John McCain, on all the newsmagazine covers now, may be the best story in American politics since another Navy hero Jack Kennedy 40 years ago.
He’s had the best coverage since the “I Like Ike” campaign for General Eisenhower in 1952. But have you got the whole story straight yet: the story of a Vietnam war prisoner’s survival with honor, the story of a conservative Republican with a reform agenda, a candid man who plays politics with pleasure.
It’s the story of a tough little Navy brat known as McNasty in school, and Senator Hothead in the Congress. The story of a maverick who doesn’t much like other mavericks and usually voted the Reagan party line-for tobacco subsidies and school prayer, but not for clean air.
A scourge of campaign money who always had lots of it, and was called the “bought and paid for” prince of the Arizona “interests” when he first went to the Senate.
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Bill Muller, Reporter from the Arizona Republic, Camille Paglia , Salon Magazine Columnist, and Ed Walsh, Wahington Post Reporter.