"What is a Senator like you doing in a place like this," is what I considered asking Sen. John McCain at Arianna Huffington’s house when we first met in 2001. Instead, tears welled up in my eyes as I reached out to shake his hand and thanked him for his service to our country. The night "Funkmaster" McCain received the 2005 Rock the Nation award from Rock the Vote was one of my proudest moments. I may disagree with him on many issues, but McCain’s comprehensive approach to immigration reform, commitment to a no torture policy, and revised position in support of national service have increased my respect for the politician with a reputation for taking "principled stands on tough issues."  Campaign woes aside, Sen. McCain’s mix of straight talk and humor keeps things interesting as witnessed by his exchange with a high school student in New Hampshire yesterday where he jokingly ends a response to a question about his age with, "Thanks for the question, you little jerk….you’re drafted." Jokes aside, Sen. McCain offered a much needed honest assessment to the students regarding the war:

He (McCain) explained why he was not shrinking from his support for a temporary increase of troops in Iraq and why students should pay attention. "If this war continues much longer, there will be people in this audience who will serve in the military, who also may be going over there (in Iraq) or to Afghanistan," McCain told them. He said they should watch the upcoming report on Iraq from Gen. David Petraeus. "It may be a seminal debate. It may be one of the most important debates in history and it may directly affect your lives," he warned.

Young voters deserve the face-time and the truth. Thanks for ‘keeping it real’, Sen. McCain.