Opinion: Sen. Switchback?

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Granted, they’re in different parties. Still, it’s amazing that Republican Sam Brownback apparently didn’t learn anything from Democrat John Kerry’s travails in the 2004 presidential election. Because if the senator from Kansas had been paying more attention to his colleague from Massachusetts, the flip-flop that occurred on the Senate floor Thursday never would have happened.

In the big showdown on the much-debated and intensely controversial immigration bill, Brownback initially sided with the measure’s beleaguered advocates, voting to keep it to alive. But, a few minutes later --- at a time when it was clear the measure was going down the tubes --- he switched sides.

If Brownback’s presidential candidacy wasn’t on life support, his reversal might have attracted more attention from the mainstream media. CNN, however, did take the time to track him down for comment today.

His explanation defines ‘tortured.’ And it does not dissuade us from giving him our first ‘I was for it before I was against it’ award in this campaign cycle.

Various conservative blogs, by the way, DID notice. Like here, here, and here.

-- Don Frederick