Sen. John McCain is using his time well. The Republican presidential hopeful has traveled abroad in recent days to meet with European leaders.

While the Democratic presidential candidates are campaigning against each other in the United States, the Arizona senator has been visiting Britain and France to say what he would do as president.

He is trying to do so in a way that makes distinctions between himself and President Bush, who is very unpopular in Europe. The senator spoke in Britain and France about the need for action to reduce global warming — something that the Bush administration has not addressed.

The former Vietnam prisoner of war has denounced torture and called for closing the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He wrote that the United States should reach an "international understanding" about how to handle detainees.

The Iraq war, which Sen. McCain supports, is very unpopular among European leaders and people. He has been telling the Europeans that the situation in Iraq is improving and that "al-Qaida is on the run, but not defeated."

The Republican leader has traveled throughout the world and is experienced in international affairs. His language is diplomatic; he says that "we need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies." We will try to persuade them to accept our policies, he said, but also be open to their views as well.

That tone will go farther with our European allies than the peremptory approach adopted by President Bush earlier in his presidency.