John McCain on the Financial Rescue Bill

U.S. Senator John McCain today delivered the following statement on the passage of the economic rescue package from Flagstaff, AZ:

"I commend the House of Representatives for coming together to pass the economic rescue bill today. I'm glad I suspended my campaign to go back to Washington to help bring the House Republicans to the table. I believe that the taxpayer protections that have been added have improved the bill.

"This rescue bill is not perfect, and it is an outrage that it's even necessary. But we must stop the damage to our economy done by corrupt and incompetent practices on Wall Street and in Washington.

"The action Congress took today is a tourniquet, not a permanent solution. Our economy is still hurting and further action is needed, and it should not take a crisis to get this Congress to act.

"Washington is still on the wrong track, and we face a stark choice in this election. We can go backwards with job-killing tax hikes, the same old broken partisanship, and out of control spending as Senator Obama would have us do or we can bring real reform to Washington.

"My focus is to reform Washington and put government back on the side of working families with tax relief, modern job training, energy independence, more affordable health care, and policies that get spending under control.

"That's how we're going to get America moving again, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Thank you and again, I commend the House Republicans for acting in the best interest of our nation."

McCain Campaign Conference Call With Former Senator Fred Thompson

"I think that Senator Obama would do well to stop apologizing to the rest of the world for America's attempts to protect itself during a time of war." -- Fred Thompson

Today, former Senator Fred Thompson and McCain 2008 Director of Foreign Policy and National Security Randy Scheunemann held a conference call on Barack Obama's remarks concerning terrorism:

Senator Fred Thompson On Barack Obama And Habeas Corpus Rights

Fred Thompson: "I think that Senator Obama would do well to stop apologizing to the rest of the world for America's attempts to protect itself during a time of war. I think that it's a basic lack of recognition of the fact that we are at war and a lack of appreciation of that fact. He now, apparently from what I read, is saying that instead of approaching this from a military standpoint, we should be approaching from a law enforcement standpoint -- the very policies that were tried during the Clinton administration and by all accounts was a failure. I couldn't believe he was using the Rahman case of '93 bombing, the first bombing of the World Trade Center, and the 'Blind Sheik' case, supposedly as an example. That was the best example of why we can't treat these terrorist cases as ordinary criminal cases and bring them all to the United States of America and go through our court system." ...

"[Barak Obama] would appoint Supreme Court justices who would be activists, who would be determined to make social policy, who would feel that it would be proper to make military policy in matters of national security and foreign policy and so forth. And of course its pointed out by the other four justices that that's exactly what the majority is doing in this case. These are the kind of judges he would appoint, McCain would appoint different kinds of judges." ...

"Shutting down our process is putting everybody in our regular court system, giving them access to classified information, treating them as ordinary criminals, that works to our detriment. That is nothing we would ever have considered or that about doing in any other times of war in the history of this country. So I can only conclude that they do not think this is a real war that qualifies for that, despite the fact that they give lip service to the notion. Therefore they look upon these detainees, who are not abiding by the rules of war, as people who deserve at least the rights of you know, the hardware store owner down on the neighborhood square."

Randy Scheunemann On The Obama Campaign's Contradictory Foreign Policy Statements

Randy Scheunemann: "We saw in the course of the day yesterday the continuing confusion, indecision and weakness on the part of Senator Obama and his spokespersons as to how they would deal with the dangerous threat posed by terrorists.

"For example, Governor Richardson said he disagrees with treating detainees as enemy combatants and treating them differently than defendants in typical criminal cases saying that he wants all of the protections of the criminal systems, not just habeas to be extended to terrorists. The implications of this are breathtaking. Governor Richardson also went on to say 'we have to protect our country from terrorists, but we don't have to be like them', which is a really shocking statement if you think about it because we are not being like them by giving the detainees the right to adjudication that they had prior to the Supreme Court decision. I mean the terrorists behead captives on television. They fly planes into buildings. They recruit teenagers for suicide bombs. They use car bombs to blow up men, women and children, most of who are Muslims. And it is really shocking that a representative of Senator Obama would say somehow we are being like the terro rists.

"Finally, I would like to comment briefly on Obama's point yesterday when he, yet again reaffirmed his support for Osama Bin Laden to have Habeas Corpus rights and he said we should not 'make Osama Bin Laden into a martyr'. Now, the last time I checked the definition of martyr its someone who dies for a cause or is killed for a cause and it seems to be that Senator Obama is ruling out capital punishment for Osama Bin Laden were he to be captured alive under U.S. jurisdiction. And I think that's another reversal of a position he previously stated. Years ago he opposed capital punishment, then he said he supported it. At one point, he indicated he supported capital punishment for Osama Bin Laden, now he expresses concern about making Osama Bin Laden into a martyr. So I think we've seen another series of confused and indecisive and troubling statements from Senator Obama and his spokespersons on how to prosecute this struggle agains t violent, radical Islamic extremists that wish to attack America and American interests again and with that let me turn it over to questions."

Listen To The Full Conference Call.

ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT LAUNCHES NEW TELEVISION AD, "EVERYWHERE"

Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad, "Everywhere." The ad features Governor Romney talking with the American people about the challenges confronting our country and the need to change Washington. With an exceptional record of turning around businesses and institutions, Governor Romney is the one candidate prepared to meet today's challenges. Together, he believes we can grow the economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve our traditional values. With his experience, vision and values, Governor Romney will make Washington work again and build a brighter future for America.

The ad will begin airing today as part of the campaign's rotation in Iowa. Script and viewing links are below.

Script For "Everywhere" (TV:30):
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Everywhere my family and I go we hear that America's challenges are simply too big for Washington politicians.
"I've spent my life tackling big problems – helping turn around business, the Olympics, and state government.
"Together we can grow our economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve the values that make America the hope of the earth.
"It's time to turn around Washington.
"I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message."

To watch "Everywhere," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=728429
AD FACTS: Script For "Everywhere" (TV:30):

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Everywhere my family and I go we hear that America's challenges are simply too big for Washington politicians. I've spent my life tackling big problems – helping turn around business, the Olympics, and state government."

Bloomberg: "Romney's business record is unmatched by the current crop of leading candidates. At Bain & Co., a Boston management- consulting firm, he founded Bain Capital LLC in 1984, which has grown into one of the nation's five largest private-equity firms. Bain currently has $40 billion in assets under management, according to its Web site." (Heidi Pryzbyla, "Romney Finds Classmate Bush's Management Lapses Unlikely Hurdle," Bloomberg, 7/1/07)
Fortune: "He is, after all, the most serious major-party presidential candidate to come out of the business world since ... well, since his father, George Romney, onetime CEO of American Motors, who ran in 1968." (Marcia Vickers, "The Republicans' Mr. Fix-It," Fortune Magazine, 6/27/07)

The Boston Globe's Robert Gavin And Sacha Pfeiffer: "In time, Romney would lead the shaky start-up from a staff of seven people managing $37 million to 115 people managing $4 billion in assets. During Romney's 15-year tenure, Bain Capital would post an astonishing record, on average doubling its return on realized investments every year." (Robert Gavin and Sacha Pfeiffer, "Reaping Profit In Study, Sweat," The Boston Globe, 6/26/07)

The Associated Press: "Romney took over as head of Salt Lake's Olympic organizing committee in February 1999 after it was revealed Salt Lake organizers doled out more than $1 million in cash and gifts to members of the International Olympic Committee to win the 2002 bid. Under Romney's leadership, the Games were lauded as a critical success, a model of post-Sept. 11 security and turned a $100 million profit. Romney, a successful venture capitalist before the Games, wrote a book after titled 'Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership and the Olympic Games.'" (Debbie Hummel, "Utah's 'Adopted Son' Returns To State For Presidential Fundraiser," The Associated Press, 2/21/07)
Portfolio's Matthew Cooper: "When Romney took over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee in 1999, the games were a scandal-plagued fiscal wreck. He made them profitable." (Matthew Cooper, "Please, Not Another M.B.A. President," Portfolio, September 2007)

The Weekly Standard's Terry Eastland: "As governor, Romney has scored another turnaround, conservative in both ends and means. Told during the campaign that he would inherit a deficit of between $500 million and $1.5 billion, Romney discovered upon taking office a $650 million deficit in fiscal 2003 and an anticipated one of $3 billion in fiscal 2004. Romney balanced the 2003 budget, and he finished 2004 with a $700 million surplus. A reviving economy helped, but Romney didn't tax or borrow, and he reduced spending through government consolidation and reform." (Terry Eastland, "In 2008, Will It Be Mormon In America?" The Weekly Standard, 6/6/05)

In Massachusetts, Governor Romney Closed A Nearly $3 Billion Shortfall Without Raising Taxes. "When Mitt Romney became governor of Massachusetts in 2003, the state had a budget gap of almost $3 billion and was losing thousands of jobs a month. In Mr. Romney's four-year tenure, the deficit was eliminated without raising the sales tax or the income tax, and since the labor slump hit bottom in December 2003, the state has gained 81,000 jobs." (Pam Belluck, "Romney Candidacy Puts Massachusetts Economy In Spotlight," The New York Times, 3/16/07)

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Together we can grow our economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve the values that make America the hope of the earth. It's time to turn around Washington. I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message."

To read Governor Romney's plan to strengthen our economy, please see: http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_10.9.07

To read Governor Romney's plan to enforce our immigration laws, please see: http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_12.14.07

To read Governor Romney's pro-family agenda, please see:
http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_Strengthening_Families

National Review: "But [Romney] would be able to offer a persuasive outsider's critique of Washington." (Editorial, "Romney For President," National Review, 12/11/07)

To watch "Everywhere," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=728429