MCCAIN TURNS DOWN BUSH AGAIN

Via Political Wire I see that John McCain -- George W. Bush's first choice for running mate in 2000 -- has ruled out replacing Cheney on the ticket, or accepting any post in Bush's cabinet.

Then there's also this AP story:

Campaigning in California with Republican Senate candidate Bill Jones, Arizona Sen. John McCain repeatedly insisted Sunday that he would not replace Vice President Dick Cheney as President Bush's running mate -- even comparing the job of vice president to his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"As far as me and the vice presidency is concerned ... I spent a number of years in a North Vietnamese prison camp in the dark and (was) fed scraps, and I don't know why I would want to do that all over again," McCain said at a rally in San Diego.

Yes, McCain was making a bit of a joke, invoking his experiences serving his country to an audience from a very military-friendly city, San Diego. But referring to his own sacrifices in Vietnam to draw a (humorous, I admit) contrast with serving in the Bush administration is quite telling of him.

But on the other hand, if McCain really doesn't want to go through another Vietnamesque lost cause, then why is he campaigning for Bill Jones? (: