The Senate vote - which saw John McCain standing alone in vocal opposition - is more evidence that on key issues of war and military spending, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Buck McKeon haven't been speaking for Republicans generally. Big media should take note, and make more room on their playlists for Republicans like Rand Paul, Walter Jones, Justin Amash, Tim Johnson and Grover Norquist, who want to turn a corner on a decade of endless war and unchecked military spending.

In the Republican presidential debates - on Iraq, Afghanistan, and military spending - Romney, Gingrich and most of the other Republicans (not Ron Paul, of course) have mostly sung from the old-time Republican hymnal. On the Sunday talk shows, on Iraq, Afghanistan, and military spending, McCain and Graham and McKeon - the go-to Republicans for big media on military issues - have sung from the old-time Republican hymnal.

But meanwhile, on Iraq, Afghanistan, and military spending, the great sea of Republicans has been doing Vatican II.

On Iraq, Romney, Gingrich (Gingrich was for it before he was against it) and the other Republican candidates - not Ron Paul - slammed President Obama for withdrawing US troops in compliance with President Bush's Status of Forces Agreement. But 63 per cent of Republicans told CBS that they agreed with President Obama's decision.