Sadly, Sen. John McCain's "maverick" and "reformist" reputation has recently shown itself as nothing more than an image. McCain now runs a campaign nearly identical to the campaign of smears and fears that George W. Bush and Karl Rove ran in 2004.

The same characters now play similar roles. Jerome Corsi, the discredited fringe author from 2004, has returned with another smear book against a Democrat, published by a company headed by Dick Cheney's long-time spokesperson, Mary Matalin. Rove gives "advice" to the McCain campaign -- a campaign now run by people trained by Rove.

As Yogi Berra once said, "It's deja vu all over again." Hoping to profit from the smears without having to answer for them, McCain now behaves just like Bush and Rove behaved in 2004 by continuing the Bush/Rove pattern in the McCain campaign. Corsi's book and ongoing media blitz is simply a coordinated effort to help McCain. If McCain doesn't denounce this slander, he demonstrates that he fits the Bush GOP's mold for its minions.

The problems we face in our country demand that we not get back in the gutter of Bush/Rove politics. Although many don't remember, once upon a time the Republican Party stood for something more than dirty tricks. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower -- a Republican, a war hero and an honorable, effective president -- was our 34th president and the first U.S. president born in Texas.

McCain, please reconnect yourself with your party's honorable roots and ask yourself this question: "What would Ike do?" After answering that question, do the right thing and get your campaign out of the gutter.

Marsh Smith

Southern Pines