The Maverick

In Matt Stoller's excellent and detailed retelling of yesterday's Net Neutrality debate in the Senate, this caught my eye:

In terms of the committee members, all of the Dems stood by net neutrality, including Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, and Mark Pryor. George Allen was sitting on the fence, visibly uncomfortable, and undecided until the last minute. John McCain left his vote with a staff by proxy, and wasn't there for most of the hearings. Always the showboater, he came in only to offer his own amendment, and for final passage of the bill. His own amendment was a pet issue of the Christian right, a la carte cable TV, which was destroyed by 20-2. He also voted against net neutrality and for passage of the final bill, per his orders from the Republican establishment. John McCain 2008 showed up, not maverick McCain. Quel surprise.

I know the media is never going to get over its fascination with Mr. Maverick. But it's so out of touch with his reality. He's a grandstanding hack who votes party line unless he can burnish his credentials to the cocktail-party set by appearing to step off the reservation (but never so far as to displease his masters).