Posts from — May 2007

John McCain began this holiday week in Charlotte, NC, where he served as honorary starter for the Coca-Cola 600. In San Diego on Wednesday at The Wall Street Journal’s annual All Things Digital conference, John McCain called on America’s leading innovators to serve in government. The Senator also stopped by the “No Spin Zone” for an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly about the need to enact comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders and uphold our values. Additionally this week, the American Research Group released polls in Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire showing John McCain in the lead in all three key early primary states. John McCain will continue to discuss the critical issue of immigration in a major address next week in Miami before heading up to New Hampshire for the third GOP presidential debate. For more information, log on to www.JohnMcCain.com and please be sure to forward this newsletter on to family, friends, and fellow John McCain supporters.

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As we near the next presidential election, I thought it was important to talk about why what Sen. John McCain endured in the Hanoi Hilton matters so much during these challenging times for our great country.

John McCain is betting that he can revive his reputation for straight talk, and his campaign, by challenging his rivals for the Republican nomination on the issue of immigration.

“I Believe My Whole Life, My Inspiration, My Heroes, And My Experience Have Qualified Me To Serve. I Am Committed To Seeing This Nation Through One Of The Most Difficult Periods Of Our History.” - John McCain

U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced that John Smietanka and Richard Zuckerman will serve as state co-chairs of the Arizona Senator’s coalition of attorneys in the state of Michigan.

“Right Now It’s De Facto Amnesty Because We Have 12 Million People Here Illegally. It Is A National Security Issue.” - John McCain

Immigration reform is very tough. It’s an issue that divides both political parties and, on the right, has led many close personal and ideological friends — people we respect and whose criticism we take seriously — to oppose new rules governing how people enter this country and how we handle those who are here illegally. But we hope our friends reconsider.

U.S. Sen. John McCain last night challenged critics of the Senate immigration compromise he helped fashion to come up with a solution of their own.

Plainly aiming his remarks at his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, McCain said, “Anyone who says we shouldn’t pass this legislation, I would ask for their proposal that could get the support of the president and Democrats and Republicans so we can pass it into law and address this national security issue.”

The Arizona senator addressed The Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital D5 Conference at the Four Seasons hotel in Carlsbad. Before the speech, he discussed the controversial immigration legislation at a news conference.

To do that, we must have leaders who have proven they can inspire dramatic change. If I am elected president, I will spend the months before my inauguration seeking out America’s best managers and asking them to come serve their country. Whether it’s running a Fortune 500 company in the Silicon Valley or a smaller enterprise in Concord, I will seek out innovators who have proven they can manage efficiently and successfully.
In my administration, Americans will be allowed to see government at work as never before. If I am elected president, I will make every aspect of government purchases transparent. Information on every step of contracts and grants will be posted on the internet. We will do it in plain and simple English so you won’t need to go to Dartmouth to get a Ph.D. in bureaucratic linguistics.

If there ever was a major sporting event tailor-made for Sen. John McCain, Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race here at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was it.

“On this solemn day, we pause for a moment to pray with the loved ones of our fallen heroes, and give our gratitude to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who continue to do us proud. I say to each one of them, ‘thank you and God bless.’”

1. For Whom The Bell Tolls
By Ernest Hemingway
Scribner, 1940

More than seven years after his first presidential campaign, U.S. Sen. John McCain recognizes the political environment has changed.

“In 2000, we did not have 9/11,” McCain said, noting there was not the battle with radical Islam. “I’m not the youngest candidate in this race, but I’m the most prepared. I’m prepared to take on that challenge.”

What is John McCain up to? Critics of his immigration proposal which now include most conservative pundits portend the end of his campaign. They say that inflaming the conservative base just at the time his message of toughness in Iraq and fiscal vigilance was beginning to resonate amounts to political suicide. Moreover, they explain that throwing sharp elbows at Mitt Romney, who trails McCain in virtually all national (and most state) polls and who received mixed reviews for his last debate performance, only elevates this opponent and helps Romney make his case to skeptical conservatives.

In 1882, Congress passed and President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act. Today we don’t name laws as bluntly as we used to. But anti-immigrant sentiments are very much alive, this time expressed in opposition to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.

“While Senator Obama’s two years in the U.S. Senate certainly entitle him to vote against funding our troops, my service and experience combined with conversations with military leaders on the ground in Iraq lead me to believe that we must give this new strategy a chance to succeed because the consequences of failure would be catastrophic to our nation’s security.”

“By the way, Senator Obama, it’s a ‘flak’ jacket, not a ‘flack’ jacket.”

“This vote may win favor with MoveOn and liberal primary voters, but it’s the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda.”

“I Am Prepared To Lead And I Want To Do The Hard Things, Not The Easy Thing. And It Is Very Easy To Kill Legislation. It’s Always Easy To Come Out Against Something. But I Owe It To America And Our National Security Requirements To Do Something To Change The Status Quo.” - John McCain

Sen. Lindsey Graham has gotten booed by loyalists in his own party for his role in helping craft a behind-the-scenes, bipartisan immigration reform plan. This comprehensive proposal deserves a fair hearing in Congress, and in South Carolina, if people truly want to do something about the porous and unworkable immigration system now in place.

It would be hard to find one person in our country who defends the system as it is. It encourages illegal immigration by not severely punishing employers who hire illegal workers. It also entices those illegal immigrants into our country by having a poorly guarded southern border and a seemingly endless supply of low-wage jobs for people willing to work hard. And it keeps those workers on the fringes of our society while automatically recognizing their children as American citizens.

As opponents from the right and left challenge an immigration bill before Congress, there is broad support among Americans - Democrats, Republicans and independents alike - for the major provisions in the legislation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona will be the honorary starter.

John McCain started the week leading up to Memorial Day in the Sooner State, where he addressed Oklahoma legislators on the need to implement government reforms that will transform and make transparent the way Washington does business. Throughout the week, John McCain addressed the need to enact comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders and uphold our values. He believes fixing our broken borders is a national security priority that demands immediate action, and he took his case directly to conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts. Finally, the Senator and Mrs. McCain are very much looking forward to visiting Charlotte, NC, where he will serve as honorary starter for this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. For more information, log on to www.JohnMcCain.com and please be sure to forward this newsletter on to family, friends, and fellow John McCain supporters.

U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced that former Florida state Senate President John McKay will support the Arizona Senator’s bid for the White House.

The immigration debate is roaring again, and we’re happy to join the fun. One place to start is a myth that has become a key talking point among restrictionists on the right–to wit, that immigrants come to the U.S. for a life of ease on the public dole.