Oh, the joys of being a "presumptive" presidential nominee. You don't need to campaign against primary opponents, you get to build your staff and campaign war chest, and you get to let the candidates from the other party bash each others brains out while you sit back and enjoy.

Such is the life of Sen. John McCain, who is currently touring the country, looking presidential and giving us a glimpse of what the fall campaign and a possible McCain presidency would look like.

The Arizona senator has always been known as a maverick, not always toeing the party line on issues. In a year where the voters seem desperate for change, this may very well serve him well. He isn't afraid to say what he means, even if it is unpopular.

That was evident last week during McCain's visit to Iowa. In a Des Moines campaign stop, McCain spoke about the farm bill that is working its way through Congress. "I do not support it. I would veto it," he said. "I would do that because I believe that the subsidies are unnecessary."

That's straight talk, which on the surface, makes an Iowan wince, but when you learn more about the farm bill, you can understand what McCain, who has long opposed farm subsidies, has against the current measure. McCain and President Bush both feel the nearly $300 billion farm bill is bloated with subsidies for wealthy farmers.

The five year farm bill pays for farm and nutrition programs for the next five years. Negotiators on the bill agreed to cut an ethanol tax credit previously considered off-limits because of its popularity in Iowa. And they cut $1 billion in support for blending ethanol, bringing the per-gallon credit from 51 cents to 45 cents.

McCain, who joked during a campaign visit in Le Mars a year ago that he loved ethanol and "started each day with a shot of it," ended his appearance with a decidedly free market appeal to the the crowd. He vowed to "open every market in the world" to Iowa products and do all that he could to sell them.

Polish your pitch, senator, and you may just get the chance.