Wacko Birds and the Gelding in the Pasture

So John McCain didn't like Rand Paul's filibuster very much. He said as much:

While McCain has been a fierce critic of the Obama administration, he has also tangled with members of his own party, particularly the new crop of lawmakers including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), darlings of the conservative grassroots.

When I asked him if "these guys" -- having just mentioned Amash, Cruz and Paul by name -- are a "positive force" in the GOP, McCain paused for a full six seconds.

"They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything else," McCain said. "But I also think that when, you know, it's always the wacko birds on right and left that get the media megaphone."

Says the man who has spent more time in front of television cameras than just about any other Republican not named George W. Bush in the last 20 years. But I digress.

There's something more fundamental going on, of course. McCain has had a long career and while he's never been my favorite, I've never doubted that his heart was in the right place. He genuinely loves his country and he suffered greatly as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. But his role has been to confirm the conventional wisdom, which he has done throughout his career. He's considered a maverick because of his willingness to offer loud opposition to the policy initiatives of his own party.

McCain first came to the Senate in 1987. While that's hardly the longest tenure among that body -- Patrick Leahy has been on the prowl since 1975 -- it's an awfully long time. While McCain has been in Washington, the size and scope of government has continued to increase, essentially on the same track since the Great Depression. If McCain ever meant to change that trajectory, the moment has long since passed. He's grown comfortable with his prerogatives. He's got his pile and his place in the history books. It's a good life and there's little reason for him to embrace anyone who is calling for change. It's easier to dismiss the concerns that Rand Paul offers than to deal with them. There's no incentive, really, if you're John McCain.

We refer to people like McCain as "old bulls." I think he's more of a gelding, actually -- he might serve a useful purpose if you're trying to ride him to a particular, familiar destination, but he's not very likely to father any new ideas. And the question we need to ask is this -- what sort of a bird is Rand Paul? Is he a mockingbird? A raven? Or a canary?