McCain Gets His Fight On

Barack Obama's old opponent is back, taking a leading roll in attacking his policies on health care and Afghanistan, but he's not the same John McCain the president defeated a year ago. McCain has pulled an Al Gore, bouncing back from an election he lost as a moderate to take a new role as an opposition firebrand—and a "colorful political celebrity" in the drab lineup of the GOP establishment, the LA Times reports.

McCain has led the charge in rallying older Americans against Obama's health care proposals, and loudly accusing the president of haplessly playing into the Taliban's hands in Afghanistan. Conservatives are thrilled with the new McCain, Dems dismayed: "I've always seen two John McCains—one who has the partisan, angry side; and a nice, cooperative, bipartisan side," said Barbara Boxer. "I have not seen the bipartisan side in a long time." (More John McCain stories.)