John McCain is never better than when he's talking about the war on terror. So with Gen. David Petraeus scheduled to give his report to Congress next week -- and with the political rumble that will ensue -- McCain has an opportunity to remind Republican voters about his bona fides on security matters and his determination to win.

For instance, here's McCain in Iowa on Monday:

"I will fight against a date for surrender," said the Arizona senator, reports CNN. "I will fight against what the Democrats are trying to do. And I think it will be a seminal debate that will determine the history of this country for the rest of this century, because if we set a date for withdrawal we will see chaos, we will see genocide, and they will follow us home."

Given that Fred Thompson's entry will be stealing most of it, McCain will be fighting for air in the coming weeks. But September and all the political bickering that it brings play straight into McCain's strengths and he needs to take advantage of it.