Over the years, John McCain has tried to be too many things to too many people. Maybe he hasn’t flip-flopped more times than George Bush has lied, but that’s a testament only to Bush’s dogged pursuit of the whole-universe all-time lying record.

Some of McCain’s reversals of position have been pathetic beyond belief (remember how Jerry Falwell was “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, and how McCain showed up at Liberty University in 2006 to deliver the commencement address and brown-nose Falwell?). So pathetic that even keen observers of the political scene may be forgiven for having concluded 19 months ago that McCain’s candidacy did not have a hope in hell because nobody in her right mind could possibly take him seriously, or vote for him for anything other than Political Prostitute of the Year.

And now he’s all set to be crowned the presumptive Republican nominee after the resounding victory over Romney that everyone agrees will be his on Tuesday (or am I required by law to say Super Tuesday?).

Said agreement seems to exist even after McCain issued a timely reminder during last week’s Republican debate of his unquestionable all-time-great status as a champion flip-flopper. The question came up as to whether he would be willing to vote for his own immigration-reform bill (which he introduced in 2006). In dodging the question, he made it perfectly clear that he wouldn’t. In fact, he left the distinct impression he’d filibuster his own bill if it came up for a vote and was in actual danger of passing, filibuster it the old-fashioned way, if necessary:

MS. HOOK: Senator McCain, let me just take the issue to you, because you obviously have been very involved in it. During this campaign, you, like your rivals, have been putting the first priority, heaviest emphasis, on border security. But your original immigration proposal back in 2006 was much broader and included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are already here.

What I’m wondering is, and you seem to be downplaying that part, at this point, if your original proposal came to a vote in the Senate floor, would you vote for it?

SEN. MCCAIN: It won’t. It won’t. That’s why we went through the debate.

MS. HOOK: I know, but what if it did?

SEN. MCCAIN: No, I would not, because we know what the situation is today. The people want the border secured first. And so to say that that would come to the floor of the Senate, it won’t. …

But look, we’re all on agreement as to what we need to do. Everybody knows that we can fight some more about it, about who wanted this or who wanted that. But the fact is, we all know the American people want the border secured first.

We will secure the borders first when I am president of the United States. I know how to do that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls and vehicle barriers and sensors and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured, and then we will move on to the other aspects of this issue.
[...]
We are all committed to carrying out the mandate of the American people, which is a national security issue, which is securing the borders. That was part of the original proposal. But the American people didn’t trust or have confidence in us that we would do it. So we now know we have to secure the borders first. And that is what needs to be done. That’s what I’ll do as president of the United States.

MR. COOPER: So I just want to confirm. You would not vote for your bill as it originally was –

SEN. MCCAIN: My bill will not be voted on. It will not be voted on. I will sit and work with Democrats and Republicans and with all people, and we will have the principles, securing the borders first — and then if you want me to go through the description all over again, I would be glad to. We will secure the borders first.

One thing’s for sure. This was not a spontaneous riff. It was a well-rehearsed answer, down to the last repetition. He knew what he was supposed to say, he knew what he was supposed to keep hammering while he said it. And, straight talker that he’s always been, he gave it to us straight from the shoulder.

And disowning his own bill can hardly be regarded as a surprise, coming from the guy who broke his own law.

John McCain. What a political journey! And he still ain’t done. (You certainly can’t stick a fork in him. Yet.)