John McCain and Lindsey Graham made a joint appearance at a South Carolina fundraiser last night where they talked about the troubles currently facing the GOP.  McCain laid out three basic priorities the party should focus on to regain its footing: make progress in Iraq, enact comprehensive energy reform and "stop this profligate spending." McCain also teased the crowd about 2008 by turning to Graham and saying, "some people have said this might be a very attractive vice presidential candidate."

Pulling a related thread, Ross Douthat spanks David Broder for the rather dull suggestion that McCain's support for the war puts him at risk politically:

McCain's combination of unwavering support for the war and fierce criticism of its prosecution and excesses has placed him in a perfect position politically - he has credibility as a hawk and as a war critic, and if the war succeeds he can claim to have supported it all along (which he has), whereas if it fails he can say I told you so, and with some reason. And when Americans sour on a military conflict, they don't usually elect outspoken doves - they elect politicians with hawkish credentials who insist that they'll bring the war to a successful conclusion (see Eisenhower, Dwight; or Nixon, Richard). So if McCain runs in on 2008 promising to "win the war," or "win the peace," or something like that, it won't be a gamble at all, but sound political common sense.

Wouldn't you know that's exactly the theme the probable 2008 ticket-mates sounded last night. Graham told the crowd:

"Democrats who have this cut-and-run strategy -- the public doesn't want to follow that. They want to follow Republicans who understand the war is not going as well as it should but who understand that our security is better off with a successful outcome in Iraq."

Kaus notes that Chris Matthews and David Brooks both said they hear that conservatives are "warming to McCain."  As I mentioned last week, McCain's stock is definitely on the rise but he's still got a ways to go to repair his standing among the type of Republican primary voter he'll need in 2008.