The cover of the August issue of Esquire is a commanding photo of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and the article consists mostly of an entrancingly intimate account of the grueling pace of appearances and fundraisers he's pursuing. It has the flattering title "One of Us," with the subhead, "John McCain may be the last man in America who most Americans listen to. But has he run out of time to become President?" The 11-page article doesn't really address that question, let alone answer it. But it does capture this arresting moment, from a fundraiser McCain, recipient of the Silver Star and other medals for heroism as a Naval aviator and prisoner of war in Vietnam, is doing for Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), who is in a tough reelection race: "In a backroom, there is a long line of people who have paid $500 to have McCain shake their hands and pose for pictures. One of those in line who has not paid for the privilege is  Scott Richards, a forty-year-old Army sergeant from Pleasant Valley dressed in military fatigues, with his wife and four children around him. His truck was blown up when he was delivering a load of fuel in Karsch, Iraq, a blast he very nearly didn't survive, and this morning he received the Purple Heart. Sweeney wanted to present it to Richards along with McCain in front of the cameras, but McCain politely declined: 'No [blanking] way,' he said the night before, his gentle way of letting Sweeney know that he will sell out only so much of himself for the cause. … [W]hen McCain congratulates Sergeant Richards on his Purple Heart this morning, he does so out of sight and in whispers."