McCain as key to Bush's legacy

Here's a quote from Robert Draper’s McCain piece in the latest issue of GQ (Oct. 2008, p. 296):

"On June 22, 2004, Bush took McCain’s buddy Lindsey Graham aside during a White House function and, standing on the Truman Balcony, told Graham that, as the latter would remember it, “he saw John as the guy who would carry on his legacy in Iraq.”"

This isn’t merely about Bush helping McCain as a fellow conservative; this is about Bush helping McCain because he thinks McCain is the best guy to “stay the course.” Remember, too, that this Graham-Bush conversation took place BEFORE the 2004 election, before Bush was even assured of a second term in which to cement his legacy.

What is the actual substance of the meeting Bush invited McCain and Obama to attend? Is Bush offering both of his potential successors a legitimate stake in contributing to the bail-out efforts, one that they wouldn't have merely as senators but earn only as candidates? Doubtful. He's doing everything he can to prop up McCain's non-existent chances at furthering the Bush legacy in Iraq, and if that means letting McCain grandstand about fixing the economy then so be it. I'm just not sure why Bush invited Obama, as well. Bush has politicized every branch of government in his eight years; why is he pretending to be bipartisan now? His legacy?

A friend suggested to me last night that McCain is like that guy who was assigned to your group project in class who never came to any of the meetings, never contributed anything to the project, but who came into class the day of the presentation and took credit for the whole thing.