
Look out Iowans: John McCain and his "Straight Talk Express" have teamed up again for a tour of your state. For the next two days the tandem will be rolling through the first-in-the-nation caucus state in search of election momentum.
From AP:
"Deja vu all over again," the four-term Republican senator said as he embarked on a two-day bus tour of Iowa with his wife, Cindy.
"I'm very happy with where we are right now," McCain said of his campaign, dismissing national polls that show him trailing rival Rudy Giuliani. "We're fine."
The 2000 McCain campaign came up with its "straight talk" slogan to capitalize on the Arizona senator's image as a maverick. These days though, McCain's independent reputation has been tarnished by his lockstep support with the Bush administration on the Iraq war.
Another thing is different since the days of '00: the fact that McCain is stumping for primary votes in Iowa at all. He skipped the state to focus on New Hampshire last time around.
Now that McCain has the band back together again, can he get his campaign rolling? Or has too much changed in the past six years for him to rely on that old "Straight Talk" tune?