Quote of the day: For a feel-good Fourth, would it help you to know that John McCain is "proud" of the job our Chimpy is doing?

Who doesn't like to feel good on the Fourth of July? So, sure, we could go burrowing for quotes in the obvious places, like the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution, or The Federalist Papers. We could trot out our prized James Madison quote, "Education is the true foundation of civil liberty." The thing is, while all that stuff might stir us, it might also offer an inconvenient challenge to our ideals. So instead QOTD offers some of the plain speaking for which Arizona Sen. John McCain is so famous.

"A New Partnership Binds Old Republican Rivals," blared a report in yesterday's New York Times by Jim Rutenberg and Adam Nagourney. Yes, it seems that none other than Senator McCain has become a confidante and adviser for his old, er, not-pal, George W. Bush. Here is his own account of what he's had to say to our least favorite chimp:

"I said, 'Look, hang on, things are bad.' I said, 'I'm proud of the job you are doing, and I wanted you to know that I will continue to do what I can to help.' I've tried, when his numbers went down, to be more supportive and outspoken, because I'd love to pick him up."