Surprise Endorsement by Des Moines Register

You know it's getting down to the wire in Iowa when the Des Moines Register comes out with its caucus endorsements.

On the Dem side, no real surprise. The paper went with Hillary, though made a point of saying Obama "demonstrates the potential to be a fine president." But the six editorial board members say he's just not ready yet, citing his "relative inexperience." Think Obama's sick of hearing that yet?

I was taken aback by the Register's choice from the GOP field: John McCain. Boy did his flagging ever campaign need this! The paper gushed over McCain's "moral authority" and foreign policy bona fides.

McCain would enter the White House with deep knowledge of national-security and foreign-policy issues. He knows war, something we believe would make him reluctant to start one. He's also a fierce defender of civil liberties. As a survivor of torture, he has stood resolutely against it. He pledges to start rebuilding America's image abroad.

The Register says its pick of John Edwards in 2004 coincided with his Iowa surge. It'll be interesting to see what this endorsement does for McCain's stagnant numbers.