Selected highlights from Sen. John McCain’s latest conference call with bloggers…

McCain: It was good to have Thanksgiving dinner with the troops. If we can see the kind of progress we’ve seen over the last nine or ten months, over the next seven or eight months, we’ll see a really improved situation… In March or April, Petraeus will look at situation and see what troop levels are required. We should be driven by facts on the ground, as assessed by the commanders on the ground.

Bull Dog Pundit: Economic philosophy and Bush tax cuts? And as a boxing enthusiast, who do you like in the Mayweather-Hatton fight?

McCain: I’ll take Mayweather. He’s probably the quickest for his size, the strongest and quickest I’ve seen.The major reason I voted against the Bush tax cuts was because I wanted some kind of restraint on spending, which as we knew grew out of control… The tax cuts resulted in increased revenues. I’m for tax cuts of all kinds, but in the next round, I’d like to see more focus on middle income Americans. There hasn’t been income increase among middle class Americans as there has among the wealthy. I’ve always been a lower-taxes, low-regulation economist… The majority of our problem is out of control spending.

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Jen Rubin: National poll numbers are getting better, but Iowa isn’t going well. Thoughts?

McCain: We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m opposed to ethanol subsidies We have an excellent ground game and good organization. Got to keep working in Iowa, I’ll be there next week.

Michael Goldfarb: Do you share the concern at the Pentagon about getting the supplemental passed, and funding running out?

McCain: It’s serious – possibly not quite as serious as the Pentagon says, but it’s serious. This could hinder long-term planning and equipping…. Democrats put the hate crimes bill on the defense appropriations bill. You know what else is attached? Wounded warrior legislation to take care of disabled veterans, and it’s still not signed into law – that’s disgraceful.

Gates is not an alarmist. I take his word for it that it can have serious implications.

Matt Lewis: Clinton comment that he opposed war from beginning – is this to give cover to Hillary?

McCain: Far from me to gage what the former President… I’m sure it’s all coincidental. President failed in dealings with getting Osama and North Korea I’m sure itscoincidental that this comes as Obama makes progress in Iowa.

Ed Morrissey: Proposal of reduction to 50,000 troops in Iraq by November 2008 – is that responsible strategy?

McCain: I was briefed about this agreement. This is an extension of status quo for another year. After that, we would revert to status of forces agreement like Korea and Japan. I saw nothing that mandated further troop withdrawals. I cannot imagine this president would make such an agreement. It may have been misreported in the media.

Phil Klein: Thoughts on peace negotiations at Annapolis?

McCain: Haven’t had a chance to read as much as I should to make an informed judgment. The message is that we want to proceed, we’re committed to it, I think it’s helpful.