Top 5 Flip-Flops (So Far)

As both presidential candidates hurl accusations of backtracking and hypocrisy at each other, Politico and PolitiFact team up to explain the five most important flip-flops of the race so far.

• PolitiFact rates Obama’s stance on tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve a “full flop,” citing strong prior opposition.
• McCain’s take on offshore drilling is rated a “half-flip,” taking into account his shift from a states’ rights position to staunch advocacy.

• McCain’s approval of Bush’s tax cuts is a “full flop,” after he initially opposed the policy in 2000, then later voted for its renewal in 2006 and continues to defend cuts now.
• Obama's reversal on his earlier pledge to accept public financing qualifies as a "full flop."
• Obama's reversal of his vow to filibuster FISA, citing changes that Politico notes failed to "obscure his flip-flop."

(More Barack Obama stories.)