While I was underwhelmed with John McCain as a Presidential candidate, and pissed at his stand on immigration, my opinion of him as a Senator is and always has been of a more elevated quality. The combination of his character, drive and experience have produced an important quality in a Republican Senator.

Skill.

I'm more than a little concerned that we might well get a Republican majority in the Senate this fall, but find ourselves outmaneuvered because we don't have enough wise old captains to navigate the byzantine Senate rules and committee machinations.

McCain was interviewed by the National Review, which revealed some interesting and often surprising developments, opinions and insights.

“The president had very strong disagreements with Senator Barrasso and Senator Corker,” McCain says. “Barrasso was chronicling how Obamacare was a failure and the president just ripped into him, saying ‘you know, John, there’s no press here.’ That took me aback. You think Barrasso thought press was in there? Then the president spoke repeatedly about how he’s supposedly taken on the left wing of his party. Please, does he really want our sympathy? It’s laughable.” Is the president as serious as you once thought? “There are legitimate questions as to whether he’s out of his depth or not,” McCain says.

That was worth the price of admission right there. Its not particularly surprising, but it does flesh out the perception that Obama is all about perceptions, leaving precious little room for actual governing. The Gulf debacle has become, in my opinion, his Waterloo. His inaction, insouciance and embarrassing press conferences have exposed him for what many of us discerned that he was in the Presidential campaign--a Ken doll. A vapid, pathetic excuse for a human being.

I should qualify that, because I'm frankly speaking from my own value system, that abhors the facades of success, education and morality that seem to attend any civilization in decline. Show me what you do--what you've accomplished, and I'll ignore your dirty overalls and see you for the giant that you are.

“Nobody did more for me between the time I won the nomination and Election Day than Mitt Romney,” McCain says. “He did everything the campaign asked, from giving speeches everywhere to media. Cindy and I have developed a friendship with him and Ann since the campaign. They’ve stayed at our place in northern Arizona for a weekend and he stops by to see me whenever he’s in Washington. It’s a very good relationship.”

Is Romney using his political winter effectively? “Yes, very much so,” McCain says. “He’s doing the right things with his abilities — not too much, not too little, and traveling around to the early primary states. And, as I know, you always have a certain advantage the second time around, even if you support the surge.”

Romney's a doer. I love him.

“Once people realize what else is in this, there will be a lot of questions on the Senate floor,” McCain predicts. “It has more than just [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell]. They’ve put in a provision to allow abortions to be performed at military hospitals. They’ve also cut a billion dollars out of the authorization for the Iraqi military and stuffed in a billion dollars of earmarks.”

Typical of the Democrats, using a so-called 'moral issue" to line their pockets and kill more babies.