I don't know what low-wattage McCarthy's operating with, but this is a dandy example of an opportunist working diligently to attain a goal (his current position) and then thrashing about helplessly as it all turns to ashes. It's a bitter taste, but one with which McCarthy is going to become intimately familiar in the days ahead. By the time it's over, McCarthy will be mumbling, "Yeah, sure it tastes like ----. It's a ---- sandwich, for Christ's sake. But, hey, you can get used to it. Wanna bite?"
My unsolicited advice to the rumpled mayor: get that ------ road built, pronto.