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But he has been scathing in his criticism of the war’s prosecution. He took on the White House - and won - in his campaign for legislation explicitly banning the US torture of terror suspects. He wants inmates at Guantanamo tried or released. He is disgusted by the runaway spending of the Bush Administration.

Such a disdain for party-line politics, and his crusade for campaign finance reform and against global warming, have made him many Democrats’ favourite Republican, despite the fact that he is anti-abortion and sceptical about welfare spending. John Kerry even implored him to become his 2004 running mate.

Instead, Mr McCain threw himself into stumping for Mr Bush, whose 2000 primary campaign against Mr McCain was one of the dirtiest in recent political history. In the South Carolina primary, flyers appeared stating that Mr McCain had fathered a black child (he has an adopted Bangladeshi daughter), while rumours were spread that he committed treason as a PoW and was mentally unstable.

"After I lost [in 2000] I had one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life, which was to wallow in self pity," Mr McCain says. But then he decided "not to look back in anger. People don’t like sore losers."

He "decries" the bitter partisanship of US politics today. He abhors the attacks that were launched on him in 2000, and the smearing of Mr Kerry’s war record during the 2004 election.

"But it was not the "dirty tricks" that defeated me in the South Carolina primary," Mr McCain says. "It was because George Bush had the entire Republican establishment behind him and ran a better campaign."

Mr McCain appears to have made peace with the Bush establishment. Even his party’s conservative base, which he has infuriated on issues from tax to immigration reform, appear ready to forgive him, as he looks the best bet to stop a Clinton restoration.

But he is still not afraid to torment Mr Bush. The White House has refused to release pictures of Mr Bush standing with Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist.

"One of the great things about countries like ours - the pictures of Jack Abramoff will come out," Mr McCain laughs.

He "loves" General Powell, the former Secretary of State, and would have him in a McCain cabinet. "Colin Powell still has a lot to contribute to this nation."

Are he and General Powell "Rinos" - Republicans In Name Only?

"Well, if I was Colin Powell and 90 per cent of the American people respected me, I would not care if they called me a banana."

One suspects that, for now at least, Mr McCain would not care either.

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