NBC's Todd touted McCain as a "moderate," but McCain's own words and record tell a different story

Summary: On Morning Joe, NBC News' Chuck Todd asserted that "all of this angst on the right has only served to remind moderates that [Sen.] John McCain's a moderate." But McCain does not call himself a moderate, claiming that he is "proud to be a conservative." Moreover, he has changed, and even reversed, his position on several issues, including immigration and taxes, to align himself with the base of the Republican Party.

On the February 14 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, NBC News political director Chuck Todd asserted that "the thing that Democrats should always fear about [Republican presidential candidate Sen.] John McCain [AZ] is that all of this angst on the right has only served to remind moderates that John McCain's a moderate." Todd was discussing conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh's assertion that "[i]f I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him ... because that would send the independents and liberals that are going to vote for him running away faster than anything." However, contrary to Todd's claim that McCain is a "moderate," McCain has changed, and even reversed, his position on several issues, including immigration and taxes, to align himself with the base of the Republican Party. McCain also frequently refers to himself as a "conservative," most recently in his February 7 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in which he asserted that he is "proud to be a conservative" and that his "record in public office taken as a whole is the record of a mainstream conservative."

On Morning Joe, co-host Willie Geist said to Todd: "So much has been made about the conservative backlash against John McCain," adding, "Rush Limbaugh yesterday had an incredible sound bite. ... He sort of flipped the logic." Geist then aired an audio clip from the February 13 edition of Limbaugh's radio show, during which Limbaugh stated:

LIMBAUGH: If I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him. If I wanted to torpedo McCain, I would -- because that would send the independents and liberals that are going to vote for him running away faster than anything. What people don't realize is I'm doing McCain the biggest favor that could be done for him by staying out of this. If I endorsed him thoroughly, with passion, that would end the independents and moderates, 'cause they so despise me, and they so hate me.

Todd said of Limbaugh's statement: "Pretty good logic. You know, Rush always makes a lot of sense on this stuff. I mean, the guy's ... pretty smart ... when it comes to political calculus." He added: "[H]e's got a point, and I think that ... the thing that Democrats should always fear about John McCain is that all of this angst on the right has only served to remind moderates that John McCain's a moderate." Todd then stated: "[McCain] doesn't have the same work that a normal Republican nominee has to do right now, which is to figure out how to court the middle."

From the February 14 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

GEIST: Chuck, it's Willie Geist. I want to switch to the Republican side for just a moment. So much has been made about the conservative backlash against John McCain. Rush Limbaugh yesterday had an incredible sound bite -- I want you to listen to her. He sort of flipped the logic. Listen to this:

LIMBAUGH [audio clip]: If I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him. If I wanted to torpedo McCain, I would -- because that would send the independents and liberals that are going to vote for him running away faster than anything. What people don't realize is I'm doing McCain the biggest favor that could be done for him by staying out of this. If I endorsed him thoroughly, with passion, that would end the independents and moderates, 'cause they so despise me, and they so hate me.

GEIST: Chuck, did you follow that logic, and does it make sense?

TODD: Pretty good logic. You know, Rush always makes a lot of sense on this stuff. I mean, the guy's a pretty smart politi -- you know, when it comes to political calculus. So, you know, he's got a point, and I think that, you know, the thing that Democrats should always fear about John McCain is that all of this angst on the right has only served to remind moderates that John McCain's a moderate. So, he doesn't have the same work that a normal Republican nominee has to do right now, which is to figure out how to court the middle. That's already -- he's already shifted.

—M.B.B.