Leader-ship

John McCain attempts to stay relevant show solidarity with the people of Mumbai. But The Economist goes on to write,

McCain, the Republican party leader, was on his way to Bangladesh and Bhutan but he made a stopover here in view of the Mumbai strikes, sources said.

"The Republican party leader?" Has anyone in the Republican party been informed of this? Democrats eat their losing presidential candidates. I'm pretty sure Republicans do, too, especially when they weren't all that popular with the party to begin with.