Senator McCain is a hero to me. I wish I might see him one day as President, but I don't think that will ever happen.

Also....Senator McCain has a good Iraq essay in this week's New Republic, which I believe is available online only for subscribers. I'm really not trying to be an obnoxious wiseass Dem (which I can be) but it comes off for me sounding like what President Bush might sound like if he were a little more honest and forthcoming about the problems we've had in this war.

In essence Senator McCain says we greatly overestimated Iraq's WMD, didn't have enough troops, and misjudged the Iraqi people's response to our occupation, but "...the decision to invade Iraq was the correct one on both security and moral grounds...."

Establishing a democratic Iraq is "our best chance for encouraging the necessary transformation of the Middle East."

Morally "the US should not stand silently by in the face of massive humanitarian destruction", and we have now "ensured that Saddam [can] never again slaughter Iraqis."

If Bush admits any type of being wrong he'll be destroyed by the always fair "media". Politically it just won't happen. McCain can get away with it because the "media" loves him. Watch the "media" turn on him if he keeps supporting Bush.

re: "If Bush admits any type of being wrong he'll be destroyed by the always fair 'media'."

I have sympathy with your thoughts. David Brooks makes a similar argument. He was asked something like, "We all know (like Senator McCain says) that the WMD threat was exaggerated, that there probably weren't enough troops sent to keep order, and by and large these Iraqi's see us as occupiers, rather than liberators. Why doesn't President Bush just admit it?" And Brooks said something like, "In Washington there just doesn't seem to be a benefit for telling the truth." Meaning the media and the opposition party would beat up Bush.

But to me, just because the truth is difficult, doesn't mean we shouldn't say it. And I believe that was David Brooks's point.

Somehow we need to tone down the ugly anger between conservative and liberal, Democrat and Republican, in this country.

My guess is it gets back to personal responsibility in everyday actions. If I disagree with you, Tim, I can't start calling you names. I can good naturedly poke fun at your positions. We should even be able to get heated but stay respectful. But if I'm rude, I've forgotten I'm a guest at your blog and failed to be a good citizen.

I agree with you Tom.