Wake Up Call for McCain

Over at Politico, Mike Allen writes that John McCain is retooling his fundraising and campaign spending apparatus amid concerns about the relatively paltry amount he raised last quarter.

Good luck to him. What he doesn't understand is that the primary problem isn't the fundraisers or campaign spenders -- it's his history of taking delight in shoving a thumb in the eye of Republican party regulars. One could almost argue that it shows remarkable contempt for their intelligence to signal contempt for them and many of their key issues -- campaign finance legislation, immigration, tax cuts -- over the past several years and then simply expect them to turn around and offer their unqualified support.

Republicans would still support McCain despite these lapses if he were the only choice out there. But unfortunately for him, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani exist, and are fine choices themselves.