In a sign that he wants to distance himself from the president – to whom he lost in an ugly campaign in 2000 – Sen McCain outlined a series of measures to roll back Bush policies and counter the "ugly American" image.

"I would immediately close Guantanamo Bay, move all the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth (an army base in Kansas) and truly expedite the judicial proceedings in their cases," he said. "I would reaffirm my commitment to address the issue of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. I know how important this is in Europe in particular."

A future McCain-Cameron alliance across the Atlantic is an appealing one.