I recently discussed how McCain's comments against Sotomayor didn't make much sense. After she was confirmed, the Senate discussed the Cash For Clunkers program.
McCain was against it, promoting his one-track mind against spending, ignoring the reason sometimes makes the specific program reasonable. For instance, he sneered why the government shouldn’t offer “cash for golf clubs.” How this factors into the economy and environmental benefits is unclear. Again, the "maverick" looks a bit less ideal in action.
BTW, a Google News search pointed to Western European use of a similar program. I wonder if such precedents are getting wide reporting when the program is discussed in this country. For instance, I saw a Rachel Maddow segment that noted its success which did not raise the point.