The McCain Update - April 25, 2008

We are running a different kind of campaign because John McCain is a different kind of candidate. This week, he traveled to some of the forgotten areas of our nation. From rural Alabama to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana, many places across the country have been ignored and left behind. As president, John McCain will change that and will ensure that impoverished areas are not only remembered and helped, but are rebuilt to be stronger and prosper.

We need your support today so we can continue to pursue this mission all the way to the White House. John McCain knows that he will be president of all Americans, not just those who voted for him. He wants to hear from all Americans, regardless of their background or where they live.
Your on-going dedication to John McCain is invaluable and we ask for your support again. Your contribution to John McCain's campaign today will give us a better tomorrow. Please click here to make a contribution and then continue reading about this week's travels.

As John McCain has said, "America is only as strong as its people." Our campaign is only as strong as our supporters and we need your help today.

Many thanks,
Rick Davis
Campaign Manager

On Monday, John McCain traveled to Selma, Gee's Bend and Thomasville, Alabama to begin his weeklong It's Time for Action Tour. In Selma, John McCain visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which in 1965 was the scene of a seminal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. He then traveled to Gee's Bend, which has been isolated by a river, economic difficulties and racial tensions over the years. He then journeyed on to Thomasville where he talked about the need for education and its importance to rural development. Click here to learn more about these areas.

Below is an excerpt from John McCain's speech in Selma on Monday:

"There must be no forgotten places in America, whether they have been ignored for long years by the sins of indifference and injustice, or have been left behind as the world grew smaller and more economically interdependent. In America, we have always believed that if the day was a disappointment, we would win tomorrow." Click here to continue reading the speech and watch the video from the first day of the tour.

On Tuesday, John McCain went to Youngstown, Ohio to discuss the economic challenges facing the area and solutions for a brighter future. In Youngstown, John McCain visited Fabart Inc., a heavy metal fabricating facility that shut down after struggling in Chapter 11 status. John McCain then held a Town Hall meeting at Youngstown State University (YSU). His final stop of the day was at Fire Line Inc., a company that works with YSU to develop and place students in advanced manufacturing and technical jobs. Click here to learn more about Youngstown.

Below is an excerpt from John McCain's speech on Tuesday:

"The struggles of this community and others like it matter when we talk about our nation's economy - they are not just a problem, they're a priority. What matters most of all is that you didn't give up." Click here to continue reading the speech.

On Wednesday, John McCain visited Inez, Kentucky to discuss the challenge of poverty in America and how it affects rural communities. In Inez, John McCain participated in a town hall meeting at the Old Martin County Courthouse. This historic community faces many economic challenges, particularly struggling with poverty. During this event, John McCain highlighted a student-mentoring program that encourages students in Eastern Kentucky to finish their education and serve their local communities.

Below is an excerpt from John McCain's speech on Wednesday:

"We all have choices to make in our lives, and you don't expect government to make yours for you. But you have a right to expect that the people you elect to office will help and not hinder your efforts to make a better future for your community and families. You have a right to expect us to show as much concern for helping you create more and better choices to make for yourselves as we show any other community in America or we show the special interests who claim so much of Washington's attention." Click here to continue reading the speech and watch the video from the third day of the tour.

On Thursday, John McCain went to Louisiana to discuss the role of the federal government in preparing, assisting and recovering from calamities such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
In New Orleans, John McCain took a walking tour of the 9th Ward and went to Xavier University, the nation's only predominately black Roman Catholic university. John McCain visited with Xavier President Dr. Norman Francis, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and university dignitaries before holding a town hall meeting. Women of the Storm, a non-partisan alliance of Louisiana women who in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita educated elected officials about the urgent needs of those affected, participated in the town hall.

Below is an excerpt from John McCain's speech on Thursday:

"Katrina and its aftermath were a moment of truth for our federal government, requiring focused action and immediate, effective aid. What we saw instead was the confusion, inefficiency, and poor judgment that trouble many agencies of government every day, when no one's paying close attention. We need to make government far more transparent in its way of doing business ... more accountable for its day-to-day decisions and expenditures ... and in every way more responsive to the people it serves." Click here to continue reading the speech and watch the video from the fourth day of the tour.

Today, John McCain will continue his It's Time for Action Tour in Little Rock, Arkansas. On the fifth day of his tour, he is visiting communities where hope, innovation and local solutions are helping to lift these communities up. John McCain will visit Arkansas Baptist College where he will address a class of college students. Arkansas Baptist College, founded in 1884, is the only black Baptist higher education institution west of the Mississippi River. The college is committed "to the development of graduates who are exceptionally educated, spiritually and culturally aware, and able to meet the demands of our rapidly advancing society." This is a four-year college offering degrees in business administration, human services, criminal justice, public administration and religious studies.

Click here to learn more about the last day of the It's Time for Action Tour.

Latest News
Below are some of the top news articles from this week. For more news articles and press releases, go to www.JohnMcCain.com.

USA Today: Republican Candidate's Economic Plan is Responsible
McClatchy Newspapers: McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government
The Youngstown Vindicator: McCain Makes Three Stops In Youngstown
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: McCain Makes Inroads In Rust Belt
Akron Beacon Journal: McCain Speaks At YSU, Reaches Out To Democrats
Cleveland Plain Dealer: McCain Stumps In Youngstown
USA Today: McCain Promotes Government 'Partnerships'
Times-Picayune (LA): McCain to Visit New Orleans on Thursday
Reuters: McCain Visits "War on Poverty" Kentucky Coal Town
Birmingham News: John McCain Shakes Hands, Touches Hearts in Alabama
Sunday Paper (GA): McCain Praises Rep. John Lewis and Lewis Responds
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In Youngstown, McCain Focuses on Jobs
Cleveland Plain Dealer: McCain Says Ohio Rust Belt Cities Can Come Back
The Montgomery Advertiser: McCain tours Black Belt today
USA Today: McCain Listens During 'Time for Action' Tour in South
Tuscaloosa (AL) News: McCain Brings Campaign to Alabama Today
The Weekly Standard: The Right Stuff