February 7, 2006

John McCain's Socially Redeeming Characteristics

This letter to the whippersnapper Barack Obama has endeared me to John McCain, even if I think his "campaign finance reform" legislation shows an indifference to freedom of speech, and he's given to odd bits of grandstanding.

Just when I write him off, he does something like this:
I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership’s preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I’m embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again.
Well-deserved, but ouch!

UPDATE: Actually, it endeared Sen. McCain to me. He doesn't know me from Adam.

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