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STRATHAM, NH -- Responding to Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that a self-governing democracy would be established in Iraq by the time he and President Bush leave office in 2009, John McCain today said he doubted progress would come that fast. "He's more optimistic than I am," McCain said. "We're going to continue to make progress, but it's a slower process than that."

Cheney made his remarks in a long interview with Politico yesterday. They are the latest in a series of comments from the administration suggesting perhaps a more rosy scenario than reality suggests. The Vice President claimed that the insurgency was "in the last throes," in late May 2005. In 2003, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld blamed the insurgency on "pockets of dead-enders." McCain has criticized those statements and did so again today. "Most PR people will tell you it's far better to err on the side of caution and be pleasantly surprised," he warned.

McCain said he saw the situation on the ground changing for the better during his recent trip to the region, over Thanksgiving, but that more work needs to be done. "We've got [al Qaeda] on the run, but they're trying to locate" in the north of the country, he said. While areas like Fallujah, which has seen two major battles in recent years, are improving, the situation is far from resolved. "They're not going to go quietly into the night."

Talking to reporters aboard the Straight Talk Express on the way to the headquarters of Timberland, McCain also expressed interest in engaging in public debate as President, similar to Prime Minister's Question Time. "I think it'd be fun," McCain said to laughter. "Anything that makes people pay attention to their government is a good idea."

Stopping at the outdoor company and addressing about 450 gathered employees, McCain spoke again of service, recognizing and thanking assembled CityYear volunteers. "I'm particularly proud to be here because I need a new pair of shoes," he joked.