U.S. Senator John McCain will deliver the following remarks as prepared for delivery during the first stop of his "Service to America" tour today in Meridian, Mississippi:
Thank you. It's good to be back in Meridian. As you might know, I was once a flight instructor here at the air field named for my grandfather during my long past and misspent youth. And it's always good to be in Mississippi, which you could call my ancestral home. Generations of McCains were born and raised in Carroll County, on land that had been in our family since 1848. The last McCain to live on the property, which the family called Teoc, was my grandfather's brother, Joe McCain. I spent a couple summers here as a young boy, and enjoyed it immensely. I had never had a permanent address because my father's naval career required us to move frequently. But here, in the care of my very likeable Uncle Joe, I could imagine, with a little envy, what it must have been like for the McCains who came before me to be so connected to one place; to be part of a community and a landscape as well as a family.
By all accounts, the McCains of Carroll County were devoted to one another and their traditions; a lively, proud and happy family on the Mississippi Delta. Yet, many McCains left here as young men to pursue careers in what has long been our family's chosen profession -- the United States Armed Forces. My great-grandfather was the sheriff and never left. But his brother, Henry Pinkney McCain, was a major general in the Army, and organized the draft in World War One. Camp McCain in Grenada, Mississippi is named for him. My great uncle, William McCain, was known as "Wild Bill" for his "dynamic" personality -- he was reputed to have ridden his horse onto his future father-in-law's porch to ask him for his daughter's hand. He chased Pancho Villa with General Pershing, was an artillery officer in World War One, and retired a Brigadier General. Both men are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, as are my father and grandfather. We trace my family's martial heritage back to the Revolution. A distant ancestor served on General Washington's staff, and it seems my ancestors fought in most wars in our nation's history. All were soldiers -- both Henry and Bill McCain were West Pointers -- until my grandfather broke family tradition and entered the Naval Academy in 1902. He was succeeded there by my father, then me, and then my son.
As I noted, the naval air field here is named for my grandfather, who had an illustrious career in the Navy, and who remained proud of his Mississippi roots until the end of his life. I have only very early memories of him. I was just nine when he died. But he was an unforgettable man, a lively, colorful, though infrequent, presence in our lives. To spend time in his company was as much fun as a young boy could imagine. He loved his family, and we were spellbound by him. He was a slight man and gaunt, but he filled any room with his deep voice and high spirits. He was devoted to the Navy, but in personal comportment, he was anything but regulation. He was a rumpled, informal man, who wore a crushed cap with the crown removed that the wife of one of his aviators had given him; kept his shoes off when he worked in an office; tobacco leavings were always scattered about him, as he rolled his own with one hand; possessed a mischievous sense of humor, and was unusually close to sailors and junior officers who served under him, and revered him. They called him, "Popeye;" his family called him, "Sid;" and his fellow officers, "Slew," for reasons I never learned
After graduating from the Naval Academy, he sailed around the Philippine Islands on a gunboat captured from the Spanish, the executive officer to the great Chester Nimitz. He returned to the United States on the U.S.S. Connecticut, the flagship of Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet. He served on an armored cruiser in the First World War, escorting wartime convoys across the U-boat infested Atlantic. In 1935, after the Navy ordered that all aircraft carrier skippers must themselves have earned their wings, he trained as a pilot. He was 52 years old at the time, and a Navy Captain. By his own admission, he never learned to fly well. A subordinate recalled later, "the base prayed for his safe return each time he flew." But he managed to earn his wings, and left Pensacola to command the naval air station in the Panama Canal Zone, where I was born.
My father, Jack McCain, was an officer at a submarine base there, one of the few occasions in his adult life when he lived in close proximity to the man he admired above all others. Though they lived far apart for decades, no father and son could have been closer. My father described his father as "a very great leader and people loved him. ... the blood of life flowed through his veins ... a man of great moral and physical courage." He had learned everything about leadership from his father, he said. Both were highly individualistic men with outsize personalities, but were completely dedicated to the United States Navy. Neither ever wanted any other life, and while both were guilty of more than a few regulation infractions, and shared a few vices, they adhered strictly to the code father had taught son: never lie, steal or cheat. Both took a great interest in the views and well-being of the men who served under them. They believed military leaders learned as much from the people they commanded as they taught them. They were demanding, but fair and compassionate commanders. "We are responsible for our men," my father once said, "not the other way around. That's what forges trust and loyalty." They shirked no duty, braved extraordinary dangers, and were exceptional leaders. They were the first father and son to become four star admirals.
My grandfather commanded the fast carrier task force in the Pacific under Admiral Halsey, and devised many of the tactics that were employed by carriers for many years after. He was instrumental in Japan's defeat, and was given a privileged place on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri to witness the signing of the unconditional surrender that ended the war. My father commanded a submarine in the Pacific during the war, survived several harrowing experiences, and had brought a Japanese submarine into Tokyo Harbor at the time of the surrender ceremony. Both were exhausted at war's end, but happy to have the opportunity for a brief reunion. They met onboard a submarine tender, and spent a couple of hours together. My grandfather was worn out and obviously ill. Years later, my father recalled the last words my grandfather had ever spoken to him. "Son, there is no greater thing than to die ... for the country and principles that you believe in." After father and son parted that afternoon, my grandfather began the long trip home to Coronado. Not long after he arrived, at a homecoming party, he turned to my grandmother, and announced he did not feel well. He died a moment later of a heart attack. He had fought his war and died in service to the country he believed in.
My father could not return to the States in time for the funeral. My mother found him waiting for her to return to California from the funeral in Washington, weeping on the airport tarmac. In time, my father, the son of a legendary naval leader, would rise to an even greater command than his father had. During the Vietnam War, he commanded all U.S. forces in the Pacific, at the top of a chain of command that included, near the bottom, his son, a naval aviator on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf, and later a prisoner of war in Hanoi. My father seldom spoke of my captivity to anyone outside the family, and never in public. He prayed on his knees every night for my safe return. He would spend holidays with the troops in Vietnam, near the DMZ. At the end of his visit, he would walk alone to the base perimeter, and look north toward the city where I was held. Yet, when duty required it, he gave the order for B-52s to bomb Hanoi, in close proximity to my prison.
I have lived a blessed life, and the first of my blessings was the family I was born into. I had not only the example of my distinguished male relations, and their long tradition of military service. I was fortunate to grow up under the influence of strong, capable, accomplished women; first among them, my mother, the formidable Roberta McCain; her identical twin, Rowena; my strict and imposing paternal grandmother, Catherine; and equally impressive maternal grandmother, Myrtle. For much of my childhood, my mother was the parent who raised me, my sister and brother. My father was often at sea, and she bore all the responsibilities of both parents. She moved us from base to base, often driving us across country on her own; managed our household; paid the bills; saw to our education and religious upbringing; and made of our itinerant childhood, an interesting, exciting time, rich with fascinating experiences. She was and is a resilient woman, extroverted, uncomplaining, forthright and determined, who greets every challenge as an opportunity to measure one's strength of character and learn about the wider world beyond our immediate environment.
The family I was born to, and the family I am blessed with now, made me the man I am, and instilled in me a deep and abiding respect for the social institution that wields the greatest influence in the formation of our individual character and the character of our society. I may have been raised in a time when government did not dare to assume the responsibilities of parents. But I am a father in a time when parents worry that threats to their children's well-being are proliferating and undermining the values they have worked to impart to them. That is not to say that government should dictate to parents how to raise their children or assume from parents any part of that most personal and important responsibility. No government is capable of caring for children as attentively and wisely as the mother and father who love them. But government must be attentive to the impact of its policies on families so that it does not through inattention or arrogance make it harder for parents to have the resources to succeed in the greatest work of their lives -- raising their children. And where government has a role to play, in education, in combating the threats to the security and happiness of children from online predators, in helping to make health care affordable and accessible to the least fortunate among us, it must do so urgently, effectively and wisely.
Tax policy must not rob parents of the means to care for their children and provide them the opportunities their parents provided them. Government spending must not be squandered on things we do not need and can't afford, and which don't address a single American's concern for their family's security. Government can't just throw money at public education while reinforcing the failures of many of our schools, but should, through choice and competition, by rewarding good teachers and holding bad teachers accountable, help parents prepare their children for the challenges and opportunities of the global economy. Government must be attentive to the impact on families of parents who have lost jobs in our changing economy that won't come back. Our programs for displaced workers are antiquated, repetitive and ineffective. Many were designed for a time when unemployment was seasonal or a temporary consequence of an economic downturn, not for a time when systemic changes wrought by the growing global economy have, while promising undreamt of opportunities for ourselves and many historically poor societies, have cost too many parents the jobs they had assumed would be theirs for life.
With the loss of work and the resources it provides families, come just as injurious losses to the emotional health of families. Work provides more than an income. It is a source of self-worth, pride and sense of purpose. Children learn as much from observation as instruction. The mother or father who has lost hope along with their job can unintentionally impart that hopelessness to their children. A welfare check can't give a parent a sense of purpose. And among the most important things children can inherit from their parents is a sense of purpose, and an aspiration to be part of something bigger than themselves.
My parents taught me that, and I will always be indebted to them. But like many young people, I didn't understand the lesson very well until later in life when I needed it most. As a boy, my family legacy, as fascinating as it was to me, often felt like an imposition. I knew from a very early age that I was destined for Annapolis and a career in the Navy. In reaction, I often rebelled in small and petty ways to what I perceived as an encroachment on my free will.
I concede that I remember with affection the unruly passions of youth, and how they governed my immature sense of honor and self-respect. As I grew older, and the challenges to my self-respect grew more varied and serious, I was surprised to discover that while my sense of honor had matured, its defense mattered even more to me than it did when it was such a vulnerable thing that any empty challenge threatened it.
Like most people, when I reflect on the adventures and joys of youth, I feel a longing for what is lost and cannot be restored. But though the happy pursuits of the young prove ephemeral, something better can endure, and endure until our last moment of life. And that is the honor we earn and the love we give when we work and sacrifice with others for a cause greater than our self-interest. For me that cause has long been our country. I am a lucky, lucky man to have found it, and am forever grateful to those who showed me the way. What they gave me was much more valuable and lasting than the tribute I once paid to vanity.
I am the son and grandson of admirals. My grandfather was an aviator; my father a submariner. They were my first heroes, and their respect for me has been one of the most lasting ambitions of my life. They gave their lives to their country, and taught me lessons about honor, courage, duty, perseverance and leadership that I didn't fully grasp until later in life, but remembered when I needed them most. I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I am their son, and they showed me how to love my country, and that has made all the difference for me, my friends, all the difference in the world.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Nader Says Send the Bush Twins to Iraq
This is an email I got from Nadar today.
President Bush believes that the war in Iraq is "worth the sacrifice."
The question then becomes - sacrifice by whom?
What about George Bush's daughters - Jenna and Barbara?
Prince Harry served in Afghanistan.
Senator Jim Webb and Senator John McCain each have a son who has served in Iraq.
During World War II four of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's sons entered the armed forces, as did General Eisenhower's son, John Eisenhower.
No double standard for them.
So, why not Jenna and Barbara Bush?
And why not military service for the children of all members of Congress - who have funded this criminal war in Iraq?
There is a certain moral authority to govern - setting an example - sharing in the sacrifice initiated by the White House - that escape George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and their enablers in Congress.
They have children who have declined to serve during the Iraq war.
While almost four thousand young American men and women have died in this needless, criminal war.
And tens of thousands have been seriously injured.
Why the double standard?
We have a simple cure for this double standard.
It's called - draft at the top.
Pass a law that says this - whenever Congress and the White House take our country to war, all able-bodied military-age children of every member of Congress, the President and the Vice-President will be conscripted automatically into the armed forces.
Nader/Gonzalez supports draft at the top.
Clinton/Obama/McCain are opposed.
As we tour the country, seeking to get Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot, we will gather support for the draft at the top proposal.
To do this, we need your help.
As you know, we are in the middle of a drive to get Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot all across the country.
This week, we're working on Arizona.
Over four days, we have raised more than $27,000 from 360 donors.
Thank you.
We are halfway to our goal.
We now only need 230 of your to donate $100 each and we will meet our goal of $50,000.
Our troops are waiting in Arizona for a signal to begin gathering the 40,000 signatures - which they must gather by June 4.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
McCain on Obama
"Senator Obama says that ending the war will not be easy, that 'there will be dangers involved.' Yet, in that patented way of his, he declines to name those dangers. Let me enumerate a few: al Qaeda, which is now on the run, will survive, claim victory and continue to provoke sectarian tensions that, while they have been subdued by the 'tactics' of the surge, still exist and are ripe for provocation by al Qaeda, which would almost certainly ignite again civil war in Iraq, a civil war that could easily descend into genocide. To say that invading Iraq was used as a recruiting tool for al Qaeda is one thing. To pretend that our defeat there won't provide an even bigger one is foolish supposition. Iran, which trains Shia extremists and is known to arm and equip Sunni extremists, a fact Senator Obama is apparently unaware of, will also view our premature withdrawal as a victory, as will other countries in the region, and the biggest state supporter of terrorists, a country with nuclear ambitions and a stated desire to destroy the State of Israel, will see its influence in the Middle East grow significantly. These are some of 'dangers,' that our premature withdrawal from Iraq will engender, and they all have the potential to destabilize the entire region. A realistic plan to prevent them from occurring is what people with experience in statecraft call 'strategy,' something Senator Obama has not offered yet.
"Senator Obama, as has also become a habit of his 'new politics,' mischaracterizes John McCain's position by saying McCain did not want to reduce troops because the violence in Iraq was too high, and now do not wish to do so because the violence in down. The reason violence is down is because General Petraeus' counterinsurgency is, which even Senator Obama recognizes, succeeding. Those 'tactics,' are advancing our 'strategy.' Deprive General Petraeus of the resources and manpower to employ those tactics, or worse, leave Iraq altogether, and our strategy will collapse. That is national security 101. John McCain wants American forces to come home when our clear and serious interests at stake in Iraq, which nearly 4,000 Americans have given their lives to secure, are truly safe, when al Qaeda is defeated; Iran's influence is contained, and the potential for a truly cataclysmic civil war in Iraq is remote. That, I think, is what is called 'making us safer.' Senator Obama's plan, if it can be charitably described as one, would do the reverse."
"Senator Obama, as has also become a habit of his 'new politics,' mischaracterizes John McCain's position by saying McCain did not want to reduce troops because the violence in Iraq was too high, and now do not wish to do so because the violence in down. The reason violence is down is because General Petraeus' counterinsurgency is, which even Senator Obama recognizes, succeeding. Those 'tactics,' are advancing our 'strategy.' Deprive General Petraeus of the resources and manpower to employ those tactics, or worse, leave Iraq altogether, and our strategy will collapse. That is national security 101. John McCain wants American forces to come home when our clear and serious interests at stake in Iraq, which nearly 4,000 Americans have given their lives to secure, are truly safe, when al Qaeda is defeated; Iran's influence is contained, and the potential for a truly cataclysmic civil war in Iraq is remote. That, I think, is what is called 'making us safer.' Senator Obama's plan, if it can be charitably described as one, would do the reverse."
Barack Five Years Later (in Iraq)
I got this email from Barack Obama today.
Dear Caleb,
Five years ago today, President George W. Bush launched a war that should never have been authorized based on faulty premises and bad intelligence.
This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War.
Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best-case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars.
And where are we for all of this sacrifice?
We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq.
I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe.
That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Please take a few minutes to read my strategy for ending the war in Iraq and making America safer. I hope you will sign on and show your support: http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater
Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a "Commander-in-Chief test" -- not because of the judgments they've made, but because of the years they've spent in Washington.
She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country -- a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions.
It is time to have a debate with Senator McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate and keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast -- a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past.
Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq.
Join me in supporting an end to this war and a plan for a safer America:
http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater
The judgment that matters most on Iraq -- and on any decision to deploy military force -- is the judgment made first.
If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss -- tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future.
That's why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue -- as he did last year -- that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success.
Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
When I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden -- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.
Show your support for a clear strategy to end the war in Iraq and focus our national security efforts on making America safer: http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater
Here are the core elements of my strategy to address our critical national security challenges in the 21st century: End the war in Iraq, removing our troops at a pace of 1 to 2 combat brigades per month; Finally finish the fight against the Taliban, root out al Qaeda and invest in the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while making aid to the Pakistani government conditional; Act aggressively to stop nuclear proliferation and to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world; Double our foreign assistance to cut extreme poverty in half; Invest in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change; Rebuild our military capability by increasing the number of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insist on adequate training and time off between deployments; Renew American diplomacy by talking to our adversaries as well as our friends; increasing the size of the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps; and creating an America's Voice Corps.
Please take a minute to show your support for this plan:
http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater
We are at a defining moment in our history.
This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values.
That is what we do as Americans. It's how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. It's how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world.
When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
ON THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAQ INVASION
Here are statements by McCain followed by Nadar. No word from Hillary or Obama.
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq:
"Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated. Tough fighting remains ahead, especially in places like Mosul. Important political gains have also been made, but far more must be done in coming months to cement the gains made in huge cost in American blood and treasure.
"Americans should be proud that they led the way in removing a vicious, predatory dictator and opening the possibility of a free and stable Iraq. Americans should be proud that once we implemented the surge and new counterinsurgency strategy, a dire situation has been dramatically improved. And, Americans know that the consequences of failure would leave our nation less secure for generations to come."
John McCain's campaign today further re-released a web feature on www.johnmccain.com that chronicles the Senator's leadership on Iraq and in the larger fight against Islamic extremists. The page, entitled "Fighting Islamic Extremists: Progress in Iraq," features a four year timeline of John McCain's unrelenting call for a new strategy for victory in Iraq -- the strategy currently winning on the ground.
Visit JohnMcCain.com Website Feature: "Fighting Islamic Extremists: Progress in Iraq"
John McCain: "The Loudest Voice For A Change In Iraq," As He Was "Dead On In His Analysis Of What Went Wrong In Iraq"
The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes: "The Loudest Voice For A Change In Iraq Was Senator John McCain Of Arizona." "But the loudest voice for a change in Iraq was Senator John McCain of Arizona. He and his sidekick, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, traveled repeatedly to Iraq. McCain badgered Bush and Hadley with phone calls urging more troops and a different strategy. Together, McCain, Keane, Petraeus, the network of Army officers, and Kagan provided a supportive backdrop for adopting a new strategy." (Fred Barnes, "How Bush Decided On The Surge," The Weekly Standard, 2/4/08)
· Newsweek's Michael Hirsh: "As We Now Know Nearly Four Years Later, McCain Was Dead On In His Analysis Of What Went Wrong In Iraq." "In early November 2003, at a time when Fred Dalton Thompson was playing a tough D.A. on 'Law and Order,' John McCain was cross-examining Donald Rumsfeld for real on Capitol Hill. It was still very early into the U.S. occupation of Iraq, but the as-yet-unacknowledged (by Rummy, that is) insurgency was already out of control. Alone among his fellow GOP senators, McCain blasted Rumsfeld for not putting enough U.S. troops on the ground, and for resorting too soon to 'Iraqification' -- that is, transferring security to ill-prepared Iraqi forces. In an extraordinarily blunt speech at the Council on Foreign Relations that grim autumn, McCain warned that ultimately Iraq could become another Vietnam 'if we lose popular support in the United States.' The next day, the secretary of Defense asked McCain to breakfast. 'I read your speech,' harrumphed Rumsfeld (that 'must have been an enjoyable experience for him,' McCain later joked to me). Then Rummy patiently explained to his fellow Republican why he and his top civilian brass (Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith and the usual crowd of incompetents) would continue to do things the same way. They 'believed there was no need for additional troops,' McCain later related. McCain had already realized that Rumsfeld was a lost cause. The real question, the senator suggested to me back then, was whether George W. Bush himself would push Rummy to make changes. 'I'd like to see the president fully engaged,' McCain said. Bush needed to be on top of 'more details of what's going on.' As we now know nearly four years later, McCain was dead on in his analysis of what went wrong in Iraq. Right down to the need for Bush to get engaged and fire Rumsfeld. McCain was so right that, among military experts today, the emerging conventional wisdom about Bush's current 'surge' is that if it had occurred back then -- when McCain wanted it and the political will existed in this country to support it for the necessary number of years -- it might well have succeeded." (Michael Hirsh, "Why McCain's Collapse Matters," Newsweek, 7/26/07)
New Hampshire Union Leader: "Of All The Candidates For President, It Was John McCain And Only John McCain Who Not Only Opposed Donald Rumsfeld's Iraq Strategy From The Start But Offered A Viable Alternative For Winning ..." "Of all the candidates for President, it was John McCain and only John McCain who not only opposed Donald Rumsfeld's Iraq strategy from the start but offered a viable alternative for winning that ill-fated war. When the Democrats cried 'Retreat!' and other Republicans shouted 'Stay the course!' McCain listened to the commanders on the ground. He discerned the path to victory early, and only after the President finally did what McCain had urged for years did the tide begin to turn in our favor. That is the kind of judgment America needs in the oval office." (Editorial, "Commander In Chief: McCain Is The Best Choice," New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/25/07)
· Boston Herald: "McCain knew that the administration's early military strategy was not enough to get the job done. And he was among the first to sign on to this year's troop surge as devised by Gen. David Petraeus." (Editorial, "Choice Is Clear: McCain's The One," Boston Herald, 12/20/07)
John McCain: Fighting For A Winning Strategy In Iraq Since August 2003
Washington Post Headline, August 24, 2003: "McCain Says U.S. Needs More Money, Troops in Iraq." (Mike Allen, "McCain Says U.S. Needs More Money, Troops in Iraq," The Washington Post, 8/24/03)
· August 2003: "Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said after visiting Baghdad last week that President Bush needs to level with the public about the need for more U.S. troops as well as dramatically more spending to make postwar Iraq peaceful enough for democracy to unfold. ... 'We need to tell the American people directly, and I think they'll support it,' McCain said from Islamabad, Pakistan. 'We must win this conflict. We need a lot more military, and I'm convinced we need to spend a lot more money.'" (Mike Allen, "McCain Says U.S. Needs More Money, Troops in Iraq," The Washington Post, 8/24/03)
November 2003: "To win in Iraq, we should increase the number of forces in-country, including Marines and Special Forces, to conduct offensive operations. I believe we must have in place another full division, giving us the necessary manpower to conduct a focused counterinsurgency campaign across the Sunni triangle that seals off enemy operating areas, conducts search and destroy operations and holds territory. Such a strategy would be the kind of new mission General Sanchez agreed would require additional forces. It's a mystery to me why they are not forthcoming. We cannot achieve our political goals as long as a strategic region of Iraq is in a state of fundamental insecurity." (John McCain, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, Washington, DC 11/5/03)
April 2004: "When I came back last August from Iraq, I said we needed more troops, thousands that were special forces, linguists, civil affairs type of people, that we'd be dealing with this new insurgency that we are now seeing in spades. Yes, I believe we need more, thousands more of the right kind of military personnel." (CNN's "Inside Politics," 4/6/04)
· April 2004: "I was there in last August and have said since then that we needed more troops, we need them very badly. We may be paying a price for not having had more troops there, and I feel sorry for these young men and women having to remain there, but they know their job and I'm sure they'll do it well." (John McCain, Remarks At Media Availability, Washington, DC, 4/11/04)
· April 2004: "[W]hen I was there in Iraq in August, I talked to [the] British. I talked to sergeant majors. I talked to colonels and captains. And I came back absolutely convinced that we needed more boots on the ground. These people warned me. They said, 'Look, if you don't have more soldiers here, you're going to lose control of this situation and you're going to face an insurgency some months from now.' I begged and pleaded that we send more troops. Secretary Rumsfeld said, 'Well, our commanders on the ground haven't asked for them.' It's not up to the commanders on the ground. It's up to the leadership of the country to make these decisions. That's why we elect them and have civilian supremacy. We're now facing a terrible insurgency. We can prevail, but we've got to have more people over there to get the job done." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 4/14/04)
· April 2004: "Third, it is painfully clear that we need more troops. Before the war, the U.S. Army chief of staff said that several hundred thousand troops would be necessary to keep the peace. While criticized at the time, General [Eric K.] Shinseki now looks prescient. I have said since my visit to Iraq last August that our military presence is insufficient to bring stability to the country. We should increase the number of forces, including Marines and Special Forces, to conduct offensive operations. There is also a dire need for other types of forces, including linguists, intelligence officers, and civil affairs officers. We must deploy at least another full division, and probably more." (John McCain, Remarks To Council On Foreign Relations, Washington, DC, 4/22/04)
May 2004: "We need more troops in, need more troops now. Yes, there are more troops that are going to stay there, but we may even need more than that, and we have to expand the size of the military. We really do." (Fox News' "The Big Story With John Gibson," 5/10/04)
June 2004: "Some of this could have been prevented if Secretary Rumsfeld had recognized long ago what so many of us were saying urgently, that we needed more troops on the ground in Iraq, particularly of particular specifications, specialties that these people have that are being called up involuntarily." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 6/29/04)
August 2004: "I think the events on the ground right now indicate clearly that we cannot bring anybody home. In certain areas we may even have to strengthen our troop presence." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 8/11/04)
September 2004: "I think that we need more troops in Iraq. I've thought that for a long time, election or no election. ... [I]'ve been asking since a year ago last August. So I'm not sure that the elections have a lot to do with it, but I've been saying since a year ago August that we needed more boots on the ground, particularly in the form of Special Forces, civil affairs, linguists and others." (CNBC's "Capital Report," 9/23/04)
November 2004: "It's very tough and we still need more troops. We still need more people there. I believe those reports of those young Marines that said, 'Look, unless we keep a significant presence here, they're going to filter back in.'" (NBC's "Meet The Press," 11/21/04)
December 2004: "[T]he problem that we have here is that the Pentagon has been reacting to initiatives of the enemy rather than taking initiatives from which the enemy has to react to. Many of us, as long as a year and a half ago, said, 'You have to have more people there. You have to have more linguists. You have to have more special forces. You have to have' -- and the Pentagon has reluctantly, obviously, gradually made some increases. And the problem, when you react, you have to extend people on duty there, which is terrible for morale. There's a terrific strain on Guard and reservists. If you plan ahead, then you don't have to do some of these things. The military is too small. The good news is we went into Fallujah and we dug then out of there. And I'm proud of the work. These men and women are magnificent. Their leadership is magnificent. The bad news is we allowed Fallujah to become a sanctuary to start with. So, yes, we need more troops. Yes, we have to win." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 12/5/04)
December 2004: "I have strenuously argued for larger troop numbers in Iraq, including the right kind of troops -- linguists, special forces, civil affairs, etc. ... There are very strong differences of opinion between myself and Secretary Rumsfeld on that issue." (Beth DeFalco, "McCain Says He Has 'No Confidence' In Secretary Of Defense," The Associated Press, 12/13/04)
June 2005: "I think we need -- I think we need more troops there ... because we're not staying once we attack and clear. We've got stay and expand." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 6/28/05)
· June 2005: "I've thought for a long, long time, since the very beginning, that we needed more troops, and one of the reasons why we've experienced many of the difficulties we have is we didn't have enough boots on the ground, and we still do." (CNN's "American Morning," 6/29/05)
August 2005: "We not only don't need to withdraw, we need more troops there." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 8/14/05)
· August 2005: TIME's MIKE DUFFY: "Do you think we need more troops?" SEN. MCCAIN: "I've always said that ... I think we need more and I think they need to stay longer. The problem is, is that we didn't expand the size of the Army and the Marine Corps and we put enormous strains on the Guard and Reserves and on active duty personnel. We need to expand the Army and expand the Marine Corps, and have more troops over there for as long as is necessary. The irony here is that we could have had less troops here now if we had had more troops when they were needed where, in the view of literally every military person I talked to in Iraq, right after the victory." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 8/28/05)
September 2005: "I have always said we need more troops. I believed it then. I believe it now." (NPR's "Morning Edition," 9/20/05)
November 2005: "Securing ever-increasing parts of Iraq and preventing the emergence of new terrorist safe havens will require more troops and money. It will take time, probably years, and mean more American casualties. Those are terrible prices to pay. But with the stakes so high, I believe we must choose the strategy with the best chance of success." (John McCain, Remarks To American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, 11/10/05)
· November 2005: "To enhance our chances of success with this strategy and enable our forces to hold as much territory as possible, we need more troops. For this reason, I believe that current ideas to effect a partial drawdown during 2006 are exactly wrong. ... Instead of drawing down, we should be ramping up, with more civil-military soldiers, translators and counterinsurgency operations teams." (John McCain, Remarks To American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, 11/10/05)
December 2005: "I've wanted to send troops. I still think we should have more troops there." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 12/4/05)
March 2006: "Of course, I would, quote, like to see more troops." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 3/30/06)
April 2006: "It's well known, because I was asked a direct question about my confidence in Secretary Rumsfeld, that I do not have confidence. But that does not mean that I'm calling for his removal, because that's what the president of the United States' job is." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees," 4/13/06)
June 2006: "You know, I've always said that we needed more troops over there. I have said that for years." (CBS' "Evening News," 6/20/06)
July 2006: CNN's JOHN KING: "The United States is sending more troops to Iraq. What do you think?" SEN. MCCAIN: "I think it's necessary. I think it was necessary a long, long time ago. I think one of the biggest mistakes we made that we've paid a very heavy price for was not having enough boots on the ground. I said that three years ago." (CNN's "Larry King Live," 7/26/06)
August 2006: NBC's DAVID GREGORY: "But to do that, do you need more U.S. soldiers on the ground now?" SEN. MCCAIN: "I think so. I think so. We took troops from places like Ramadi, which are still not under control, to put them into Baghdad. We've had to send in additional troops as they are. All along, we have not had enough troops on the ground to control the situation. Many, many people knew that and it's -- we're paying a very heavy price for it. But I want to emphasize that we cannot lose this. It will cause chaos in Iraq and in the region, and it's -- I still believe that we, we must prevail." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 8/20/06)
· August 2006: "I know that military commanders on the ground need more troops, whether they're asking for them or not. But see, this is kind of a false argument. ... It's not up to the commanders on the ground, it's up to the leaders who assess the entire battlefield situation to decide whether they need. I've known very few -- General McCaffrey's going to follow us -- I've known very few commanders in the field who see I -- say, 'I need help.'" (NBC's "Meet The Press," 8/20/06)
September 2006: "I still think we need more troops over there." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/24/06)
October 2006: "I would increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps by some hundred thousand people, and I would send more troops over there where necessary and I would listen very carefully to my military commanders." (CBS' "Evening News," 10/19/06)
November 2006: "I believe that there are a lot of things that we can do to salvage this, but they all require the presence of additional troops. ... I also said three years ago, if we don't have more troops over there, and we don't do what's necessary, we are going to be doomed to failure. I gave a speech to the Foreign Relations -- Council on Foreign Relations -- that said basically that, and I've been saying it all along in every hearing, and I've been saying, 'You are going to face this situation we're facing today if we didn't have a more robust presence and a better strategy,' and that's -- I proved to be right in that respect." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 11/12/06)
December 2006: "We must have more troops over there. That has to be accompanied by a larger Marine Corps or Army. ... And we have to have a big enough surge that we can get Baghdad under control and then Anbar province under control." (Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume," 12/12/06)
January 2007: "The presence of additional coalition forces would give the Iraqi government the ability to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own: impose its rule throughout the country. In bringing security to Iraq, and chiefly to Baghdad, our forces would give the government a fighting chance to pursue reconciliation. ... There are two keys to any surge of U.S. troops. To be of value the surge must be substantial and it must be sustained -- it must be substantial and it must be sustained. We will need a large number of troops. During our recent trip commanders on the ground spoke of a surge of three to five additional brigades in Baghdad and at least an additional brigade in Anbar province. I believe these numbers are the minimum that's required -- a minimum. We need more of the right kind of troops: civil affairs teams, special forces, translators, troops to conduct information operations, among others. The mission of these reinforcements would be to implement the thus-elusive hold element of the military's clear, hold, build strategy, to maintain security in cleared areas to protect the population and critical infrastructure, and to impose the government's authority: essential elements of a traditional counterinsurgency strategy." (John McCain, Remarks To American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, 1/5/07)
The New Strategy Is Winning On The Ground In Iraq
Chicago Tribune: "One year ago, fresh American troops were dispatched as part of the 'surge' into Baghdad to tamp down violence and allow political reconciliation. It has been a remarkable year, with violence plummeting and streams of emigres returning to Baghdad. And on Wednesday, Iraq's political leaders finally held up their end of the bargain. The Iraqi parliament did three things. It approved a budget, to start moving on crucial reconciliation projects. It passed a new law to define the scope of provincial powers, critical to power sharing. And it promoted reconciliation by granting a general amnesty for thousands of Iraqi prisoners. That's huge progress. ... Progress, political and military, is fragile but real." (Editorial, "Iraq's Breakthrough," Chicago Tribune, 2/15/08)
The Washington Post: "The evidence is now overwhelming that the 'surge' of U.S. military forces in Iraq this year has been, in purely military terms, a remarkable success." (Editorial, "Iraq's Narrow Window," The Washington Post, 11/18/07)
ABC News: "American troops are spending their fifth Thanksgiving at war in Iraq. Last year on this day, Baghdad was in lockdown after one of that city's deadliest suicide bombings. But the headlines in recent weeks have been different. And today, our Baghdad correspondent, Terry McCarthy, got an extraordinary look at the country, traveling with the number two US general there, Ray Odierno. ... The message we get from US commanders in bases outside Baghdad is pretty much the same wherever we go, cautious optimism. Not only is there a huge increase in Iraqi citizens groups who are coming forward to help the Americans, but overall levels of violence have gone way down. When the surge started, three or four Americans were being killed every day in Iraq. Now that number's gone down to about one a day. And for Iraqis, reasons to be thankful, as well. Civilian deaths in Baghdad are down 65% compared to six months ago. Car bombs are down 47%." (ABC World News, 11/22/07)
The New York Times: "The security improvements in most neighborhoods are real. Days now pass without a car bomb, after a high of 44 in the city in February. The number of bodies appearing on Baghdad's streets has plummeted to about 5 a day, from as many as 35 eight months ago, and suicide bombings across Iraq fell to 16 in October, half the number of last summer and down sharply from a recent peak of 59 in March, the American military says. As a result, for the first time in nearly two years, people are moving with freedom around much of this city. In more than 50 interviews across Baghdad, it became clear that while there were still no-go zones, more Iraqis now drive between Sunni and Shiite areas for work, shopping or school, a few even after dark." (Damien Cave and Alissa J. Rubin, "Baghdad's Weary Start To Exhale As Security Improves," The New York Times, 11/20/07)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
FROM NADAR'S CAMP
Five years ago today.
The United States launched
A criminal invasion of Iraq.
Five years later
More than a million Iraqis dead.
Almost 4,000 Americans dead.
Hundreds of thousands seriously injured.
Millions uprooted.
End the war.The destruction of a country.
The undermining of the rule of law.
What to do?
On this fifth anniversary?
Join with the Nader/Gonzalez peace train.
The peace train that will
Set a six month deadline.
To bring our troops home from Iraq.
To give the Iraqis back their county.
To give the Iraqis back their oil.
Get out.
And when we announce that we are getting out
In six months certain
That will knock the bottom out of the insurgency.
And bring together the three groups - Shia, Sunni, and Kurds
For a unified Iraq.
They will have to come together.
Because the alternative is total bloodshed.
But first, we must get out.
We must set a date certain of six months.
Nader/Gonzalez would set such a date certain.
Clinton/Obama/McCain would not.
Nader/Gonzalez would get U.S. oil companies out of Iraq.
Clinton/Obama/McCain would not.
Nader/Gonzalez would get all U.S. bases out of Iraq.
Clinton/Obama/McCain would not.
Nader/Gonzalez would cut the bloated, wasteful, military budget.
Clinton/Obama/McCain would not.
Clinton/Obama/McCain.
Nader/Gonzalez.
Like night and day.
War and peace.
How best to make amends?
On this fifth anniversary?
Work for peace.
Join now with the Nader/Gonzalez peace train.
Give now to get Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot
In states all across the country.
CLICK TO CONTRIBUTE.Right now, we are in the middle of ballot drive.
To take the peace train to Arizona.
To put Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot
In the Grand Canyon State.
Over the past few days, we have raised
Over $20,000 from 273 donations.
That takes us 40 percent of the way toward our goal - $50,000.
To get Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot in Arizona.
Where the two corporate parties require us to get 40,000 signatures.
But with your help, we will do it.
We will give the good citizens of Arizona -
Home state to the candidate of perpetual war -
John McCain -
A chance to vote for the peace candidates.
Nader/Gonzalez.
Right now, we need only 300 of you
To give $100 each.
And we will send our petition gatherers to Arizona.
To honor those who have died in this needless war -
Work for peace.
Join with Ralph Nader.
And Matt Gonzalez.
Who from the beginning.
Have opposed this war.
And worked with peace groups around the world to end it.
Help put Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot.
And join our peace train.
Onward.
The Nader Team
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
McCain on Guns; Tibet
From McCain's press office today.
U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on District of Columbia v. Heller:
"Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, a landmark case for all Americans who believe as I do that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. I am proud to have joined in an amicus brief to the Court calling for a ruling in keeping with the clear intent of our Founding Fathers, which ensures the Second Amendment rights of the residents of District of Columbia are reaffirmed."
McCain today issued the following statement on the situation in Tibet:
"The unfolding tragedy in Tibet should draw the attention of the entire world. I deplore the violent crackdown by Chinese authorities and the continuing oppression in Tibet of those merely wishing to practice their faith and preserve their culture and heritage. I have listened carefully to the Dalai Lama and am convinced he is a man of peace who reflects the hopes and aspirations of Tibetans. I urge the government of the People's Republic of China to address the root causes of unrest in Tibet by opening a genuine dialogue with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Reports of shutting down YouTube and confiscation of SIM cards are disturbing and reports of multiple deaths are far more so, especially in a year when China is preparing to host the Olympic Games. I urge the Chinese authorities to ensure peaceful protest is not met with violence, to release monks and others detained for peacefully expressing their views and to allow full outside access to Tibet."
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Political Jokes
The following is an email from my friend Alistair.
Five surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.
The first surgeon, from Manchester, says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second, from Birmingham, responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded."
The third surgeon, from Edinburgh says, "No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon, from Belfast, chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers... those guys always understand when you have a few parts leftover."
But the fifth surgeon, from London, shut them all up when he observed, "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the arse are interchangeable."
Saturday, March 8, 2008
McCain tours Missouri; Earmarks postponed
STATEMENT BY JOHN MCCAIN ON ONE YEAR MORATORIUM ON EARMARKS
McCain today issued the following statement in support of imposing a one-year moratorium on earmarks:
"Next week, as the Senate begins to address this year's budget, I will join with Senator Jim DeMint, in sponsoring an amendment to impose a one-year moratorium on earmarks. The American public has spoken: No More 'Bridges to Nowhere.' We should begin now.
"I call on my Democratic colleagues, Senators Clinton and Obama, to join me in supporting the DeMint amendment and make this a bipartisan effort to return the budget to a focus on genuine national priorities. And, in the spirit of openness and transparency in government, I call on them to fully disclose all of their earmark requests while serving in the U.S. Senate.
"I am committed to reforming the federal government. I hope that all those seeking higher office will support change in the right direction by taking action to rein in wasteful spending and begin to restore the trust in government that the American people demand."
###
McCain's presidential campaign today announced that John McCain will hold a media availability in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, March 10th and a town hall meeting, followed by a media availability, on Tuesday, March 11th.
Monday, March 10, 2008
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Monday, March 10, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. CDT
Press Set Up Time: 4:30 p.m. CDT
WHERE: Signature FBO -- St. Louis International Airport
5995 James South McDonnell Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63134
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. CDT
Press Set Up Time: 7:30 a.m. CDT
WHERE: Savvis, Inc.
1 Savvis Parkway
St. Louis, MO 63017
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. CDT
Press Set Up Time: 9:15 a.m. CDT
WHERE: Savvis, Inc.
1 Savvis Parkway
St. Louis, MO 63017
Friday, March 7, 2008
John McCain Looses his Temper
This is just out on MSNBC. McCain was asked if he would return the favor of inviting Senator Kerry as his VP, as Kerry did in 04. McCain looses his shit.
I just got this from McCain's press office.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Bloomberg: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
"Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment." -- Bloomberg
McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion
By Edwin Chen
Bloomberg
March 7, 2008
March 7 (Bloomberg) -- As he competed for the Republican presidential nomination in more than 20 states last month, John McCain also made time to tape a memorial tribute to David Ifshin.
Ifshin, who died in 1996, had traveled to Hanoi in 1970 to denounce the Vietnam War in a broadcast that was piped into McCain's prisoner-of-war cell. In later years, the two men reconciled, and just days before a Feb. 19 commemoration of Ifshin's life at Syracuse University, McCain's videotape arrived without fanfare, said Ifshin's widow, Gail.
"It just brought tears to my eyes," she said.
Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment.
Critics have questioned McCain's temperament, including his suitability to be commander-in-chief, since his first run for the presidency in 2000. In January, Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi told the Boston Globe that "the thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hot-headed. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Taming His Temper
McCain, 71, has acknowledged his temper, saying he "works all the time" at taming it. "Every time I lose my temper, I've regretted it," he said in a 1998 interview. ...
McCain controls his anger "most of the time," said former Republican Senator Bill Cohen of Maine, who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton and was best man at McCain's second wedding.
Mark Udall, a Democratic Colorado congressman, has seen the other side of the McCain personality. McCain was one of the few people to regularly visit his father, former Arizona Representative Morris K. Udall, as he lay dying in a hospital.
Mentor and Friend
When McCain arrived in the House in 1983, Morris Udall, a liberal Democrat, became his mentor and friend. By the late l990s, the senior Arizona congressman was incapacitated by Parkinson's disease and bedridden at a veterans' hospital.
"John continued to visit my dad when he had almost literally no visitors except us family members," Mark Udall said. "He was basically unable to communicate verbally and was semi-conscious." Week after week, McCain sat reading to Udall and telling him about doings on Capitol Hill.
Udall's daughter, Ann Udall, head of the Lee Institute, a nonprofit community organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, later persuaded McCain to change his mind and support fetal- tissue research that could lead to a cure for Parkinson's.
"John was very thoughtful and very reflective on the issue," she said.
Matt James, Morris Udall's chief of staff, remembered McCain's reply after he thanked him for visiting his boss.
Prisoner of War
"I know what it's like to be a prisoner," James said he was told by McCain, who was detained in North Vietnam for five- and-a-half years.
McCain becomes most passionate when describing the treatment of wounded veterans. His mother said she saw that passion two years ago when he entered her hospital room in tears.
"I thought it was about me," said Roberta McCain, who was being treated for a hip injury.
Instead, she said her son had just come from the room of a of a Naval Academy graduate whose legs had been blown off in Iraq and was on his death bed.
Hours later, McCain told Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine about the encounter.
"He was moved to tears even then -- on the Senate floor," Collins said. "This is a man who's been through the unspeakable, but it has not hardened him to the trials and tribulations of others."
Mutual Apologies
Ifshin saw those qualities in McCain after the two men apologized to one another in 1986 -- Ifshin for his actions in Vietnam and McCain for having attacked Ifshin in a 1984 speech.
Ifshin served as general counsel to Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and worked as a lobbyist. He and McCain later teamed up to establish the Institute for Democracy in Vietnam, which promotes human rights.
After Ifshin became ill, McCain visited him at his Maryland home.
"We just sat in the living room and had a long conversation," Gail Ifshin said. "It meant a lot."
McCain delivered a eulogy at Ifshin's funeral, saying his friend had taught him "the futility of looking back in anger."
McCain's willingness to "let bygones be bygones" may stem from a "sense of urgency about accomplishing things because of the life he had been granted again," Mark Udall said.
Gail Ifshin said that more than a decade after her husband's death, McCain remains "kind and attentive" to her and her three grown children, she said.
"His level of sensitivity and caring, the ability to see beyond his own world -- it's emblematic of the man I've come to know," she said.
Read The Bloomberg Article: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
###
I just got this from McCain's press office.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Bloomberg: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
"Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment." -- Bloomberg
McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion
By Edwin Chen
Bloomberg
March 7, 2008
March 7 (Bloomberg) -- As he competed for the Republican presidential nomination in more than 20 states last month, John McCain also made time to tape a memorial tribute to David Ifshin.
Ifshin, who died in 1996, had traveled to Hanoi in 1970 to denounce the Vietnam War in a broadcast that was piped into McCain's prisoner-of-war cell. In later years, the two men reconciled, and just days before a Feb. 19 commemoration of Ifshin's life at Syracuse University, McCain's videotape arrived without fanfare, said Ifshin's widow, Gail.
"It just brought tears to my eyes," she said.
Little known beyond his family and small circle of friends, McCain has a softer, compassionate side that co-exists with his temper. Those who have seen him in private moments and in personal relationships say the Arizona senator has demonstrated extraordinary kindness, bringing to the political realm a human dimension often obscured by the heat of the moment.
Critics have questioned McCain's temperament, including his suitability to be commander-in-chief, since his first run for the presidency in 2000. In January, Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi told the Boston Globe that "the thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hot-headed. He loses his temper and he worries me."
Taming His Temper
McCain, 71, has acknowledged his temper, saying he "works all the time" at taming it. "Every time I lose my temper, I've regretted it," he said in a 1998 interview. ...
McCain controls his anger "most of the time," said former Republican Senator Bill Cohen of Maine, who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton and was best man at McCain's second wedding.
Mark Udall, a Democratic Colorado congressman, has seen the other side of the McCain personality. McCain was one of the few people to regularly visit his father, former Arizona Representative Morris K. Udall, as he lay dying in a hospital.
Mentor and Friend
When McCain arrived in the House in 1983, Morris Udall, a liberal Democrat, became his mentor and friend. By the late l990s, the senior Arizona congressman was incapacitated by Parkinson's disease and bedridden at a veterans' hospital.
"John continued to visit my dad when he had almost literally no visitors except us family members," Mark Udall said. "He was basically unable to communicate verbally and was semi-conscious." Week after week, McCain sat reading to Udall and telling him about doings on Capitol Hill.
Udall's daughter, Ann Udall, head of the Lee Institute, a nonprofit community organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, later persuaded McCain to change his mind and support fetal- tissue research that could lead to a cure for Parkinson's.
"John was very thoughtful and very reflective on the issue," she said.
Matt James, Morris Udall's chief of staff, remembered McCain's reply after he thanked him for visiting his boss.
Prisoner of War
"I know what it's like to be a prisoner," James said he was told by McCain, who was detained in North Vietnam for five- and-a-half years.
McCain becomes most passionate when describing the treatment of wounded veterans. His mother said she saw that passion two years ago when he entered her hospital room in tears.
"I thought it was about me," said Roberta McCain, who was being treated for a hip injury.
Instead, she said her son had just come from the room of a of a Naval Academy graduate whose legs had been blown off in Iraq and was on his death bed.
Hours later, McCain told Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine about the encounter.
"He was moved to tears even then -- on the Senate floor," Collins said. "This is a man who's been through the unspeakable, but it has not hardened him to the trials and tribulations of others."
Mutual Apologies
Ifshin saw those qualities in McCain after the two men apologized to one another in 1986 -- Ifshin for his actions in Vietnam and McCain for having attacked Ifshin in a 1984 speech.
Ifshin served as general counsel to Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and worked as a lobbyist. He and McCain later teamed up to establish the Institute for Democracy in Vietnam, which promotes human rights.
After Ifshin became ill, McCain visited him at his Maryland home.
"We just sat in the living room and had a long conversation," Gail Ifshin said. "It meant a lot."
McCain delivered a eulogy at Ifshin's funeral, saying his friend had taught him "the futility of looking back in anger."
McCain's willingness to "let bygones be bygones" may stem from a "sense of urgency about accomplishing things because of the life he had been granted again," Mark Udall said.
Gail Ifshin said that more than a decade after her husband's death, McCain remains "kind and attentive" to her and her three grown children, she said.
"His level of sensitivity and caring, the ability to see beyond his own world -- it's emblematic of the man I've come to know," she said.
Read The Bloomberg Article: "McCain Balances Public Temper With Private Acts of Compassion"
###
JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW WEB AD, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Friday, March 7, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today launched a new web ad, entitled "Man In The Arena." The web ad highlights John McCain's vision and leadership in these historic and dangerous times.
Script for "Man In The Arena" (2:00-Web)
CHYRON: The Time Has Come
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!"
JOHN MCCAIN: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will."
CHYRON: For a Man in the Arena
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in."
CHYRON: Ready
JOHN MCCAIN: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me."
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
CHYRON: More Than Aspiration ... Leadership
JOHN MCCAIN: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you."
CHYRON: McCain -- President 2008
AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Sir Winston Churchill, 1940: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." (Sir Winston Churchill, House of Commons, London, June 4, 1940)
John McCain, 2004: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will." (John McCain, 2004 Republican National Convention, New York, NY, August, 30, 2004)
President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in." (President Theodore Roosevelt, "A Confession of Faith," Progressive Party National Convention, Chicago, IL, August 6, 1912)
John McCain, 2008: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Sir Winston Churchill, 1941: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." (Sir Winston Churchill, Harrow School, London, October 29, 1941)
John McCain, 2008: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today launched a new web ad, entitled "Man In The Arena." The web ad highlights John McCain's vision and leadership in these historic and dangerous times.
Script for "Man In The Arena" (2:00-Web)
CHYRON: The Time Has Come
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender!"
JOHN MCCAIN: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will."
CHYRON: For a Man in the Arena
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in."
CHYRON: Ready
JOHN MCCAIN: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me."
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
CHYRON: More Than Aspiration ... Leadership
JOHN MCCAIN: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you."
CHYRON: McCain -- President 2008
AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008, "MAN IN THE ARENA"
Sir Winston Churchill, 1940: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." (Sir Winston Churchill, House of Commons, London, June 4, 1940)
John McCain, 2004: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. ... We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will." (John McCain, 2004 Republican National Convention, New York, NY, August, 30, 2004)
President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912: "With all my heart and soul ... I pledge you my word to do everything I can to put every particle of courage, of common sense, and of strength that I have at your disposal. ... Surely there never was a fight better worth making than the one in which we are in." (President Theodore Roosevelt, "A Confession of Faith," Progressive Party National Convention, Chicago, IL, August 6, 1912)
John McCain, 2008: "I know who I am and what I want to do. I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Sir Winston Churchill, 1941: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." (Sir Winston Churchill, Harrow School, London, October 29, 1941)
John McCain, 2008: "I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will. Thank you and God bless you." (John McCain, Remarks On Wisconsin Primary Victory, Columbus, OH, February 19, 2008)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Measuring my Caucus
Here are the results from the caucus I attended in Texas
There were 356 sign ins at the caucus. The delegates were split evenly - 128 each for Obama/Clinton. Since we had an odd number of delegates (27) and each candidate would get 13 the rules state that the 14th delegate would go to a coin-toss. We confirmed this with both the TCDP and TDP. Lonnie Limon who caucused for Clinton called heads. The 13 year-old daughter of another Clinton caucus-goer flipped the coin which landed tails, therefore Obama won the caucus delegates 14 to 13.
You can find election results precinct by precinct here: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20080304/files/dempct2.pdf.
Here are our numbers (the breakdown is EV%/early vote, ED%/election day vote).
Joe Biden 0
0.00% 1 0.21% 1 0.11%
Christopher J. Dodd 0
0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Barack Obama 171
40.33% 202 43.25% 373 41.86%
Bill Richardson 2
0.47% 0 0.00% 2 0.22%
Hillary Clinton 250
58.96% 262 56.10% 512 57.46%
John Edwards 1
0.24% 2 0.43% 3 0.34%
Total Votes Counted in this Race:
424 467 891
There were 356 sign ins at the caucus. The delegates were split evenly - 128 each for Obama/Clinton. Since we had an odd number of delegates (27) and each candidate would get 13 the rules state that the 14th delegate would go to a coin-toss. We confirmed this with both the TCDP and TDP. Lonnie Limon who caucused for Clinton called heads. The 13 year-old daughter of another Clinton caucus-goer flipped the coin which landed tails, therefore Obama won the caucus delegates 14 to 13.
You can find election results precinct by precinct here: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20080304/files/dempct2.pdf.
Here are our numbers (the breakdown is EV%/early vote, ED%/election day vote).
Joe Biden 0
0.00% 1 0.21% 1 0.11%
Christopher J. Dodd 0
0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Barack Obama 171
40.33% 202 43.25% 373 41.86%
Bill Richardson 2
0.47% 0 0.00% 2 0.22%
Hillary Clinton 250
58.96% 262 56.10% 512 57.46%
John Edwards 1
0.24% 2 0.43% 3 0.34%
Total Votes Counted in this Race:
424 467 891
It's 3 a.m. and John McCain answers the phone
I just got this from McCain:
"U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker in response to the assertion by Susan Rice, Senator Obama's foreign policy advisor, that neither democratic candidate is ready for the 3:00 a.m. call:
"At a time when our country faces an unprecedented range of international challenges and opportunities, the American people want a president who is prepared to lead our country in a dangerous world. Senator Obama's foreign policy adviser said today that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama is ready to answer a 3:00 a.m. phone call during an international crisis. We agree wholeheartedly that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama have the experience or judgment necessary to lead the United States in the struggle against violent Islamic extremists who seek our destruction, or to address the complex global environment that our next president will face. Only Senator McCain is ready to serve as commander in chief from day one."
"U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker in response to the assertion by Susan Rice, Senator Obama's foreign policy advisor, that neither democratic candidate is ready for the 3:00 a.m. call:
"At a time when our country faces an unprecedented range of international challenges and opportunities, the American people want a president who is prepared to lead our country in a dangerous world. Senator Obama's foreign policy adviser said today that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama is ready to answer a 3:00 a.m. phone call during an international crisis. We agree wholeheartedly that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama have the experience or judgment necessary to lead the United States in the struggle against violent Islamic extremists who seek our destruction, or to address the complex global environment that our next president will face. Only Senator McCain is ready to serve as commander in chief from day one."
Bombs Go Off in NYC, McCain Responds
STATEMENT BY JOHN MCCAIN ON THE TIMES SQUARE EXPLOSION
Contact: Press Office
Thursday, March 6, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by John McCain on the attempted attack on a Times Square recruiting station:
"The attempted attack that happened in New York City this morning when someone tried to harm a recruiting station in Times Square is unacceptable in America. I know Mayor Bloomberg as well as other law enforcement agencies are actively working, and I have been assured a full investigation is taking place and hope they bring the individuals to justice as quickly as possible. We cannot allow this to happen to the men and women serving in our military whether they are at home or abroad."
More on the bombs here:
http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-06-voa8.cfm
Today, McCain is in Florida. Tomorrow, he announced that he will campaign in Georgia on Friday, March 7th.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Employee Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 10:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
Contact: Press Office
Thursday, March 6, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by John McCain on the attempted attack on a Times Square recruiting station:
"The attempted attack that happened in New York City this morning when someone tried to harm a recruiting station in Times Square is unacceptable in America. I know Mayor Bloomberg as well as other law enforcement agencies are actively working, and I have been assured a full investigation is taking place and hope they bring the individuals to justice as quickly as possible. We cannot allow this to happen to the men and women serving in our military whether they are at home or abroad."
More on the bombs here:
http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-06-voa8.cfm
Today, McCain is in Florida. Tomorrow, he announced that he will campaign in Georgia on Friday, March 7th.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Employee Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
WHO: John McCain
WHAT: Media Availability
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. EST
Press Set Up Time: 10:00 a.m. EST
WHERE: Chick-Fil-A Headquarters
Corporate Offices
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Hillary Gains Four Delegates Out of 370: "Stunning"
I got these emails today, one from Obama's camp, the other Hillary. Hillary gained only 4 more votes in all and is still behind Obama--she calls that a stunning victory. Read more, starting with a note from Obama's campaign:
"Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
"That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
"For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
"The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
"They failed.
"It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
"That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
"Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.
"The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.
"Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.
"By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.
"But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.
"This nomination process is an opportunity to decide what our party needs to stand for in this election.
"We can either take on John McCain with a candidate who's already united Republicans and Independents against us, or we can do it with a campaign that's united Americans from all parties around a common purpose.
"We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who's taken more money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn't taken a dime of their money because we've been funded by you.
"We can present the American people with a candidate who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with McCain on the worst foreign policy disaster of our generation, and agrees with him that George Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or we can nominate someone who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and will not support a march to war with Iran.
"John McCain may have a long history of straight talk and independent thinking, but he has made the decision in this campaign to offer four more years of the very same policies that have failed us for the last eight.
"We need a Democratic candidate who will present the starkest contrast to those failed policies of the past.
"And that candidate is Barack Obama.
Thank you,
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
OK, here is the note from from Hillary:
"We defied the odds last night -- yes, WE -- and with our stunning victories, the momentum is now all on our side. We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way.
"Against all the odds, facing an opponent with more momentum and twice as many ads on the air, you kept working, giving, and believing. And that hard work is going to put us in the White House.
"We put everything on the line for these wins, and now it's time to put our hard-earned momentum to work. Without skipping a beat, we need to match the Obama campaign's effort in Pennsylvania -- our next big contest -- and that means I am relying on you again. We need $3 million in the next 24 hours to ramp up our efforts immediately.
"Millions of Americans have yet to speak. In states like Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, people are watching this campaign and want their voices to count. It's up to us to give them that chance.
"That means keeping this race competitive. Thanks to you, we cut his four-to-one advertising advantage in half in March 4 states. Now our next step is to quickly replenish our resources. We don't intend to play catch-up with the Obama campaign.
"With your help, we're opening volunteer headquarters all across the state of Pennsylvania before the week is out. We will launch a campaign ready, willing, and able to reach out to voters all across a state that now finds itself at the absolute center of the 2008 campaign.
"This nation is coming back, and so is this campaign.
"The speed and energy with which we take advantage of our regained momentum is up to you. Thank you for being there for me. I promise in the White House, I will be there for you every day.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
"Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.
"That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.
"For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
"The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
"They failed.
"It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.
"That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.
"Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.
"The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.
"Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.
"By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.
"But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.
"This nomination process is an opportunity to decide what our party needs to stand for in this election.
"We can either take on John McCain with a candidate who's already united Republicans and Independents against us, or we can do it with a campaign that's united Americans from all parties around a common purpose.
"We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who's taken more money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn't taken a dime of their money because we've been funded by you.
"We can present the American people with a candidate who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with McCain on the worst foreign policy disaster of our generation, and agrees with him that George Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or we can nominate someone who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and will not support a march to war with Iran.
"John McCain may have a long history of straight talk and independent thinking, but he has made the decision in this campaign to offer four more years of the very same policies that have failed us for the last eight.
"We need a Democratic candidate who will present the starkest contrast to those failed policies of the past.
"And that candidate is Barack Obama.
Thank you,
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
OK, here is the note from from Hillary:
"We defied the odds last night -- yes, WE -- and with our stunning victories, the momentum is now all on our side. We're going on, we're going strong, and we're going all the way.
"Against all the odds, facing an opponent with more momentum and twice as many ads on the air, you kept working, giving, and believing. And that hard work is going to put us in the White House.
"We put everything on the line for these wins, and now it's time to put our hard-earned momentum to work. Without skipping a beat, we need to match the Obama campaign's effort in Pennsylvania -- our next big contest -- and that means I am relying on you again. We need $3 million in the next 24 hours to ramp up our efforts immediately.
"Millions of Americans have yet to speak. In states like Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, people are watching this campaign and want their voices to count. It's up to us to give them that chance.
"That means keeping this race competitive. Thanks to you, we cut his four-to-one advertising advantage in half in March 4 states. Now our next step is to quickly replenish our resources. We don't intend to play catch-up with the Obama campaign.
"With your help, we're opening volunteer headquarters all across the state of Pennsylvania before the week is out. We will launch a campaign ready, willing, and able to reach out to voters all across a state that now finds itself at the absolute center of the 2008 campaign.
"This nation is coming back, and so is this campaign.
"The speed and energy with which we take advantage of our regained momentum is up to you. Thank you for being there for me. I promise in the White House, I will be there for you every day.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The Texas Two Step: Caucasing
"The elderly and disabled can go first," we were told after waiting about one half hour after the caucus was to start.
A common question I got in line was "Is this the line for the caucus?" Some people thought we were waiting to vote.
After waiting almost an hour and a half to get in, my friend said a few times during the wait, "sometimes being a part of history is not that exciting." For about two hours that was the case.
The guy in front of me made a cellphone call while we were waiting. "We're on the fucking streets," he said. "What is the point of this? Why can't we just fucking vote?"
To see a photo essay of this Texas two step, check out this site http://www.nvnewswire.com/?q=node/86
Here is some video of the inside.
All is Quiet on the Texas Front
Compared to what I saw on the start of early voting here in Austin, today was pretty tame. I saw a lot of people for local politicians, but not much for anything else. I am on the East Side of Austin. This was a picture from local voting place at the library today about noon.
The only exciting thing I saw was an older woman walked within 100 of the entrance and the security guard at the door to the library asked her to step back or he would "take her sign." She is pictured in the photo as well.
I thought my causus place was where I voted early, but it is not. Early voting goes on anywhere, but caususing is at your own precint.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Vote for Hillary, Rush says; McCain Answers the Phone at 3 a.m.
Well, just looking CNN I see that Rush Limbaugh, Oxy popping Republican mouth piece, really wants Texas Voters to cross over and vote for Hillary. I wonder if this will work. I think he is just afraid of black people. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
And John McCain finally answers and says that he, not Hillary or Obama is the best person to pick up the phone at the White House. I thought we were having a presidential race, but it appears to be outsourced so all we have is temps answering the phone, instead of dealing with the real issues. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-03-McCain_N.htm
This picture of Hillary is one I painted.
Mike Huckabee And the Kung Fu Grip
Wow, if you haven't seen this, check it out. Maybe Huckabee will win. As much as I have enjoyed Chuck Norris films over the years, he isn't the guy that I want telling me to vote. But listen to him. These are funny.
McCain--Running Against Himself, Ohio Edorsements
Ron Paul and Huckabee are not really a threat to McCain's campaign. Basically, he is running against himself--and his own party. Will the American people like him more than Hillary or Obama? I saw him talk, and he is not retarded, like our president. But he isn't the kind of guy that is going to inspire the youth to vote.
The picture is one I painted then photoshopped into the red, which is how I sort of see McCain.
I received this from McCain's office today:
U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the endorsements of nearly 100 local Republican leaders from across Ohio. The group is made up of elected officials, Republican Party officials and other community leaders throughout the state.
"John McCain will unite our party and lead us to victory on Tuesday and in November," said Ohio State House of Representatives Speaker John Husted. "Our country cannot afford the kind of tax and spend policies that Democrats stand for. From his first day in the Oval Office, I'm confident John McCain will work to improve our country's economy by keeping taxes low and cutting wasteful government spending."
John McCain thanked the local leaders for their support, stating, "I'm honored to have the support of so many leaders from across the State of Ohio. Their support will be valuable as we work towards victory in tomorrow's primary."
LOCAL OHIO LEADERS FOR MCCAIN
Adams County
County Commissioner Brian Baldridge
Dick Baldridge
Athens County
John Blom
Auglaize County
Tess Elshoff
Belmont County
Kent Moore -- Chairman, Belmont County Republican Party
Butler County
Cindy Carpenter -- Clerk of County Courts
Tom Ellis -- Chairman, Butler County Republican Executive Committee
Councilman Marty Judd -- City of Fairfield
Mike McNamara -- Member, Butler County Republican Central Committee
Nancy Nix -- Butler County Treasurer
Scott Owens -- Political Director, Butler County Republican Party
Champaign County
Than Johnson -- CEO, Champaign Residential Services, Inc.
Clark County
Commissioner Dan Martin -- Springfield City
Clinton County
Geoff Phillips -- Wilmington City Treasurer
Columbiana County
David Johnson -- Chairman of the Columbiana County Republican Executive Committee
Cuyahoga County
Mayor Bruce H. Akers -- City of Pepperpike
Mayor Marlene Anielski -- City of Walton Hills
Mayor Pamela Bobst -- City of Rocky River
Mayor Dennis Clough -- City of Westlake
Mayor Gregory S. Costabile -- City of Mayfield Heights
Sara J. Harper -- former Judge, Ohio State Appeals Court
Mayor Tom Perciak -- City of Strongsville
Stacey Polk
Lisa Stickan -- President, Cleveland Young Republicans
Lucy Stickan -- member, Cuyahoga County Republican Executive Committee
Mayor Debbie Sutherland - City of Bay Village
Delaware County
Jan Antonoplos -- Clerk of County Court
Chairman Steve Cuckler -- Delaware County Republican Executive Committee
County Commissioner Kris Jordan
Fairfield County
David Landefeld -- County Prosecuting Attorney
Franklin County
D. Michael Crites -- former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio
Maureen Crites
Mayor Cheryl L. Grossman -- former Mayor of Grove City
Jim Samuel
Pastor Aaron Wheeler, Sr.
Geauga County
Lou Mucci -- Chairman, Geauga County Republican Party
Greene County
Brenda Lewis -- Chairwoman, Greene County Republican Central Committee
Adolpho Tornichio -- Assistant Greene County Prosecuting Attorney
Guernsey County
Keith Plummer -- Guernsey County Prosecuting Attorney
Hamilton County
Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz -- City of Cincinnati
Greg Hartmann -- Hamilton County Clerk of Court
Matt Jones -- Chief of Staff to Council Member Leslie Ghiz
Maggie Nafziger -- Executive Director, Hamilton County Republican Party
Mike Newman -- Partner, Dinsmore and Shohl
George Vincent -- Chairman, Hamilton County Republican Party
Hancock County
Chase Francis -- Young Republican Regional Vice Chair
Former Mayor Tony Iriti -- City of Findlay
Jackson County
Aaron Michael -- Chairman, Jackson County Republican Party
Knox County
Sandra Mizer -- Treasurer of Knox County
Tim Spiekerman -- Professor, Kenyon College
Lake County
Janet Clair -- Chairwoman, Lake County Republican Party
Dale Fellows -- Chairman, Lake County Republican Party
Lawrence County
Ray "Moose" Dutey -- County Auditor and Lawrence County Republican Executive Committee Chairman
Licking County
Neil Carson -- Licking County Republican Party Central Committee member and former Chairman
Ronald Van Atta -- former Chairman, Licking County Republican Central Committee
Lucas County
Councilman George Sarantou -- City of Toledo
Mercer County
Rita Schmitmeyer -- member, Mercer County Republican Central Committee
Miami County
Former Councilman Todd Severt -- City of Troy
Montgomery County
Sandra Brasington -- Executive Director, Montgomery County Republican Party
Lieutenant Jim Butler (U.S. Navy, 1995-2000) -- Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and F-14 Pilot
Former County Commissioner Chuck Curran
Jim Davis -- County Coroner
Pat Flannigan -- Ohio Republican State Central Committee
Gregg Gantt -- Chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party
Greg Hanahan -- Miami Township Administrator and German Township Trustee
Katy Hill -- Montgomery County Young Republican Chair
Councilwoman Belinda Kenley -- City of Centerville
Mayor Mark Kingseed -- City of Centerville
Dave Landon -- former Chairman, Montgomery County Republican Central Committee
Former Mayor Marilou Smith -- City of Kettering
Ottawa County
Former Mayor Tom Brown -- City of Port Clinton
Perry County
Thomas Green -- member, Perry County Republican Central Committee
Pickaway County
Gayle Spangler -- Circleville City Auditor
Richland County
County Commissioner Ed Olson
Sandusky County
Mayor Terry Overmyer -- City of Fremont
Shelby County
Bob Luckey
Stark County
Curt Braden -- Chairman, Stark County Republican Party
Shirley Jones -- Chairwoman, Stark County Republican Party
Summit County
Mayor Don Robart -- City of Cuyahoga Falls
City Councilman Matt Riehl -- City of Stow City
Union County
Mayor Chris Schmenk -- City of Marysville
Van Wert County
Angela Snyder
Warren County
Mayor Pete Beck -- Vice Mayor and former Mayor of Mason
Shirley Sadler
Wayne County
Dorothy Ginther -- Chairwoman, Wayne County Republican Party
Obama in, Hillary at 3 a.m.
Here is what he has put together about himself
And this is what Hillary is running trying to get more votes.
And this is what Hillary is running trying to get more votes.
STATEMENT BY JOHN MCCAIN ON THE RUSSIAN ELECTION
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the outcome of the Russian election:
"Yesterday we saw what is unfortunately yet another step away from democracy in Russia. In an election that was uncontested, where opposition candidates were either suppressed or arrested, where the result was foreordained by the manipulations of a corrupt and undemocratic regime, the one thing that was never in doubt was the result. It is a tragedy of history that at this moment, when the democratic tide has reached more nations than ever before, the Russian people who rose in unison in 1991 to end totalitarian rule backed by a pervasive and cruel KGB would, after less than two decades, be again deprived of the opportunity to choose their leaders in a free and open contest."
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