Did Zell Miller betray his own party?

Why is Sen. Miller -- the guy who once helped bill clinton secure the 1992 democratic nomination -- now supporting Bush?

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Bush-Cheney campaign Wednesday unleashed its most famous Democratic booster, Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, to make the case that presidential candidate John Kerry advocates policies inconsistent with some of history's most popular Democratic presidents.

Miller, a Georgian who is the lone Democratic senator to back publicly President Bush's re-election bid, criticized Kerry in a speech announcing his leadership of a national "Democrats for Bush" effort. He was joined by a handful of lesser-known Democrats, but the campaign said it would release a more comprehensive list in the coming weeks.

The popular former governor cited the policies of Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Harry S. Truman while contending that Kerry, not Bush, is outside the mainstream on issues ranging from tax cuts to war.

"John F. Kerry has the same initials as John F. Kennedy," Miller said, "but he has a far, far different view of what the government can do to help families prosper. John Kerry's spending and tax plan would stifle our economy and stall our recovery at the worst possible time."

Didn't he use to be friends with Hill and Bill and was their keynote speaker for the Democratic National Convenntion in 1992?

Perhaps remembering the Zell Miller of 1992 was too painful. Hillary was staying (some say hiding out) in the Georgia Governor's Mansion in early 1992 when the Gennifer Flowers sex scandal broke. In fact, Hillary was sitting at Zell's side watching TV news when word of the relationship between Gennifer and Bill was first broadcast nationally. Miller would never discuss how Hillary reacted, except to say he was one of her ''biggest fans'' and that he admired her strength.

Miller was always happy to recount how he went to bat for Bill Clinton in the Georgia presidential primary that year, persuading Democratic stalwarts such as Sam Nunn to cast aside doubts and support Clinton. Miller almost single-handedly stopped the momentum of the on-rushing Democratic candidate Paul Tsongas.

Despite the sensational Flowers affair, Clinton won Georgia, went on to conquer the Super Tuesday primaries and sew up the presidential nomination. Clinton credited Miller with saving his campaign, and, of course, his coming presidency. Miller was tapped as a Clinton keynoter at the Democratic National Convention. The Clintons said he delivered an eloquently hard-hitting speech. ''Bill Clinton is a Democrat who has the courage to tell some of those liberals who think welfare should continue forever, and some of those conservatives who think there should be no welfare at all, that they're both wrong,'' Miller shouted. The Clintons really liked old Zell.

O, bakit ayaw na ni Zell Miller sa Democratic Party?

Second question, would McCain also do a "Zell Miller" and jump ship to help his buddy John Kerry?