Last week I reiterated my prediction that John McCain’s poll numbers will plummet among liberals and independents as he does what’s necessary to win the Republican presidential nomination, which apparently includes endorsing George Wallace Jr., who has spoken four times to a racist hate group. Political ambition has a high price.

Today’s New York Times brings more McCain news that is sure to give liberals heartburn — during a visit to Mississippi, he praised Trent Lott as “the finest leader we’ve had” in the Senate and appeared to endorse Lott’s return to the GOP leadership:

During an appearance last weekend at the University of Mississippi, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, predicted that Mr. Lott would become Republican leader again, adding, “I will tell anyone that of all the majority leaders we’ve had in the United States Senate, I believe that Trent Lott was the finest leader we’ve had.”

Let’s review just what a fine leader Lott was:

“I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.”

Any bets on when the bipartisan McCain lovefest will end?

(Footnote: It’s ironic that Virginia Senator George Allen, who is seen by many as the leading Republican presidential candiate for 2008, is running away from his ugly racial past even as McCain goes in the opposite direction. I guess the sweet spot for Republican presidential candidates is somewhere in between them.)