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The Republicans and John McCain

They thought that Jeffords was their bane, But now they see that John McCain, Who shrugs off efforts to restrain His longtime love of speaking plain, And likes to jerk George Bush's chain And demonstrate complete disdain For rules Republicans maintain, Could cause them even greater pain-- Could, thinking he's the knight Gawain (Or pilot of a fighter plane), Just bolt, and run his own campaign To be a sagebrush Charlemagne. In him they don't know what they've got. One thing's for sure: Trent Lott he's not.

Calvin Trillin

June 7, 2001

They thought that Jeffords was their bane, But now they see that John McCain, Who shrugs off efforts to restrain His longtime love of speaking plain, And likes to jerk George Bush’s chain And demonstrate complete disdain For rules Republicans maintain, Could cause them even greater pain– Could, thinking he’s the knight Gawain (Or pilot of a fighter plane), Just bolt, and run his own campaign To be a sagebrush Charlemagne.

In him they don’t know what they’ve got. One thing’s for sure: Trent Lott he’s not.

Calvin TrillinCalvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”


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