McCain Profiled in Esquire

Hotline on Call has some interesting excerpts from an upcoming Esquire cover profile of Senator John McCain.

Just a couple of them:

"I understand the frustrations a lot of Republicans feel. We're not representing their hopes and dreams and aspirations. We worry about Ms. Schiavo before we worry about balancing the budget. We're going to take up this Family Marriage Amendment again. Why? The Republicans will vote one way, and the Democrats will vote another, and everybody knows it! It's pointless. I've never seen Washington as polarized as it is today."

"I urge my friends who complain about the influence of the religious Right, get out there and get busy. That's what they do! Now, if we believe in the Republican party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, the big-tent party, then we have to get out there and show that. The fact is, some of us have sat idly by while those very active people have basically set the agenda for our party. I get attacked everyday because I'm working with Ted Kennedy. How can I work with Kennedy? Because I want to get something done."

[An interesting update to this: PoliticalWire reports on a new Rasmussen poll which has McCain running in statistical dead heat with Hillary Clinton and Al Gore (44% McCain-43% Clinton or Gore) ... in Massachusetts! In comparison, Giuliani has slightly less support (50-42% Clinton-Giuliani; 50-41% Gore-Giuliani). It's a small sample (only 500), but still ... wow.]