McCain's Balancing Act

The tricky balancing act inherent in John McCain's effort to position himself as both an experienced Washington hand and a reformer who will shake up the establishment was evident in his discussion of civil service and public service in his speech last night.

McCain repeatedly blasted bureaucracy and vowed to cut it down to size, making a strong case for a government that gets "back to basics." Yet at the same time, he made a pitch for public service, saying that if people don't like the "mistakes of government," they ought to "join its ranks and work to correct them."

It's sort of an "ask not what your government can do for you, but what you can do for your government" approach. And there are only two problems with that:

• McCain's view that what Americans seek is limited government may not square with the reality of a country that demands ever higher levels of federal benefits and ever-greater guarantees that government will protect them at all times and in all places against everything from terrorist attacks to natural disasters.
• Many people, especially young people, seem not to think they can contribute to change from inside the walls of government. How will McCain make working in the federal bureaucracy seem worthwhile to them?