McCain vs O'Reilly On Torture

I'm so proud of the Republican nominee. Whatever happens in this campaign, he has single-handedly wrested the GOP from its pro-torture position, which is a huge, by no means inevitable, advance over Bush-Cheney. Yes, he has made a few compromises that were disappointing - and more disappointing for those of us who admire him. But he took on the issue when it could have hurt him badly - against demagogues like Giuliani and say-anything opportunists like Romney - and stood up for American and Western values. Because of McCain, we now know that the next president, unlike the current one, will not be a war criminal. That's an immensely important part of winning the propaganda and intelligence war against terrorism. We get better, more reliable intelligence and we regain the moral highground from the Islamists (however maddening it is to think we lost it).

I am still open to McCain's arguments for the presidency, and want to listen carefully to the Obama-McCain debate in the coming weeks and months. But McCain's imperfect but still vital leadership on this core, fundamental question - the most fundamental question in our politics for the past seven years - will not be forgotten by future generations, whatever happens in November. I'm grateful.