For McCain, Impasse on Detainees Has Risks

[cal04]

Clash With Bush Could Alienate Base, Hurt '08 Bid
Sen. John McCain's bid to position himself as the natural heir to President Bush as a wartime commander in chief and to court conservative leaders in advance of his likely 2008 presidential campaign has threatened to run aground in recent days, as the two men clash over how to detain and try terrorism suspects.

For months, McCain has been wooing Bush's donors, hiring his former advisers and standing by him in the Iraq debate. But the fragile rapprochement between two men who were once bitter rivals for the presidency is facing a sharp new test over McCain's rejection of Bush's pleas to let the administration interpret the Geneva Conventions as it sees fit.

The impasse, which has preoccupied Congress this month, is likely to be settled within a few days but could remain hanging when lawmakers adjourn in a few days. Either way, it is likely to carry a long echo -- especially if the senator from Arizona forces Bush to back down.

Substantively, the legislative battle will shape what limits the administration will face on its anti-terrorism policies in the final two years of Bush's term. Politically, McCain's willingness once again to confront Bush raises questions about how he will position himself toward the Republican Party's conservative base, which he has aggressively cultivated over the past year as he pursues the presidency.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801353.html

[Mz Pip]

1. So we'll see if McCain

is really sincere in his objections to BushCo or just spinning his wheels to get attention for 2008. If he caves to his base, we'll know where his real values are,

Mz Pip
:dem:

[patrice]

2. Any word on what the compromise might be?

Rachel Maddow says McCain's timing on this issue is ALL about politics.