Meet John McLane, tactical party-switcher, Hoosier, proud member of the vast right-wing conspiracy.

A group of Rhode Island conventioneers encountered the Republican from Indianapolis on the mezzanine of a downtown St. Paul hotel yesterday as they lined up for a reception sponsored by the Republican Right to Life Coalition. Or rather, the brassy politico encountered them, rolling up in his wheelchair to introduce himself and quiz them on the state of affairs in the Ocean State.

McLane proved to be one of those fanatics who knows plenty about politics in Rhode Island -- and Massachusetts and Connecticut and Chicago and Washington, D.C. Name the place. And he loves to talk about his adventures in the vote trade.

Case in point: Last spring's crucial Democratic presidential primary in his home state of Indiana, where Hillary Clinton was widely thought to have one last shot at derailing Barack Obama's campaign.

Students of political chicanery will recall how conservative radio talker Rush Limbaugh organized "Operation Chaos,'' urging Republicans to cross over and wreak some havoc in the other party. Limbaugh instructed the troops to toss a vote to Clinton, theorizing that she would be an easier mark in the fall campaign than Obama.

McLane was all for throwing monkey wrenches into the Democratic works. "I was trying to make mischief!'' he said.

But Limbaugh Republicans may not have been any better organized than Will Rogers Democrats.

"I voted for Obama,'' said McLane, " 'cause I think he will be easier to beat.''