I've been sifting through more than a hundred emails readers sent in response to my post yesterday asking whether conservatives owe John McCain an apology. Here's a brief summary of what people had to say:

While some people thought McCain deserved credit for the Gang of 14 deal, others said he did not. Some criticized the deal on its merits; that it didn't change the final outcome much, or that it allowed Dems to obstruct some good judges, or that it just kicked the filibuster can down the road. The biggest recurring gripe, however, was that despite the fact that the final outcome worked in favor of Republicans, people questioned McCain's motives for spearheading the deal in the first place. Many thought he acted out of the chance for publicity and personal aggrandizement rather than a sincere desire to get as many solid conservative judges on the bench as possible.

Those questions were clearly part of a much deeper pattern. For every person who responded favorably toward McCain's image as an unpredictable "maverick," two people expressed suspicion about the depth of his convictions or fear over his trustworthiness. (There was, however, an acknowledgment that McCain's image would make him a formidable candidate - if not the prohibitive favorite - against nearly any Democrat in the 2008 general election.)

Lastly, it's interesting to note that most of the anger expressed toward McCain by conservatives had little to do with the Gang of 14 deal, or taxes, or abortion (though they were all mentioned). Most of the venom can be sourced to one thing: campaign finance reform.  Conservatives believe McCain committed a sin against the Constitution and conservative principles with CFR.  Though some seem to suggest they are ready to forgive him for it, a good number of readers made it very clear they never will.