Major NH Endorsement for McCain

The widely-read Manchester Union Leader has endorsed McCain for the Republican Presidential nomination. This endorsement is a huge victory in the battle for the New Hampshire Primary. Let the editors speak for themselves:

"What is most compelling about McCain ... is that his record, his character, and his courage show him to be the most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination. Simply put, McCain can be trusted to make informed decisions based on the best interests of his country, come hell or high water."

Hoosiers for McCain Call-Out

Attention Indiana McCain Supporters!

If you can help with Senator John McCain’s ballot access and delegate selection processes, including, perhaps, by becoming a delegate yourself, and you are not already working with our Indiana team, please reply to volunteers@johnmccain.com with your name, address and phone number.

Thank-you!

McCain Momentum Continues

McCain Momentum Continues

From JohnMcCain.com:

“In additional polls released by Survey USA and Research 2000 over the weekend, Senator McCain continues to outperform Rudy Giuliani in swing states across the country in match ups against Hillary Clinton. Americans realize John McCain is ready to lead from day one and that's why he is the strongest Republican candidate to take on the Democratic nominee.”

The polls show John McCain doing better than Rudy Giuliani in the general election in Minnesota and Wisconsin and leading Hillary Clinton in important swing states such as Iowa (+4), Virginia (+9) and Ohio (+1), whereas Giuliani trails Clinton by 4 points in Iowa, 3 points in Ohio and tied, yes tied, in Virginia. John McCain continues to be the best General Election candidate for our party.

“John McCain personally spoke about his differences with Hillary Clinton over the weekend at a town hall meeting at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. He discussed the responsibility that falls to the American people to set the course for the years ahead and contrast his unique vision for America to that of Senator Clinton's with the 2008 presidential elections. John McCain is the conservative Republican with the best chance to defeat Hillary Clinton, or whomever the Democrats nominate, and take on the challenges that confront us.”

9-11 Commish is for McCain

John McCain proudly received the endorsement of Governor Tom Kean this week.

From JohnMcCain.com:

“The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, 9/11 Commission Chairman and former governor of New Jersey, joins a distinguished group of national security experts supporting John McCain, including:

George P. Shultz
Former Secretary of State

Lawrence S. Eagleburger
Former Secretary of State

R. James Woolsey Jr.
Former Director of Central Intelligence

Henry A. Kissinger
Former Secretary of State

John F. Lehman Jr.
Former Secretary of the Navy

James R. Schlesinger
Former Director of Central Intelligence

Alexander M. Haig Jr.
Former Secretary of State

Robert C. McFarlane
Former National Security Advisor

Governor Kean endorsed John McCain because McCain understands the nature of the terrorist threats that continue to confront us all. America needs a commander in chief at the helm who is ready to be president on the day he or she takes office and John McCain is ready.

Governor Kean said, ‘Like Dwight D. Eisenhower and like Ronald Reagan, John McCain senses the dangers our country faces and is the man best prepared to face them. He commands respect among his fellow citizens and stands ready to use the trust they place in him to rise above the partisanship and divisiveness that have come to characterize Washington today.’
John McCain is proud to have Governor Kean's support and has asked him to serve as chair of the First Responders for McCain coalition, along with Governor Tom Ridge.”

CNN Declares War on McCain

We have a clear front runner. We can tell this, by the point when CNN decides who they will drown with yellow journalism to protect their patron saints, the Clintons (remember the tired handle, the “Clinton News Network”? It’s baa-ack!)

This week, at a luncheon in South Carolina, a zealous and impolite supporter of McCain asked the Senator what he would do to defeat Hillary Clinton, whom the supporter described by the “B” word. Whether meant in jest or all seriousness, the supporter made a mistake in front of a camera. McCain responded as best as he could when vitriol has been dumped in the political waters…

Quoting Rick Davis, McCain Campaign Chair:

“Senator McCain first responded by saying that he respected Senator Clinton, as he has said repeatedly throughout the campaign. Then, focusing on the question, he pointed to the new Rasmussen national poll showing that he is the only Republican candidate who can beat her in a general election. No other Republican candidate beat Clinton in the poll.”

CNN went on the offensive, smelling what they thought was blood in the water, and leading to outrageous journalism, that is so yellow, Hearst would be giddy.

Rich Sanchez. Liberal bloggers and their friends at CNN said the McCain campaign was over because of the statement of one, lone voter in South Carolina. Whereas just days ago, HRC was let off the hook for planting questions at her own events, we now have CNN saying that McCain is responsible for every human beings actions including his own. Sounds like a liberal line of reasoning to me.

Why are they doing this?

According to Davis…it is “because John McCain is the only Republican who beats Hillary Clinton in recent national polling data and who will beat her in the general election. The Rasmussen poll shows that he leads Senator Hillary Clinton by two or three points while Rudy Giuliani loses to Hillary Clinton by six points. State-by-state polling shows that he can win important swing states in the general election whereas Rudy Giuliani loses those swing states. John McCain is now in a strong second place in most, if not all, recent national polling. These polls emphasize what CNN and their liberal friends are afraid of: John McCain is the best general election candidate. John McCain is improving in primary polls. A poll released yesterday by CBS News shows that he is now in second place in New Hampshire. He won New Hampshire in 2000 and he will win New Hampshire in 2008. The McCain comeback is here and it is real.”

McCain Snags Brownback's Endorsement

Sam Brownback, the truly conservative senator from Kansas, who just months ago was a candidate for president, has come out in favor of John McCain. Says Brownback:

“This morning, I flew to Iowa to join and endorse my friend, John McCain, for President of the United States. John McCain is a true American hero and I'm proud to stand with him today. He is the only candidate who can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, Independents, and conservative Democrats needed to defeat Hillary Clinton or any other Democrat in the general election next year.

While I respect all of the Republicans running for president this year, John McCain is the only choice to lead our country in the global fight against Islamic fundamentalism. He has the experience, the knowledge, and the courage for this fight. He alone among the candidates for President recognized years ago that our strategy in Iraq was failing and had the guts to call for change. We need that leadership in the White House.

John McCain also represents the values that are the core of our Republican party. He has spent a lifetime standing up for human rights around the world, including a consistent 24 year pro-life record of protecting the rights of the unborn. We do not have to abandon our principles of life, faith and family to defeat the Democrats next fall; we can stand with John McCain.”

A Friday to Remember

From Rick Davis, Campaign Manager for John McCain:

Friday marks the 40th anniversary of the day John McCain was shot down and became a guest of the North Vietnamese, spending much of his captivity in a prison camp which would come to be known as the Hanoi Hilton.

Earlier that year, he narrowly escaped death aboard the USS Forrestal. A missile misfired on the deck of the carrier and it hit the fuel tank on John McCain's plane. He jumped from the cockpit of his fighter jet into the inferno below, rolling to escape. After the fire on the Forrestal, he would have been eligible to safely return home, but John McCain volunteered to continue fighting and transferred to the USS Oriskany.

On October 26th, 1967, while on his 23rd bombing mission, a surface to air missile hit McCain's plane, forcing him to eject, knocking him unconscious and breaking both his arms and his leg. He fell into a lake where he used his teeth to inflate his life vest. A North Vietnamese mob dragged him out of the water, where someone in the crowd bayoneted him and turned over to the local authorities.

By the time John reached the infamous prison, he had received precious little medical treatment and was tossed into the care of Colonel Bud Day. His captors preferred that he die in American hands. But John McCain didn't die. Colonel Day nursed him back to health.

The Vietnamese soon realized that they were holding the son of the US Commander of the Pacific Fleet - they called him "The Prince". They offered him an early release, but McCain knew accepting an offer would violate the military code of conduct through which he pledged, "I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy." He repeatedly refused early release.

The story of McCain's five and a half years of torture, beatings and solitary confinement is well known. Less known is the powerful faith he developed in his God, his country and his fellow prisoners of war. He says his closest relationships and friendships today are with the men who served with him as a POW.

John McCain came home more committed than ever to the notion of honor and service to his country. He has spent a lifetime in the service of the American people. We are lucky that a leader of his caliber, intellect and bravery is running for president.”

Ponnuru: McCain Should Play the Polk Card

Ramesh Ponnuru on National Review Online makes a case for John McCain. Ponnuru came out in the spring endorsing John McCain, which is significant for Ponnuru is a respected conservative author. Aside from the debacle with immigration, McCain has been a solid conservative, despite his cantankerous nature with the Right. Ponnuru is convinced that McCain is the most solid candidate for the Republicans, who can win in a general election. While Romney and Giuliani are leading the party polling right now, neither can overcome Hillary in the national polls. Moreover, their baggage (Mormonism and flip-flopping for Romney and pro-choice and no family values for Giuliani) may be too much of a burden for the national race. McCain brings none of that, except a long career in public service with a consistent record.

Ponnuru hits on a point I made a few months ago, that the party needs to think about an “interregnum”, someone who has the qualities of the past generation and the ability to bridge the party to the next generation. That bridge is of course, over the gulf of Dubyan or Cheneyan neo-conservatism that is killing our chances nationally.

Ponnuru cites that this is the first election since 1960 where we are coming out of two long presidencies (Truman/Ike in 48-60 and Clinton-Bush from 92-2008), and a “break” is really needed. This line of thinking means that the next president is likely to be a one-termer no matter what. And so, Ponnuru thinks McCain should come out with a one-term promise, to accomplish the main issues of his entire career, and pass the torch, the bridge, to the next leader…who could be a young vice-president.

It has been done before. James Polk, 11th President, ran on a one-term pledge, was a workaholic, and died shortly after his one-term. Polk ran a small platform and completed all of his goals, including “manifest destiny”, the hot potato of his day. Polk followed in the wake of a strong and reviled president, Andrew Jackson. The concept is very much the same for McCain…elder statesmen, coming in to clean up the mess of a long-term firebrand, and with a limited agenda.

More recently, in the example I cited months ago, was that of the Catholic Church, where the College of Cardinals selected an “interregnum” pope in Benedict XVI after the long reign of John Paul II. Benedict serves to enforce John Paul II’s hard work, add his own twist, and is old enough that it is unlikely that he will serve for 25 years. He is also a bridge, and so, the concept is not lost on people. Like Benedict, McCain can choose the best of the Republican Party platform, and leave behind the controversy with Bush. He can clean up the fine points enough for a younger successor (like Huckabee, or any number of young governors, like Mark Sanford of SC, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, or Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota) to take the helm.
Ponnuru believes the act of declaring a one-term pledge will make McCain’s opponents seem self-serving. I believe it is more the reality of our times, that with the middle east in turmoil, the climate wrecking havoc on our cities, energy shortages and dependence, and a polarized society, one term is all the next president can expect. Nonetheless, given his age and experience, McCain seems to be the best fit for a four-year overhaul of the government.

His original article can be found on article.nationalreview.com

Roster McCain:

Congressional Endorsements for McCain come in at 28, only a couple behind Mitt Romney.

Senators:
Richard Burr
Susan Collins
Lindsay Graham
Jon Kyl
Trent Lott
Gordon Smith
Olympia Snowe
John Thune
John Warner

Representatives:
Spencer Bachus
Mario Diaz- Balart
Lincoln Diaz- Balart
Mike Castle
Jeff Flake
Ric Keller
Mark Kirk
Ray LaHood
Steven LaToruette
Dan Lungren
Chip Pickering
Todd Platts
Rick Renzi
Peter Roskam
Ilena Ros- Lehtinen
John Shadegg
Chris Shays
John Shimkus
Fred Upton

Indiana:
Governor Mitch Daniels
Attorney General Steve Carter

Washington Post: McCain Shines at Latest GOP Debate

WaPo writers declare McCain’s victory over rivals in Sunday’s Debate.

WaPo’s Dan Balz says that despite McCain and Giuliani’s reversal for the top spot in the primary field, McCain is still a force to be reckoned with. Says Balz:

“McCain can be a slow starter in these debates, but after warming up with an afternoon town hall meeting, he hit the stage running. His opening line was a zinger aimed at his nemesis, Romney, over who was the real conservative in the race.

‘Governor Romney, you've been spending the last year trying to fool people about your record," he said. "I don't want you to start fooling them about mine... I stand on my record of a conservative and I don't think you can fool the American people. I think the first thing you'd need is their respect.’

A few minutes later, he had the audience cheering and laughing at Hillary Clinton's expense, while reminding everyone that his public service includes six years as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton. Blasting Clinton's proposal to spend $1 million in tax dollars for a memorial to the Woodstock rock concert, a "cultural and pharmaceutical event" that he said he could not attend because, "I was tied up."’

According to Balz:

“The last thing Giuliani needs now is a McCain on the rebound. He prefers a rising Mike Huckabee and an improving Fred Thompson to splinter further the most conservative wing of the party and thereby cut into Romney's potential support. That's just what appears to be happening.

The more those conservative voters are divided, the better for Giuliani. The danger for Giuliani from a revitalized McCain candidacy comes in New Hampshire. The Giuliani campaign sees New Hampshire as the best opportunity to derail Romney's early-state strategy, but he and McCain are competing there, especially for many of the same socially moderate voters. McCain's roots there are stronger than anywhere else, a byproduct of his big 2000 victory over Bush in the state.”

Chris Cillizza says in “The Fix”:

“The first 30 minutes of the debate provided some of the best moments of the campaign so far, with John McCain accusing Mitt Romney of seeking to fool the American people about his record, and Fred Thompson challenging Rudy Giuliani over his public declaration that he voted for Democrat Mario Cuomo in New York's 1994 gubernatorial race.”
Cillizza declares McCain the winner:

“McCain won the debate with a single line. Talking about the fact he wasn't able to attend the Woodstock rock festival back in 1969, McCain said: "I was tied up at the time." Wow. A subtle reference to his time as a POW in the "Hanoi Hilton" that the crowd slowly but surely caught on to and eventually rewarded McCain with an extended standing ovation. McCain also nicely balanced seriousness (his unwillingness to gratuitously attack Hillary Rodham Clinton) with his trademark wit (poking fun at his advanced age in a question on Social Security). It felt like McCain was at the center of the debate last night.”

National Review gives McCain a Second Look, and the Conservative Nod

In an article by Kate O’Beirne, National Review catalogues why McCain deserves the GOP nod. In sum, the GOP field is now complete; no new people are going to join. There are no more holdouts, no pining away from Ronald Reagan to return from the grave an run for a third term. This is it. And when looking at the field, we are still left with a Flip Romney, whose Mormonism will cost him evangelical voters, Giuliani, whose marriages and family estrangement will const him values voters, Thompson, who simply has fizzled under folksy pretentiousness and a checkered lobbying career, and McCain, who has been McCain for all seventy of his years.
Add in the recent poll from Zogby that a whopping 50% of voters will not vote for HRC, we need a candidate that can unite the center, and keep conservatives from staying home.

The full text from “A Second Look at McCain Could he be the strongest GOPer?” is below:

“While Hillary Clinton is looking like a sure bet for her party’s nomination, only the reckless would wager their own money on the likely Republican nominee. With the presence of Fred Thompson and the absence of Newt Gingrich, the GOP field is now complete — and completely without a conventional frontrunner. Its fluidity has prompted a second look by the rank and file: Republicans seeking to keep their party’s base intact, while appealing to independents in order to have a shot at defeating Hillary, are taking another look at John McCain. A veteran GOP congressional aide who has been a critic of McCain, most recently on the issue of immigration, recently surprised himself by concluding that the Arizona senator would be the best general-election candidate. This strategist seeks a nominee who will unify and energize the base, who has the potential to win, and who makes fellow Republicans competitive. He notes that McCain is pro-life and strong on national security, and has long been in favor of fiscal restraint. In addition to unifying social, economic, and national-security conservatives, he argues, McCain has a maverick image that can appeal to the independent voters who abandoned the GOP in droves in 2006. The Christian-conservative leaders toying with the ruinous idea of a third-party challenge represent the legitimate concern that the nomination of Rudy Giuliani would fracture the winning coalition that has prevailed in five of the last seven presidential elections. The coalition includes both evangelicals and ethnic Catholics who have backed Republican candidates based on their positions on social and cultural issues rather than on tax policy or national security. In a year when Democrats are heavily favored to win the White House, many conservatives are unwilling to experiment with the notion that a wholly new coalition, with fewer social and cultural conservatives, will coalesce around a socially liberal Northeast Republican. No such candidate has been recently elected statewide, even in the Northeast.

Giuliani enjoys a persistent perch at the top of the national polls, while the resistance to his candidacy remains equally persistent. Pollster Scott Rasmussen notes that the former mayor’s support is less than 30 percent and doubts that it can grow by much. (Hillary Clinton’s lead is far more formidable, besting her nearest competitor by 30 points in some national polls.) Republican voters obviously know Giuliani as “America’s Mayor,” a hero of 9/11 — but despite this positive image as a tested, tough leader, a large majority of Republicans resist him. Even his supporters aren’t well-informed about his positions: A September CBS/New York Times poll found that only 41 percent of those who favored Giuliani for the nomination knew that he is pro-choice on abortion. National polling by Pew Research has found that only 4 out of 10 Republicans nationwide are able to identify his abortion position. It is hard to imagine his support growing among conservative voters, given what they will come to learn about both his liberal views on social issues and his operatic personal life. Many Republicans are also doubtful of Mitt Romney’s ability to unify and energize the Republican base. Some worry about the recent vintage of his conservative views on abortion, gay rights, and guns. Others note the regrettable but real resistance to a Mormon candidate on the part of some evangelicals. If a significant number of these people stay home because they reject the appeal that the former governor shares their values, if not their faith, other Republican candidates will also pay a price for their prejudice. While Fred Thompson’s record and platform should be able to unify the GOP base, it is unclear whether he will prove to have the fortitude and drive John McCain displayed in 2000. McCain’s present underdog campaign is marked by that same energy and determination. The initial bounce in the polls that met Thompson’s entry into the race has been slipping away. Some have predicted a “Fred fizzle” that Scott Rasmussen is not yet willing to declare; John McCain is the candidate most likely to benefit from a second look by Fred Thompson’s supporters, should it appear his candidacy is not as viable as they had hoped. When the false assumptions that the case for Giuliani rests on are stripped away, McCain emerges as the stronger candidate. According to Giuliani’s supporters, the fact that he has the best chance to beat Hillary is chief among the former mayor’s attributes. He is leading the pack in part because plenty of Republicans share this mistaken view. A late September NBC/Wall Street Journal poll revealed that 47 percent of GOP primary voters think Giuliani is their best bet against Hillary. Giuliani topped Thompson and McCain as the most competitive general-election candidate by 30 points.

But this impression is flatly contradicted by the candidates’ standings in head-to-head match-ups: In the average of polling results compiled by RealClearPolitics, McCain is the most competitive candidate against Hillary. In recent polling, Hillary has been beating Giuliani by a margin of 6.2 points; her winning margin against McCain is 4.7 points. Giuliani’s backers argue that his candidacy would put Northeast states like Pennsylvania in play and boost Republican prospects in other battleground states such as Ohio. But, again, recent polling indicates that Giuliani is no more competitive than McCain in these states. An October poll by Quinnipiac University found Hillary beating both Giuliani (48–42) and McCain (48–41) in Pennsylvania, and in Ohio as well (46–40 against Giuliani and 48–38 against McCain, with the difference within the poll’s margin of error). Giuliani and McCain poll virtually the same against Hillary in Florida: She wins 46–43. Both candidates clearly benefit from being the most widely recognized Republicans. Based on the false assumption that Giuliani is the most competitive candidate against Hillary Clinton, the false choice offered Republican voters is to back either the candidate most likely to win or the candidate they most agree with on the issues. But based on current polling, McCain is as likely to win as Giuliani — and his positions on the issues are in closer accord with those of Republican voters. Republicans are also being told that during these perilous times they should be willing to prioritize a concern with national security over social issues. Voters need not make that tradeoff if they support McCain, who has both a pro-life record and more national-security experience than Giuliani. McCain is a conservative whose heterodox views on campaign-finance reform and immigration are shared by the more liberal Giuliani. With the defeat of the “comprehensive” immigration bill he championed, McCain recognizes that the public demands concrete enforcement measures — and he now pledges to secure the border before pressing for the legalization of illegal aliens. (He will, of course, have to convince conservatives that he is a genuinely reformed reformer committed to an “enforcement first” agenda.) Finally, McCain is in a long-term, stable second marriage and talks to all his children, although not as frequently as he would like. One son is a midshipman at the Naval Academy and another is an enlisted Marine serving in Iraq. Should Republicans reject the false choices being offered — and make a considered choice based on the man and the merits — a second look could give John McCain a second chance.”

McCain's Debate Moments--Taking Romney to Task

Some bloggers have come to the erroneous conclusion that John McCain’s purpose in this campaign is to clobber Romney enough so his pal Rudy Giuliani can win the nomination. Some say McCain’s bipartisanship with guys like Ted Kennedy is too uncomfortable for their meat and potatoes conservative stomachs. McCain is a consensus builder. That is what we want in a president. McCain is also seasoned enough that he does not need on the job training for his convictions, like Slick Flip Romney of Massachusetts (who, recall, agreed to defend abortion in his Senate campaign debates with Ted Kennedy).

McCain again demonstrates his ability to lead the party and the nation at Sunday’s debate. When addressing Romney, McCain explains his readiness in detail:
“Governor Romney, you've been spending the last year trying to fool people about your record. I don't want you to start fooling them about mine," McCain responded before launching an explanation of why he is best prepared for the White House.--FOXnews
"I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time. For 20-some years, including leading the largest squadron in the United States Navy, I led. I didn't manage for profit, I led for patriotism," he said.—FOXnews.

Add in McCain’s terms in the Senate, and his has been in the public service of the United States for nearly 50 years. Or better put, when John McCain was graduating from Annapolis at the Naval Academy, Mitt Romney was beginning puberty. When McCain was an involuntary guest at the Hanoi Hilton (“I was all tied up”), Romney was partying at Stanford before he “discovered” his Mormon self. (Romney explains that only by leaving Stanford for Brigham Young did he come of age…thanks to Mormonism, which we are not supposed to ask about). When Romney was serving himself as a venture capitalist, McCain was serving the nation in the Senate. Romney’s great public triumph is saving the Salt Lake Olympics, which apparently would have collapsed if not for him. John McCain has over thirty years of service in Congress.
But the most telling moment from the debate for me was McCain’s candid assessment of Russia and China. No other candidate touched it, nor understood the long term meaning of our foreign relations with these countries.

On international issues, McCain said he was concerned about Russia's recent moves. He said unlike President Bush, when he looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes, he didn't see his soul, he only saw three letters: "a K, a G and a B."--FOXNews

"He bullies his neighbors and he wants to get a control of the energy supply of Western Europe. This is a dangerous person. And he has to understand that there's a cost to some of his actions. And the first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia [sic] and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it," McCain said, suggesting that tough times lie ahead because Russia and China are "blocking meaningful action to keep us in a peaceful world in the United Nations."—FOXnews.

New Polls show McCain Most Likely to Beat Hillary

Recent polls indicate that if the election were held today, the race for the presidency would be close. We have always known that it would be. How close depends on who the Republican nominee will be. In head-to-head competition with Hillary Clinton, John McCain comes closest to beating her.

The October 9-10 FOXnews/Opinion Dynamics poll puts John McCain as the only republican who is competitive with HRC. Rudy trails Clinton by 4%, and Romney and Thompson would get trounced by 12%.

McCain 44%
Clinton 47%

Clinton 47%
Giuliani 43%

Clinton 50%
Thompson 38%

Clinton 50%
Romney 38%

This poll validates a recent Rasmussen poll that puts McCain only one point behind HRC, and Rudy at least 7% behind Hillary.

Christian Conservatives, like James Dobson, have already called for a third-party movement should a pro-abortion or weak pro-life candidate emerge from the Republican Primary. Romney has flip-flopped on abortion his whole public career, Rudy still is pro-choice publicly, and Thompson once lobbied for a pro-choice group. Only McCain has been a solid conservative his whole career, and could gain the support of the Christian Right, enough to win that 3% margin of error against HRC. Should another contender get the nod, Dobson might bolt with 10% of the Republican base and nominate their own candidate.

A third party Christian candidate delivers the race to HRC with any other contender.

McCain 44%
Clinton 47%

Clinton 47%
Giuliani 33%
Christian Third Party 10%

Clinton 50%
Thompson 28%
Christian Third Party 10%

Clinton 50%
Romney 28%
Christian Third Party 10%

Quoting McCain Chair Rick Davis:

“What do these polls mean? They mean that John McCain's experienced leadership, courageous service and the bold solutions he is proposing on the campaign trail are resonating with the American people. They also mean that our party can nominate a candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton without compromising the bedrock principles and values that are our party's foundation. Republican primary voters are figuring out that supporting a candidate who is not prepared to be Commander in Chief from day one, or one who is out of step with our party's core values, is a recipe for another Clinton Administration.”

In the final analysis, this is great news for McCain, and pretty good news for Huckabee too, who, as a definitive Christian Conservative, could make solid a McCain ticket even better, and ensure
a sure victory.

Former Bushie Barlett Sees McCain's Momentum

If Bush’s brain were divided into lobes, Karl Rove was the left side, and Dan Bartlett the right. The way right side. Recently, he offered the assessment that many have been drooling for, that is the Neocon/White House assessment of the field. No one is seeking the endorsement of this administration, and Bush might be the least busy campaigning lame duck since Rutherford Hayes. His candid assessment? From a recent Washington Post column:

“John McCain: could pull a repeat of his 2000 performance by winning New Hampshire yet losing the battle. Bartlett was more sympathetic to McCain, calling the senator from Arizona the ‘biggest wild card’ at this point. ‘He is now where he does his best,’ Bartlett said. ‘He's lean, he's mean, he's out there, he's fighting in New Hampshire. The problem's going to be it always comes down to money, money, money. He doesn't have it. The irony could be he could see this thing play out the exact same way it did in 2000. He could win in New Hampshire and not have any infrastructure or funding to maximize it in a national campaign.’”

“Bartlett declined to predict the nominee. "Republicans, I believe, are terrified about losing the presidency after losing Congress," he said. "I think this is going to be the season of the pragmatic Republican voter. That bodes well for Rudy and it gives McCain a shot, because I think people feel McCain can go toe-to-toe with Hillary in the general election.’”

“’Bartlett gave his appraisal during a Sept. 13 joint appearance with Terence R. McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Video excerpts were posted on the Web site of Leading Authorities, a speakers bureau. Bartlett said he was not conveying Bush's opinions. "They were my views only," he said. White House press secretary Dana Perino echoed that: "He is a private citizen now, expressing his private views. He is not speaking for the president.’”

I for one, think that Bartlett’s assessment is pretty candid. While he does berate the rest of the field, I left that out to focus on the McCain analysis. Bartlett is right, the pragmatic Republican voter, the one who says that having a leader ala Giuliani/McCain in the White House, who can stop Hillary Rodham Clinton from becoming president, is where the votes will fall. Many well-heeled contenders have fallen to the ash heap because their message was not clear (Forbes, Kerry, Perot, Dean, and so on). The boring, slack jawed start to Thompson’s campaign, Flip Romney, and the like will not keep Hillary out. McCain’s leadership and pragmatism can.

While Some Reach for Gravitas, McCain Defines It.

It is one thing to claim mantles that do not belong to you, such as Gov. Romney’s recent claim of being the “Republican Wing of the Republican Party”. Insert “Democratic Wing” and rewind to early 2004 and you have another nutty New Englander, Howard Dean. Sure, you can claim gravitas, but as the old Chinese saying goes, “the more you brag, the more you diminish your accomplishments.”

It is another to be presidential. McCain is not wasting time telling people who and what he is. He is doing what a president does, that is, by “doing”. Another cliché for you, “actions speak louder than words”. And for McCain, by introducing his plans for healthcare and the war, and immigration, he has been presidential. He doesn’t need to tell you who he is; you can figure that out by what he stands for. Sometimes that might not be the answer you want to hear, as a Granite Stater found out a few days ago.

"US Senator John McCain (R), campaigning this week in New Hampshire, fended off hostile questions from a town hall audience member upset with McCain's immigration stance. "Do the people in Washington — the politicians and the lobbyists and the rich people writing the checks — do they understand the amount of anger the average European Christian, native-born American feels when they see their country turning into a multicultural chaos Tower of Babel," asked an angry man, according to CNN. When McCain tried to answer, the man interrupted McCain. Finally -- after expressing support for "first securing our borders" -- McCain fired back: "I believe the greatest strength of America is the lady who holds her lamp behind the golden door that says send me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses. And I am grateful to live in a nation that has been enriched by people coming to our nation from around the world. I will do everything in my power to secure the borders, but I love this nation and I love the people who have come from around the world." The NH audience gave McCain a loud round of applause for his answer."--Politics1.com

McCain is back to being McCain. He is not a front runner, he is a maverick, an independent thinker, and despite his near half century of public service, an outsider. He runs best from behind, and New Hampshire has always appreciated that, as will a nation ready for leadership that is both innovative, experienced and proven by time. That candidate is John McCain.

McCain Momentum II: The Debates

Here’s what they are saying about John McCain. The big story here, I really think, is John McCain. He's the comeback kid. I think he's back in this race. We all wrote him off six weeks ago, we all thought he had suffered the knockout punch. I think he actually did look presidential." Says Steve Moore of WSJ (CNBC's "Kudlow & Company," 10/9/07).

"Mr. McCain had a pretty good evening, did he not? ... And he's kind of on the upslope now. It's an interesting story, from down in the depths, Death Valley days, a couple of months ago - he seems to be on the rise." Larry Kudlow (CNBC's "Kudlow & Company," 10/9/07)
Despite some agencies making the race a three way between fourth polling place Freddie Dalton Thompson, Giuliani and Romney, McCain still polls close, real close in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Romney appears to have a lead in New Hampshire, but Romney keeps putting his flip-flops in his mouth. Earlier this week, Romney claimed to represent the “Republican Wing of the Republican Party”, a charge that McCain took head on:

“When Gov. Romney donated money to a Democratic candidate in New Hampshire, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans. When he voted for a Democratic candidate for President, Paul Tsongas, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans. When he refused to endorse Contract with America, I don’t think he was speaking for Republicans”—John McCain, 10/9/2007

You will probably not hear Romney use that sound bite in a debate again. But you better believe McCain will bring out this line again. That is because, we do not need a pretender as president; we need a real leader.

While Romney has a considerable war chest to manufacture his RINO propaganda, it is only a matter of time before voters in the key early primary states will see through the soothing Hansel and Gretel act of Romney’s campaign and realize that the man campaigning in the Green Mountains is no Republican. They will look to leadership and proven skills, in someone who is talking straight. That is John McCain.

McCain to Pandering Paul: "You're not voting for me, Pal!"

McCain dropped his “gravitas” on Ron Paul in the recent debates in Michigan. When asked if he could support the GOP nominee if they supported the war, Paul gave his usual emphatic “No”. Of which, McCain dissected the libertarian’s utopian foreign policy and dropped the bomb, “You’re not voting for me, Pal!”

Paul’s dalliance with the internet crowd, who debate spending their money on either iTunes or on his candidacy for President, is less of a nuisance and more of a worry than you might imagine. Paul sits in the seat that has been warmed in previous president runs by John Anderson, Pat Buchanan, Ross Perot, and even Eugene Debs. He is an anomaly, certainly not a president, but enough of a player to draw votes in the primary, and even the national race. Paul has been a libertarian candidate for president before, in 1988. He has more money than anyone thought he could muster, and will be a farce, err, force in this cycle. However, in this latest round, it was McCain and not Giuliani who scored points off the blathering (yet misplaced, thoughtful, and anachronistic) sayings of Paul.

McCain Momentum

We can call it that now, for in a recent CNN poll, McCain has bounced up five points in NH, with Romney taking a 7 point dive. What can explain this?

Well, for one thing, McCain paused his campaign to focus on his "No Surrender" tour, which was about the war, the valor of our soldiers, and the importance of keeping the terror war from our shores. McCain did what even Bush couldn't, and that is, explain the seriousness of the war to the heartland. In sum, while Rudy takes phone calls from his wife at speeches, Fred is lazy as the day is long, and Romney is all things to all people, McCain is presidential. Let me repeat. McCain is Presidential.

This bounce should come as no surprise to pollsters as well, for at the end of the day, social conservatives will not back pretenders, flipfloppers or panderers. Liberal R's will vote for Rudy, Social cons will meander between Huckabee and Brownback, Romney will become irrelevant as Rudy and McCain begin their ad sweeps. In fact, I would bet the reason why Romney has enjoyed some success at second place is simply because he is putting all his money into early ad blitzes. But once all the campaigns start the ad war, Romney will have to atone for his convenient floppings from his early senate races, to the governorship of taxachussettes, and now the Presidency.

All the while, McCain has been right on the war for years now, and he had a better time explaining that cause to America. McCain's momentum shows he is the only candidate with the gravitas to win, and more important, to lead.

McCain in Indianapolis

John McCain is coming to Indy. Governor Mitch Daniels and former Indiana Senator Dan Coats are hosting....

Indianapolis Fundraising Reception
When: September 21, 2007 6:00 p.m.
Where: Please Call For Details

Join John McCain for a Fundraising Reception in Indianapolis, IN on Friday September 21st. Please check back for further details and news about the event.

Staff Contact: Pam Kinsey - 847-446-9102

RSVP Online Today

No Surrender

McCain's shining moment in last week's debate came by way of Slick Romney's faux paux. Romney indicated that the surge in Iraq was "appearantly working". McCain corrected him, to say the strategy IS WORKING.

McCain has been right all along on Iraq. For four years, McCain has said the war was mismanaged. For four years, he has advocated soldiers on the ground managing the war, instead of polls and armchair generals in the Senate. McCain tied himself to General Petreaus and his assessment, and asked the nation to wait for the surge to work while McCain lost his standing in the presidential race. And now we have a report, recommendations, and a exit strategy with honor. McCain was right all along.

And while other pols have tried to avoid taking a stand on Iraq, McCain stuck to his guns, and defined courage. In fact, his opponents, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee have said that if they were not running for President, they would vote for McCain. That is a hefty compliment.

John McCain is governing while he is running for president. He takes policy positions and still tries to do his job as a senior senator. He makes tough calls, unpopular calls and sees them through. And in this latest debate over Iraq, he was right all along.

Let's Talk Age

When asked about his age, McCain usually offers a cool retort...that most people seem to expect to see the septuagenarian drooling into a paper cup. Far from it, Senator McCain is a survivor. He has been more up front with his medical history than any recent candidate for the office, often noting how his nonagenarian mother toured Europe last year...and when the rental agency would not give her a car due to her age, she bought one.

Despite the anecdotal evidence, we know Americans are living longer. And the longevity breeds experience, the kind of long-view experience that only McCain offers in this election cycle. He has seen it all, as a combat veteran (the ONLY top tier combat veteran in the election, on both sides) and as a career public servant. For some reason however, the idea of someone serving over 50 is scaring pollsters. So much so, that by age alone, most Americans think that anyone over 70 is too old for the White House.

Too old? Reagan was 68 and served into his midseventies and did not miss a beat. We have had in recent memory "older" presidents. Only since the baby boomers began running for office as the idea of a 48 year-old president become a model. And the truth is, when you think of the blunders of Bush and Clinton, maybe an extra decade on the clock is what we need, a seasoned leader, who has seen it all several times, who knows exactly what does not work in government and has been around long enough to know when to reach across the aisle, and when to throw fire.

Not much of an Implosion as McCain is still a presence.

John McCain had a rough July, With what the media is calling an "exodus", McCain's key staff diminished in matter of weeks. As everyone seems to be awaiting the paper tiger campaign on Fred Thompson, McCain, oddly, is still a presence in the polls.


Senator McCain leads the pack when it comes to who Americans trust more to be commander-in-chief during a war. It seems that the rest of the field, Republican and Democrat, have avoided war talk in the hope of being pleasant enough to be elected. McCain ran into the fire with Iraq, and while overall, it has cost him, he still is the most trusted to lead our armed forces in the War on Terror.


And while Money Man Mitt is leading in fundraising, he cannot seem to get ahead of McCain in Florida polling. As the far right gets squeamish on Giuliani's social conservative flipflopping, McCain still enjoys a comfortable third place in polling. If each of these top tier candidates take a primary state or two, we might just have an interesting Republican National Convention in 2008.

After the Sunday Morning ABC News debate, it is clear that McCain is still a contender, despite the bad press. He is still the most articulate on the seriousness of Islamic terrorism, the only candidate who is serious about pork spending that will burden generations of Americans with the cash and spend mentality of Congress, and the only candidate who has been consistently conservative throughout his career. All of that, without a fraction of Money Mitt's machine in Iowa.

And of course, all of Mitt's spending in Iowa is pretty meaningless when most Iowa Caucus goers have shown a relative indifference to this field of candidates. We have a rather boring slate of flip-floppers, has been's, never-will-be's, and one constant in John McCain.

Americans ought to look to McCain's candidacy in the same manner the College of Cardinals did when choosing a successor to John Paul the Great. McCain is the most experienced, most readied, and most consistent candidate of the lot. He is senior, and may only serve a term, but that term, the "interregnum" between the neoconservative failure of George Bush and the next generation of actual conservatives, too green to lead our nation, is critical. No candidate on either side of the aisle sports McCain's resume, and right now, we need a consistent warrior for freedom. That choice is still John McCain.

Hiatus

HoosiersforMcCain is on a vacation hiatus. See y'all July 31.

DGH

Clueless

In this race for the presidency in 2008, it is clear that the majority of voters still do not have a clue as to whom they will vote. Mainstream media is quick to point out that McCain is dropping in the polls, and also, is running on empty when it comes to money on hand.

However, all of this early speculating on the polls proves how erratic this election cycle is.

A look on pollingreport.com will show that despite what the media is saying, McCain still is very competitive. In all the major media polls, CNN, CBS, FOXNews, etc. McCain holds a second to third place lead over Romney, who despite his money and advertising on those markets, still sits in the single digits. What is more revealing about pollingreport.com is that 61% of Republicans are pining for more choices in the race. I have to read that as a lot of Republicans are unsettled over who to pick.

Romney's "lead" in Iowa, as reported in recent press, is really a paper tiger. Without Giuliani and McCain actively competing in the Ames Straw Poll, Romney is the the only top-tier candidate there, and subsequently, the only choice. You have to realize that when players like Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, and Mike Huckabee are exerting vast resources in Iowa, and you are missing the top two rivals, it is a meaningless poll. Romney in this early Iowa decision will be like the New York Yankees going to trounce the Bad News Bears of the Republican Party. The only advantage for Romney would be to get a win, a weak win, going into New Hampshire. That "first in the nation vote" where McCain has always been a favorite, may occur as early as December of 2007.

What will be interesting with all of this polling is that when the lower tier candidates start dropping out by December, we will get to see who they will support. Will candidates like Huckabee, Tommy Thompson, and Brownback openly support a pro-choice Giuliani or a flip-flopping Romney? Will they see the national polls and realize that only McCain or Giuliani can upset Hillary Clinton?

All of this speculation proves that we know nothing about this race until New Hampshire.

Another Political Profile in Courage

John McCain spent the Fourth of July not in Iowa, or New Hampshire, but Baghdad. McCain the candidate still has a job as McCain the citizen, and McCain the Senator. This is not to knock the other candidates, who have spent considerable time and energy courting votes. McCain, regardless of your viewpoint, is still making policy in a time when others are just talking.

The news continues to have a field day on McCain's political grave, but I think it is still too soon. The same media, that bemoans private money in elections is now saying that should McCain tap into public funding, that he is somehow "less" of a candidate. (By public funding, I refer to that little check box option on your 1040's, that let's you chose to earmark a portion of your return for public funded elections).

Tom Coburn, a Senator from Missouri who opposed McCain's immigration bill, said this of McCain's stick-to-your-guns courage:

"Whether you agree with him or not, Senator McCain’s actions demonstrated the qualities we rarely see in Washington — courage, character, honor, and dignity."

I am not surprised by the pundits and pollsters, who judge McCain's attempts at policy as simply a failure. You cannot fit the word "compromise" into a soundbite it seems. Everything in modern politics seems to be black and white, win or lose. And so, shades of grey, compromise, bipartisanship and the like just do not make the headlines. And neither does political courage.

Kennedy's tome on courage makes for an interesting read this campaign season. Profiles in Courage highlights great Senators of the past who would have had a clear path to the presidency if they just bent on their convictions. These men looked at their values and said that their cause was "worth the fighting for". And McCain who has long been called a "maverick", a "independent operator" and his own man is chastised by the pundits for not towing his party line and playing nice.

In another era, being your own man was called "courage". In McCain, we have a candidate who is politically courageous, who might be able to deliver on change like no candidate since Teddy Roosevelt, and yet, we balk as a media consuming public when such a force, such vigor is right in front of us.

Should McCain choose matching funds to keep his campaign afloat, I will welcome it. For in this election, we need more courage and less cowardice when it comes to taking a stand on an issue, right or wrong.

Me, Worry? McCain's Poll Ups and Downs are Inevitable

The polls in the past few weeks have been unfriendly for McCain. The arrival of Fred Thompson (is it a coincidence that his announcement comes with the latest Die Hard movie? I mean, we know he was in Die Hard 2....hmmmm), some lackluster fundraising, and some black eyes over legislation have the straight-talker looking down and out. The yellow journalists are already predicting his presidential aspirations to wither by September.

However, as McCain himself has said, this race is not a sprint, but a marathon. And in a Marathon, it is about pace. Statistically, McCain still beats the presumptive democratic nominee, Hillary Rodham Clinton in head-to-head races. What is it that can be hurting McCain?

McCain is the only "frontrunner" with a day job, that being, a U.S. Senator. Romney, Giuliani, and Thompson are essentially not bound to working right now. Their records are frozen in time, the laws they created/vetoed/voted for are in the history books. McCain is still legislating, and his legislating is irritating because it attempts to reconcile problems and build consensus. And in a primary season, consensus building is akin to being a moderate and fellow-traveller with the left...especially when your name is hyphenated with -Feingold, and -Kennedy.

So McCain is punished for doing exactly what Americans seem to crave in a leader, that is, making decisions and being decisive. McCain is expending a lot of his political capital to pass some sort of legislation, whether is be his campaign finance reform in years past or immigration now. The other candidates can critique with clean hands because they are "do nothings" right now. It is far easier to destroy other's labors than to make your own. McCain's view is that something is better than nothing. Without any attempt at campaign finance, we would be back to the unlimited fun of the 1996 Clinton v. Gingrich years. Without any attempt at immigration reform, the problem just does not go away for summer recess....it festers. McCain is criticized for making a stand and making some sort of leadership decision where others will not.

Think about that. Right or wrong, it is still a vision, a direction, a plan. What other candidate is putting his money where his mouth is on these issues? That is right, not a one. So, as McCain slumps for taking a stand, the others can wiggle to their hearts content, for unlike legislating, in politics, the more vague you are, the better you do in the polls. Should McCain pull out of the marathon, it will be because his principled approach to leadership...that means, taking a stand...killed his chances. What the polls are really saying, is that unprincipled, "noodley" leadership is what the American people seek. Let's hope once fall sets in, and the summer heat has lifted from the nation's thinking, that we remember what is "worth the fighting for".

The Gloves, They Are Coming Off When It Comes to Faith

First, let me begin by saying that my views are in no way affiliated with John McCain's official campaign.

In recent weeks, much hay has been made over whether to include discussions of Mitt Romney's Mormon faith. True, members of the McCain and Giuliani camps have engaged in rather bigoted criticism of the Mormon faith, and have recanted. The Romney campaign has done well to minimize the issue of Mitt's Mormonism by associating any critique as tantamount to "bigotry". What is all this hubbub about?

It is about an open society. Americans have questions about Mormonism because for some time, the Mormon faith has been rather secretive. As a mere tourist, I could enter St. Peter's in Rome or any evangelical church with open arms; I do not have to be a member. However, a "non-Mormon" cannot enter the Temple in Salt Lake. Should your non-Mormon child marry a Mormon, you will not be able to witness the wedding ceremony in the temple. In an open society, citizens are skeptical of such secrecy. Such secrets are the antithesis to an open society like ours, and are bound to raise questions. That is why, when one staffer calls Mormonism a cult, or another person denounces Romney's faith, it is out of frustration.

Romney himself had a chance to bury the issue a few weeks ago, when he was asked point blank about his Mormonism. I will repeat this observation from a previous post:

"....he eluded to Kennedy not being a Catholic running for president, but an American…and [Romney] said “and I am a Mormon”. Romney would not go as far as saying 'I am not a Mormon running for president, but an American running for president'".

Romney cannot, by the rules of his own faith, "denounce" his Mormonism. Nor should he have to. However, he cannot assure the country that his secretive faith can or cannot influence his decision making. If this position matters in determining your vote, then Romney continues to have some explaining to do. Recent polls suggest 28% of Americans will not vote for a Mormon to be president. When over one-fourth of the electorate is skeptical, whether it be bigotry, bias, questions, intrigue or whatever, you have a problem with openness.

The Romney camp is trying to quash any criticism or even intellectual curiosity about the Mormon faith as "bigotry". Romney himself went as far as to label Al Sharpton as one of those "Mormon Bigots", in a vain attempt to label any critic of Mormonism as basically "Al Sharpton"...a kiss of death for most Republicans. Rather than be associated with Al Sharpton in a presidential primary, the other candidates hopefully will back off the Mormon Question.

Americans are tired of secrecy in government. Congress is enjoying an all-time low approval rating. So is the president, as the result of a secretive administration. If we cannot have an open discussion about religion in the United States under a Romney presidency, where will the secrecy end?

In Washington, Pork is the ONLY White Meat

John McCain is the only candidate that is giving straight talk on pork spending. As president, McCain has vowed to veto everything that comes to the Oval Office with pork attached, until Congress either trims the fat or gives the President the right of line item veto.

Before he even gets to the White House, McCain is delivering on his promises right now.
McCain said this week that he will try to squash nearly $150 million in proposed defense spending backed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, calling the projects wasteful and unneeded by the military.


The AP reports that "McCain plans to offer amendments on the Senate floor to eliminate what he calls 'these earmarks and pork-barrel spending projects, which the Pentagon had no request for and had no need for.' "

McCain: "We can't do this earmarking and pork-barreling if we ever are going to be careful and serious stewards of the taxpayer's dollars."

A serious steward knows the road ahead is going to require a frankness in the White House that is unknown to the current political culture. McCain is offering up that kind of frankness on this and many other issues, even if that frankness is not politically correct, or is unpopular. McCain knows that he may be burning his "political capital" on these issues, but given the exceptionally long road to the White House in 2008, he knows that even on the campaign trail, someone needs to be governing right now. His rivals, Giuliani, Romney, both Thompsons, Gilmore, and Huckabee are full time candidates only. McCain still has a day job and a job to do, as a US Senator.

The Thompson Effect

Fred Thompson prepares to enter a race where he is polling fourth, above seven other hopefuls for the Republican nomination. What does Thompson have to offer us that is not already covered by the field?

For starters, Thompson was chair of McCain 2000. His vision for reform is similar to John McCain. Thompson did not make much noise as a two term senator from Tennessee. He did investigate Chinese influences in the 1996 election, including the infamous Buddhist donations to Al Gore. He did vote to convict Bill Clinton in 1999. Thompson had voted for McCain-Feingold. Separating the differences between Thompson and McCain is difficult.

Thompson offers up another poised, polished candidacy in the primary. Right now, Romney owns “the look” of presidential leadership. He looks slick, almost a Manchurian Candidate. Thompson’s persona is honest and solid. Because of this, the candidate with the most to lose from a Fred Thompson bid is Mitt Romney. Most polls show that Fred Thompson takes a bite from Romney and Giuliani. The most recent polls show Giuliani at 25% McCain at 23% Thompson at 13% and Romney at 10%. Because of the close allegiance to McCain’s worldview, Thompson does not affect McCain in the same way. However, Thompson does lose to Hillary Clinton in the head to head 47% to 43%. Only McCain and Giuliani show the ability to beat Clinton.

Thompson has some negatives, but they are no more negative than the rest of the field. He is divorced, his new wife is 25 years his junior, he is a dad with young kids as well as grandkids. He was a lobbyist while he was an actor all of these years, and had a hand in the lobbying forces that brought us the S&L scandals of the 1980’s (Of which, touched McCain as well). Most recently, Thompson was on the legal defense fund for Scooter Libby, which may come back to haunt him. His cancer treatments might hurt his vigorous appearance next to a “pretty” candidate like Romney, Obama, or Edwards.

Thompson, whether heading or balancing the presidential ticket in 2008, will make for an excellent contender who can articulate the conservative vision of America. He might make the perfect veep to McCain.

A Stream of Consciousness on the Debate

Last night was the Republican Presidential Debate from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Each candidate still has a critical flaw that keeps them back. For McCain, it is the war, for Giuliani it is abortion, for Romney it is his flip-floppiness.

Primaries are a pain. This is when the party’s eat their young. Truth is, we will support any one of these people over Hillary Clinton or an independent.

Mike Huckabee is so well spoken on his feet, and passionate. It is commendable. Ron Paul is the only person who is willing to scream about the constitution in the face of neo-conservatism. Sometimes he is on the money, sometimes he is antiquated. How many more debates are going to go by until some of the first round of cliché’s begin to leave us…like “make the Iraqi’s vote (Thompson), Rudy McRomney (Gilmore) and “a case of the slows” (Hunter)”. I like Hunter for the next Secretary of Defense. If we had an Immigration Secretary, I want Tancredo.

McCain was ganged up on when it came to immigration and let himself be defined by the others too much. What he should have said was “Congress and the people up here think that inaction is better than action. If we do nothing, then it will be another two years before this issue gets resolved. I have plotted a direction, a course of action that the people of this country have demanded. It is always far easier to tear down ideas than to come up with your own…and while every other candidate is just talking…I am actually doing something about the problem. Sure it is not an ideal…what in government is….compromise and bipartisanship are not four letter words….our whole way of live is based on coming together on what we can agree on, and not drawing lines in the sand. I am for action on this issue, and I am afraid my counterparts up here are simply supporting inaction.” McCain’s opposition on this issue is in the manner of typical logical fallacies….no substance, all fluff.

It is coincidence that lightning strikes the auditorium the moment Giuliani beings his contortions on abortion? I appriciate Giuliani's shots at Wolf Blitzer for CNN not reporting the whole story from Iraq, and that should our efforts be sucessful, I am sure most Americans will never hear about it.

Anyone notice that in Romney’s answer on Mormonism, he eluded to Kennedy not being a Catholic running for president, but an American…and he said “and I am a Mormon”. Romney would not go as far as saying “I am not a Mormon running for president, but an American running for president”. Ever notice how some of Romney’s flip flops on seminal issues sound a lot like Joseph Smith’s revelations…an almost mysticism as to how he arrived at a pro-life stance? He was elected under one pretense, to represent people and their view, and then, flip-flopped while in office. Who is to say he will not do the same again? The issue is not over changing your mind, but changing your mind when you ran for office to represent a certain platform, then jettison it when it is either politically convenient or when you have a “revelation”. Unfortunately, some of these issues require a deeper conviction, and just cannot change on a whim.

McCain’s discussion on Hispanics, by the way, was amazing. When it comes down to it, the issue of illegal immigration does border on discrimination. And McCain’s town hall answer on the benefits of the Hispanic community hit home…and make Tancredo sound like a racist.

I was uncomfortable with the gays in the military answer. It makes the whole party intolerant. We are hemorrhaging votes with a vocal community.

To the sister of the soldier who gave his life for this country, this should have been said. “We have to see this mission through to not just protect our country and make the world safe from terror, but to make certain that your brother’s sacrifice was not all for naught. We have to earn the freedom that he provided us, and the Iraqi people. To do otherwise is dishonorable”

The question regarding the “moral issues” was missed by Giuliani, and nailed on the head by Huckabee. I would also contend that we no longer balance our freedoms with a responsibility to those freedoms. We want for everything but have little motivation to earn it, to keep it. We have a vote, but we are not responsible with it by staying informed, or even exercising it for that matter.

All of the answers as to why the party has lost the trust of the people are correct. When we go astray from our principles, as Brownback says, we lose. When we raise the debt and spending, we lose. And when Bush was called a liberal by Tancredo in this regard, he hit the nail on the head. Only Gilmore remains an apologist for Bush, a bad move.

McCain is not the prettiest or most famous candidate, but he is the only one either making strides towards solutions or making some common sense. For the moment, he retains my support. Fred Thompson’s entry into the race will force the other candidates to straighten up, or be called out for their flaws.

McCain's Numbers are Up

According to the latest American Research Group Poll, McCain and Hillary are leading the pack in the battleground primary states. Head to head, McCain would edge out Clinton, according to Zogby.

In IOWA: New American Research Group polls show Hillary Clinton (D) and John McCain (R) holding narrow leads.
The Dem numbers: Clinton - 31%,
John Edwards - 25%;
Barack Obama - 11%;
Bill Richardson - 8%;
Dennis Kucinich - 4%,
Joe Biden - 3%;
Chris Dodd - 2%;
and Mike Gravel - 1%.

The GOP results:
McCain - 25%,
Rudy Giuliani - 23%,
Mitt Romney - 16%,
Newt Gingrich - 8%,
Fred Thompson - 6%,
Sam Brownback - 3%, and all others with 2% or less apiece.

In NEW HAMPSHIRE: The latest ARG tracking poll numbers in NH also show Clinton and McCain in the lead.
The Dem results: Clinton - 34%,
Edwards - 18%,
Obama - 15%,
Richardson - 9%,
Chris Dodd and
Joe Biden had 2% each,
and all others had 1% or less.

On the GOP side,
McCain had 30%,
Romney had 23%,
Giuliani - 21%,
Gingrich - 4%,
Fred Thompson - 3%,
and no other candidate broke the 1% mark.

In SOUTH CAROLINA: The same Clinton/McCain leads.
The Dems: Clinton - 34%,
Edwards - 30%,
Obama - 18%,
and all others at 2% each or less.

On the GOP side,
McCain had 32%,
Giuliani - 23%,
Fred Thompson - 13%,
Romney - 10%,
Gingrich - 6%,
and all others tied with 1% apiece.

In head to head competition, Zogby shows McCain edging Clinton 47%-43%

NEXT EDITION: What a Fred Thompson Candidacy means for McCain.

Hardly Irrelevant, McCain stays at the Center of the Storm

The media this week has been dancing a jig over what they describe as the implosion of John McCain's bid for president. Headlines read "Immigration Makes Romney, Breaks McCain", "Polarized McCain Near Irrelevancy", and "Is It Adios, Amigo for McCain?".

Irrelevancy?

For taking a position when others are like greased pigs in a pool, McCain has been cast to the ash heap of political campaigns by the yellowest of journalists. The insatiable desire for defeat, to sell newspapers, is shocking. And yet, there is not much in the way of defeat for McCain when it comes to the polls.

Recent polls show a spike in support for Romney, who is beginning to buy airtime in Iowa and New Hampshire. However, in the national head-t0-head polls, McCain still beats out Hillary Clinton while Romney cannot.

From Zogby:

"The poll shows that U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the choice of likely Democratic Primary voters, beating out fellow senator Barack Obama. But the twist is, Obama would beat all Republicans in a race for the presidency, but Clinton would be defeated by both John McCain of Arizona and Rudy Giuliani of New York City, but would win against Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Fred Thompson of Tennessee, the survey shows." (Zogby, 5/25/07)

Romney's ad blitz and chameleon act might be working with some, but not everyone.

And even when it comes to the issue of immigration, while the media paints a defeated McCain, the polls show something different:

"The New York Times – CBS poll said that while most Americans favored eventual eligibility for citizenship for illegal immigrants, a similar majority also said illegals should only be eligible for citizenship after those who immigrated legally. The problem with the NYT-CBS poll, however, is that the data are not split by party. Given the hugely negative reaction to the Senate bill among conservatives, there seems to be no solace for McCain in the NYT-CBS results." (Michelle Oddis, Human Events, 5/25/07)

Conservatives flat out do not support anything but an expensive deportation of illegals, breaking up families and creating more problems of "reillegal" immigration in the future. Most moderate Americans support some sort of action. Yet Congress, whose approval rating is now as low as the President's, supports inaction over any action. Yet another year will pass without any key immigration reform. This topic has been a presidential election season issue for two cycles now, and seems to be for a third.

McCain shows, that by working with Ted Kennedy, he can not only be his own man, but work toward bipartisanship and compromise--something that has been forgotten on Capitol Hill. Hardly irrelevant, McCain seems to gravitate toward the middle of every debate, and not be cast into obscurity every time he takes a position.

The continued assault on McCain, and media outlets who savor defeat for sales' sake, are quick to judge. Should McCain get a few more whiffs that the base is unwilling to work for change, and the moderates of America are crying for a champion, the prospects of an independent McCain bid for the White House grow daily (a prospect that will, like 1992 and 1996, doom the Republican candidate, and propel another Clinton into the White House)

Something is Better Than Nothing When it Comes to Immigration

This past week, McCain has taken lumps from the other presidential hopefuls in supporting a bill that tries to address the immigration problem in the US. McCain rightfully has said that we need to get beyond this issue, and move toward substantive debate over the ineffectiveness of government. Opponents of the bill call the fines and path to citizenship components "amnesty", and ignore the strengthening of the border provisions in McCain-Kennedy.

This is the second time that the base has sounded shrill to the ear in as many months. In the last debate, McCain was the only voice of reason when it comes to torture. The rest of the field ranged from blood lust to summoning Jack Bauer. Recall that the only candidate with some experience in the matter is McCain, who has been on the business end of a captor's torture.

Now, McCain, who lives on a border state, has tried to reach a compromise, and the base is screaming "amnesty". Their alternative? Nothing. There is nothing out there that can get the majority of votes out of Congress. Trying to arrest 12 million people and force an exodus out of the border will go down as the next "trail of tears". How is the inaction proposed by the base better than some action, some direction?

McCain is right, that the future of the party hinges on outreach to issues beyond the WASP's and the Skull and Bones crowd. Bush accurately identified the Latino vote as conservative, and we should be courting that vote, the now largest minority group, into the public sphere and out of the shadows. Hispanics are traditionally pro-family, pro-life, for small businesses and small government. Why we would attempt to disenfranchise Latinos is beyond me. McCain might end up sacrificing his political capital on this issue, but it seems worth it for the future of the party and more important, the future of the country.

If another session of Congress passes without any sort of action, that inaction will benefit only the illegal immigrants. The public will be enraged. The Latino community will continue to galvanize against the Republicans. The problems associated with displaced and disenfranchised people will continue in the border states. We need a direction, a course. McCain-Kennedy does not give blanket amnesty, but a chance to come out of the shadows or be deported. It builds border fences and secures the southern border, where the majority of illegals enter.

The current republican alternative is hardly conservative, yet like the torture issue, is full of blood lust.

Susan Estrich points out in her foxnews.com column "That [proposal] suggests that we break up families in which the parents are undocumented and the children are citizens, deporting the parents and leaving the children homeless[.] That we tell those who were brought here as children and have lived here their entire lives that they are about to be shipped out to countries which are as foreign to them as they would be to you and me? And what about the 5 million would-be immigrants who have applied to reunite with their families, some of whom have waited 20 years or more to be with loved ones. The bill aims to clear that backlog within five years. Is there something wrong with that too?"

I have to agree, I fail to see the conservative principals of pro-family at work, when we threaten gestapo-like proposals to break up families. McCain-Kennedy refuses to go that far, and for that, deserves a chance. I would rather have 12 million new voters that are sympathetic to our cause, than 12 million exiles who will be back in the US, illegally, in 6 months after banishment.

McCain's the Only Star in Debate Blood Lust

The second republican presidential primary debate aired last night on Fox News Channel. The questions in this second round were darted and controversial at the most, and intentional and misguided at the least. There were shining moments for all the front runners, including Giuliani's prosecutorial assault on Ron Paul, and Romney's Teflon-news-anchor ability to shirk off the tough questions.

The shining moment for me was in the hypothetical attack question. Every candidate with a chance had condoned the used of torture, or the more political correct "enhanced interrogation measures". Every candidate, except one.

John McCain.

When it comes to torture, one has to have a pretty insatiable blood lust to proudly announce to the world that we will do whatever it takes to save American lives. Seems like a logical enough answer. McCain says however, as a victim of a half-decade of torture at the hands of the Viet Cong, that "[we] could never gain as much from that torture as we would lose in world opinion."

McCain said that those with military service side with him because of the threat to U.S. soldiers who may be captured. "This is not about terrorists, it's about us, what kind of country we are."
He also said that at some point, victims will tell you whatever they think you want to hear, to stop the pain. Here is an impassioned plea to Americans, to not lose our humanity, and become the enemy.

And yet, in an arena full of blood lust, the audience cheers not this plea, but the use of torture..."doubling Guantanamo" as Romney calls for, and the hell with world opinion in the eyes of a unforgiving Giuliani. Such comments seem pandering and insincere in the wake of McCain's impassioned comments, that emanate from a body crippled at the hand of torture.

I believe that this one issue, which seems so small, proves to many that McCain is thoughtful and frank with the electorate, where other candidates will pander to the crowd for their insatiable blood lust for votes, losing our American humanity along the way.

We do not need a Jack Bauer, we need a Harry Truman understanding of the limits, and an understanding of who bears the burden of that limit. Since the buck stops with the POTUS, we need someone who has an understanding built on a lifetime of experience and moral authority to make that tough call. No other candidate proved to me to have the real gravitas to fully comprehend the question, of whether torture is acceptable. Only McCain "gets it", and it is clear, that the buck stops with him on this issue.

McCain Updates: Meet the Press and Fox News Debate

John McCain appeared on "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert for the full hour on Sunday. More than half the interview was spent exfoliating the Senator's position on the war. Of which, Senator McCain could sum up with this quote:

"Because it's my job to give my best estimate to the American people, no matter what the political calculations may be, as to what's the best in our nation's national security interest. Young men and women are risking their lives as we speak in, in, in Iraq. And I know that they will be in greater harm's way if we withdraw from Iraq, as we keep debating over and over and over again. And I know what's best, in my mind, in my experience, in my knowledge, in my inspiration, as to what's best for this country. So political calculations such as polls, I understand that if the American people don't continue to support this effort that we will be forced to withdraw. But it's also my obligation to tell the American people and my constituents in Arizona that I represent, what the consequences of failure will be; and I believe they will be catastrophic."

What is so profound about this quote is that McCain is the only candidate being candid and "straight-talking" with the American people. There is an ugly truth to this campaign season, and it is that no candidate except McCain is willing to talk about "the next five words" of the Iraq policy. It is so very easy to scream "Get Out! Now!" and think that all the problems go away so long as the troops are home. Our exodus from the middle east will be a great vacuum, and we will drag home in our wake the terrorists, emboldened from their victory, to bring the battle to our soil.

McCain is banking on the fact that in our hearts, we do not want our neighborhoods to resemble Baghdad and Gaza. He hopes that liberals do not need the war in our backyard in order to rally our nation behind the "next five words", a strategy.

McCain also recognizes that even though he is running for president, the government does not go on vacation until 2009, when "lame ducks" are replaced. We have a strategy ongoing, and that strategy deserves support, not blanket denunciations to get good polling numbers. Should the strategy fail, then McCain, as a responsible lawmaker, will adjust (not "flip-flop")

McCain, and the others, will be debating live from South Carolina on Fox News, 9 PM EDT. Tune in, and be informed.

The Albatrosses

This week, John McCain indicated in his straight-talk style the two issues that are plaguing the republican primary. The twin "albatrosses around the neck" are Bush's war record, and abortion. McCain said in regards to the war, that Bush's numbers and strategy are dragging the party down. And in regards to abortion, the republican candidate who is, or was recently, pro-choice has a lot of baggage in the eyes of the republican base.

Take McCain's first comment, that the war is hurting a republican's chance for the White House in 2008. McCain has chosen to continue a stance that is in support of taking the war to our enemies, and finding those responsible for 9-11 and all terror. And even though he has been critical of Bush's management of the war, McCain is the one candidate identified as "close" to Bush's philosophy. McCain is right on this issue, much to the chagrin of the left and anti-war activists in the country. A defeat in the Middle East for the US is the beginning of a war brought to our soil, by an enemy without a country to bomb, but a nation of thousands of Islamic extremists in every realm. The polls do not reflect thinking beyond the gut reaction of "getting us out of Iraq", and that is short-sighted.

McCain's second comment is telling, for that in the republican party, 60% of voters are pro-life. To run as a candidate, aloof to abortion, is perilous. Giuliani cannot come out and say "I hate abortion" but be ambivalent in abortions nationwide, as a matter of settled law. There is no way he wins the nomination with that position. Moreover, anyone who has as recent as their last bid for office been in support of abortion has a hard sell as well. This is Romney's albatross. McCain does not have these issues with the base, and should enjoy their support of his pro-life stand.

Some polls suggest that McCain is hurting in the money race as well as the primary states. I think that as we approach the first primaries in (possibly) December of 2007, you will see a shift from the RINO's to the only consistent and experienced candidate in the field, John McCain.

McCain and the French Connection

Let me preface this article with the cliche: "Politics makes strange bedfellows". Now that this thought is in your mind's eye, listen closely.

Over the weekend, the French did something remarkable. For years now, the United States has enjoyed a bit of fun insulting our French allies as little more than cheese eating surrender monkeys. We chortle over the French's inability to grasp the big picture, and all the while they revel in how mighty the Euro is to the US Dollar. Their historic ego in full tilt under President Chirac, they enjoyed a few laughs as their socialist system and grande European Union was burying the American Spirit. Chirac, a conservative in name only, was at the tail end of a 25 year old dynasty of America bashing. Something had to give.

The election in France should have been a socialist slam dunk, but quite the contrary occurred. Nicolas Sarcozy, the son of Hungarian immigrants, was elected over the socialist, Segolene Royal. Where Chirac was very much Anti-American, Sarcozy ran on a platform that included a stronger relationship with the US. The message resonated with the French, and he was elected by a wide margin.

Flip back a few years to the German election for Chancellor. It was a squeaker, but Angela Merkel won over Gerhard Schroeder, another Old World leader drunk with anti-American banter. Merkel has worked to restore relations with America.

What does all of this have to do with McCain? Last week, John McCain spoke of a “League of Democracies". He called the idea “the core of an international order of peace based on freedom” in a speech at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

McCain finds new leadership in Old Europe. In Britain, Tony Blair is stepping down to a party successor, Gordon Brown. France and Germany have recently switched leadership, and many in the EU do not want animus between the two greatest economic and political systems in the history of man. The new faces in power in Europe might be open to the idea of a League of Democracies, one that shows the world that a democratic and free society is the key to economic and social equality. The time is ripe for such an endeavor, and here, you have a candidate actually laying out a long term strategy for peace, not just platitudes and soundbites. With new leadership in our old democratic allies, we have an opportunity in the next few years to change course for the better, or continue down a path of "us versus them".

McCain's Passion; The GOP Debate

After watching the GOP debate last night, I admittedly was nonplussed. I expected the candidates to all make a reach for the mantle of Reagan. I expected Ron Paul to be the libertarian he is. I expected some of the second tier candidates to look and sound like "grumpy old men."

Here is what I did not expect. McCain spoke with an excited, fiery passion when it came to matters of our national security. As he went as far as the "follow [bin Laden] to the Gates of Hell", we got a sense of the urgency that faces our nation. It is one thing, to make platitudes on some of the issues, and it is another to be "presidential" when it comes to defending America. This debate was not about "winners and losers", it was a chance to make a pitch to the base, as to why one of these candidates should be our nominee. Without exception, McCain made that case where the other candidates ranged from well-intentioned t0 simply out of touch.

One of the surprisingly out of touch candidates was Rudy Giuliani. "Being Okay" with Roe v. Wade will not win you the nomination of this party. He knows this, as he referenced his ability to govern liberal New York. Well, Rudy, New York City is not the U.S. of A. Most of your party is "not okay" with Roe v. Wade. Rudy's only saving grace was Senator Brownback's comment that we are a big "coalition party" and that Reagan himself would have said that "someone who agrees with you 80% of the time in not your enemy". However, being ambivalent toward the unborn and voiceless in our society is a tough sell.

Another surprise is what I will just have to call "Massachusetts Syndrome". Seems Romney and Kerry both caught the disease while living in Boston. The symptoms are pretty clear...you support one issue up until you decide to run for President, then, you all of a sudden change your mind. Romney paints a broad stroke portrait of how he became pro-life by policy, in a mere two years before running for office. He even reaches for the mantle of Reagan, saying "Shucks, Ronny and GHWB also liked abortion once". Yet, Reagan saw the light in 1968, some 12 years before becoming elected as president, and did the unthinkable...he wrote a book against abortion from the oval office in 1983. That is way more than an op-ed in the Boston Globe, and way more than a nuanced ephiphany about cloning. Abortion is wrong well before you get to the ehtics of cloning, Mitt, there is no threshold. Yet, to win in liberal Massachusetts, Mitt HAD to be pro-choice. This is some slimy politicking, and I cannot be for it (and I will not flop, and later be against it).

Of the top three, McCain's vigor, and nervousness at first, were sincere. Here we have a candidate who's love of America comes from every pore, who has suffered for us, and who has fought for us. How fortunate we are that the choice is so very clear.

Of the other candidates, Mike Huckabee gets a nod from me as being very comfortable in his skin, poised, and well-spoken. There must be something in the water in Hope, Arkansas, as another Hope favorite son, Bill Clinton, had that same communicative appeal. Huckabee might be the first social conservative I have heard in some time that comes off as sincere about his faith. For that, I give him a kudos, and a young southern governor might be the balance our party ticket needs in 2008 to succeed.

GOP Debate Tonight

MSNBC hosts the first Republican Primary Debate, from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The debate is on at 8PM EDT.

In this early debate, I would look for everyone to be rusty. McCain should be in good form, as he is a legislator and debator for a living. Only the most die-hard politicos will be watching tonight. If the Democrats' debate is any indicator, I would not look for too many surprises. Of course, the media can be expected to me more abrasive to our candidates.

This debate should be a test run, as the ones who have something to lose, McCain, Giuliani, and Romney, will play it safe. Hunter, Brownback, Thompson, Gilmore, and Paul need some big points to get their campaigns going. Regardless, there is only one person on stage with more experience, and that is John McCain.

As Iowa goes, so will Indiana for McCain

The latest battleground primary states show McCain taking a slight lead over his rivals. In IOWA, the latest American Research Group poll of likely caucus-goers shows John McCain leading in the Republican Primary.

For the GOP:
McCain - 26%,
Rudy Giuliani - 19%,
Mitt Romney - 14%,
Fred Thompson - 13%,
Newt Gingrich - 8%,
Mike Huckabee and
Tom Tancredo tied with 2% apiece,
and everyone else each at 1% or less.

In NEW HAMPSHIRE, a new American Research Group poll of likely primary voters shows McCain leading Romney by a 29% to 24% vote. Giuliani was third with 17%, followed by Fred Thompson at 7%, Gingrich at 4%, and everyone else each at 1% or less.

In SOUTH CAROLINA: ARG is also out with a South Carolina poll. Again the early leader is McCain.

For The GOP:
McCain - 36%,
Giualiani - 23%,
Fred Thompson - 10%,
Romney and Gingrich tied with 6% each,
Huckabee - 2%, and all others at 1% or less.

IOWA will be the trigger for Indiana to go for McCain. With Iowans warming to McCain's energy security policy, the #1 producing corn state will likely influence Indiana Farmers to see McCain is the right choice for Hoosiers. Add in the recent support of Mitch Daniels, and Indiana is McCain country.

Hoosier Governor, Attorney General, Support McCain

In February, Governor Mitch Daniels gave his official endorsement of John McCain for President. Daniels said "John McCain is a long-time friend. More importantly, he is a principled leader with a history of integrity, opposing excessive government spending and dealing honestly with the American people." Also in early 2007, McCain gained the endorsement of the States Attorneys General Association, including Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter.

Daniels, the first republican governor of Indiana in sixteen years, cannot be ignored for his potential as a cabinet member, if not a midwestern candidate for Vice-President. Daniels has both the gravitas as the OMB Director under George W. Bush, and experience as an advisor to Reagan. Daniels is another straight-talker, earning the nickname, "The Blade" while presiding over the early lean budgets of the Bush Administration. McCain could use the support from the only Republican governor in the Midwest, a place that McCain must carry to win both the nomination and the election.

McCain is Good for Indiana Farmers

In 1999, John McCain was critical of the corn industry. As you know, Indiana is fifth in the nation in corn production. McCain was a critic of corn and agribusiness subsidies, that inflated our nation's farm market. McCain even went as far as saying that the whole farm subsidy is pork for big business. Needless to say, McCain did not have many friends in states like ours and Iowa in 2000.

Fast forward to 2008. McCain has seen the light when it comes to corn subsidies, especially toward producers of corn ethanol. The mainstream press calls this a flip-flop, and the act of someone pandering to the press and electorate. I disagree. Two big issues have developed since the halcyon days of 1999. The first, is the growing concern over global warming.

The second?

9-11-2001.

McCain's policies pre-9-11 made sense in a time when oil was abundant and cheap, we were not the victim of Islamic fundamentalist terror, and killer hurricanes fueled by global warming were not destroying American cities. Now, the need for being both a good steward of our environment and gaining independent energy security are vital.

McCain supports a transition into clean fuels. He supports a local alternative to foreign oil. And for Indiana, that means ethanol. The Hoosier economy, as well as the Midwest, can be the next big source for energy, as was Pennsylvania for coal and Saudi Arabia for Oil. The difference of course, is that our source of fuel is renewable.

Call it a flip-flop if you want, but the world has changed, and so must our thinking. McCain is a dynamic individual who knows that if the old way no longer works, we must change course. And so, support of corn ethanol producers should come as no surprise in the wake of 9-11.