PTC Mayor to Announce for GA State Insurance Commissioner

Rumor has it that Mayor Harold Logsdon, one term Peachtree City Georgia Mayor, is going to announce he'll run for State Insurance Commissioner at tomorrow's Fayette County Republican Breakfast. We'll be there to see if the rumor is true...

Current State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is running for Governor. Senator Seth Harp (Columbus / Muskogee County area) announced a few weeks ago that he would be seeking the Republican nomination for the seat.

The Fayette County Republican Breakfast is held at the International House of Pancakes in Fayetteville. 9 a.m.

Peachtree City Council member Don Haddix is running for Peachtree City Mayor.

Senator Isakson Addressed Seniors' Issues at Town Hall Meeting

Isakson spoke to 200+ seniors at Park Springs in Stone Mountain

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. spoke to a group of more than 200 seniors last week at Park Springs, an award-winning residential community offering a continuum of care for those over the age of 62, in Stone Mountain. The Senator presented a national perspective on a variety of topics from taxes to foreign relations to depedence on foreign oil. Isakson shared his thoughts on the economy, medicare, social security and the estate tax and then opened the discussion for more than one hour of questions from the attendees. Isakson candidly answered the group's questions about environmental and oil issues including offshore drilling and nuclear energy, illegal immigration and forged documentation, education, term limits in Congress and the Senator's opinion about the future of the national government as a republic.

Speaking on the economy, Isakson stated that “a lot of mistakes had been made, but I'm not playing the blame game. We need greater regulation and more transparency, specifically regarding hedge funds. We know what caused the problem and know what to do next. We need to re-establish the markets and build them back up. We're the United States. I have great confidence in the enterprise of our people and the strength of our prosperity.” And regarding the future of the nation as a republic, Isakson predicts a “renaissance of the America that we all love and respect,” noting that Americans are becoming more engaged in both civic and social issues.

At the national level, Isakson shared his support for a healthcare program that would allow those without company provided health insurance to purchase health insurance pre-tax. He reassured the residents at Park Springs that their social security benefits would be fine, but stressed his belief that today's social security funds must be invested and not borrowed upon in order to ensure a social security program for future seniors. Isakson predicted positive changes concerning the estate tax. He also spoke about his focus on foreign policy, speaking specifically about a nuclear armed Iran and North Korea and relations with Africa.

As to local issues, Isakson spoke on the future of small banks in Georgia and shared his thoughts on the F22 Raptor fighter jet program and unemployment in the state.

Park Springs enhances life for active seniors by providing independent residences alongside extensive amenities, on-site wellness and private health care facilities. The 398-home campus-style community is situated on 54 acres surrounded by Stone Mountain Park. A 64-suite health center provides assisted living, skilled nursing and dementia/Alzheimer's care. The campus style community boasts a 50,000 square foot clubhouse serving meals in four themed dining rooms daily and a 12,000 square foot fitness center with an indoor swimming pool. The Seniors Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders named Park Springs a Platinum winner. Park Springs is developed by Isakson-Living and managed by Life Care Services LLC (LCS), a leader in senior living communities. LCS today serves more than 23,000 residents daily in over 80 communities nationwide. For more information on Park Springs, call 770-879-5006, 800-267-7126 or visit www.parkspringscommunities.com.

Isakson Living is Atlanta’s leading developer of residential communities offering a continuum of care for adults ages 55 and older. Isakson Living upholds a personal and professional commitment to empowering members through groundbreaking wellness opportunities, concierge medicine and hands-on involvement in their communities. Isakson Living has won multiple awards for its flagship community, Park Springs in Stone Mountain, Ga., and Peachtree Hills Place in Atlanta, currently in development. For more information on Isakson Living, visit www.isaksonliving.com or call 770-559-4829.

John McCain's Weekly Radio Address

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/downloads/wra_102408.mp3

John McCain's Weekly Radio Address:

Good morning, this is John McCain, speaking to you just days away from the time for choosing.
In a time of economic hardship and uncertainty, for many Americans the choice will turn on whether we raise federal taxes or reduce them. My opponent is committed to a massive new tax burden on our economy, even at the risk of bankrupting small businesses and destroying jobs. I am committed to tax relief for working families and tax incentives for businesses to create jobs.
Senator Obama has been very guarded about his tax plans, and it took a working man to finally pull the truth out of him. As he told Joe the Plumber back in Ohio, he wants to quote "spread the wealth around." To pay for nearly a trillion dollars in new government spending, Senator Obama's tax increase would impact 50 percent of small business income in this country, and the jobs of 16 million middle class Americans who work for those small businesses.

Senator Obama assures us that he has a very clear target of just the top five percent of income earners. And anytime you hear talk of a targeted tax increase, you might want to double-check the skill of the marksman -- the U.S. Congress has been known to fire wildly. Remember the Alternative Minimum Tax? You probably do if you're one of the more than 30 million Americans currently threatened by it. That "targeted tax" was originally aimed at just 155 specific people. Once enacted, taxes have a way of spreading and rising. And that is why, as president, I am going to put a stop to the out of control spending, so we can keep taxes low.

The McCain-Palin tax cut is the real thing. We're going to double the child deduction for every family. We will cut the capital gains tax. And we will cut business taxes to help create jobs, and keep American businesses in America.

What's more, I'm not going to spend $750 billion dollars of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess. I'm going to make sure we take care of the working people who were devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington.
Two weeks ago, I announced a plan to protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him. This will help stem the tide of foreclosures that are hurting families, and it will put a floor under the broken housing market that was at the root of the financial crisis.

While Washington has been bailing out banks, I have been arguing that we need to focus on fixing the underlying problem: foreclosures on bad mortgages and the collapse of our housing market. Without fixing this fundamental problem, our economy will not get back on track. This week, we learned that the number of foreclosures spiked by 71 percent last quarter, and finally Congress and the Administration are putting together a plan to address this problem. Let me say: It's about time.

I have been focusing my priorities on helping those people who have been impacted by this crisis. I have a plan to let retirees and people nearing retirement keep their money in their retirement accounts longer so they can rebuild their savings.

I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home. Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. Keeping taxes low creates jobs, keeps money in your hands and strengthens our economy.

The explosion of government spending over the last eight years has put us deeper in debt to foreign countries that don't have our best interests at heart. It weakened the dollar and made everything you buy more expensive.

I will freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans care, Social Security and health care until we scrub every single government program and get rid of the ones that aren't working for the American people. And I will veto every single pork barrel bill Congresses passes.

As Joe the Plumber and small business owners across the country have now reminded us all, America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by giving our money to the government to "spread the wealth around." In this country, we believe in spreading opportunity, for those who need jobs and those who create them. And that is exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States.

Thanks for listening.

McCain-Palin Campaign Conference Call On Joe Biden's International Crisis Statement

"This is an extraordinary statement by Senator Biden. I don't ever recall a vice-presidential candidate predicting that the election of their candidate for the President of the United States would invite forces in the world to test the mettle of the person elected. It has to mean that Joe Biden continues to harvest serious doubts about whether Barack Obama is prepared to be commander-in-chief as he famously announced a year ago." -- Rudy Giuliani

Today, McCain-Palin 2008 held a press conference call with Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Randy Scheunemann, McCain-Palin Foreign Policy Adviser to discuss Joe Biden's admission that Barack Obama's election will precipitate an international crisis:

Randy Scheunemann: "Senator Biden's comments that he made last night were very revealing. He said quote 'remember I said it standing here. If you don't remember anything else I'd said, watch. We're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.' 'This guy' apparently referring to Senator Obama.

"Senator Biden went on to say that they needed the support of the big donors he was addressing because quote 'it's not apparent that we're going to be right' closed quote in responding to this crisis. This statement is what Michael Kinsley once famously called a gaffe, 'a politician inadvertently speaking the truth.'

"Senator Biden talked about the test that a previous president, President John F. Kennedy, faced and that's an important subject to spend just a minute or two on. What Senator Kennedy did in his first year in office was enter into an ill-prepared summit meeting with the Soviet leader Khrushchev. A summit meeting that he said during the course of the campaign he would not have and his conduct in that meeting led Khrushchev to believe that President Kennedy was weak. He went on some weeks later to begin the construction of what became the Berlin Wall and ultimately led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

"In foreign policy, it is weakness, real or perceived weakness, that is provocative. Weakness invites challenge, invites testing, invites attack. We've seen multiple examples of Senator Obama in the course of this campaign responding to international crises and none of his responses are reassuring. When the surge was first announced for Iraq, Senator Obama said that it would fail, predicted that it would increase violence, voted to cut off funding for our troops, which would have amounted to nothing more than a surrender to Al Qaida and Iranian-backed extremists.

"In the course of this campaign, Senator Obama has said he would meet in his first year in office unconditionally with tyrants from Ahmadinejad in Iran to Chavez in Venezuela to Kim Jung-Il in Korea. Senator Biden even criticized him for that position at the time. Those kinds of unconditional summit meetings, which Senator Obama promised, would undermine our allies, would undermine multilateral diplomacy, and it would undermine American interests.

"More recently, in August of this year when Russia invaded Georgia, Senator Obama called on Georgia to quote 'show restraint.' It took him three days to call for a Russian withdrawal. This kind of erratic behavior sends a signal of weakness and indecision to our allies.

"Senator Obama in the course of this campaign has said that he wants to rip up free trade agreements with our allies and he opposes new ones coming in to force because big labor doesn't like them.

"The next President of the United States will be tested. There are enemies of the United States that are awaiting the results of this election. John McCain has passed every test in his life. He's spent over two decades wearing the uniform of this country. He's spent over two decades traveling the world, learning the issues, getting to know the leaders, and taking very difficult positions. Senator Obama's chief claim to experience is leading in the front lines of community organizing and doing legal work with ACORN. As Joe Biden said, Senator Obama would invite testing and his responses would not be the right ones."

...

Rudy Giuliani: "This is an extraordinary statement by Senator Biden. I don't ever recall a vice-presidential candidate predicting that the election of their candidate for the President of the United States would invite forces in the world to test the mettle of the person elected. It has to mean that Joe Biden continues to harvest serious doubts about whether Barack Obama is prepared to be commander-in-chief as he famously announced a year ago. And also, I would remind Senator Biden that it is not uniformly the case that the mettle of American presidents are tested. No one tested Eisenhower's mettle and no one tested Reagan's mettle.

"Senator McCain has the experience, the background, the predictability as to how he would handle the defense of the United States and the national interest of the United States. And none of us can predict, although Joe Biden apparently thinks he can, what's going to happen. But certainly, Senator McCain would not present that same risk that Joe Biden seems to be worried about. Senator McCain has a long history on all of these issues. Randy pointed out the reaction to Georgia of Senator Obama which was to take several positions, including creating a moral equivalency between Georgia and Russia, talking about going to the Security Council of the United Nations before he realized that Russia has a veto on the United Nations, before he settled on a position on Georgia. You know John McCain settled on a position on Georgia within a short time of finding out about it and didn't have to change it three or four times, and we could go through numerous examples like that.

"So, I don't exactly know what Joe Biden meant by this. I think all of you should question him about it, although Joe Biden is able to say things like this, and no one seems to question him. At least, no one in the media seems to question him. This is an extraordinary statement. He talked about it in very serious language, saying things like: Mark my words, we're going to have to 'gird our loins.' He seems to be predicting some very serious incident that's going to take place, and he also seems to think that the reaction is not going to be the right one because he's going to need everybody's support. It's again, an extraordinary statement.

"I don't know exactly what he has in mind, but I can logically figure out that the risk that he's talking about, America will not run with John McCain who has the experience, the background, and is prepared to be commander-in-chief, and he certainly is not going to invite anyone risking a test of John McCain. If somebody acts, they're going to act, and they're going to have to deal with John McCain's reaction in defense of the United States. But he is certainly not going to invite that kind of an attack the way Joe Biden is talking about here."

Listen To The Conference Call

John McCain's Remarks at Rally in Concord, NC today

It's great to be here in North Carolina. This is a must-win state on November 4th, and early voting is taking place now, so make sure you get out there and make your voice heard. With your help, we're going to win North Carolina, and bring change to Washington, DC.

We had a good debate this week, and I thought I did pretty well, but let's have some straight talk: the real winner this week was Joe the Plumber. Joe won, because he's the only person to get a real answer out of Senator Obama about his plans for our country. Congratulations Joe. That is an impressive achievement.

Now, Joe didn't ask for Senator Obama to come to his house, and he didn't ask to be famous. He certainly didn't ask for the political attacks on him from the Obama campaign. Joe's dream is to own a small business that will create jobs in his community, and the attacks on him are an attack on small businesses all over the country that employ 84% of Americans. We learned more about Senator Obama's plans from Joe's question than we've learned in months of speeches by Senator Obama.

We learned that Senator Obama's economic goal is, as he told Joe, is to quote "spread the wealth around." He believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans. This explains some big problems with my opponent's claim that he will cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans. You might ask: How do you cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans, when more than 40 percent pay no income taxes right now? How do you reduce the number zero?

Well, that's the key to Barack Obama's whole plan: Since you can't reduce taxes on those who pay zero, the government will write them all checks called a tax credit. And the Treasury will have to cover those checks by taxing other people, including a lot of folks just like Joe. In other words, Barack Obama's plan to raise taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway.

The Obama tax increase would come at the worst possible time for America, and especially for small businesses like the one Joe dreams of owning. The small businesses Senator Obama would tax provide 16 million jobs in America. And a sudden tax hike will kill some of those jobs at a time when need to be creating more jobs. I'm not going to let that happen.

America has an alternative to the phony tax cut my opponent started talking about only months ago. The McCain-Palin tax cut is the real thing. We're going to double the child deduction for every family. We will cut the capital gains tax. And we will cut business taxes to help create jobs, and keep American businesses in America.

As Joe has now reminded us all, America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by giving our money to the government to "spread the wealth around." In this country, we believe in spreading opportunity, for those who need jobs and those who create them. And that is exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States.

This is the choice that we face. These are hard times. Our economy is in crisis. Americans are fighting in two wars. We face many enemies in this dangerous world, and many challenges here at home.

The next President won't have time to get used to the office. He will have to act immediately. We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. We have to act immediately. I said it at the last debate: I'm not George Bush; if Senator Obama wants to run against George Bush, he should have run for President 4 years ago. We need a new direction now. We have to fight for it.

I've been fighting for this country since I was seventeen years old, and I have the scars to prove it. If I'm elected President, I will fight to take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last. I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it.

I'm not going to spend $700 billion dollars of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess. I'm going to make sure we take care of the people who were devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington. I'm going to spend a lot of that money to bring relief to you, and I'm not going to wait sixty days to start doing it.

I have a plan to protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him.

I have a plan to let retirees and people nearing retirement keep their money in their retirement accounts longer so they can rebuild their savings.

I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home.

Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. Keeping taxes low creates jobs, keeps money in your hands and strengthens our economy.

The explosion of government spending over the last eight years has put us deeper in debt to foreign countries that don't have our best interests at heart. It weakened the dollar and made everything you buy more expensive.

If I'm elected President, I won't spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money, on top of the $700 billion we just gave the Treasury Secretary, as Senator Obama proposes. Because he can't do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt. I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do.

I will freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans care, Social Security and health care until we scrub every single government program and get rid of the ones that aren't working for the American people. And I will veto every single pork barrel bill Congresses passes.

If I'm elected President, I won't fine small businesses and families with children, as Senator Obama proposes, to force them into a new huge government run health care program, while he keeps the cost of the fine a secret until he hits you with it. I will bring down the skyrocketing cost of health care with competition and choice to lower your premiums, and make it more available to more Americans. I'll make sure you can keep the same health plan if you change jobs or leave a job to stay home.

I will provide every single American family with a $5000 refundable tax credit to help them purchase health care insurance. Workers who already have insurance from their employers will keep it and have more money to cover costs. Workers who don't have health insurance can use it to find policy anywhere in this country to meet their basic needs.

If I'm elected President, I won't raise taxes on small businesses, as Senator Obama proposes, and force them to cut jobs. I will keep small business taxes where they are, help them keep their costs low, and let them spend their earnings to create more jobs.

If I'm elected President, I won't make it harder to sell our goods overseas and kill more jobs as Senator Obama proposes. I will open new markets to goods made in America and make sure our trade is free and fair. And I'll make sure we help workers who've lost a job that won't come back find a new one that won't go away.

The last President to raise taxes and restrict trade in a bad economy as Senator Obama proposes was Herbert Hoover. That didn't turn out too well. They say those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Well, my friends, I know my history lessons, and I sure won't make the mistakes Senator Obama will.

If I'm elected President, we're going to stop sending $700 billion to countries that don't like us very much. I won't argue to delay drilling for more oil and gas and building new nuclear power plants in America, as Senator Obama does.

We will start new drilling now. We will invest in all energy alternatives -- nuclear, wind, solar, and tide. We will encourage the manufacture of hybrid, flex fuel and electric automobiles. We will invest in clean coal technology. We will lower the cost of energy within months, and we will create millions of new jobs.

Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 17 days to go. We're 6 points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, we've got them just where we want them.
What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.

I know you're worried. America is a great country, but we are at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. Will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?
My answer to you is yes. Yes, we will lead. Yes, we will prosper. Yes, we will be safer. Yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country. But we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly, with courage and wisdom.

I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength.

I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will.

I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight. Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight.

Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America.

Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.

Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here.
We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again.

McCain-Palin Statement re: Obama Campaign's Letter to Attorney General Mukasey

Today, McCain-Palin 2008 Spokesman Ben Porritt issued the following statement in response to the Obama campaign's letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey:

"After a week of shifting stories and clumsy corrections regarding Barack Obama's connections to ACORN, the Obama campaign resorted to their now-customary heavy handed tactic of attempting to criminalize political discourse. Today's outrageous letter to Attorney General Mukasey and Special Prosecutor Dannehy at the Justice Department asking for a special prosecutor to investigate Senator McCain and Governor Palin's public statements about ACORN's record of fraudulent voter registrations (including in this week's Presidential debate) is absurd. It is a typical time-worn Washington attempt to criminalize political differences. For someone who promises 'change,' it is certainly only more of the same.

"The letter's request that the Department of Justice investigate 'recent partisan Republican activities throughout the country' is almost a parody of the Obama campaign's attempt to intimidate their political opponents. In case Sen. Obama's lawyer did not notice, we are in the midst of a political campaign, not a coronation, and the alleged criminal activity he calls 'recent partisan Republican activities' are what the rest of us call campaign speeches and debates. All of this is unfortunately reminiscent of the Obama campaign's recent creation of a 'truth squad' of Missouri prosecutors and sheriffs to 'target' people who criticize Sen. Obama. Rest assured that, despite these threats, the McCain-Palin campaign will continue to address the serious issue of voter registration fraud by ACORN and other partisan groups, and compliance by states with the Help America Vote Act's requirement of matching new voter registrations with state data bases to preve nt voter fraud."

Senator McCain's Speech at Ohio Rally Today

I'm happy to be introduced by Governor Sarah Palin from the Great State of Alaska. She is a bit of a maverick herself. She will be my partner in reforming everything that's broken in Washington, and she is a leader who knows what it means to put her country first.

Sarah has a debate this week against my friend and colleague Joe Biden. He is a good man. But his is not the heart of a reformer, and if there's one thing every voter I've met this year agrees on, it's the need for big, tough reforms. We need the kind of reforms that require us to ruffle feathers and take on the entrenched special interests. And that's Governor Palin's specialty! Whether it's taking on big oil, or members of her own party, Governor Palin knows who she works for. She works for you!

Sarah and I have news for the big-spending, smooth-talking, me-first, country-second crowd in Washington and on Wall Street:

Change is coming!

We need reform in Washington and on Wall Street. When the financial crisis threatened the economic security of all Americans, I laid out principles to protect hardworking Americans. I believed that inaction was not an option.

I put my campaign on hold for a couple days last week to fight for a rescue plan that put you and your economic security first. I fought for a plan that protected taxpayers, homeowners, consumers and small business owners.

I went to Washington last week to make sure that the taxpayers of Ohio and across this great country were not left footing the bill for mistakes made on Wall Street and in Washington.
Some people have criticized my decision, but I will never, ever be a president who sits on the sidelines when this country faces a crisis. Some of you may have noticed, but it's not my style to simply "phone it in."

I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. I believe our leaders belong "in the Arena" when our country faces a challenge. I've never been afraid of stepping in to solve problems for the American people, and I'm not going to stop now.

Senator Obama took a very different approach to the crisis our country faced. At first he didn't want to get involved. Then he was "monitoring the situation." That's not leadership, that's watching from the sidelines.

And watching from the sidelines is exactly what got us into this mess. It was the lack of accountability and oversight that put your tax dollars on the line. But it shouldn't be surprising that Senator Obama isn't interested in protecting your tax dollars.

Senator Obama has proposed more than 860 billion dollars in new spending. He was asked in our debate Friday to name a single program he would consider cutting to help our country through this crisis, and he struggled to name a single program!

Senator Obama is a fan of all that spending because he's always cheering for higher taxes or against tax relief. He's voted that way 94 different times.

Two times, on March 14, 2008 and June 4, 2008, in the Democratic budget resolution, he voted to raise taxes on people making just 42,000 dollars per year. He even said at the time that this vote for higher taxes on the middle class was "getting our nation's priorities back on track." Then something amazing happened: on Friday night, he looked the American people in the eye and said it never happened. My friends, we need a President who will always tell the American people the truth.

Senator Obama's record of higher taxes and more spending isn't going to help "95 percent" of Americans, as he likes to say: it's going to hurt 100 percent of us by growing government, slowing growth, and destroying jobs.

Times are tough for our economy, but I am confident America and Americans will emerge stronger than before. I will do my part. My commitment to the American people is this: I will clean up the Wall Street mess, reform Washington, and focus the entire federal government on a pro-growth agenda that creates jobs and gets this country back to work and back on track.

Now, let me give you some straight talk about this election:

In 36 days your vote will determine the next president of this great country we all love. I think the differences between Senator Obama and myself are pretty clear.

A vote for me will guarantee immediate pro growth action: tax cuts for America's hard working families, strong support for small businesses which are the back bone of our economy, and an end to pork barrel spending in Washington.

A vote for Barrack Obama will guarantee higher taxes, fewer jobs and an even bigger federal government. These policies will deepen our recession.

A vote for me will guarantee that the forces that have brought down our economy will be out of business. I will end the corrupt practices on Wall Street and the back room deals in Washington DC. I will hold accountable those responsible for the oversight and protection of consumers, taxpayers and homeowners.

A vote for Barack Obama will leave this country at risk during one of the most severe challenges to America's economy since the Great Depression.

You see, when it comes to growing the economy and protecting you from the corruption of Wall Street and Washington, Senator Obama just doesn't get it.

Americans have had enough of business as usual. Americans have had enough of the cozy relationships between politicians and power brokers. The status quo will end on November 4 with a vote for me and Sarah Palin.

You see, we've made the tough choices that make us unpopular in our own party. We have pushed for difficult reforms that leave special interests on the sidelines and give "the little guy" a seat at the table.

We will never forget who we work for -- we work for you.

So, that's how we see this election: Country First or Obama First, and I have a feeling I know which side you're all on.

When it came to cutting taxes for seniors, for working families, for small businesses -- my opponent did not put the hard working people of this country first.

When it came time to support our troops fighting to protect our freedoms and way of life, my opponent said he'd never deprive them of the funds they needed to fight -- and then he did just that. Barack Obama voted against funding the equipment our troops rely on as they fight to protect us. That is not putting the men and women of our military first.

When it comes time to reach across the aisle and work with members of both parties to get things done for the American people -- my opponent can't name a single occasion in which he fought against his party's leadership to get something done for the country. That is not putting the interests of the country first.

The country is looking for leadership. The country is hungry for change. They want a leader who will stand up to entrenched special interests -- in Washington, and on Wall Street. They deserve a president who knows when to put politics aside and act in the best interest of the nation. The choice is clear. You have my word. I will always put this country first.

MISSOURI STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND IRAQ WAR VETERAN JASON BROWN ENDORSES JOHN MCCAIN

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign announced today that Missouri State Representative Jason Brown has endorsed John McCain for president.

"I had the great honor of first meeting John McCain in Iraq in December 2006," said Representative Brown. "His lifetime of service and dedication to this country's armed forces is an inspiration to me and many of my fellow soldiers. It is of great comfort to those of us who have sacrificed to know that this country has a leader like John McCain. He personally understands the costs of war and recognizes the colossal importance of our mission's success in Iraq. I know him to be the most qualified candidate to lead our country forward, and I am proud to support his candidacy for president."

John McCain thanked Representative Brown, "I am proud to have the support of veterans like Jason, who are proving time and again that this generation of fighting men and women are truly the finest this country has ever seen. I thank Jason for his tremendous sacrifice and service to our nation, and I am grateful for his support."

Representative Brown was wounded during his tour of duty in Iraq while a sitting member of the Missouri House of Representatives. He is a veteran of overseas tours in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq, and has received a Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, and a Bronze Star. He is also a life member of VFW Post 4055. Representative Brown will serve as Vice-Chair for John McCain's Missouri campaign.

Romney: SEN. MCCAIN: "ECONOMICS IS NOT SOMETHING I'VE UNDERSTOOD AS WELL AS I SHOULD."

Says Spending Cuts, Not Income Tax Cuts, Stimulate The Economy

"John McCain is really not interested in this. I mean, when asked about this, he said, 'let's cut spending.' Now, whatever you do, it seems to me, you don't certainly stimulate the economy by cutting spending." – George Will (ABC's "This Week," 1/20/08)

Sen. McCain Doesn't Support An Income Tax Cut To Stimulate The Economy:

Instead Of Cutting Taxes To Stimulate The Economy, Sen. McCain Would Focus On Cutting Spending. SEN. MCCAIN: "My friends, what we need to do, to start with, before we go any further is stop the out-of-control spending." (Fox News' "Fox News Live,"1/19/08)

Sen. McCain: "Spending Is What's Gotten Us Into The Trouble We Are In Today." SEN. MCCAIN: "But we've got to restrain spending. Spending is what's gotten us into the trouble we are in today. … Spending is the reason why our house is in such fiscal disorder." (Sen. John McCain, Press Conference, 1/20/08)

Sen. McCain Does Not Support President Bush's Stimulus Plan. "McCain appeared to be resisting temporary economic relief for individuals, even as President Bush indicated support for a short-term boost and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called explicitly for it. Bernanke urged the government to adopt a plan quickly and make it temporary, and said 'putting money into the hands of households and firms' would be more effective than measures such as making Bush's tax cuts permanent." (Tom Raum, "McCain Proposes Economic Plan With Corporate Tax Break," The Associated Press, 1/17/07)

Sen. McCain Does Not Support Giving Taxpayers A Refund. "McCain adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin suggested the Arizona senator does not favor temporary relief at this time. 'We haven't seen household declines in spending,' he said." (Tom Raum, "McCain Proposes Economic Plan With Corporate Tax Break," The Associated Press, 1/17/07)

Cutting Government Spending Does Not Stimulate The Economy:

Mort Kondracke: "You Don't Stimulate The Economy By Stopping The Out-Of-Control Spending." FOX NEWS' MORT KONDRACKE: "The exit polls indicate that by far the biggest issue was the economy. And finally John McCain got around to talking about it. Although I gotta say, this doesn't strike me as the way to address it. … You don't stimulate the economy by stopping the out-of-control spending." (Fox News' "Fox News Live,"1/19/08)

George Will: "You Don't Certainly Stimulate The Economy By Cutting Spending." ABC's GEORGE WILL: "John McCain is really not interested in this. I mean, when asked about this, he said, 'let's cut spending.' Now, whatever you do, it seems to me, you don't certainly stimulate the economy by cutting spending." (ABC's "This Week," 1/20/08)

View criticism of Sen. McCain's economic position here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhSQ5L_Meqs

Sen. McCain Says He Doesn't Understand Economic Issues:

Sen. McCain: "The Issue Of Economics Is Not Something I've Understood As Well As I Should." "Like Mike Huckabee, who joked recently that he 'may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night,' McCain suggested to reporters Monday that American consumer culture offered a short cut to expertise. 'The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should,' McCain said. 'I've got Greenspan's book.'" (Sasha Issenberg, "McCain: It's About The Economy," The Boston Globe, www.boston.com, Posted 12/18/07)

Sen. McCain: "I Still Need To Be Educated." "On a broader range of economic issues, though, Mr. McCain readily departs from Reaganomics. His philosophy is best described as a work in progress. He is refreshingly blunt when he tells me: 'I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.'" (Stephen Moore, "Reform, Reform, Reform," OpinionJournal.com, 11/26/05)

Hunter Town Hall Meet Draws Over 3,900

The hot topic was immigration as the Republican candidates spared and sparks flew in the ABC News, Facebook Debate. At the same time Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, who was excluded by ABC from the debate, was having forum-townhall meeting at the Radisson hotel in Manchester. He was joined by former Senator Bob Smith, war hero General Chuck Yeager and, through a special telephone hook-up, by more than 3,900 New Hampshire residents. The group discussed the fact that there were only three men in America who have Republican delegates for President, and Hunter being one of them. Hunter, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney won delegates in the Wyoming caucus Saturday. Many were stunned that ABC had not allowed Hunter to participate in the debate.

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen weighed in on the debate when ABC/facebook excluded Hunter from Saturday night’s live broadcast. The network claimed Hunter lacked the support to be included in the broadcast: “Limiting the number of candidates who are invited to participate in debates is not consistent with the tradition of the first-in-the-nation primary. The level playing field requires that all candidates be given an equal opportunity to participate – not just a select few determined by the media prior to any votes being cast.” After unsuccessful attempts to convince Fox and ABC to reconsider, Cullen announced New Hampshire GOP would no longer support the Republican forum scheduled for Sunday on FOX that has also excluded Hunter.

Hunter has been the leader on immigration reform. The townhall audience noted the fact that several other Republican candidates are now “speaking” Hunter’s positions on immigration. Hunter’s position for the last 20 years was quoted, almost verbatim, during the televised debate. Hunter, who built the double fence along the San Diego border is the only candidate that has actually taken action that resulted in securing our southern borders.

Hunter has also been a long-standing supporter of a strong national defense. He is an opponent of NAFTA, and is fighting to bring jobs back to America. He wants a fair trade balance, especially with the Communist Chinese, and he is a lifelong supporter of a Buy-American policy.

Supports are sending request to Fox News Channel to reinstate Hunter in tonight’s debate. Fox can be reached by calling 1-888-369-4762, extension 4, or (212) 301-3000, or emailing at yourcomments@foxnews.com The Fox News Washington, D.C. telephone number is 202-824-6300.

CAMPAIGN MANAGER BETH MYERS ON THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN AND PUSH POLLING ALLEGATIONS

Today, Romney for President Campaign Manager Beth Myers issued the following statement regarding the McCain campaign and push polling allegations:

"The Romney campaign had nothing to do with these alleged push polling calls. It is reckless, irresponsible and egregious for the McCain campaign to even mention the Romney campaign in relation to these calls. If they have any proof, let's see it. If not, Senator McCain should immediately apologize for the actions of his own campaign."

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR JAKE KNOTTS ENDORSES JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that South Carolina State Senator Jake Knotts has endorsed the John McCain for President of the United States.

"As a Vietnam veteran, John McCain is the only one I'd go to war with," said Senator Knotts. "He understands the dangers facing freedom at home and abroad. John McCain's life story can be summed up in one phrase; courageous leadership. I am proud to endorse this proven leader for president."

John McCain thanked Senator Knotts, stating, "Jake Knotts is a distinguished public servant who has served his community and his country in the United States Navy, as a law enforcement officer, as a state legislator, and as a leader in the Republican Party. I look forward to working closely with him over the next few weeks, and I am grateful to have his support."
Senator Knotts was born in West Columbia, SC. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Academy in Quantico, VA. He has represented District 23 in the South Carolina Senate since 2002.

Romney: SEN. MCCAIN: "GIVE THEM NOT ONLY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS BUT… PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW"

Vote Allowed Illegals Who Were Granted Amnesty To Collect Benefits On Work They Did While In This Country Illegally

"The whole thrust of this legislation is to give them not only Social Security benefits but, as importantly, the protections under the law… That is why we are going through this process of letting them earn citizenship." – Sen. John McCain, 2006 (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4745)

To read Sen. McCain's support of retroactive Social Security after amnesty, see the Congressional Record here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2006_record&page=S4745&position=all

In His Own Word, Sen. McCain Arguing For Social Security Benefits For Illegals:

Sen. McCain: "The Whole Thrust Of This Legislation Is To Give Them Not Only Social Security Benefits…"
SEN. MCCAIN: "Mr. President, very briefly, of course, they didn't expect to receive benefits they had to pay into the system because they were here illegally. The whole thrust of this legislation is to give them not only Social Security benefits but, as importantly, the protections under the law, as they now live in the shadows and are exploited and mistreated in many cases. Of course, they didn't expect to. That is why we are going through this process of letting them earn citizenship." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4745)

Sen. McCain: Stated His "Strong Opposition To The Ensign Amendment."
SEN. MCCAIN: "Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the Ensign amendment. Under current law, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Social Security benefits which I think is entirely appropriate. But we all know that millions of undocumented immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for years and sometimes decades while they work to contribute to our economy." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. McCain: Ensign Amendment Would "Undermine The Work" Of Illegal Workers.
SEN. MCCAIN: "The Ensign amendment would undermine the work of these people by preventing lawfully present immigrant workers from claiming Social Security benefits that they earned before they were authorized to work in our country." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. McCain: "If This Amendment Is Enacted, The Nest Egg That These Immigrants Have Worked Hard For Would Be Taken From Them And Their Families." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. McCain: "It Is Fundamentally Unfair" To Disqualify The Taxes Paid By Illegal Immigrants. SEN. MCCAIN: "It pains me to disagree with my good friend from Nevada on this matter, but I believe the amendment is wrong. It is fundamentally unfair to collect taxes from these workers and then disqualify the taxes paid once the workers achieve legal taxes." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. McCain: Immigrants "Should Be Able To Depend" On Social Security Benefits They Accrued While Working Illegally. SEN. MCCAIN: "I believe instead of supporting the amendment, we should stand for the principle that people who worked and paid into the Social Security system for years should be able to depend on their retirement income to which they contributed." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. McCain Argued That It Would Cost The Government More If They Did Not Give Social Security Benefits To Immigrants Who Worked Illegally. SEN. MCCAIN: "What about the fiscal consequences of the amendment? I submit that if Social Security is not available in the future for immigrants, that when they retire or become disabled, then State and local governments and potentially the Federal Government will be forced to absorb significant costs as the Federal Government has refused to provide services and supports paid for by tax dollars of millions of legal immigrants. This amendment would simply continue this trend." (Sen. John McCain, Congressional Record, 5/18/06, p. S4744)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) On WSMN-Nashua's "On The Air With Jennifer Horn"

"John McCain ... is ready to be president on January 20th, 2009, by his experience, by his character and by his integrity." -- Sen. Joe Lieberman
Excerpts From WSMN-Nashua's "On The Air With Jennifer Horn"
January 2, 2008

Sen. Lieberman On McCain's Ability To Serve As President On Day One: "John is really surging, and I think it's because people understand as I do that we've got a lot at stake in this presidential election, as Americans, as people worried about our own families and our future, and I think people are understanding that after all is said and done, after the kind of infatuations with this or that candidate, that John McCain ... is ready to be president on January 20th, 2009, by his experience, by his character and by his integrity."

Sen. Lieberman On McCain's Respect Among Foreign Leaders: "I've traveled around the world with him. He's greatly respected by other world leaders. He has no hesitation. I've been with him with Vladimir Putin and others, when he just right to their face said, you know, you cannot suppress your people's freedom and expect the United States to just go along with it. And he's a hero to a lot of people around the world. And he's got the ability to make the tough judgments in our national interests without blinking and having to you know, consult with a lot of so-called experts. So I just think from everything I've seen of him, nineteen years now we've served together and known each other, this is the right guy."

Sen. Lieberman On McCain's Service: "He will be remembered, I hope as a former president, but regardless as somebody who served his country because he loved his country ... This is inside him. It's for real."

Joe Lieberman On McCain's Ability To Handle International Crisis: "I've been to Pakistan with John. I've seen him with Musharraf, very strong, very demanding, but very supportive trying to draw the best out of Musharraf. I mean, we went together to the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan where a lot of the terrorists are. So I mean, he's been there and he's an adult ... some people can say, well, I've had experience in the private sector or something, and I admire that, but it's not the same as what you're called on to do as Commander in Chief. So this guy is strong, he's steely, he knows what's best for America. You're just not going to shake him off. I mean, no matter what the crisis, he's ready to be Commander in Chief in our national interest."

Listen To The Full Interview: Sen. Joe Lieberman On "On The Air With Jennifer Horn"

ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT LAUNCHES

Today, Romney for President launched its newest web ad, "Full-Spectrum Conservative." The ad highlights Governor Romney's conservative platform to build a stronger America. Unlike Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Governor Romney supports the President's tax cuts, opposes the McCain-Feingold bill that limited free speech and opposes any amnesty immigration plans. As the National Review wrote, Governor Romney is "a full-spectrum conservative." Script and viewing links are below.

Script For "Full-Spectrum Conservative" (WEB:30):

ANNOUNCER 1: "The National Review had it right."
ANNOUNCER 2: "Senator McCain is 'a hero' and a strong supporter of the war in Iraq."
ANNOUNCER 1: "But McCain 'is not as conservative as Romney.'"
ANNOUNCER 2: "He opposed the Bush tax cuts – twice."
ANNOUNCER 1: "His campaign finance law limits free speech."
ANNOUNCER 2: "He pushed a plan to keep illegal immigrants here permanently.
ANNOUNCER 1: "Mitt Romney, 'a full-spectrum conservative.'"
ANNOUNCER 2: "A supporter of 'limited government.'"
ANNOUNCER 1: "'The preservation of marriage.'"
ANNOUNCER 2: "And a 'foreign policy based on the national interest.'"
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message."

To watch "Full-Spectrum Conservative," please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9r6xgw9FFw
AD FACTS For "Full-Spectrum Conservative" (WEB:30):
ANNOUNCER 1: "The National Review had it right."
ANNOUNCER 2: "Senator McCain is 'a hero' and a strong supporter of the war in Iraq."
National Review: "Despite all that and more, he is a hero with a record that is far more good than bad. He has been a strong and farsighted supporter of the Iraq War, and, in a trying political season for him, he has preserved and even enhanced his reputation for dignity and seriousness." (Editorial, "Romney for President," National Review, 12/11/07)
ANNOUNCER 1: "But McCain 'is not as conservative as Romney.'"
ANNOUNCER 2: "He opposed the Bush tax cuts – twice."
ANNOUNCER 1: "His campaign finance law limits free speech."
ANNOUNCER 2: "He pushed a plan to keep illegal immigrants here permanently."
National Review: "John McCain is not as conservative as Romney. He sponsored and still champions a campaign-finance law that impinged on fundamental rights of political speech; he voted against the Bush tax cuts; he supported this year's amnesty bill, although he now says he understands the need to control the border before doing anything else." (Editorial, "Romney for President," National Review, 12/11/07)

ANNOUNCER 1: "Mitt Romney, 'a full-spectrum conservative.'"
ANNOUNCER 2: "A supporter of 'limited government.'"
ANNOUNCER 1: "'The preservation of marriage.'" A
NNOUNCER 2: "And a 'foreign policy based on the national interest.'"
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message."

National Review: "Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest." (Editorial, "Romney for President," National Review, 12/11/07)

To watch "Full-Spectrum Conservative," please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9r6xgw9FFw

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW WEB AD, "EXPERIENCE"

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today launched a new web ad, entitled "Experience," contrasting Governor Mitt Romney and John McCain's experience on the issues of foreign policy and national security. The web ad will appear on targeted news and information websites in key states.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and former CIA Director R. James Woolsey issued the following statement:

"We couldn't disagree more with Governor Romney's recent suggestion that foreign policy experience really doesn't matter when it comes to evaluating who should be our next president and commander in chief. America is at war. Our military forces are engaged in Iraq, in Afghanistan and elsewhere against a determined, vicious enemy. We are facing serious challenges, in a nuclear-armed Pakistan, in Latin America with the rise of Hugo Chavez, and in other corners of the globe. In such dangerous times, John McCain has the necessary experience and judgment to strengthen our national security and lead our nation and allies. He has had extensive contact with foreign leaders and military officials. John McCain has been on the ground in many of the world's hot spots, including several trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, and also the tribal areas of Waziristan. As an ex-Navy pilot and POW, he understands first-hand how political decisions in Washington impact those serving in our Armed Forces. On Iraq, John McCain's experience and judgment served him well. For years, despite public opinion, he called for a surge of forces and a new strategy in Iraq to prevail against our enemies -- a strategy that is now succeeding. In contrast, Governor Romney, with no national security experience, was a follower on Iraq, while John McCain showed strong leadership and vision."

VIEW THE NEW WEB AD HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/tvads/
Script for "Experience" (:30-Web)
ANNCR: "Mitt Romney says the next president doesn't need foreign policy experience."
John McCain for president."
JOHN MCCAIN: "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."

AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008, "EXPERIENCE"

New York Post Today Compares Romney And McCain's Responses To Pakistan CrisisNew York Post Today Mocks Romney's Response To Pakistan Crisis, While Calling McCain "The One Candidate Who Seems To Understand That A Sound Pakistan Policy Requires Something More Than Glib Slogans." "The Pakistani political crisis has presented Americans with a real test of which of the nation's would-be presidents are fit for the Oval Office. Most fail. Certainly, few seemed to appreciate the depth of the crisis. ... Mitt Romney said the 'terrible devastating handiwork' of Benazir Bhutto's assassination demonstrated the continuing threat that terrorism presents. You think? ... That left John McCain as the one candidate who seems to understand that a sound Pakistan policy requires something more than glib slogans." (Editorial, "Candidates & Crisis," New York Post, 1/1/08)

Romney Has Recently Said That The Next President Doesn't Need Foreign Policy ExperienceRomney: "If We Want Somebody Who Has A Lot Of Experience In Foreign Policy, We Can Simply Go To The State Department." "Well, if we want somebody who has a lot of experience in foreign policy, we can simply go to the State Department and pluck out one of the tens of thousands of people who work there. They, of course, have been doing foreign policy all their careers. But that's not how we choose a president. A president is not a foreign policy expert." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 12/29/07)

Romney: "If Foreign Policy Experience Were The Measure For Selecting A President, We'd Just Go To The State Department." CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER: "So foreign policy experience, per se, is not essential, just experience?" ROMNEY: "Well, if -- if foreign policy experience were the measure for selecting a president, we'd just go to the State Department and pick up one of the thousands and thousands of people who've spent their whole life in foreign policy, and frankly, becoming a United States senator does not make one a foreign policy expert, either." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 12/27/07)

Romney: "That's Not What The Nation Needs In A President." "If the answer for leading this country is someone that has a lot of foreign policy experience, we can just go down to the State Department and pick up any one of the tens of thousands of people who've spent all their life in foreign policy ... That's not what the nation needs in a president. The person that is president of the United States, we look to have leadership skills." (Dave Wedge, "Mitt Still Sees Foreign Expertise As Overrated," Boston Herald, 12/28/07)

· Watch Romney Say That The Next President Doesn't Need Foreign Policy ExperienceJohn McCain's "Experience In Foreign Affairs And In Military Issues Is Unmatched In The Field"

Salmon Press (NH): "[McCain's] Military Record Is Truly Heroic -- In Stark Contrast To Those Of His Opponents ... His Experience In Foreign Affairs And In Military Issues Is Unmatched In The Field." "[John McCain's] military record is truly heroic -- in stark contrast to those of his opponents. As a congressman and senator from Arizona he has exhibited the ability to attract both sides of the political aisle. And yet he is a conservative in the best sense of the word: principled, unwilling to cave for political gain and an unbowed enemy of wasteful spending. His experience in foreign affairs and in military issues is unmatched in the field." (Editorial, "New Hampshire's Salmon Press Endorses Sen. John McCain," Salmon Press, 12/13/07)

New Hampshire Union Leader: "McCain Is By Far The Most Informed Candidate On Military And Foreign Affairs." "McCain is by far the most informed candidate on military and foreign affairs. In our interviews with nearly all of the presidential candidates, only McCain offered a comprehensive and detailed strategic vision for maintaining America's position as the world's lone superpower." (Editorial, "Commander In Chief: McCain Is The Best Choice," New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/25/07)

· Union Leader: "Of All The Candidates For President, It Was John McCain And Only John McCain Who Not Only Opposed Donald Rumsfeld's Iraq Strategy From The Start But Offered A Viable Alternative For Winning ..." "Of all the candidates for President, it was John McCain and only John McCain who not only opposed Donald Rumsfeld's Iraq strategy from the start but offered a viable alternative for winning that ill-fated war. When the Democrats cried 'Retreat!' and other Republicans shouted 'Stay the course!' McCain listened to the commanders on the ground. He discerned the path to victory early, and only after the President finally did what McCain had urged for years did the tide begin to turn in our favor. That is the kind of judgment America needs in the oval office." (Editorial, "Commander In Chief: McCain Is The Best Choice," New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/25/07)

· Union Leader: "America Needs A Leader Whose Own Judgment In Matters Of War And Peace Can Be Trusted Implicitly. John McCain Is That Leader." "There is no greater issue in this election than keeping America safe from its enemies. Romney and other Republicans might have similar foreign policy agendas, but none has the proven judgment on foreign affairs that Sen. McCain has. America needs a leader whose own judgment in matters of war and peace can be trusted implicitly. John McCain is that leader." (Editorial, "Commander In Chief: McCain Is The Best Choice," New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/25/07)

Portsmouth Herald: "[McCain] Is A Strong Military Man Prepared From Day One To Defend Our Nation Against Its Enemies. Of All The Republicans Running, He Is By Far The Best Qualified To Lead Our Country." "John McCain has been leading the country from his seat in the U.S. Senate for 20 years. He is a man of integrity and honor who would help the Republicans rid themselves of the stench of Jack Abramoff and other lobbyists and allow the GOP to reclaim its status as the party of fiscal restraint. He is a strong military man prepared from day one to defend our nation against its enemies. Of all the Republicans running, he is by far the best qualified to lead our country." (Editorial, "Vote Sen. McCain In GOP Primary," Portsmouth Herald, 12/16/07)

Romney "Lacks Any Background In The Military Or Foreign Policy,"

Romney "Lacks Any Background In The Military Or Foreign Policy." "[T]he one-term governor lacks any background in the military or foreign policy." (Jonathan Martin, "McCain Hits Romney On Bin Laden Comment," Politico.com, 4/28/07)

Romney's Iraq Position "Has Been A Study In Flexibility"

The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes: "[Romney's] Position On Iraq Has Been A Study In Flexibility ..." (Fred Barnes, "McCain Helps Himself," The Weekly Standard, 9/6/07)In October 2007, Romney Told New Hampshire Union Leader That Iraq Would Not Be "The Big, Dividing Issue" Of 2008 Election And That Hillary Clinton Is "Not Going To Be Demanding A Dramatically Different Course In Iraq Than The Republican Nominee Will." "He predicted that the Iraq war will not be 'the big, dividing issue in 08, believe it or not.' 'Come the fall of 08, for all of Hillary's rhetoric, she's not going to be demanding a dramatically different course in Iraq than the Republican nominee will,' Romney said. He said that by next fall, U.S. troops will 'be playing more of a support role' and 'the gap (between the political parties) will not be as huge.' He said almost all Republican candidates have criticized President George W. Bush's handling of the war, while Clinton, who he assumes will win the Democratic nomination, 'voted to go into Iraq' and should not 'pretend like you were in a different place.' 'I'm not convinced they're going to beat us on this,' he said." (John DiStaso, "Romney: U.S. At Critical Juncture," New Hampshire Union Leader, 10/30/07)

In September 2007, Romney Called The Iraq War "A Mess." "Mitt Romney called the war in Iraq 'a mess' and gave a detailed explanation of how he would end it 'relatively soon' while maintaining stability in the region as he spoke at a town hall meeting in Nashua on Labor Day." ("Romney Shares With Voters His Get-Out-Of-Iraq Strategy," Boston Herald, 9/5/07)

In September 2007, Romney Hedged On Success Of Surge, Saying It's "Apparently Working." ROMNEY: "What I've indicated is very consistent with what the president is speaking about and what we're hearing from Iraq right now, and that is that the surge is apparently working. ... If the surge is working ..." MCCAIN: "Governor, the surge is working. The surge is working, sir." ROMNEY: "That's just what I said." MCCAIN: "It is working. No, not 'apparently'; it's working. It's working because we've got a great general. We've got a good strategy. Anbar province, things have improved." (Fox News Republican Presidential Debate, Durham, NH, 9/5/06)
· The New York Times' Katharine Q. Seeyle: "Mr. Romney Just Demonstrated Why Some Voters View Him As Slick." (Katharine Q. Seeyle, "Live Blogging The G.O.P. Debate," The New York Times' "The Caucus," Blog, 9/5/07

In July 2007, Romney Said "He Is Willing To Change Course In Iraq." "Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said Saturday he is willing to change course in Iraq -- as some Republican senators have now done -- and is keeping an eye on the recent troop surge there." (Susan Spencer-Wendel, "Romney Says He's Flexible On Iraq," Palm Beach Post, 7/8/07)

In June 2007, Romney Said He "Wants The Administration To Publicize The 'Metrics' It Will Be Using To Evaluate Progress In Iraq This Fall ..." "Romney wants the administration to publicize the 'metrics' it will be using to evaluate progress in Iraq this fall, when several reports on the Iraq involvement are due." (Kenneth T. Walsh, "Romney Sticks With Bush Iraq Policy," US News & World Report, 6/28/07)

In April 2007, Romney Endorsed Plan For Secret "Timetables And Milestones" For Iraq Withdrawal. ABC'S ROBIN ROBERTS: "Do you believe there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?" ROMNEY: "Well, there's no question but that the president and Prime Minister Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 4/3/07)

· Romney "Endorsed Setting 'Timetables And Milestones' For Iraq Policy But Keeping Them Private -- An Approach Notably Supported By Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, newly minted winner of the GOP's first-quarter presidential fundraising sweepstakes, on Wednesday endorsed setting 'timetables and milestones' for Iraq policy but keeping them private -- an approach notably supported by Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." (Elana Schor, "Romney Advocates Non-Public Iraq Benchmarks," The Hill, 4/4/07)

· Watch Romney Endorse Private Timetables For Iraq Withdrawal

In April 2007, Romney Said "It's Not Worth Moving Heaven And Earth Spending Billions Of Dollars Just Trying To Catch" Osama Bin Laden. "[Romney] said the country would be safer by only 'a small percentage' and would see 'a very insignificant increase in safety' if al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught because another terrorist would rise to power. 'It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person,' Romney said." (Liz Sidoti, "AP Interview: Romney Says He's Not The Only One Switching Positions, Rivals Do It Too," The Associated Press, 4/26/07)

Romney's Failure to Mention Iraq During January 2007 National Review Summit Speech Called "Bizarre And Just Wrong And Almost Offensive" By Editor Rich Lowry.

"Put aside how rambling and unfocused [the speech] was. Maybe that can be chalked up to a bad night or fatigue. But to speak for 50 minutes or so and not to talk about the Iraq war before a conservative audience at a crucial moment in that war is bizarre and just wrong and almost offensive in my view. This doesn't seem like an oversight. [Romney] went out of his way to check off every conservative box -- except the one that is politically risky at the moment." (Rich Lowry, "The Romney Speech," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 1/29/07)

In Late December 2006, Romney Deferred When Asked About Surge, Saying "I'm Still A Governor." "I'm not going to weigh in. I'm still a governor. I'm not running for national office at this stage. I'm not going to weigh in on specific tactics about whether we should go from 140,000 to 170,000. That's something I expect the President to decide over the next couple of weeks and announce that to the nation. I want to hear what he has to say." (Robert Bluey, "Q&A: Mitt Romney Discusses Iraq War, Reagan's Influence And Gay Marriage," www.humanevents.com, 12/28/06)

Statement from Senator Fred Thompson on the Appointment of Roger Wicker to the United States Senate

McLean, VA - Today, Senator Fred Thompson released the following statement:

"I want to congratulate Senator Wicker on his appointment to the U.S. Senate. Roger is an old friend and I know he'll serve the people of Mississippi well. With Mississippi's two U.S Senators as my campaign co-chairs, I look forward to being successful in Mississippi's primary and sharing the ballot with Senator Wicker in November of 2008."

Romney: "MCCAIN'S UNLIKELY TIES TO K STREET"

"'We tried to get him around to a lot of those kinds of things,' said McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. 'We were very much in the friend-making business.'" (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and John Solomon, "McCain's Unlikely Ties to K Street," The Washington Post, 12/31/07)

The Washington Post"McCain's Unlikely Ties To K Street"
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and John Solomon
December 31, 2007

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took a break from the presidential campaign trail in March to fly to a posh Utah ski resort, where he mingled with hundreds of top corporate executives assembled by J.P. Morgan Chase for its annual leadership conference.

McCain's appearance at the Deer Valley event, arranged by J.P. Morgan Vice Chairman James B. Lee Jr., a top McCain fundraiser, put him in a room with the chief executives of companies such as General Electric, Xerox and Sony. It was, Lee said, "a chance for him to let them see him for who he is and possibly decide to support him." The effort paid off: J.P. Morgan executives have donated $56,250 to McCain's campaign, two-thirds of which came after his Utah appearance. And his visit there was quickly followed up by dozens of smaller private meetings with corporate executives in New York City arranged by leading Wall Street figures.
"We tried to get him around to a lot of those kinds of things," said McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. "We were very much in the friend-making business."

It is common for politicians to court big money during a campaign. But private schmooze sessions such as the gathering in Utah pose a particular dilemma for McCain, who has spent a long career decrying "special interests" and politicians who offer special access to them in order to raise money. As a presidential candidate this year, McCain has found himself assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising. He also counts more than 30 lobbyists among his chief fundraisers, more than any other presidential contender.
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[A] recent study by the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute and the liberal advocacy group Public Citizen found that McCain has more lobbyists raising funds for his presidential bid than do any of his rivals. He has 32 "bundlers" of donations who are lobbyists. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R) is the closest to him with 29 lobbyist bundlers, followed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) with 18.

McCain's campaign has also been guided by lobbyists. Davis, the campaign manager, is a former lobbyist who represented major telecommunications companies. The campaign's senior adviser is Charles R. Black Jr., chairman of BKSH & Associates, which represents drug companies, an oil company, an automaker, a telecommunications company, defense contractors and the steel industry, among others.

Former congressman Tom Loeffler (R-Tex.) was brought in to shore up the campaign's finances and operations. Yet he maintains his day job as chairman of the Loeffler Group, whose clients include oil, auto and telecommunications companies, as well as a tobacco firm and an airline.
Other occasional McCain advisers include lobbyists Timothy P. McKone of AT&T, Robert S. Aiken of Phoenix-based Pinnacle West Capital, John W. Timmons of the Cormac Group and John Green of Ogilvy Government Relations. Also at Ogilvy is a major McCain fundraiser, Wayne L. Berman.

Their firms' clients have been a significant source of contributions to McCain's campaign. Executives for the clients of Ogilvy Government Relations gave at least $271,000 for McCain's presidential bid. Loeffler Group client employees donated $118,500, according to a Washington Post analysis. BKSH clients' executives gave $24,000.
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Beyond his fundraising, McCain's conduct as chairman of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee between 1997 and 2004 has occasionally raised questions about whether he took actions to benefit major contributors to his political network, which included his Senate and presidential campaign committees, his Straight Talk political action committee and a foundation that he helped start called the Reform Institute.

In 2003 and 2004, for example, McCain took two actions favorable to Cablevision, the cable TV company, while Davis, his chief political strategist at the time, solicited the company for a total of $200,000 for the Reform Institute, a tax-exempt group that advocated an end to outsize political donations.

Davis solicited an initial donation from Cablevision chief Charles Dolan a week after Dolan testified before the Senate Commerce Committee in favor of a position backed by McCain. Davis said there was no connection between the testimony and the solicitation.

Less than a year later, McCain wrote to the Federal Communications Commission recommending Cablevision's position on cable pricing, citing Dolan by name. Cablevision followed soon thereafter with a second $100,000 donation, the Associated Press reported. …

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