Each of the presidential candidates has his or her merits: Rudy Giuliani will protect America, Romney and Obama will bring change to Washington and Hillary Clinton boasts experience. But one candidate stands above the rest: John McCain.

What change can an experienced senator bring to the White House? In a word: transparency. While in the Senate, McCain worked with Barack Obama to make it publicly known which senators were slipping in wasteful pork-barrel spending, often at the insistence of lobbyists. McCain collaborated on campaign finance reform with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold.

McCain has a proven bipartisan record. He offers the most hope for ending the partisan gridlock and bickering that has plagued Washington throughout the Bush presidency. He rises above empty buzzwords and catchphrases, emphasizing a need to get work done on behalf of the American people-whether it is balancing the budget and preventing tax increases or promoting a torture ban for the U.S., standing at odds with the Bush administration.

McCain understands the need to promote the message of democracy and rule of law. A torture ban would strengthen our image abroad and reinforce our values at home. McCain has also called for the closing of Guantanamo Bay.

At the same time, McCain understands the security threats to our nation. He supported President Bush's actions in Iraq out of a concern for the potential spread of weapons of mass destruction. That concern proved to be unfounded. However, we are in Iraq now and to immediately pull out would be irresponsible Even Democrats such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have acknowledged this. McCain was for the troop surge­-which helped decrease the violence in Iraq-long before Bush proposed it. McCain's military experience gives him a good perspective from which to judge conditions in Iraq.

To cover all of McCain's merits in a short space is hard to do; the above is far from exhaustive. But to summarize: if you want congress and the White House to get back to work and you want to promote democracy and the rule of law at home and abroad, then John McCain is the president for you.