McCAIN SLAMS, STIFFS CLUB FOR GROWTH

Once again, it's hard to see where John McCain is going with this one.

McCain has turned down an invitation to speak to the Club for Growth, a group of fiscal conservative heavyweights who also control lots of Republican campaign dollars.

McCain is skipping the group's annual conference at the end of the month and also slammed the organization, saying it may be responsible for the GOP's minority status in the Senate,

In a clip on Pat Robertson's CBNnews.com McCain said the Club for Growth's opposition in all liklihood cost former liberal Republican Lincoln Chafee his seat in the Senate, throwing control of the body over to the Democrats.

So last month McCain blew off the social conservatives at the CPAC conference and this month it's the fiscal conservatives at the Club for Growth. Curious moves for the candidate seen as the GOP establishment favorite who still has some work to do on his relations with the far-right.

However, I will say this. We're finally hearing some straight talk from the Straight Talk Express.