Wash. Times ignores McCain's flip-flops on immigration, taxes

Summary: The Washington Times reported that conservatives "have clashed" with Sen. John McCain "on issues such as his support for strict limits on campaign finance, his teaming with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy ... on immigration and his votes against President Bush's two major tax-cut packages." However, the article did not mention that McCain now says he would not support his own immigration bill if it came to a vote on the Senate floor, or that he now supports extending Bush's tax cuts.

In a May 21 Washington Times article on federal judgeships as an issue in the 2008 presidential election, reporter Ralph Z. Hallow wrote: "Conservatives said the issue is so powerful that it could be worth looking past what they see as Mr. [John] McCain's other flaws. They have clashed with the senator on issues such as his support for strict limits on campaign finance, his teaming with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, on immigration and his votes against President Bush's two major tax-cut packages." The article did not mention, however, that McCain now says he would no longer support the so-called "McCain-Kennedy" immigration bill if it came to a vote on the Senate floor, or note that McCain has also reversed his position on "President Bush's two major tax-cut packages" -- he now supports their permanent extension when he originally opposed them.

The Times itself has previously reported on McCain's efforts to more closely align himself with the base of the Republican Party by changing his positions on taxes and immigration. In an October 31, 2007, article headlined "McCain caters to GOP voters," the Times' Stephen Dinan reported: "Sen. John McCain has quietly been piling up flip-flops, including ditching his long-held support for the Law of the Sea convention and telling bloggers he now opposes the DREAM Act to legalize illegal alien students. ... Republican primary voters tilt to the right, and the sea treaty is another example of Mr. McCain veering to try to align himself with them, recanting positions along the way on immigration, tax cuts and campaign-finance reform."

From the May 21 Washington Times article:

Federal judgeships have become the ultimate recurring political battle. The Senate yesterday confirmed the second appeals court nominee of the year, a far lower rate than Republicans had anticipated and underscoring the political stakes involved. Even with Republicans in control from 2003 through 2006 they had a difficult time getting appeals court nominees passed in the face of Democratic filibusters.

Conservatives said the issue is so powerful that it could be worth looking past what they see as Mr. McCain's other flaws. They have clashed with the senator on issues such as his support for strict limits on campaign finance, his teaming with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, on immigration and his votes against President Bush's two major tax-cut packages.

—T.A.