'Straight Talk Express' takes the low road

By JOEL CONNELLY P-I COLUMNIST SEN. JOHN MCCAIN used to provide a hearty tonic to cure those allergic to politicians, speaking his mind on such radioactive topics as his role in scuttling the first Boeing-Air Force tanker deal. He was one Republican you'd see talking to Indian leaders. He used a New York Times op-ed piece to decry fellow Republicans for abandoning environmental preservation. He earned the nickname "Captain Climate" for holding Senate hearings on global warming with the White House in denial. Of late, sadly, McCain is saying goodbye to all that. The once bullish optimist is starting to come across as a churlish naysayer. McCain's presidential campaign is evolving into nonstop attacks on Sen. Barack Obama, salted with distortion and innuendo. After years as a media darling, the candidate has taken to... [read full story]