he battle over Elian dominates the news. But I am still thinking about John McCain's battle for courage in today's political arena. Maybe they are not unconnected.
Before the weekend rescue mission in Miami - while the little Cuban boy was still being paraded around by distant relatives - the Arizona senator apologized for betraying what he called the most important principle of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination: saying and doing what you truly believe, regardless of the political consequences.
McCain traveled to South Carolina last week to confess that he did not reveal his true feelings when asked his view of the Confederate battle flag flying over the state house.
At one point during the campaign, McCain said he considered the flag ''offensive'' and a ''symbol of racism and slavery.'' The next day, he reversed himself and called the flag ''a symbol of heritage.'' Later, he said: ''My forefathers fought under the Confederate flag. I believe that they believed their service was honorable.''
McCain gave this reason for his conflicting responses: ''I feared that if I answered honestly, I could not win in the South Carolina primary. So I chose to compromise my principles. I broke my promise to always tell the truth.''
It is fascinating that a man who had the courage to face torture and death as a prisoner of war lacked the courage to face defeat as a political candidate. McCain endured immense physical and psychological pain in the midst of war. In the heat of something much less - mere political battle - he blinked.
Such weakness during a high-stakes political campaign is more the norm than an aberration in American politics. The candidate who listens to his or her own heart and speaks his or her own mind fights not only an opponent but an inner circle of pollsters and consultants who strenuously argue against it.
In a world where winning is everything, truth is not a virtue. How can it be when the very people who claim to value it will turn against a truth they don't want to hear by voting against the person who utters it?
As McCain acknowledged last week, ''Honesty is easy after the fact, when my own interests are no longer involved.'' Still, he finally said and did what he believed, and that is worth something to those who wanted him to do it when it mattered more politically.
When it matters most politically. Of course, that is exactly when it is hardest to follow your heart and speak your mind. That is where the sad story of Elian Gonzalez intersects with the sad state of affairs in American politics.
A newly motherless little boy washes up on our shores. He is showered with toys, pets, and trips to Disney World, as if any of that is more valuable than a parent's love or symbolizes the true meaning of democracy. In an Oprah minute he is an around-the-clock media celebrity and a pawn in a multifaceted war of politics and public relations.
Obviously the relatives in Miami will say and do virtually anything to use Elian in their very personal war with Cuba. What about our presidential candidates? Will they do the same in their war for votes in November?
Democrat Al Gore already showed spinelessness in this matter, taking the position before the weekend raid that the boy should be granted permanent resident status rather than returned to his father. Now the Republicans are churning up the political seas even more, trying to turn the government's actions into a statement about giving in to communism instead of one about recognizing parental rights.
In the midst of this pathetic political soap opera, the Clinton administration and Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a move into the Miami home where Elian was staying. It could not have been easy given the outcome of Reno's past judgment calls. She must live with the trigger-happy legacy of Waco (and the less-dramatic but still unflattering conclusion that she ducked on politically sensitive allegations regarding Bill Clinton and Al Gore).
It is probably no accident that the action to rescue Elian was taken by a lameduck administration. As McCain noted just a week ago, ''Honesty is easy after the fact.'' Still, this was a political gamble that took political courage.
As a result, a boy is reunited with his father. No one should have to apologize for that.
Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist.
