Who Is John McCain?

War hero? Absolutely. Patriot? Unquestionably. Politician? Supremely.

Having trouble figuring out McCain? You are not alone. Savaged and lied about by W during the 2000 primaries, hugging and passionate with W during the final days of this campaign, and now after W asks Rummy to stay on, McCain stuffs it in W's face:

WASHINGTON - Senator John McCain declined on Sunday to endorse the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and questioned whether the planned increase in U.S. forces in Iraq would provide enough security for the country's elections on Jan. 30. The Pentagon announced plans last week to restore U.S. forces to their highest level since the invasion, but McCain said even 150,000 troops might not be enough. Also, McCain said, "I want to work with Secretary Rumsfeld, because he will be the secretary of defense for an undetermined length of time." Asked if that was a vote of confidence in Rumsfeld, the senator said: "No, it's not."

No, don't try to pin down McCain about who he really is. Yesterday he was busy threatening major league baseball with sanctions over the steroid scandal.

That's apparently as important as the war and the economy, health care, education, support of veterans, the environment etc. etc. Most of you may not like this comment but the truth is: McCain, like most incumbent politicians, usually opts to play it safe in politics while appearing to be making a lot of noise. Disagree? Look at the front pages for the last ten days. McCain's name is mentioned more than W's.