Remarks By John McCain In Columbus, Ohio

U.S. Senator John McCain delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in Columbus, OH, May 15, 2008:

Thank you. The hectic but repetitive routine of presidential campaigns often seems to consist entirely of back and forth charges between candidates, punctuated by photo ops, debates and the occasional policy speech, followed by another barrage of accusations and counter accusations, formulated into the soundbites preferred by cable news producers. It is a little hypocritical for candidates or reporters to criticize these deficiencies. They are our creation.

Campaigns and the media collaborated as architects of the modern presidential campaign, and we deserve equal blame for the regret we feel from time to time over its less than inspirational features. Voters, however, even in this revolutionary communications age, with its 24 hour news cycle, can be forgiven their uncertainty about what the candidates actually hope to achieve if they have the extraordinary privilege of being elected President of the United States. We spend too little time and offer too few specifics on that most important of questions. We make promises, of course, about what kind of policies we would pursue in office. But they often are obscured, mischaracterized and forgotten in the heat and fog of political battle.

Next January, the political leadership of the United States will change significantly. It is important that the candidates who seek to lead the country after the Bush Administration define their objectives and what they plan to achieve not with vague language but with clarity.

So, what I want to do today is take a little time to describe what I would hope to have achieved at the end of my first term as President. I cannot guarantee I will have achieved these things. I am presumptuous enough to think I would be a good President, but not so much that I believe I can govern by command. Should I forget that, Congress will, of course, hasten to remind me.

The following are conditions I intend to achieve. And toward that end, I will focus all the powers of the office; every skill and strength I possess; and seize every opportunity to work with members of Congress who put the national interest ahead of partisanship, and any country in the world that shares our hopes for a more peaceful and prosperous world.

By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won. Iraq is a functioning democracy, although still suffering from the lingering effects of decades of tyranny and centuries of sectarian tension. Violence still occurs, but it is spasmodic and much reduced. Civil war has been prevented; militias disbanded; the Iraqi Security Force is professional and competent; al Qaeda in Iraq has been defeated; and the Government of Iraq is capable of imposing its authority in every province of Iraq and defending the integrity of its borders. The United States maintains a military presence there, but a much smaller one, and it does not play a direct combat role.

The threat from a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan has been greatly reduced but not eliminated. U.S. and NATO forces remain there to help finish the job, and continue operations against the remnants of al Qaeda. The Government of Pakistan has cooperated with the U.S. in successfully adapting the counterinsurgency tactics that worked so well in Iraq and Afghanistan to its lawless tribal areas where al Qaeda fighters are based. The increase in actionable intelligence that the counterinsurgency produced led to the capture or death of Osama bin Laden, and his chief lieutenants. There is no longer any place in the world al Qaeda can consider a safe haven. Increased cooperation between the United States and its allies in the concerted use of military, diplomatic, and economic power and reforms in the intelligence capabilities of the United States has disrupted terrorist networks and exposed plots around the world. There still has not been a major terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001.

The United States and its allies have made great progress in advancing nuclear security. Concerted action by the great democracies of the world has persuaded a reluctant Russia and China to cooperate in pressuring Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and North Korea to discontinue its own. The single greatest threat facing the West -- the prospect of nuclear materials in the hands of terrorists -- has been vastly diminished.

The size of the Army and Marine Corps has been significantly increased, and are now better equipped and trained to defend us. Long overdue reforms to the way we acquire weapons programs, including fixed price contracts, have created sufficient savings to pay for a larger military. A substantial increase in veterans educational benefits and improvements in their health care has aided recruitment and retention. The strain on the National Guard and reserve forces has been relieved.

After efforts to pressure the Government in Sudan over Darfur failed again in the U.N. Security Council, the United States, acting in concert with a newly formed League of Democracies, applied stiff diplomatic and economic pressure that caused the government of Sudan to agree to a multinational peacekeeping force, with NATO countries providing logistical and air support, to stop the genocide that had made a mockery of the world's repeated declaration that we would "never again" tolerant such inhumanity. Encouraged by the success, the League is now occupied with using the economic power and prestige of its member states to end other gross abuses of human rights such as the despicable crime of human trafficking.

The United States has experienced several years of robust economic growth, and Americans again have confidence in their economic future. A reduction in the corporate tax rate from the second highest in the world to one on par with our trading partners; the low rate on capital gains; allowing business to deduct in a single year investments in equipment and technology, while eliminating tax loopholes and ending corporate welfare, have spurred innovation and productivity, and encouraged companies to keep their operations and jobs in the United States. The Alternate Minimum Tax is being phased out, with relief provided first to middle income families. Doubling the size of the child exemption has put more disposable income in the hands of taxpayers, further stimulating growth.

Congress has just passed by a single up or down vote a tax reform proposal that offers Americans a choice of continuing to file under the rules of the current complicated and burdensome tax code or use a new, simpler, fairer and flatter tax, with two rates and a generous deduction. Millions of taxpayers are expected to file under the flat tax, and save billions in the cost of preparing their returns.

After exercising my veto several times in my first year in office, Congress has not sent me an appropriations bill containing earmarks for the last three years. A top to bottom review of every federal bureaucracy has yielded great reductions in government spending by identifying programs that serve no important purpose; and instigating far reaching reforms of procurement and operating policies that have for too long extravagantly wasted money for no better purpose than to increase federal payrolls.

New free trade agreements have been ratified and led to substantial increases in both exports and imports. The resulting growth in prosperity in countries from South America to Asia to Africa has greatly strengthened America's security and the global progress of our political ideals. U.S. tariffs on agricultural imports have been eliminated and unneeded farm subsidies are being phased out. The world food crisis has ended, inflation is low, and the quality of life not only in our country, but in some of the most impoverished countries around the world is much improved.

Americans, who through no fault of their own, lost jobs in the global economy they once believed were theirs for life, are assisted by reformed unemployment insurance and worker retraining programs. Older workers who accept lower paying jobs while they acquire new skills are provided assistance to make up a good part of the income they have lost. Community colleges and technical schools all over the country have developed worker retraining programs suited to the specific economic opportunities available in their communities and are helping millions of workers who have lost a job that won't come back find a new one that won't go away.

Public education in the United States is much improved thanks to the competition provided by charter and private schools; the increase of quality teachers through incentives like merit pay and terrific programs that attract to the classroom enthusiastic and innovative teachers from many disciplines, like Teach for America and Troops to Teachers. Educational software and online teaching programs endorsed by qualified non profits are much more widely in use, bringing to the smallest classrooms in America some of the greatest math, English, and science teachers in the country. This revolution in teaching methods has especially benefited rural America. Test scores and graduation rates are rising everywhere in the country.

Health care has become more accessible to more Americans than at any other time in history. Reforms of the insurance market; putting the choice of health care into the hands of American families rather than exclusively with the government or employers; walk in clinics as alternatives to emergency room care; paying for outcome in the treatment of disease rather than individual procedures; and competition in the prescription drug market have begun to wring out the runaway inflation once endemic in our health care system. More small businesses offer their employees health plans. Schools have greatly improved their emphasis on physical education and nutritional content of meals offered in school cafeterias. Obesity rates among the young and the disease they engender are stabilized and beginning to decline. The federal government and states have cooperated in establishing backstop insurance pools that provide coverage to people hard pressed to find insurance elsewhere because of pre-existing illness.

The reduction in the growth of health care costs has begun to relieve some of the pressure on Medicare; encouraging Congress to act in a bipartisan way to extend its solvency for twenty-five years without increasing taxes and raising premiums only for upper income seniors. Their success encouraged a group of congressional leaders from both parties to work with my administration to fix Social Security as well, without reducing benefits to those near retirement. The reforms include some form of personal retirement accounts in safe and reliable index funds, such as have been available to government employees since their retirement plans were made solvent a quarter century ago.

The United States is well on the way to independence from foreign sources of oil; progress that has not only begun to alleviate the environmental threat posed from climate change, but has greatly improved our security as well. A cap and trade system has been implemented, spurring great innovation in the development of green technologies and alternative energy sources. Clean coal technology has advanced considerably with federal assistance. Construction has begun on twenty new nuclear reactors thanks to improved incentives and a streamlined regulatory process.

Scores of judges have been confirmed to the federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, who understand that they were not sent there to write our laws but to enforce them and make sure they are consistent with the Constitution. They are judges of exceptional character and quality, who enforce and do not make laws, and who respect the values of the people whose rights, laws and property they are sworn to defend.

Border state governors have certified and the American people recognize that after tremendous improvements to border security infrastructure and increases in the border patrol, and vigorous prosecution of companies that employ illegal aliens, our southern border is now secure. Illegal immigrants who broke our laws after they came here have been arrested and deported. Illegal immigration has been finally brought under control, and the American people accepted the practical necessity to institute a temporary worker program and deal humanely with the millions of immigrants who have been in this country illegally.

Voluntary national service has grown in popularity in part because of the educational benefits used as incentives, as well as frequent appeals from the bully pulpit of the White House, but mostly because the young Americans, no less than earlier generations, understand that true happiness is much greater than the pursuit of pleasure, and can only be found by serving causes greater than self-interest. Scores of accomplished private sector leaders have joined the ranks of my administration for a dollar a year and have instituted some of the most innovative reforms of government programs ever known, often in partnership with willing private sector partners. A sense of community, a kinship of ideals, has invigorated public service again.

This is the progress I want us to achieve during my presidency. These are the changes I am running for President to make. I want to leave office knowing that America is safer, freer, and wealthier than when I was elected; that more Americans have more opportunities to pursue their dreams than at any other time in our history; that the world has become less threatening to our interests and more hospitable to our values; and that America has again, as she always has, chosen not to hide from history but to make history.

I am well aware I cannot make any of these changes alone. The powers of the presidency are rightly checked by the other branches of government, and I will not attempt to acquire powers our founders saw fit to grant Congress. I will exercise my veto if I believe legislation passed by Congress is not in the nation's best interests, but I will not subvert the purpose of legislation I have signed by making statements that indicate I will enforce only the parts of it I like. I will respect the responsibilities the Constitution and the American people have granted Congress, and will, as I often have in the past, work with anyone of either party to get things done for our country.

For too long, now, Washington has been consumed by a hyper-partisanship that treats every serious challenge facing us as an opportunity to trade insults; disparage each other's motives; and fight about the next election. For all the problems we face, if you ask Americans what frustrates them most about Washington, they will tell you they don't think we're capable of serving the public interest before our personal and partisan ambitions; that we fight for ourselves and not for them. Americans are sick of it, and they have every right to be. They are sick of the politics of selfishness, stalemate and delay. They despair when every election -- no matter who wins -- always seems to produce four more years of unkept promises and a government that is just a battleground for the next election. Their patience is at an end for politicians who value ambition over principle, and for partisanship that is less a contest of ide as than an uncivil brawl over the spoils of power. They want to change not only the policies and institutions that have failed the American people, but the political culture that produced them. They want to move this country forward and stake our claim on this century as we did in the last. And they want their government to care more about them than preserving the privileges of the powerful.

There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences between the candidates. And we will argue about them, as we should. But it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands; each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause, and respectful of the goodness in each other. That is how most Americans treat each other. And it is how they want the people they elect to office to treat each other.

If I am elected President, I will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get this country moving again. I will listen to any idea that is offered in good faith and intended to help solve our problems, not make them worse. I will seek the counsel of members of Congress from both parties in forming government policy before I ask them to support it. I will ask Democrats to serve in my administration. My administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability. I will hold weekly press conferences. I will regularly brief the American people on the progress our policies have made and the setbacks we have encountered. When we make errors, I will confess them readily, and explain what we intend to do to correct them. I will ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both houses to take questions, and address criticism, much the same as the Prime Minister of Great Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons.

We cannot again leave our problems for another unluckier generation of Americans to fix after they have become even harder to solve. I'm not interested in partisanship that serves no other purpose than to gain a temporary advantage over our opponents. This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end. We belong to different parties, not different countries. We are rivals for the same power. But we are also compatriots. We are fellow Americans, and that shared distinction means more to me than any other association. I intend to prove myself worthy of the office; of our country; and of your respect. I won't judge myself by how many elections I've won. I won't spend one hour of my presidency worrying more about my re-election than keeping my promises to the American people. There is a time to campaign, and a time to govern.

If I'm elected President, the era of the permanent campaign will end. The era of problem solving will begin. I promise you, from the day I am sworn into office until the last hour of my presidency, I will work with anyone, of either party, to make this country safe, prosperous and proud. And I won't care who gets the credit.


Thank you.

John McCain 2008 Launches News TV Ad: "Leading"

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new television ad, entitled "Leading," focusing on John McCain's plans to solve some of America's most pressing problems. The ad will air in Iowa.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3_jXj84xKc

"Leading" -- (TV:30)

ANNCR: While Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama argue and fight with each other, John McCain leads.
John McCain leads the fight against wasteful government spending. He has a plan to stop it.
John McCain understands the pain people are feeling at the pump. That's why he wants a gas tax holiday to provide needed relief.
A real plan for health care that provides $5000 tax credits -- no mandates.
John McCain -- leadership, not politics.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

CNN On Jamie Rubin's Lie

"I should tell you that CNN asked Jamie Rubin earlier today for the rest of the interview or at least for a transcript and he said he didn't have it." -- CNN's Dana Bash

CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight"
May 16, 2008

CNN'S DANA BASH: "You remember these interviews were done shortly after Hamas won the Palestinian elections. Lou, the McCain campaign just in the past couple of hours, found a link to more of Jamie Rubin's interview from back then. In it, I'll read you a quote from the rest of or at least more of the interview, In that quote Sen. McCain says, 'I think part of the relationship will be dictated by how Hamas acts, not how the United States acts.' Now the McCain campaign, as you can image, says that this is proof that Senator McCain has been consistent all along, and I should tell you that CNN asked Jamie Rubin earlier today for the rest of the interview or at least for a transcript and he said he didn't have it. He said he only had this particular quote he said that was e-mailed to him."

CNN'S LOU DOBBS: "Well that seems, certainly to, as you report, to substantiate precisely what Senator McCain is saying."

BASH: "That's what the McCain campaign is insisting and that's why they were, as you can imagine, very eager to send out this e-mail. And I can tell you at the top of the e-mail the subject header said 'Jamie Rubin Lied.' Inside the McCain campaign, they are accusing Jamie Rubin of lying tonight. We're going wait to hear back from Jamie Rubin about that charge. As you can imagine, that's quite a charge to say somebody lied."

DOBBS: "It is quite a charge. It is also quite something for someone from another campaign to conflate both the role of journalism and of course political activism. Let me ask you this. If we may, I'd like to provide the viewers of this broadcast a link, as you referred to it, that would give them the entire context of that interview. So if we may, I'd like to put that up on LouDobbs.com for our viewers' benefits if they'd like to use it."

BASH: "I'll get it to you."

DOBBS: "Great reporting and thank you very much."

Watch The CNN Report On Jamie Rubin's Lies
Watch Full UNEDITED Jamie Rubin Question-And-Answer On Hamas

Statement by John McCain on Senator Ted Kennedy

U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the news concerning Senator Ted Kennedy:

"I was very sorry to hear that Senator Kennedy has taken ill, and like millions of Americans, Cindy and I anxiously await word of his condition. Senator Kennedy's role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner. I consider it a great privilege to call him my friend. Cindy and I are praying for our friend, his wife, Vicki and the Kennedy family."

My First Term

My Friends,

We are all aware that next January, the political leadership of the United States will change significantly when a new president is sworn into our nation's highest elected office. It is important that the candidates who seek to lead our country after President Bush define their objectives and what they plan to achieve not with vague language but with clarity.

What I want to do is take a little time to describe what I hope to have achieved at the end of my first term as president. I cannot guarantee I will have achieved these things, but I am presumptuous enough to think I would be a good president.

By January 2013, at the end of my first term as president, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won and Iraq is a functioning democracy. The threat from a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan has been greatly reduced but not eliminated and there has not been a major terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001.

The United States has experienced several years of robust economic growth and Americans again have confidence in their economic future. Congress has lowered taxes and passed fundamental tax reform offering a choice in how taxes are filed. Americans, who through no fault of their own, lost jobs in the global economy they once believed were theirs for life, are assisted by reformed unemployment insurance and worker retraining programs.

Public education in the United States is much improved and test scores and graduation rates are rising everywhere in the country. Health care has become more accessible to more Americans than at any other time in history.

The United States is well on the way to independence from foreign sources of oil; progress that has not only begun to alleviate the environmental threat posed from climate change, but has greatly improved our security as well.

Scores of judges have been confirmed to the federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, who understand that they were not sent there to write our laws but to enforce them.

Voluntary national service has grown in popularity in part because of the educational benefits used as incentives, as well as frequent appeals from the bully pulpit of the White House, but mostly because the young Americans understand that true happiness is much greater than the pursuit of pleasure, and can only be found by serving causes greater than self-interest.

This is the progress I want us to achieve during my presidency. These are the changes I am running for president to make. I want to leave office knowing that America is safer, freer and wealthier than when I was elected.

There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences, but it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands. Each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause and respectful of the goodness in each other. That is how most Americans treat each other. And it is how they want the people they elect to office to treat each other.

We cannot again leave our problems for another unluckier generation of Americans to fix after they have become even harder to solve. I'm not interested in partisanship that serves no other purpose than to gain a temporary advantage over our opponents. We are all compatriots. We are fellow Americans. I intend to prove myself worthy of the office, of our country and of your respect. I won't judge myself by how many elections I've won. I won't spend one hour of my presidency worrying more about my re-election than keeping my promises to the American people.

And now, I call on you to do your part in making this vision a reality. I am not presumptuous enough to think that I will be elected our next president without your help, and I humbly ask you today to make a contribution to my campaign of any amount to ensure my campaign is fully funded and able to take my message and vision directly to every American voter.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences between the candidates. We will argue about them, as we should. If I am elected president, I will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get this country moving again. But I must be elected in November to do this, and that is why I ask that you join me by making a financial contribution so that my campaign can be fully funded to win in November. Thank you.

Market Solutions To End Climate Change

My Friends,

I have long said that I am running for president not to be someone, but to do something - to do what is hard, but necessary to address the challenges we face as a nation. In the coming weeks, I intend to address many of the great challenges that America's energy policies must meet.

One of these challenges is global climate change. Whether we call it "climate change" or "global warming," in the end we're all left with the same set of facts. Good stewardship, prudence and simple common sense demand that we act to meet the challenge and act quickly. And if we are wrong and climate change is not a threat, all we are doing is leaving a better planet for our children and lowering our dependence on foreign oil.

That is why I have proposed a cap-and-trade system that would set limits on greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging the development of low-cost compliance options. This is a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies and strengthen the economy.

With so much at stake in this election, it is more important than ever that we work together to secure our energy future, to create opportunities for American industry and to leave a better future for our children. I cannot succeed in my efforts without your immediate financial support.

Unfortunately, some have already begun to criticize my efforts to solve global climate change. My campaign must be financially prepared to respond to this criticism and that's why I ask that you follow this link immediately to make a donation of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or up to the legal limit of $2,300.

We Americans like to say that there is no problem we can't solve, however complicated, and no obstacle we can't overcome if we meet it together. I believe this about our country. I know this about our country. And now it is time for us to act with this resolve.

Please join my campaign today by following this link. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. Our next president will need to address the issue of the environmental challenges we face as a nation. This week, I have taken the lead to propose a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to strengthen our economy. I ask for your financial assistance in helping my campaign spread my message by following this link to make a contribution of any amount up to the legal limit of $2,300. Thank you.

What They're Saying About John McCain's Climate Change Speech

McCain Pledges To Take The Lead In Combating Global Climate Change:

Chicago Tribune: McCain Issued A "Call To Action On Global Warming." "John McCain launched a green-tinted courtship of West Coast swing voters on Monday, with a call to action on global warming and an indictment of the Bush administration's 'failed' policies to combat it." (Jim Tankersley, "McCain Rips Bush Record On Warming," Chicago Tribune, 5/13/08)

· Los Angeles Times: McCain "Pledged A New Era Of Environmental Stewardship." "Distancing himself from President Bush, John McCain pledged a new era of environmental stewardship Monday as he outlined his plan to address global warming, a cause he has embraced since activists hounded him during his 2000 run for president." (Maeve Reston, "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming," Los Angeles Times, 5/13/08)

· The Oregonian: McCain Outlined A "More Aggressive Approach To Fighting Global Warming." "Sen. John McCain used a wind energy company in Portland as a backdrop Monday to describe his determination to break with the Bush administration and take a much more aggressive approach to fighting global warming." (Jeff Mapes, "McCain Touts Greener Goals," The Oregonian, 5/13/08)

· The Wall Street Journal: "The U.S. Is Fighting The Clock As The Earth Warms To Dangerous Levels, Sen. John McCain Says In A Speech Today In Environmentally Conscious Oregon." (Laura Meckler, "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Evangelical Climate Initiative's Rev. Jim Ball Praises McCain Speech. "We are greatly encouraged by the principles and proposals included in Senator McCain's speech today, and because we consider the decisions we make about energy to be at their root moral choices, as Christians we commend the speech's moral high road." (The Evangelical Climate Initiative, "Evangelicals Commend McCain Speech On Climate Change," Press Release, 5/12/08)

· Republicans For Environmental Protection President Martha Marks: "Clear That [McCain] Is The Presidential Candidate Most Dedicated And Best Prepared to Fight Global Warming." MARKS: "Senator McCain's resounding call for strong action on climate change underscores his longstanding commitment to solving this problem. ... His insightful remarks, along with his long record of climate leadership in the Senate, make it clear that he is the presidential candidate most dedicated and best prepared to fight global warming." (Republicans For Environmental Protection, "McCain Speech Shows Strong Climate Leadership," Press Release, 5/12/08)

The Boston Globe: McCain "Declares That Climate Change Is Undeniable And Urgent." "The presumptive Republican nominee declares that climate change is undeniable and urgent, suggesting that the United States hasn't acted quickly enough and pledging to return to international negotiations." (Foon Rhee, "McCain Speaks On Global Warming," The Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Bloomberg: "McCain Said The Clock Is Running On The Chance To Curb Major Global Climate Shifts Brought On By The Burning Of Fossil Fuels Such As Oil And Coal." (Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

· Business Week: McCain "One Of The Few Republicans In Washington Who Backs Climate-Change Regulations." "And as one of the few Republicans in Washington who backs climate-change regulations, McCain has a devoted following among the community of people pushing for action on the issue." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

· CNN's Dana Bash: "Republican Candidates Don't Often Come To The Pacific Northwest To Decry The Effects Of Global Warning. Precisely The Reason John McCain Did." (CNN's "Situation Room," 5/12/08)

· Fox News: "[McCain] Made The Case That Global Warming Is Fact And Without The Limiting Of Greenhouse Gases Using Free-Market Principals It Will Not Just Be The Environment That Will Find Itself In Peril." (Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

· MSNBC's David Shuster: "On The Republican Side, A Break Out Effort Today By John McCain. As Republicans Go, He Gave A Stunning Speech This Afternoon About Global Warming." (MSNBC's 5/12/08)

· The Washington Times: McCain "Offered A Pragmatic Answer" To The Global Warming Debate. "But Mr. McCain yesterday offered a pragmatic answer to what some scientists say is man's role in the warming of the planet, arguing that even if he is wrong, moving toward lower-emission vehicles and reducing greenhouse gases still would benefit the environment." (Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)

ABC News: McCain "Calling For Urgent Steps To Confront Its Threat." "Campaigning in the Pacific Northwest, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, R-Ariz., will break sharply from the Bush administration on climate change, calling for urgent steps to confront its threat and saying that as president he 'will not shirk the mantle of leadership' on the issue." (Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

· Congressional Quarterly: "McCain's Plan Is Far More Ambitious Than Anything President Bush Has Endorsed, But It Is Less Stringent Than Proposals From His Democratic Rivals." (Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

McCain Proposing "Market-Oriented" Approach To Confronting Climate Change:

The Associated Press: McCain Proposing A "Free-Market Solution" To Combat Climate Change. "John McCain broke with the Bush administration and Republican Party orthodoxy Monday as he not only declared global warming real, but reached out to Democrats and independents with a free-market solution that includes capping carbon-fuel emissions." (Glen Johnson, "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming," The Associated Press, 5/12/08)

Business Week: "McCain's Approach Is More Market-Oriented." "What is clear is that, even while McCain and both Democratic candidates support caps on greenhouse gas emissions, there are philosophical differences to their approaches. McCain's approach is more market-oriented." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

Congressional Quarterly: McCain "Called For Placing A Cap On Emissions And Setting Up A Market-Based Trading Program." "In a speech in Portland, Ore., the Arizona senator called for placing a cap on emissions and setting up a market-based trading program for businesses." (Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

CNN: McCain Proposes "Capping Carbon Emissions Incrementally." "In his speech, the Arizona senator will propose capping carbon emissions incrementally, with the goal of returning to 1990 emission levels by the year 2020 using a cap-and-trade program. Such a program would cap greenhouse gas emissions at certain levels, and allow more efficient energy producers to sell off emissions permits to other, less efficient companies, thereby creating market-wide incentives to reduce carbon output." (Peter Hamby, "McCain Appeals To Independents With Environment Pitch," CNN, 5/12/08)

NPR's Scott Horsley: "John McCain Is Talking About Using Market Forces To Control Greenhouse Gasses." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: McCain Plan "Would Allow The Market To Play A Role" In Reducing Emissions. "The centerpiece of Mr. McCain's plan is a reduction in carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system in which government would limit the amount of carbon dioxide that could be emitted and would issue allowances to emitting companies that could buy and sell those rights. This would allow the market to play a role, encouraging innovation and efficiency as greenhouse gas emissions are reduced." (Editorial, "Climate Change In Washington," The Washington Post, 5/13/08)

The Washington Times: "The Arizona Senator Said He Thinks That Market Forces Can Drive Industries Toward Greener Energy Sources." (Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)

McClatchy: McCain Called For More International Cooperation. "McCain also said that more international cooperation is needed in combating climate change, noting that little real progress could be made without involving China and India, two developing nations with enormous energy appetites that have 'the potential to pollute the air faster, and in greater annual volume, than any nation ever in history.'" (Matt Stearns, "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech," McClatchy, 5/12/08)

· Bloomberg: "China And India Must Take Equal Responsibility With The U.S. And Other Industrialized Nations In Cutting Global Warming Pollution, Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain Said." (Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

McCain Has A Long Record On Climate Change Policy:

ABC News: "McCain Has Spoken Out Often On Climate Change." "During his presidential quest, McCain has spoken out often on climate change. He was one of the only Republican candidates do so and was the most forceful GOP contender to talk about the issue. In 2003, he sponsored the first bill calling for mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions." (Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

Business Week: McCain Drafted "Pioneering" Legislation On Climate Change. "With his friend Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), he even drafted the pioneering McCain-Lieberman climate bill, which would have put caps on the emissions of global-warming-causing greenhouse gases in the U.S." (John Carey, "McCain: The New 'Captain Climate'?" Business Week, 5/12/08)

Fox News: "McCain Stressed That Only The Free-Market System Can Help Slow Climate Change, Namely Using A Cap-And Trade System." (Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

NPR's Michelle Norris: "McCain Has Been More Outspoken Than Many Republicans On The Subject Of Global Warming." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 5/12/08)

USA Today: "As A Senator, McCain Has Long Backed Cap-And-Trade Legislation." (David Jackson, "McCain To Pitch Climate-Change Plan In Oregon," USA Today, 5/12/08)

U.S. Greenpeace Research Director Kert Davies: "[McCain] Knows This Stuff Is Real, And Speaks With Authority On The Climate Change Issue." (Hal Bernton, "McCain Speech On Global Warming Reflects Role Issue Likely To Play In Fall Election," Seattle Times, 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: McCain's Speech "Highlighted His Personal Commitment To The Issue." "During his speech this afternoon McCain highlighted his personal commitment to the issue, relating how he witnessed the effects of climate change first-hand during his travels to the Arctic as a senator." (Juliet Eilperin, "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Change," The Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, 5/12/08)

In The Headlines:

ABC News: "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment"
(Ron Claiborne, "McCain Breaks Sharply From Bush On Environment," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, 5/12/08)

The Associated Press: "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming"
(Glen Johnson, "McCain Urges Free-Market Solution On Warming," The Associated Press, 5/12/08)

Bloomberg: "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions"
(Kim Chipman, "McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role On Emissions," Bloomberg, 5/12/08)

Congressional Quarterly: "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan"
(Avery Palmer, "McCain Unveils Global Warming Plan," Congressional Quarterly, 5/12/08)

The Dallas Morning News: "McCain Reveals Emissions Proposals"
(Dave Michaels, "McCain Reveals Emissions Proposals," The Dallas Morning News, 5/13/08)

Fox News: "McCain Addresses Climate Change"
(Shushannah Walshe, "McCain Addresses Climate Change," Fox News, 5/12/08)

The Hill: "McCain, Breaking From President, Calls For Emissions Caps"
(Walter Alarkon, "McCain, Breaking From President, Calls For Emissions Caps," The Hill, 5/12/08)

Los Angeles Times: "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming"
(Maeve Reston, "John McCain Outlines A Plan To Tackle Global Warming," Los Angeles Times, 5/13/08)

McClatchy: "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech"
(Matt Stearns, "McCain Goes Green In West Coast Speech," McClatchy, 5/12/08)

The New York Times: "McCain Differs With Bush On Climate Change"
(Elisabeth Bumiller And John M. Broder, "McCain Differs With Bush On Climate Change," The New York Times, 5/13/08)

The Oregonian: "McCain Touts Greener Goals"
(Jeff Mapes, "McCain Touts Greener Goals," The Oregonian, 5/13/08)

Politico: "McCain Pushes Environmental Policy"
(Jonathan Martin, "McCain Pushes Environmental Policy," Politico, 5/12/08)

Reuters: "McCain Pledges To Combat Climate Change"
(Tim Gaynor, "McCain Pledges To Combat Climate Change," Reuters, 5/12/08)

The Wall Street Journal: "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System"
(Laura Meckler, "McCain Repeats Call For Cap-And-Trade System," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, 5/12/08)

The Washington Post: "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Policy"
(Juliet Eilperin, "McCain Breaks With Bush On Climate Policy," The Washington Post, 5/13/08)

The Washington Times: "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change"
(Joseph Curl, "McCain Takes Aim At Climate Change," The Washington Times, 5/13/08)

"Obama Rules"

"After his blowout win in North Carolina last week, Obama turned to framing the rules of the general election ahead, warning in his victory speech of 'efforts to distract us.' ... Here are the Obama rules in detail: He can't be called a 'liberal' ('the same names and labels they pin on everyone,' as Obama puts it); his toughness on the war on terror can't be questioned ('attempts to play on our fears'); his extreme positions on social issues can't be exposed ('the same efforts to distract us from the issues that affect our lives' and 'turn us against each other'); and his Chicago background too is off-limits ('pouncing on every gaffe and association and fake controversy'). Besides that, it should be a freewheeling and spirited campaign." -- National Review's Rich Lowry

Obama Rules
The Campaign Wants To Define His Weaknesses As Off-Limits, And The Media Is Signing Up For The Effort.
By Rich Lowry
National Review Online
5/13/08

If Barack Obama gets his way, the Oxford English Dictionary will have updated its definition of "distraction" by the end of the campaign: "Diversion of the mind, attention, etc., from any object or course that tends to advance the political interests of Barack Obama."

After his blowout win in North Carolina last week, Obama turned to framing the rules of the general election ahead, warning in his victory speech of "efforts to distract us." The chief distracter happens to be the man standing between Obama and the White House, John McCain, who will "use the very same playbook that his side has used time after time in election after election."

Ah, yes, the famous distractions with which Republicans fool unwitting Americans. Ronald Reagan distracted them with the Iranian hostage crisis, high inflation and unemployment, gas lines, and the loss of American prestige abroad. Then, the first George Bush distracted them with the notion of a third Reagan term, as well as the issues of taxes, crime, and volunteerism. After a brief interlude of national focus during two Clinton terms, another Bush arrived wielding the dark art of distraction.

Forget "bitter"; Obama must believe that most Americans suffer from an attention-deficit disorder so crippling that they can't concentrate on their own interests or values.

Obama has an acute self-interest in so diagnosing the American electorate. His campaign knows he's vulnerable to the charge of being an elitist liberal. Unable to argue the facts, it wants to argue the law --- defining his weaknesses as off-limits.

The campaign can succeed in imposing these rules on the race only if the news media cooperate. Newsweek signed up for the effort in a cover story that reads like a 3,400-word elaboration of the "distraction" passage of Obama's victory speech. "The Republican Party has been successfully scaring voters since 1968," it says, through "innuendo and code." McCain "may not be able to resist casting doubt on Obama's patriotism," and there's a question whether he can or wants to "rein in the merchants of slime and sellers of hate."

Here are the Obama rules in detail: He can't be called a "liberal" ("the same names and labels they pin on everyone," as Obama puts it); his toughness on the war on terror can't be questioned ("attempts to play on our fears"); his extreme positions on social issues can't be exposed ("the same efforts to distract us from the issues that affect our lives" and "turn us against each other"); and his Chicago background too is off-limits ("pouncing on every gaffe and association and fake controversy"). Besides that, it should be a freewheeling and spirited campaign.

Democrats always want cultural issues not to matter because they are on the least-popular side of many of them, and want patriotic symbols like the Pledge of Allegiance and flag pins to be irrelevant when they can't manage to nominate presidential candidates who wholeheartedly embrace them (which shouldn't be that difficult). As for "fear" and "division," they are vaporous pejoratives that can be applied to any warning of negative consequences of a given policy or any political position that doesn't command 100 percent assent. In his North Carolina speech, Obama said the Iraq war "has not made us safer," and that McCain's ideas are "out of touch" with "American values." How fearfully divisive.

We could take Obama's rules in good faith if he never calls John McCain a "conservative" or labels him in any other way. If he never criticizes him for his association with George Bush. If he doesn't jump on his gaffes (like McCain's 100-years-in-Iraq comment that Obama distorted and harped on for weeks). And if he never says anything that would tend to make Americans fearful about the future or divide them (i.e., say things that some people agree with and others don't).

This is, of course, an impossible standard. Obama doesn't expect anyone to live up to it except John McCain.

Read The Article On National Review Online

USA Today On Veterans Benefits

Vets Deserve Better Benefits, But Don't Drain The Military
Editorial
USA Today
May 13, 2008

To put himself through Virginia's Radford University, Chris House works 35 hours a week at a local Pizza Hut. During summers, he takes a second job as a farm hand.

Despite those jobs, House will owe about $15,000 in college debt when he graduates next year. His would be just another story about a struggling student, except for one thing: House, 25, is an Iraq war veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne.

Aren't vets like House supposed to get college paid for when they leave the military?

That's how it worked under the fabled GI Bill of 1944. Eight million World War II veterans got an education under a generous program that covered tuition, fees, books and some living expenses.

Today's education benefits don't go as far. Veterans receive about $1,100 a month when they are in school, enough to cover about 60% of the costs of the average four-year public college. Although there's widespread agreement in Washington that the benefits should be improved, opinions differ over the form of the improvements.

The most popular approach, championed by Sen. James Webb, D-Va., and leading veterans' groups, would give vets about $2,000 for every month spent in college, or enough to cover the most expensive four-year public university. Veterans would also receive $1,000 yearly stipends for books and a $1,000 monthly housing allowance.

This is an appealing package, particularly in an election year and at a time when servicemembers have borne the brunt of the burden in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are only two problems with it: It's not affordable, and it would worsen the volunteer military's already serious problem with retention.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the plan would cost $51.8 billion in the next 10 years, piling a costlier entitlement program onto the nation's already unsustainable mountain of debt.

Moreover, the generous benefits in the Webb approach would lure 8,000 soldiers a year out of the Army, a top Pentagon manpower official says. Although those same benefits might attract 2,000 more soldiers, that still leaves a 6,000-soldier gap that could cost $100 million a year in new retention bonuses to fill.

An alternative approach, backed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the Bush administration, is more closely tailored to the needs of today's volunteer military. Veterans leaving active service would see their monthly education benefits rise to $1,500, enough to cover the average public university. To boost retention, this plan would allow members who served six years or more to transfer part or all their post-service education benefits to a spouse or child. There's no official cost estimate for this alternative, but government analysts had calculated that such a program would run $1 billion to $2 billion a year.

That's a more reasonable price tag, but given the nation's $400 billion annual deficit, it, too, needs to be paid for. In this case, the first place to look is the Pentagon's own bloated weapons procurement programs, such as the Navy's new coastal combat ship, which are riddled with cost overruns.

War veterans such as Chris House have made great sacrifices to serve their country, and they deserve more help to further their education and get on with their lives. Now it's time to ask taxpayers or defense contractors to sacrifice a little so that can happen.

Senator Joe Lieberman On Fox News' "Fox & Friends"

FOX NEWS' STEVE DOOCY: "Great to have you. Later today up in Portland, Oregon, I believe John McCain is going to talk about global warming. What's he going to say?"


SEN. LIEBERMAN: "This is one of the reasons why I crossed party lines to support John, obviously in addition to his tremendous ability to be our Commander-in-Chief at a time of war. It's also the reason why a lot of Democrats and independents are going to cross party lines to support him. John saw a problem, and he spent some time studying it. He decided global warming was real, and he came to me about six years ago, and said let's get together and do something about this. And we put in the first significant anti-global warming bill -- a bill that uses market mechanisms to move us slowly down in terms of our greenhouse gas emissions. And I think John today is going to talk about that and why he, as President, will make this a priority of his administration. Give him some credit here."


Watch Senator Joe Lieberman On Fox News' "Fox & Friends"

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Community News You Can Use

John McCain's Strategy For Confronting Global Climate Change

Today, In Oregon, John McCain Addressed The Threat Of Global Climate Change And Outlined His Strategy To Lead America To Meet Its Obligations As A Steward Of This Planet. John McCain will establish a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy. He will work with our international partners to secure our energy future, to create opportunities for American industry, and to leave a better future for our children.

John McCain's Principles For Climate Policy:

· Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables.

· Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System.

· Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets.

· Climate Policy Must Spur The Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technology.

· Climate Policy Must Facilitate International Efforts To Solve The Problem.

John McCain's Cap And Trade Policy:

John McCain Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s. The key feature of this mechanism is that it allows the market to decide and encourage the lowest-cost compliance options.

· How Does A Cap-And-Trade System Work? A cap-and-trade system harnesses human ingenuity in the pursuit of alternatives to carbon-based fuels. Market participants are allotted total permits equal to the cap on greenhouse gas emissions. If they can invent, improve, or acquire a way to reduce their emissions, they can sell their extra permits for cash. The profit motive will coordinate the efforts of venture capitalists, corporate planners, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists on the common motive of reducing emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets And Timetables

· 2012: Return Emissions To 2005 Levels (18 Percent Above 1990 Levels)

· 2020: Return Emissions To 1990 Levels (15 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

· 2030: 22 Percent Below 1990 Levels (34 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

· 2050: 60 Percent Below 1990 Levels (66 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

The Cap And Trade System Would Allow For The Gradual Reduction Of Emissions. The cap and trade system would encompass electric power, transportation fuels, commercial business, and industrial business -- sectors responsible for just below 90 percent of all emissions. Small businesses would be exempt. Initially, participants would be allowed to either make their own GHG reductions or purchase "offsets" -- financial instruments representing a reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions practiced by other activities, such as agriculture -- to cover 100 percent of their required reductions. Offsets would only be available through a program dedicated to ensure that all offset GHG emission reductions are real, measured and verifiable. The fraction of GHG emission reductions permitted via offsets would decline over time.

John McCain Will Promote Innovating, Developing and Deploying Advanced Technologies.

To Support The Cap And Trade System, John McCain Will Promote The Innovation, Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technologies. John McCain will reform federal government research funding and infrastructure to support the cap and trade emissions reduction goals and emphasize the commercialization of low-carbon technologies. Under John McCain's plan:

· Emissions Permits Will Eventually Be Auctioned To Support The Development Of Advanced Technologies. A portion of the process of these auctions will be used to support a diversified portfolio of research and commercialization challenges, ranging from carbon capture and sequestration, to nuclear power, to battery development. Funds will also be used to provide provide financial backing for a Green Innovation Financing and Transfer (GIFT) to facilitate commercialization.

· John McCain Will Streamline The Process For Deploying New Technologies And Requiring More Accountability From Government Programs To Meet Commercialization Goals And Deadlines.

· John McCain Will Ensure Rapid Technology Introduction, Quickly Shifting Research From The Laboratory To The Marketplace.

· John McCain Will Employ The Inherent Incentives Provided By A Cap-And-Trade System Along With Government-Led Competitions As Incentives For New Technology Deployment.

John McCain Will Foster Rapid And Clean Economic Growth.

John McCain Believes An Effective And Sustainable Climate Policy Must Also Support Rapid Economic Growth. John McCain will use a portion of auction proceeds to reduce impacts on low-income American families. The McCain plan will accomplish this in part by incorporating measures to mitigate any economic cost of meeting emission targets, including:

· Trading Emission Permits To Find The Lowest-Cost Source Of Emission Reductions.

· Permitting "Banking" And "Borrowing" Of Permits So That Emission Reductions May Be Accelerated Or Deferred To More Economically Efficient Periods.

· Permitting Unlimited Initial Offsets From Both Domestic And International Sources.

· Effectively Integrating U.S. Trading With Other International Markets, Thereby Providing Access To Low-Cost Permit Sources.

· Establishing A Strategic Carbon Reserve As A National Source Of Permits During Periods Of Economic Duress.

· Early Allocation Of Some Emission Permits On Sound Principles. This will provide significant amount of allowances for auctioning to provide funding for transition assistance for consumers and industry. It will also directly allocate sufficient permits to enable the activities of a Climate Change Credit Corporation, the public-private agency that will oversee the cap and trade program, provide credit to entities for reductions made before 2012, and ease transition for industry with competitiveness concerns and fewer efficiency technology options. A commission will also be convened to provide recommendations on the percentage of allowances to be provided for free and the percentage of allowances to be auctioned, and develop a schedule for transition from allocated to maximum auctioned allowances. Cap-and-trade system will also work to maximize the amount of allowances that are auctioned off by 2050.

John McCain Will Provide Leadership For Effective International Efforts:

John McCain Believes That There Must Be A Global Solution To Global Climate Change. John McCain will engage the international community in a coordinated effort by:

· Actively Engaging To Lead United Nations Negotiations.

· Permitting America To Lead In Innovation, Capture The Market On Low-Carbon Energy Production, And Export To Developing Countries -- Including Government Incentives And Partnerships For Sales Of Clean Tech To Developing Countries.

· Provide Incentives For Rapid Participation By India And China, While Negotiating An Agreement With Each.

John McCain Will Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan

John McCain Believes A Comprehensive Approach To Addressing Climate Change Includes Adaptation As Well As Mitigation. He believes:

· An Adaptation Plan Should Be Based Upon National And Regional Scientific Assessments Of The Impacts Of Climate Change.

· An Adaptation Plan Should Focus On Implementation At The Local Level Which Is Where Impacts Will Manifest Themselves.

· A Comprehensive Plan Will Address The Full Range Of Issues: Infrastructure, Ecosystems, Resource Planning, And Emergency Preparation.

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Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone

Senator Joe Lieberman On CNN's "Late Edition"

"Senator Obama has said he would sit down without condition with Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran. That not only gives prestige to a terrible America- and Israel-hater, but it also threatens our allies in the region. ... I'm saying when it comes to dealing with enemies, both in the Middle East and around the world, Senator McCain has more experience, more balance, knows when to be tough, knows when to be soft." -- Senator Joe Lieberman

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)CNN's "Late Edition"May 11, 2008

CNN'S WOLF BLITZER: "All right, do you have any doubt about Senator Obama's commitment to maintain a very supportive role for the United States as far as Israel is concerned?"

SEN. LIEBERMAN: "I have no doubt about that. But here's what I want to say. Senator Obama has said he would sit down without condition with Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran. That not only gives prestige to a terrible America- and Israel-hater, but it also threatens our allies in the region.

"Look, I'll give you another example. This is an indirect step that can undermine our position in the Middle East. Earlier this year, Senator Kyl and I introduced a resolution in the Senate, which called on the administration to impose economic sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that is training and equipping Iraqis that are going back into Iraq and killing American soldiers, hundreds of them. ... Senator Obama did not [support it]. He said it was saber-rattling. It was the exact opposite of that. It was economic sanctions. It had nothing to do with the military."

BLITZER: "I think what he said, it would give a green light to the Bush administration to consider military action. Something like that."

SEN. LIEBERMAN: "No way. It was the exact opposite of that. I don't question Senator Obama's commitment to the security of the state of Israel. I'm saying when it comes to dealing with enemies, both in the Middle East and around the world, Senator McCain has more experience, more balance, knows when to be tough, knows when to be soft."

Watch Senator Joe Lieberman On CNN's "Late Edition"

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW TV AD ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: "A BETTER WAY"

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new television ad, entitled "A Better Way," focusing on John McCain's commitment to addressing the challenge of global climate change.

This week, John McCain travels to the Pacific Northwest to deliver remarks on climate change, setting the stage for a discussion on conservation and stewardship of our natural resources. Today in Portland, John McCain will deliver a major speech outlining his plans to combat the threat of global climate change and re-establish America's environmental leadership in the world. He will propose a domestic cap-and-trade system that will mobilize market forces to develop and commercialize alternatives to carbon-based fuels. On Tuesday, John McCain will travel to Seattle, where he will participate in a roundtable discussion to solicit the views of environmentalists, conservationists and the business community on the most effective strategies for meeting this challenge.

"A Better Way" will air in the important battleground state of Oregon.
VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRHRRYHKIY
"A Better Way" -- (TV-:30)

ANNCR: Our environment in peril,
Oil and food prices out of control,
Climate change wreaks havoc with deadly weather.
One extreme thinks high taxes and crippling regulation is the solution.
Another denies the problem even exists.
There's a better way.

JOHN MCCAIN: I believe that climate change is real.
It's not just a greenhouse gas issue.
It's a national security issue.
We have an obligation to future generations to take action and fix it.
I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

The McCain Update

Defending Freedom and Dignity

John McCain spoke Wednesday at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan about his vision for defending the freedom and dignity of the world's vulnerable. Freedom confers responsibilities, and John McCain believes we must be diligent in supporting human freedom and opposing those enemies who would strip others of their dignity.

As president, John McCain will promote religious freedom, combat human trafficking and protect women and children. These are issues that demand presidential leadership. We must confront the evils in this world that deny human freedom and degrade human dignity. America was founded on the belief in the inherent dignity of all human life and this dignity can only be preserved through shared respect and responsibility.
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Women's Coalition

This week, the campaign launched the new Women for McCain website. This is the official site where women who support John McCain can learn about the issues and how they can get involved.

John McCain is surrounded by strong women in his life: his wife, Cindy; his mother, Roberta; and his three daughters, Sidney, Meghan and Bridget. They join the countless volunteers across the country who understand that John McCain will be the best president to address the issues women care about. Please join our coalition at Women.JohnMcCain.com and show your support today!

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW AD: "ACCOUNTABLE"

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new TV ad, entitled "Accountable," focusing on John McCain's innovative pro-growth plans to get our economy back on track. The ad will run in the important battleground state of Iowa.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI4mNspYdCA

Script For "Accountable" (TV-:30)

JOHN MCCAIN: The great goal is to get the American economy running at full strength again -- creating the opportunities Americans expect and the jobs Americans need.

ANNCR: As president, John McCain will make taxes simpler, fairer;

Energy cleaner, cheaper;

Health care portable and affordable;

Corporate CEOs accountable;

Mortgage debt restructured;

Big ideas for serious problems,

John McCain.

I'm John McCain and I approve this message.