McCAIN SAYS HES A "LIBERAL"

McCain's Freudian Slip: 'I'm a proud ... liberal ...' David Edwards and Nick Juliano Published: Friday February 29, 2008 | Did John McCain confirm the worst fears of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter at a campaign stop in Texas this week? The Arizona Republican, who caught plenty of flak from his party's most vocal conservatives during the presidential primary campaign, slipped up in a speech to supporters Thursday, when he was trying to outline the differences between himself and the to-be-decided Democratic nominee. "I'm a proud conservative, liberal Repub -- uh, conservative Republican," McCain said, trying to stuff his Freudian slip back into his mouth. "Hello, easy there," McCain said to laughs from the crowd. "Let me say this: I am a proud conservative Republican, and both of my possible, likely opponents are liberal Democrats." McCain went on to note Barack Obama's ranking as National Journal's most liberal Senator for 2007, previewing what will likely be an oft-repeated refrain if the Illinois Senator scores the Democratic nomination. The ranking's methodology has been questioned elsewhere, but similar attacks were seen to have damaged John Kerry in 2004 after he received the same No. 1 ranking from the inside-the-beltway policy journal. The "proud ... liberal" slip wasn't McCain's only brush with what Freud might say was an inadvertent revelation of his subconscious thoughts. Early in the speech, railing against negative campaign ads, McCain said the following: "I want to assure you that ... I will conduct a respectful debate. Now, it'll be dispirited -- it'll be spirited -- because there are stark differences." This video is from ABCNews.com, broadcast February 28, 2008.