The sheriff reassured him, "Senator, you're one of us." Everyone in Arizona knew who "us" was.

***

According to a report in Politico, McCain knows Trump is a problem for his reelection. "If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket," he told the audience at a private fundraiser, "here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life."

He's right about that. But does he know it's his own damn fault? When the Tea Party came with their pitchforks and torches to storm the castle of mainstream Republicanism, career politicians like McCain were awfully quick to embrace the ugliest side of their party.

[Scalded Nun]

1. So rich!

The candidate that brought us Sarah Palin now complains because a nut-job is running.

[liberalnarb]

2. Is that the GOP's new slogan? "It'll work this time."