THE EL PASO TIMES ENDORSES JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

"From pork-barreling to political posturing, from broken promises to the power of special interests, from taxing to spending, government needs fixing, and McCain seems to have the toughness and will to accomplish at least some of that. ... After his Super Tuesday victories, McCain is already the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party. But Republicans should still vote for him in the primary in a show of solidarity that will help garner delegates and give him a smooth path into and through the GOP convention in September." -- The El Paso Times

Go With McCain: He Deserves GOP Nomination
Editoria
lEl Paso Times February 10, 2008
John McCain is the El Paso Times' recommendation for those voting in the March 4 Republican Primary.

One thing that should appeal to El Pasoans -- and many others -- is that McCain is a veteran and former prisoner of war. He understands the problems of our military and our veterans, and he has promised to fight for them and not relegate them to the shadows. That's increasingly important as the war drags on and we create new legions of veterans, many of them wounded.

McCain also inherits the job of repairing a fragmented Republican Party that, frankly, has suffered from the Bush presidency. He also will have to prove to Americans that he can restore trust in a government that seems far from representing and working toward the interests of constituents. From pork-barreling to political posturing, from broken promises to the power of special interests, from taxing to spending, government needs fixing, and McCain seems to have the toughness and will to accomplish at least some of that.

McCain supports comprehensive immigration reform, and that doesn't always sit well with conservatives. But he's right about the need for such reform, and he recognizes the need for secure borders that addresses both immigration reform and the national security-related need for tighter northern and southern borders.

McCain also recognizes the tie between the government's greedy spending habits and increasing taxes, and promises to work to keep that spending in check while creating a fair taxing system.
After his Super Tuesday victories, McCain is already the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party. But Republicans should still vote for him in the primary in a show of solidarity that will help garner delegates and give him a smooth path into and through the GOP convention in September.

Read The El Paso Times Editorial: "Go With McCain: He Deserves GOP Nomination"