Zachary Roth August 22, 2008, 11:29 AM

Ah yes, that’s the principled, straight-talking maverick we all know and love…

Back in 2000, when John McCain was running for the GOP nomination as an insurgent against the Republican establishment, he trumpeted his desire to change the party platform’s call for a human life amendment banning all abortions. McCain wanted to add an exception in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the life of the mother. And in a primary debate, he went after George W. Bush for wanting to leave the platform unchanged.

As late as April 2007, he was singing the same tune, telling reporters in Iowa that he stood by his 2000 position .

But The Wall Street Journal reports today that the McCain camp now says he has no plans to try to change the platform. A campaign spokeswoman told the paper: “The delegates are going through the process and we are going to let them work their will on the platform.” In other words, McCain is taking a hands-off approach.

As ABCNews.com notes, McCain’s shift comes after a graphic warning from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, who said in June that if McCain tried to alter the abortion plank, he “would be aborting his own campaign” by angering socially conservative voters.

Looks like McCain got the message.

John McCain