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Not since Roseanne Barr’s infamous ballpark stint when she masqueraded as a national anthem singer has the American public been asked to believe such a ridiculously phony illusion as Sen. John McCain’s most recent invention of himself as a “change” agent.

Facing overwhelming public sentiment for a leader who is able to restore the nation to its rightful course, combined with the possibly decisive advantage of his opponent on that very issue, McCain has cloaked himself with an ill-fitting garb that only makes him look silly.

Perhaps the Ghost of Primaries Past should remind him of his boastful claim only a few short months ago — as he was courting his party’s conservative base — that last year he supported the Bush administration’s policies more than 90 percent of the time.

Annenberg Political Fact Check dived into the Congressional Quarterly Voting Studies to find the truth:

• In 2007, McCain voted with Bush’s position 95 percent of the time — his highest level of support for the president since Bush took office.
• In 2007, McCain voted with the Republican Party 90 percent of the time.
• McCain’s support for Bush’s position has never been lower than 77 percent, which it was in 2005.
• McCain’s support for the Republican Party’s position has not dipped lower than 67 percent, which it was in 2001.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines maverick as “a person who takes an independent stand…from that of a party or group,” and change as “to cause to become different; alter; transform; convert.”

One may rightfully ask, exactly what is it that McCain has been changing for the past eight years? Certainly not the Bush administration or his own party. A candidate who is 5 percent “change” and 95 percent Bush is insulting the American public if he believes he somehow can morph “McSame” into “McChange”.

McCain indeed over the years earned his reputation as a “maverick” — yet his voting record reveals that the older he has become, the less inclined he has been to buck the system. Ahh, maybe that’s what he means by “change”. He certainly has.

Jonathan Alter in this week’s Newsweek provides a well-reasoned perspective on the change cloak, and which candidate deserves to wear it. All the lies and smears in the world — even those inspired by the Karl Rove manual of Winning Campaigns the Nasty Way — won’t change that.