A MOMENT FOR McCAIN

In all the hoopla and analysis, let's take a moment to send some good thoughts John McCain's way.

In many ways, it's a shame to see what his campaign turned into. The plucky and fun insurgent campaign from 2000 became this bloated affair with no real direction.

Many years ago, I once thought McCain might make a good president, and eight years ago he may well have. But times changed, and McCain found himself on the wrong side of history. He's a decent man who loves his country, but it wasn't his time.

But McCain really did put Country First with his concession speech on Tuesday night. He was gracious and genuine in the face of what must have been a difficult defeat.

It's going to take a lot of work to repair the nation after eight very long, very bad years. It's going to take a president who is pragmatic and who represents everybody, not just the people who voted for him. It's also going to take people like John McCain who are members of the loyal opposition, but who are willing to build bridges across party lines.

Hearing McCain speak on Tuesday made me think we may have both of those elements in place this January.