A teenager at a town hall meeting this week angrily asked the Senator about the federal budget, and there’s no doubt Senator McCain could have torn into the kid for a round of applause at the young man’s expense, as I’ve seen other candidates do in similar circumstances. Senator McCain didn’t though; he made his point, told the teenager he respected his opinion and gave him an opportunity to respond. Senator McCain had a great line at the debate last weekend about Senator Clinton’s Woodstock Museum earmark, but I appreciated what he said prior to that. He said that he respected Senator Clinton and wouldn’t attack her personally, but would challenge her on her record. It’s easy for candidates ramp up the rhetoric against the Clintons for cheap applause, but what does it accomplish? Is there really a need for the two political parties to be more nasty and divided? Senator McCain having the backbone to stick to his guns and to show respect for people even when they challenge him or take different positions reflects a level of integrity that often seems to be lacking in politics.

More about the Hampton NH town hall at NH4McCain.blogspot.com