John McCain and other more centrist Republicans are battling President Bush over extended executive authority regarding detainee treatment, trials, and CIA prisons. And good for them for doing so. You can, it seems, stay true to American values and be tough on terrorism.This story is of course interesting for McCain’s 2008 presidential prospects. What candidate would ever bash heads with their own party’s two-term incumbent president? McCain, I guess. Despite telling members of his inner circle that he could potentially lose the presidency because of it, McCain is not stepping down from a fight he truly believes in. Yet another reason he is the most anti-politician politician with a senate seat. For more evidence, look only to McCain’s failed 2000 primary run in which he was the only candidate from either party not to bow to anti-American special interest subsidies in Iowa just because it is the first and perhaps most important stop on the road to the White House.Plato had a theory that those best suited to rule are those who do not want the job. McCain certainly wants to be president, but clearly not bad enough to go against his core principles. A certain amount of politicking is necessary–I don’t particularly mind him rubbing shoulders with Frist, et al from time to time–but what I do trust is that McCain won’t let it get in the way of doing what he thinks is right.