Will the Real John McCain Please Stand Up?

Maureen Dowd wants to know what happened to the senate's Mr. Maverick, but the truth is that what you currently see is what we've been getting since the Arizona senator was a boy. He's agin it, just like he's always been.

The former fly-boy has a long history of being a trouble maker and a mediocre student. His notion of a fresh idea culminated in a pretty face for a running mate. Let's not forget that the senior senator from the sunshine state worked his way up the Washington ladder by being a party boy for the Washington elite before he ever ran for an office, thus bringing about the end of his first marriage. Later, he married money and more houses than he could count.

McCain's a maverick only because it makes him the center of attention, not because he actually has any opinions about anything other than his notion of his personal entitlement. He's about as much a statesman as Rush Limbaugh is a journalist.


To Gift: "Thank" Is Related to "Think":

Margaret Visser expounds on the act of "gifting" in today's op-ed pages of The New York Times, presenting some thoughtful reflection on the meaning of offering presents, including cultural differences when gifts received are passed on to others.