I suggest the McCain campaign take this first paragraph from Gail Russell Chaddock in today's CS Monitor and nail it to the wall:

The Democratic-controlled Congress and the Bush administration have presided over a surge in new federal spending obligations that may be the most enduring legacy of the 110th Congress.

McCain regularly touts his bona fides as a deficit hawk on the stump - always to hearty applause, by the way - but too often he does so almost in passing and by rote, using the catchy but now tired phrase that he will "make the authors of pork barrel projects famous."

If I were advising McCain, however, I would tell him to devote much more time and put much more emphasis on the issue of spending, because it's an issue that:

1) credibly reinforces his image as an independent and a maverick

2) allows him break sharply with Bush in a way that will appeal to Independents and energize conservatives

3) gives him the opportunity to rail at a Democratic-led Congress with job approval ratings in the low teens/high single digits.

Perhaps most importantly, McCain can tie in the critique of Obama as a big-spending liberal and use it to paint the fearful scenario for voters that Bill Kristol outlined last week, which is: if you think pork barrel spending is profligate now, imagine what it will be like after four years of President Obama working with Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid.

For more along these lines, read John Avlon and John Fund.

I suggest the McCain campaign take this first paragraph from Gail Russell Chaddock in today's CS Monitor and nail it to the wall:

The Democratic-controlled Congress and the Bush administration have presided over a surge in new federal spending obligations that may be the most enduring legacy of the 110th Congress.

McCain regularly touts his bona fides as a deficit hawk on the stump - always to hearty applause, by the way - but too often he does so almost in passing and by rote, using the catchy but now tired phrase that he will "make the authors of pork barrel projects famous."

If I were advising McCain, however, I would tell him to devote much more time and put much more emphasis on the issue of spending, because it's an issue that:

1) credibly reinforces his image as an independent and a maverick

2) allows him break sharply with Bush in a way that will appeal to Independents and energize conservatives

3) gives him the opportunity to rail at a Democratic-led Congress with job approval ratings in the low teens/high single digits.

Perhaps most importantly, McCain can tie in the critique of Obama as a big-spending liberal and use it to paint the fearful scenario for voters that Bill Kristol outlined last week, which is: if you think pork barrel spending is profligate now, imagine what it will be like after four years of President Obama working with Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid.

For more along these lines, read John Avlon and John Fund.