John McCain: Political Tightrope Walker?

May 19, 2008— -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is scheduled to appear on the daytime talk show "Ellen" on Thursday, an event of some political significance, given host Ellen DeGeneres's recent declaration that she plans to marry her companion, actress Portia de Rossi, now that the California Supreme Court has opened the door to same-sex marriage.

Like Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., McCain opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage.

But the fact that McCain is reaching out to DeGeneres' viewers -- an act that would have been close to unthinkable during the Republican primaries -- is indicative of how the conservative Republican is attempting to pivot towards the political center and reach out to independent voters and Democrats, while his would-be opponents continue to battle it out in the five remaining Democratic primaries.

In Chicago today, the Arizona Republican attacked Congress' bloated farm bill.

In a speech to the National Restaurant Association, McCain pointed out that food prices are at "historic highs" while farm income has climbed only 56 percent in two years.

"It would be hard to find any single bill that better sums up why so many Americans in both parties are so disappointed in the conduct of their government, and at times, disgusted by it," he said.

"Yet, even now, the Congress has voted to give billions of dollars in subsidies to some of the biggest and richest agribusiness corporations in America -- many of which are heavy political contributors to members in both parties," he said.

Such rhetoric may hurt Republicans running for re-election this November, but McCain is trying not to run as just any Republican but, rather, as his own distinct brand.

Touring New Orleans with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal in late April, McCain attacked the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina, vowing, "This was an unacceptable scenario, and one that will never happen again."

In another break with the Bush administration, he delivered a major speech on climate change last week, saying, "I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears. I will not permit eight long years to pass without serious action on serious challenges."