That Arizona's governor, Republican Jane Hull, is supporting George W. is dismissed as a fluke. There is no vendetta, and it's no fluke. And when the press recovers from its current swoon for McCain, they will rush to correct the oversight. Sure, he is beguiling on the bus. But if journalists remembered their job and dug a bit, they'd discover that McCain is loathed by many of his colleagues for his screaming, finger-waving fits when he is crossed.
Lobbyists tell stories of rudeness bordering on bullying.
Yes, he was genuinely heroic in Vietnam, but he has been quick to exploit that history for cheap shots against competitors. Only his fellow Republicans get that treatment. McCain is banking that personality and character will trump everything else in 2000, and he may be right. Voters do not seem to know or care where McCain stands on the issues. Certainly attacks on his war service or commitment to veterans, as Bush attempted last week, play directly into McCain's hands.