Rooters, July 30- Senator John McCain (R.- Ariz.), the political maverick and 2000 Presidential candidate, today refused to endorse the candidacy of presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, citing "stark differences" between their views.

"My friends, I don't even recognize this man," said McCain, speaking to a group of reporters on his famed "Straight Talk Express." "He's proposing more of the disastrous Bush tax cuts, he's opposing affirmative action, he's caving to the lunatic wing of his party on immigration and abortion. Honestly, it boggles the mind. He's even done a complete 180 and come out in support of torture- now tell me, seriously, does that sound like something I'd do? Not to speak of his dangerous new 'cut and run' policy in Iraq. I'm telling you, my friends, this man is not to be trusted anywhere near the Presidency."

Much of official Washington was stunned by the announcement, which represents the first time a major-party candidate has refused to endorse his own presidential campaign since Alf Landon's famous "Hell, I wouldn't vote for me either" speech of 1936.

But around the country, voters seemed to welcome the news. "That's exactly the kind of honesty and integrity I've come to expect from John McCain," said Ron Fournier of Heartland, Iowa, who described himself as a "fiercely independent" voter. "Ordinary politicians would just line up behind the likely nominee, mute their personal misgivings, and doubletalk you to death. McCain's not like that. Only John McCain has the common sense to see that this McCain guy would be a complete train wreck as President."

Leading Democrats were unsure of how to handle the unexpected development, which one campaign official for Sen. Barack Obama (D.- Ill.) called a "game changer." "Frankly, this throws a monkey wrench into all our plans," said the staffer. "We had hoped to run against John McCain's record, and we were going to call his judgment into question. But if McCain's already doing that, I don't see how we can possibly take that ground away from him."

At the Republican National Committee, however, party officials seemed unperturbed by McCain's refusal to endorse the likely nominee. "That's just John being John," said a high-ranking RNC officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he fears the wrath of McCain's legendary temper. "We're not worried much. We expect that by this time next week, he'll have changed his mind, and he'll be right back on the McCain bandwagon."