The Pueblo Chieftain Endorses John McCain

"This is a critical election. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are proven reformers, and they offer the better choice for the nation. That's why we wholeheartedly endorse John McCain and Sarah Palin."-- The Pueblo Chieftain

"The Presidency"
The Pueblo [CO] Chieftain
Editorial
September 21, 2008

Two months ago political pundits of all stripes were conceding this year's presidential election to Democrat Barack Obama. His Republican rival, John McCain, was behind in fundraising and seemed to lack the "buzz" enjoyed by his opponent.

But things have changed, and now it seems that the race is too close to call. It's being called "the most interesting election" or "one of the most interesting elections" people can recall. We'll attribute that hyperbole to our short national attention spans.

What matters most are the real differences between Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain. The differences in policy and in political philosophy are chasmic - so much so that there is a clear choice: Sen. John McCain.

Sen. Obama promises all things to many people - albeit he is short on specifics - and the only way we as a nation could pay for the goodies would be substantially higher taxes. But history has shown that higher taxes are a systemic drag on the economy, while lower tax rates help grow the economy, increasing government revenues in the bargain.

Sen. McCain, on the other hand, has been steady in his call to not only maintain the most recent tax cuts but to further cut the tax burden so many Americans bear. In doing so, he's holding true to the policies of both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan to allow the American economy to flourish.

The differences between the two candidates on national security are stark. Sen. Obama says he opposed going to war in Iraq, although it began before he was elected to the Senate, and he talks about bringing the troops home and spending a so-called peace dividend on domestic social programs.

That begs the question about the war: Are we in it to win or not?

Sen. McCain says we should win the war, and he has been an avowed supporter of the U.S. troop surge which has proved so successful. The war is not won yet, but it's turned diametrically in that direction.

To turn tail and run would give confidence to those who would try to destroy us. Sen. McCain would not do that, for he knows the primary responsibility of the national government is the defense of its citizenry.

One issue that has not received much attention in the national media but should is that of the federal judiciary. Over the past five decades, that judiciary has attempted, unfortunately with some success, to create laws that otherwise could not be passed by the elected representatives of the people.

Sen. Obama says he would nominate more such activist judges - judges who can serve their terms throughout the remainder of their lives. We're talking about the potential to take this country hard to the left, without general consensus of the governed.

Sen. McCain says he would nominate judicial candidates who hew to the concept that Congress makes the laws and the judiciary rules on their constitutionality. After all, that division of powers is what the Constitution says in black and white.

We've had some differences with Sen. McCain, notably the campaign finance "reform" legislation he co-sponsored with Sen. Russ Feingold. That law has led to unintended consequences of spreading campaign cash to organizations that face no accountability.

But at the core, John McCain holds to the conviction that Americans must not be shackled with high taxes, that this country and its personal freedoms are worth defending to the hilt, and that our courts should not be the playgrounds of those of a mind to experiment with their own notions of law and policy.

A few words about the vice presidential nominees. Sen. Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, share in common two of the most liberal, often left-leaning, records in the Senate. They are, to borrow a phrase used by Democrats in previous elections, out of the American mainstream.

Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, brings a fresh voice to the table. Despite the liberal attempts to demean her, she's tough and up to any challenge that might come her way.

This is a critical election. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are proven reformers, and they offer the better choice for the nation. That's why we wholeheartedly endorse John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Read The Editorial
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