<p>Another day, another McCain flip flop.  This time it is on the issue of gambling on college athletics.  You see, back in 2001, it was John McCain who led the failed charge to ban all legal gambling on college athletics.  At the time, McCain used his battle against the Nevada casino interests as a talking point to illustrate the the corrupting influence of money in politics.

<blockquote>''<b>We're up against millions and millions, and perhaps tens of millions, of dollars in campaign contributions,'' Senator McCain, an Arizona Republican, said in an interview about the gambling bill. ''It's no more complicated than that. This is a graphic example of the influence of big money in American politics.''</b>

<p><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E4DC1E3BF931A25756C0A9679C8B63">Gambling Industry Battles McCain Ban on College Bets</a></blockquote>

So now fast forward to 2008.   McCain is running for President and is trying to generate the biggest possible mailing list.  So what does John McCain do?  He runs an NCAA Tournament Bracket contest, complete with prizes ON HIS CAMPAIGN WEBSITE.

<p><a href="http://www.johnmccain.com/brackets/Initial.htm">McCain Basketball Brackets</a>

<p>No seriously, I can't make this stuff up.  And no, this isn't the first time.  According to the New York Times, McCain also ran a bracket contest LAST YEAR.

<p><a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/mccains-march-madness/">McCain’s March Madness</a>

I know this hardly rises to the level of his flop flops on say, the Bush tax cuts or Jerry Falwell's metamorphosis from "Agent of intolerance" to McCain BFF.  But this is yet another piece of the puzzle that illustrates just how calculating and utterly devoid of principle John McCain has become in his quest for the White House.