John McCain's new role: GOP agitator

[Geee]

Politico:


Sen. John McCain is getting under the skin of Democrats these days — and he seems to be relishing it.

After Democrats scrapped a massive $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill Thursday, McCain gloated about its defeat — and Democrats fumed. When he took a whack at efforts to bring up a bill aimed at helping Sept. 11 first-responders, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reacted fiercely. And as he went down fighting Saturday on the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was baffled, saying, “I don’t understand it.”

Fresh from a whopping electoral victory Nov. 2, McCain is inserting himself into the biggest issues of the day, acting as a power player in the Senate and angering Democrats. And while Mitch McConnell may be the Senate GOP leader, McCain has embraced a role as the leading Republican agitator against President Barack Obama, who defeated him in the 2008 presidential election.