by Jill Zuckman

Let the fun begin.

Now that McCain has officially locked up the Republican nomination for president and is collecting President Bush’s endorsement at the White House this afternoon, the Democrats are having a field day.

In a preview of the general election, the Campaign to Defend America has launched a $1 million ad buy accusing McCain of being “McSame” as Bush on Iraq, the economy and health care.

And the Democratic National Committee has put out a tsk, tsk sort of statement condemning McCain for painting himself as an Independent “maverick” who bucks the Republican Party.

“But his record reveals that on issue after issue a vote for McCain is a vote for a continuation of the same failed Bush policies that have been disastrous for America,” said the DNC statement.

Ironically for McCain, he spent most of the primary season trying to convince conservative voters not to worry about all those times he broke from his party.