Free Republic

MISSISSIPPI'S top two Re publicans took sharply dif ferent views of Sen. John McCain as he moved toward the presidential nomination. Gov. Haley Barbour went on the Fox News Channel as returns came in Tuesday to suggest the time was near to stop the contest and accept McCain as the winner. A few days earlier, Sen. Thad Cochran declared that McCain wasn't fit to be president.

Facing an uphill battle in the November elections, Republicans need to nominate a presidential candidate who represents the best traditions of the Grand Old Party: fiscal responsibility, devotion to national security and honest conduct of the nation's business. Republican voters should consider themselves lucky. They have two candidates highly qualified to occupy the Oval Office: John McCain and Mitt Romney, two principled political figures who could chart a new course for our country and lead it forward with honor. In a close call, our endorsement goes to McCain, a war hero, experienced player in the U.S. Senate and Washington politics,...

WASHINGTON - The political redemption of John McCain began half a year ago, half a world away at a place called, fittingly enough, Camp Victory. As his presidential campaign unraveled back home, McCain spent Independence Day 2007 at the sprawling American headquarters on the edge of Baghdad and watched in the heat as 588 U.S. troops re-enlisted. Afterward, the soldiers swarmed McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to thank them for their support. Depressed, doubtful his campaign could prevail, McCain turned to Graham on the flight home and said, "We can't give up on those kids. ... We have to...