McCain opposes regulation -- until he supports it

McCain embraces the GOP's small-government rhetoric. But his record shows that in a crisis, he is among the quickest in his party to call for robust government intervention.
By Noam N. Levey
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 2, 2008

WASHINGTON — As financial collapse threatened Wall Street and consumed Washington, John McCain appeared to undergo a dramatic transformation. The candidate who would shrink government became the candidate who would bulk it up.

Just a day after debuting a television ad warning that "big government casts a big shadow on us all," the Republican presidential hopeful told business leaders in Wisconsin that a new federal agency was needed to intervene in the markets. "Government," he said, "has a clear responsibility to act."

The turnaboutis a move McCain has perfected in 26 years on Capitol Hill.

The Arizona senator embraces his party's popular critique of government, frequently invoking the deregulatory rhetoric that has helped Republicans win five of the last seven presidential elections.

But when a crisis or scandal makes headlines and sparks a public outcry, McCain is among the quickest in his party to call for robust government intervention.

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