Realistically, shaping the McCain bill and putting it in place around the country are months off.

The McCain bill would require the industry to pay some $506 billion over 25 years.

That is not good news for auto industry trade groups, which did not welcome the McCain bill.

If anything, the price increase in the McCain bill is too modest, and should be raised.

The McCain bill would cap penalties at $3.5 billion annually.

There are other issues that went away, more or less, along with the McCain bill.

To be sure, the McCain bill is merely the new focus for debate on tobacco.

He may offer a scaled-down alternative to the McCain bill next week.

The McCain bill does not address how the money would be spent.

To achieve such levels, industry payments would have to be raised even higher than required by the McCain bill.