Presisent Bush: John McCain a "True Conservative": Is Story a SMEAR of McCain?

AOL News is playing up big today a story (by the despicable AP) that President Bush has given his stamp of approval to John McCain as a "true conservative".

What is funny here (crying kiind of funny) is:  Who said President Bush was a "true conservative"?  Although I have heavily criticized Rush Limbaugh (accurately) for coming out heavily against McCain (and basically for Romney) TOO LATE, Rush and I agree on one thing (even though I was FIRST):  President Bush is NOT a committed, principled conservative.  See this blog over the past two years.  Thus, it is not surprising that President Bush woul dconsider McCain a "true conservative" (somewhat more surprising that the left/media/Democrats have purported to LOVE McCain, but HATE P*/resident Bush).

On immigraton, for example,  President Bush and McCain (along with ALL of the Democratic candidates, who mange to be  WORSE) have been on exactly the same page.   On Iraq, the media liked it when McCain called for Rumsfeld to go, but McCain was urging (correctly) a TOUGHER policy in Iraq.  McCain tired to sabotage Bush here and there (tax cuts, etc.), but the difference is not extreme.  It is more a matter of style (McCain has been out front on NO conservative causes--putting his name of bills--like McCain/Feingold, SIGNED by Bush--while Bush has occasionally been willing to take up a conservative cuase vocally (while remaining a Big Government guy).

Is this (unsurprising) story, and making it major "news" (unsurprising and the nomination race is OVER) another opening salvo in the expected turn by the media/leftists (New York Times, for example) from supporting McCain to SMEARING McCain? Yes, I DO think that the media and leftists believe that associating McCain with Bush AND conservatives is a SMEAR.  The AP actually tries to SMEAR McCain in opposite and distinct ways.  First, they associate him with President Bush (which they think is bad).  Second, the story expressses doubts bout whether conservatives will be convinced.  Thus, the story tries to turn people who dislike President Bush aaganist McCain, and STILL tries to suggest that McCain is not worthy of conservative support.  You can cut the snactimonious hypocrisy in the mainstream medai with a knife, it is so thiick.

Stay tuned.  As stated last week, you can expect the smears to come at McCain hot and heavy now--much more obvious thanthis somewhat subtle effort.