Albuquerque Journal Endorses John McCain

"He is a known quantity, a member of Congress since 1982 whose positions and record are clear. At a time of partisan, economic and geopolitical turmoil, that inspires confidence and justifies a vote for John McCain." -- Albuquerque Journal

"McCain For President"
Editorial
Albuquerque Journal
November 2, 2008

Weekly town hall meeting-style debates for the last two months, as proposed by Sen. John McCain, would have done much to inform the public about the issues -- and about McCain's long, clear record as a moderate who works across party lines. Sen. Barack Obama, whose record is very thin, shrewdly rejected the joint tour that could have given swing voters a more substantial comparison of the candidates.

The Republican hasn't fared well in the traditional campaign that ensued, though voters caught a glimpse of the real McCain when he firmly told a supporter there was no reason to "fear" his rival, publicly squelching the notion that Obama is anything other than a patriotic American who has run a masterful campaign.

We encourage those who are still uncommitted and those who vote on the basis of a candidate's qualifications instead of party label to give McCain's experience a closer look and to consider the consequences of concentrating too much political and economic power in the hands of one party.
A McCain veto in the White House would provide a check on a Congress likely to take a leftward swing in this election. Where principles are on the line, McCain has a history of standing firm.

He didn't bend to the will of torturers in a North Vietnamese prison, even when doing so could have bought his freedom. He didn't bend to the will of presidents, Republican and Democrat, and drop his opposition to deploying Marines in Beirut in the '80s or sending troops to Somalia in the '90s -- judgments in which he was proved right.

Along with many Democratic senators, McCain in retrospect was wrong on the invasion of Iraq, but he was right from the beginning to stand against the Bush administration's failure to put enough boots and equipment on the ground to do the job right. He was clearly correct to push the administration for the troop surge that has given Iraq a shot at avoiding chaos. A President McCain would not lightly commit U.S. force, but neither would he shy away from addressing threats -- diplomatically or militarily -- before they achieved unmanageable proportions.

He can be depended on to stand firm and moderate a Congress that feels it has been handed carte blanche by this election, but he also would find ways to work with Congress.

He has collaborated not only with centrist Democrats, but has palled around with liberals like Sens. Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold on tough issues like immigration and campaign reform. Few other Republicans or Democrats would similarly risk the ire of their own party.

McCain early on advocated an "all-of-the-above" energy policy -- including nuclear, offshore drilling and cutting CO2 emissions -- instead of swinging around in response to public opinion just before an election.

His tax and economic plans, emphasizing job creation, are better remedies for the nation's ills.
A border state senator, he put his political capital on the line to address immigration issues many in Congress preferred to let fester. He is a champion for Native Americans.

He is a known quantity, a member of Congress since 1982 whose positions and record are clear. At a time of partisan, economic and geopolitical turmoil, that inspires confidence and justifies a vote for John McCain.

Read The Editorial