A bit slow on the uptake, I just noticed that Nicolle Wallace (formerly Nicolle Devenish) is a senior adviser to the John McCain campaign. She used to be communications director for the George W. Bush White House and was a top spinner for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004. And her involvement in the McCain campaign is an indicator of an institutional problem for McCain.

Before I explain, let me flash back to a telling encounter between Wallace and CNN's Wolf Blitzer that occurred on November 22, 2005:

BLITZER: Welcome back. The attacks and counterattacks over Iraq reached a new level in recent days with Congressman John Murtha's call for a speedy pullout from Iraq and an emotional House debate on that idea. Joining us now from the White House, the president's communications director Nicole Wallace....Was it a mistake for the White House to compare what John Murtha was saying to Michael Moore, the liberal filmmaker?

WALLACE: You know, I think that words have such power in this debate. But if you look at the policy that Michael Moore advocated for the duration of last year's presidential campaign, it is the exact policy that the congressman proposed....And certainly the policies that Congressman Murtha advocated are not debatable. He was very clear. He advocated an immediate withdrawal from the battle space in Iraq.

BLITZER: He didn't advocate an immediate withdrawal. He said over the next six months, and then to keep the troops in neighboring states like Kuwait, Qatar, over the horizon, to go back in if necessary.

WALLACE: Well, look, you've had him on your air for a lot of the last five days and I think he's probably articulated his position much more clearly than I can do. We disagree with the...

BLITZER: That's what he articulated the first day when he made his long statement.

WALLACE: Well, I'm not sure what you want to debate me on, Wolf.

BLITZER: I'm not debating. I'm just saying he didn't call for an immediate withdrawal.

WALLACE: Well, what he is advocating differs from current White House policy. And, frankly, I only saw two other Democrats, Democratic colleagues of Congressman Murtha's side with his position. But this is a healthy debate to have.

BLITZER: I want to be precise on this, Nicole, because words matter.

WALLACE: Absolutely.

BLITZER: The resolution that was in the Congress used the words "immediate withdrawal." And there were three Democrats who voted for that. Congressman Murtha talks about a six-month phased withdrawal and then keeping troops in the region, which is significantly different.

Did she mean that "absolutely"? Probably not. In this one exchange, Wallace first tried to misrepresent Murtha's position as "immediate" withdrawal. Blitzer called her on it. She next claimed--falsely--that only three Democrats supported Murtha. And then Blitzer called her on that. So two fibs (or lies, if you prefer) within moments. A total disregard for the truth.

What does this have to do with McCain? I'm not sure he understands that the basis for the maverick reputation he once developed was his self-professed commitment--realized or not--to so-called straight talk. During his 2000 campaign, he did come across as not-the-usual politician. He often--though not always--said what he believed. And he told hard truths about the corruptions of Washington.

That was then. In the eight years since, he has taken more dives and has flip-flopped enough (especially on the Bush tax cuts) to place him in the category of ordinary pol. Republican strategists are worrying that McCain may have a tough time selling himself as a change-seeking, independent-minded maverick. Well, if he and his campaign play traditional, spin-centric politics--see here for examples--the ol' McCain will remain lost. The more he depends on Nicolle Wallace and like-minded political operatives, the harder his mission will be.