DALE McFEATTERS Don't print the bumper stickers yet

Politics is at a lull until the nominating conventions this summer, and just how lulled they have become is attested to over the continuing speculation that maverick Republican John McCain might be orthodox Democrat John Kerry's running mate.
McCain has said he would not, repeatedly and in every forum available to him. He could not now reverse himself without appearing unprincipled. The Arizona senator might be mischievous, but he's not unprincipled.
Still, the idea, perhaps because it has such great entertainment value, will not die. It got new life during the weekend from an unlikely source in an unlikely venue. Sen. Hillary Clinton, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," said she was a "big admirer" of McCain's and could see herself supporting him as the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
When it was pointed out that Kerry and McCain diverge on major policy issues, Clinton said mildly, "No two people have exactly the same position on every issue."
Kerry and McCain don't have the same position on any issue.
Scorekeepers
The recognized ideological scorekeepers in Washington are the American Conservative Union on the right and Americans for Democratic Action on the left. The ADA says Kerry votes its way 92 percent of the time and McCain, 9 percent. The ACU gives Kerry a lifetime rating of 3 percent and McCain, 84 percent. By that measure, Hillary herself, with an ACU rating of 11 percent, would be marginally more compatible with McCain.
Still, she said, "These are unusual times." Not that unusual, they aren't.
Scripps Howard News Service