While the New York Times today spews out a veiled accusation of racism against John McCain in its endorsement of Barack Obama (“Senator John McCain of Arizona has retreated farther and farther to the fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism”), one of my favorite columnists wrote a resounding endorsement of the Arizona senator.

After chiding other “conservatives” for jumping ship, Charles Krauthammer brings it all back into focus — and reality — in the Washington Post. I couldn’t just dump this in the side links. Here’s some excerpts:

McCain the “erratic” is a cheap Obama talking point. The 40-year record testifies to McCain the stalwart. …

Who do you want answering that phone at 3 a.m.? A man who’s been cramming on these issues for the past year, who’s never had to make an executive decision affecting so much as a city, let alone the world? A foreign policy novice instinctively inclined to the flabbiest, most vaporous multilateralism (e.g., the Berlin Wall came down because of “a world that stands as one“), and who refers to the most deliberate act of war since Pearl Harbor as “the tragedy of 9/11,” a term more appropriate for a bus accident? …

There’s just no comparison. Obama’s own running mate warned this week that Obama’s youth and inexperience will invite a crisis — indeed a crisis “generated” precisely to test him. Can you be serious about national security and vote on Nov. 4 to invite that test?

You’ll want to be sure to read the whole thing and, if you haven’t already, make Krauthammer a regular read.