Well, they did try. Good for them.
In addition to showing they tried... because politicians often take many sides of an issue, it is an opportunity for constituents to actually see where their Senator comes down and the vote provided that.
Don't agree with you on McCain. He's been running after the religious right for some time now, even appearing at Jerry Falwell's place. If he was secure in the media's support (which lately has not been so strong with McCain's standing with Bush on the WOT) he wouldn't have the need to pander to the religious right which he has never done before.
His vote today hurt him. Good. I like to see the Senators on record on this issue.
They didn't try, the "try" was a lie. Really trying implies a possibility of success, there was no possibility, the "try" was all a show. It was all just to make people forget how the GOP senate rolled over on amnesty.
It shoed nothing, except their willingness to throw up distractions to take bad headlines that might cost them votes off the frontpage and replace them good headlines that might get them votes.
McCain is a politian, he knows he needs to pander, and his weakest score is among hard conservatives, so he panders to the religious right because that's where most of the hard conservatives are. But when push comes to shove he knows his real base is on the left, thus this lefty vote.
His vote today didn't hurt him at all. Anybody that is going to vote against him because of this vote was already going to vote against him because of McCain-Feingold and numerous other issues.