Senility strikes?

Helen Thomas accuses Senator McCain of morphing into a George W. Bush-like "right-wing" conservative. No, really.

In his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Sen. John McCain is moving to the right.

The Arizona Republican, who failed to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, is the most visible Republican on television, outside the White House, and seems to never pass up an opportunity to appear on Sunday talk shows.

All this appears to be part of his effort to transform his image as a maverick independent so that he can make his pitch to the conservative Republican base that will vote in the party's primaries and caucuses two years hence.

She does make an argument, but I've got to wonder...in a week that saw McCain royally piss off the conservative base on immigration, how can she say this with a straight-face?

Though I must say, this from the Breitbart report linked at Right Wing News does bolster her case: President Bush praised the lawmakers' efforts, noting the details were unfinished, and encouraged them "to work hard and get the bill done." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he had been assured the president supports the emerging measure.

Perhaps he is on the same page as the President. It's just not a very ultra-right-wing one.