David Cameron and the John McCain School of Statesmanship

In the midst of an otherwise interesting and thoughtful piece arguing that David Cameron is “retreating” from his “radical” start, Ben Brogan lobs in this astonishing paragraph:

Even on issues on which he has not found such obvious consensus, Mr Cameron has shown himself willing to take risks when politics would dictate prudence. Take Libya, where he led the international debate by being among the first to urge some kind of UN-approved action against Muammar Gaddafi. Events since have largely vindicated those who cautioned against the peril of a drawn-out, costly and unsustainable entanglement. But his critics recognised the confident way the Prime Minister defied American doubts and navigated Arab suspicions to produce a consensus for intervention. Again, here was an instance of swift-footed decisiveness.