McCain promised that if a bill laden with pork crossed his desk, he would reject it and he would name names. A bill crossed his desk with more pork in it than all the world's sausage factories combined. Given that the bill was going to pass anyway, what could he have lost by voting against it for the stated reason that it was loaded with pork?
IMHO, he could have turned the election significantly in his favor had he done that. Instead, his vote showed that McCain = McSame.
He must not have had his “magic veto pen” handy......
“Instead, his vote showed that McCain = McSame.”
It won’t affect the swing voters. Their opinions are not strongly held, and they only look at surface details.