The Orlando Sentinel: McCain Displays “Leadership, Political Courage And Integrity.”

“Mr. McCain has proved himself a leader over decades, in the military and then in Congress. He has a strong grasp of public policy, especially national security and foreign affairs. But he has made a name for himself in his willingness to buck the powers that be in Washington, D.C. — including leaders in his own party and powerful special interests — for such causes as campaign-finance reform and responsible budgeting.

In this primary campaign, Mr. McCain has stuck by politically risky positions in favor of immigration reform and mandatory steps to fight global warming. His opposition to federal ethanol subsidies and support for phasing out all farm subsidies probably cost him any chance to win the Iowa caucuses.

Mr. McCain’s rejection of subsidies is rooted in his commitment to free trade, a key issue for Florida. Trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs here and generates billions of dollars in sales for state companies and farmers.

As last week’s presidential debate in Boca Raton showed, Mr. McCain is not the most polished Republican candidate on the stump. That title goes to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But Mr. Romney’s evolution in recent years from a moderate to a conservative better aligned with GOP presidential primary voters raises doubts about his core beliefs and commitment to principle.

Like Mr. Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have executive governing experience that Mr. McCain lacks. But none measures up to Mr. McCain’s level of leadership, political courage and integrity.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed28108jan28,0,4161101,print.story

First Posted at http://blogs4mccain.com/

We’re Not Really Going to Stick The Senator In The Closet Are We?

Yesterday a huge number of volunteers from around the state and the country gathered at the McCain Manchester office for a talk given by a number of campaign officials, and which ended with a visit from Senator McCain. Before the meeting I had been out back helping make a couple signs, and by the time the meeting started the only room left was in the hallway where you could hear, but not really see. Several people gave talks then Senator McCain arrived, discussed the election, thanked everyone, the meeting ended and I headed back to my signs. Several minutes later Senator and Mrs. McCain headed through the back of the office. They were with a few people, and appeared to be looking for something. As they went by one office someone said, ‘It doesn’t have a door, lets go over here,’ and headed for the storage closet. Like a lot of storage closets, it’s packed full of clutter, signs, stickers, pins, paint, etc. As they headed towards the closet, a volunteer who films most of his events said, ‘The closet? We’re not really going to stick the Senator in the closet are we?’ They did. A minute or so later he came out, a fellow who was with him came back over to where a number of us were standing. He was holding a recording device. Apparently Senator McCain had just recorded a message for a family member of his. He said, ‘I feel bad.’ Someone asked why, and he said, ‘We keep asking things of him. Can I take your picture? Can you make a phone call? Can you sign my shoe? Can you stand on one leg? I supposed now’s the time to do it. On January 9th our carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin.’ During this I was talking with a woman who I’ve volunteered with previously and who has known the Senator for years. She handed me her camera and I took a picture of her with Senator and Mrs. McCain. Then she introduced me to the two of them, which was a thrill. The crowd moved on by and I headed back to my signs.

The McCain's - A Family Duty

This Washington Post article details the McCain family history of military service that continues to the day with two of Senator McCain's sons who are currently serving.

Washington Post: A Family Duty

By Michael E. Ruane

About an hour before kickoff, the white-haired man in the crew-neck sweater pulls out his cellphone and calls his son. "Hey, where are you, Jack?" he says. "I'm at the game."

Jack, a 21-year-old Naval Academy midshipman whose formal name is John Sidney McCain IV, has just marched onto the field at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium with hundreds of classmates, wearing dark overcoats and white scarves.

It is the morning of the Army-Navy game, and the midshipman's father, John Sidney McCain III, a senator from Arizona and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, is besieged in the Navy hospitality suite.

People want snapshots. People want autographs. People want to introduce their children. But the person McCain really wants to see is not here. And for a few moments on a sunny Saturday in December, the quest for the White House seems less urgent than the search for Jack.

John McCain's life has always been framed by his legendary Navy forebears -- the father and grandfather who were illustrious admirals; the tough, passionate men whose code and calling McCain was preordained to share. He is a product of almost 80 years of family service, which included his 5 1/2 years of torture and deprivation in North Vietnamese prison camps.

Now, at 71, as he seeks the Republican nomination for the second time, the dutiful Navy son who was tempered in one war has become father to sons who may be tempered in another.

Jack is a junior at the academy -- the fourth John S. McCain to attend the school, and the latest to carry the weight of the family legacy there. A younger son, James, 19, known as Jimmy, is a lance corporal in the Marine Corps and has been serving in Iraq for five months. Their father has been among the most ardent supporters of the struggle in Iraq, despite what it has cost him politically and, more important, what it could cost him personally.

"Sure, I worry about them," McCain says of his sons. "But one thing about kids when they're 19, 20, 21: They know they're bulletproof. They know they're never going to get hurt. No matter what. They're never going to get hurt."

A hint of gravity slips into the last sentence, and McCain pauses. "But I also understand their spirit of adventure," he says. The lure of danger and the desire, perhaps, to be tested.

"I think Jimmy joined the Marine Corps because he loved his country, but also because he wanted to be a Marine," McCain says. "He thought: 'Here's the adventure. Here's the action.' That's how 18-year-olds are."

It's how he was, too. War is "the great test of character," he wrote in his 1999 book, "Faith of My Fathers." His father and grandfather had both passed, and in the end, McCain did, too.

But right now, the kickoff approaches and the Navy hospitality suite is still jammed with military brass. Football legend Roger Staubach is here. Country music star Lee Greenwood is here. Only Jack McCain is still missing.

Finally, tracked down by one of his father's aides, he is spotted maneuvering through the crowd. An amiable young man with his mother's fair coloring and sharp features, he is clad in a white shirt, a black tie and a black service coat with golden anchors on the collar. He is wearing a nameplate that reads "McCain '09," a reference to his graduating class.

Father and son head for a quieter part of the room. McCain again takes out his cellphone and calls his wife, Cindy, who is recuperating from knee surgery back home in Phoenix. She hasn't missed an Army-Navy game in years and is feeling low. McCain puts his son on the phone.

"Hey, Mom," Jack says. "How are you?"

The senator rubs the midshipman's chin and asks whether he has shaved.

"I shaved this morning!" he says with a laugh.

A well-wisher approaches. McCain takes a step back and says what he has been waiting to say all morning: "This is my son Jack."

* * *
One summer when he was a student at the Naval Academy, John McCain went to his parents' home on Capitol Hill and asked his father to describe his experiences in World War II.

McCain was 5 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. His grandfather John Sidney McCain Sr. was a crusty, Popeye-like figure known as "Slew" who rolled his own cigarettes and drank, swore and gambled "at every opportunity," McCain wrote in his book. A pioneer and leader in naval aviation, Slew McCain was on the deck of the USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.

McCain's father, meanwhile, had been a commander of submarines and had stories of his own. But McCain seldom asked him about the war. It was a form of silent protest. He knew he was destined for the Navy and says he was rebelling against the forces that were propelling him there.

"When I was growing up," McCain says, "it was expected I was going to go to the Naval Academy. It was just one of those things. I can remember as a little kid friends of my dad saying, 'Well, what class is he going to be?' "

In high school, McCain mentioned that he might like to go to Princeton. "It was out of the question," he says. His father drove him to the academy for orientation, according to McCain biographer Robert Timberg.

But McCain's tenure at the academy was turbulent. "I was really rebellious," he says. "I mean, really rebellious." He partied, piled up demerits for misconduct, romanced a Brazilian fashion model, almost quit school and wound up graduating fifth from the bottom of his class. "I hated the place," he wrote.

Frank Gamboa, a retired Navy captain who roomed with McCain at the academy for three years, watched him struggle with his father's expectations. "He resisted the weight of the legacy," says Gamboa, who, as the son of Mexican immigrants from a small town in California, couldn't have come from a more different background. At the same time, Gamboa adds, McCain was proud of his family.

His pride finally won out over his resentment, McCain says, as he matured. As a student, he was steeped in naval warfare in history class, and he rubbed shoulders with the aging heroes of World War II who taught and worked at the academy. His father had fought in that war, too, "and I wanted to know what it was like," McCain says.

His father, a diminutive, cigar-smoking man who was also known as Jack, told him about the three submarines he had commanded. He told him about hunting Japanese warships and being hunted by them. He told him about being depth-charged for hours amid the foul air and tension of a cramped submerged sub.

In one battle, his father's boat remained underwater for 18 hours, eluding enemy warships. Almost out of oxygen, it surfaced with its suffocating crew to fight it out, only to find that the Japanese had given up the chase.

His father told the stories in a matter-of-fact manner, which McCain took as a sign of respect. "I had his trust that I would prepare myself for my turn at war," McCain wrote. "I admired him, and wanted badly to be admired by him."

* * *
McCain's test would come as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, when an antiaircraft missile blew the right wing off his jet on Oct. 26, 1967, and he had to eject over Hanoi. His ordeal would last years, break his body and mind, drive him to attempt suicide, make him a national hero, and help ruin his first marriage.

It would also expose his father to an exquisite agony.

McCain's capture generated headlines across the United States. His picture ran on the front page of The Washington Post, with the headline "Held in Hanoi." He was filmed in an enemy hospital, and a copy of the footage was shown to his anguished parents. His father, McCain says, "got down every night and prayed."

A few months into McCain's imprisonment, his father was named the Pentagon's commander in chief for the Pacific, a job that essentially put him in charge of prosecuting the war. His father insisted that his change-of-command ceremony be held aboard the USS Oriskany, the carrier for McCain's squadron.

Throughout McCain's imprisonment, his father never penned him a letter, knowing that the enemy would use it for propaganda. But every Christmas, the elder McCain would fly to Vietnam and visit Marines near the demilitarized zone that then separated North and South Vietnam. At some point, McCain wrote, the admiral would walk off by himself and look out to the north over the frontier. He was searching for his son.

Early in McCain's captivity, the North Vietnamese, well aware of who their prisoner was, offered to release him. He refused, sensing it would shame his father and demoralize his comrades.

In 1972, the admiral was called on to implement B-52 bombing raids on Hanoi, where he knew his son was being held. "B-52s in those days were not exactly totally precision bombing," McCain says. "There was never a doubt in his mind what he would do. But still, you know your kid's there, and you're ordering the bombing of the area."

According to his book, McCain and his fellow POWs rejoiced at the bombings. "Thank you!" the Americans shouted as the ground shook and their guards scrambled for cover.

By then, their ordeal was almost over.

Peace accords ending the war were signed in January 1973, and McCain was released in March. His father, who had already retired and was in failing health, was invited to the welcome-home ceremony in the Philippines. He asked whether the parents of other POWs were invited. Told they were not, he declined.

Father and son were reunited a few weeks later in Jacksonville, Fla. "It was a very touching reunion," McCain says, between the war-weary, old-school admiral and the son he might have killed.

"He had aged," McCain says.

Before his son's release, Jack McCain had asked to stay in his post to see the war to its conclusion, but he was turned down. His father was lost without the Navy. And he believes that despair helped produce the heart attack that killed him in 1981.

On the day of his father's funeral, McCain retired from the Navy. "It was the first time in the 20th century," he wrote, that "the name John McCain was missing from Navy rosters."

* * *
Twelve years later, on May 26, 1993, McCain spoke to the Naval Academy's graduating class, an address that Timberg recounts in his book. McCain had just been elected to a second term in the Senate. Friends from around the country had come to hear his speech at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.

It was a warm, breezy day and a triumphant moment. McCain's father had spoken at the academy's commencement in 1970, while McCain was a POW in Hanoi.

Among those present that day in 1993 were 1,050 academy graduates -- and 6-year-old Jack.

"For much of my life," McCain told the crowd, "the Navy was the only world I knew. It is still the world I know best and love most.

"Here we learned to dread dishonor above all other temptations," he said. He reviewed the achievements of past Navy heroes -- pilots and gunners and submariners -- and then spoke of his own ordeal.

"I have watched men suffer the anguish of imprisonment, defy appalling human cruelty . . . break for a moment, then recover inhuman strength to defy their enemies once more. All these things and more, I have seen," he said. "And so will you. My time is slipping by. Yours is fast approaching. You will know where your duty lies. You will know."

Jack remembers the day vividly, not so much his father's words, but the sight of all the graduates throwing their hats in the air in celebration. Even at 6, he felt a connection to the young officers in their Navy whites.

* * *
John McCain's white hair looks thin and wispy as he jokes with his son before the football game. His voice sounds gravelly as he tells stories and greets friends.

His presidential bid has been battered by money woes and a staff meltdown. It has also been hurt by McCain's stubborn support for the war in Iraq and by his vocal compassion for the plight of illegal immigrants.

"I don't believe I was intended to be president," he says. "I don't even believe I was intended to be a senator. But I do believe I was intended to do some thing, or things, that are a cause greater than my own self-interest."

As he chats in the hospitality suite, his son stands beside him, 50 years his junior.

McCain says he didn't pressure Jack to become a midshipman. "I never brought it up," he says, because "I was pushed very hard, and I was worried about the negative reaction." Still, McCain says, "I'm sure it was obvious to him that I'd be proud if he went."

For Jack, there was no resistance. No struggle with his father's legacy. When it came time to choose a college, he announced that he was applying to only one: the Naval Academy.

"It's a family tradition," says Jack, who thinks he might want to become a pilot like his father. "For most of my life, I've seen what Naval Academy graduates carry. I've seen the way they act, and how people value their opinion. . . . I've always been inspired toward a life of service. I don't believe that there's anything more noble than serving your country in whatever capacity you can."

Recently, he says, while passing through the academy's history department on the third "deck" of Sampson Hall, he spotted a bust of a famous admiral. The face looked familiar. He paused, looked closer and realized who it was: his great-grandfather John Sidney McCain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202425_pf.html

John McCain and the Environment

John McCain has taken the lead on environmental issues with a responsible well thought out approach to global warming. He notes that this is a two pronged issue, one of environmental concern and one that affects national security; as U.S. dependence on foreign oil creates numerous difficulties.

The Great Immigration Freak Out

Immigration is a frustrating issue because in many respects it’s a government created problem. For years border security has been inadequately funded and illegal employment of undocumented workers been ignored. The problem has grown to an extent that one doesn’t have to live in a border state to realize the impact of illegal immigration. Illegal immigration taxes public resources, it creates an underclass of people that work for minimal wages yet are not directly tied to the community and don’t pay taxes. There are a myriad of problems that stem from illegal immigration and unsecured borders. However, instead of a rational well thought out debate about the issue many people’s reaction to this problem has been to freak out. I can’t think of another political issue that has caused such hysteria. Discussions of illegal immigration rarely tackle the issue in a realistic way. Instead media sources like talk radio bate people into hysteria without offering real solutions. People talk about the country being invaded, about the U.S. loosing its sovereignty, and then inflame the issue further with an ever-present racist undertone.

Concrete plans seem to be few and far between. No one likes the idea that illegal immigrants be rewarded for breaking the law, yet rounding up 12 million illegals seems unrealistic. Many want a wall, but ignore the fact that often people simply over-stay their visas. Cracking down on employers that hire illegal immigrants is generally accepted as a good idea, but it’s not being done in a significant way. Little is done about this problem, the anger builds, and serious solutions have been abandoned.

The Republican presidential candidates are a perfect example of how logic is being abandoned for emotion. Tough talk abounds about how the candidates will stop illegal immigration. Yet there are three major problems with this tough talk. First, these campaign trail conversions to hard-core positions on immigration are obnoxious. Representative Tancredo, accurately noted at the last debate that everyone was trying to, ‘Out Tancredo Tancredo’. None of the top tier candidates have taken a hard-nosed position on immigration in the past, and now they’re pandering and fanning the flames of an already highly emotional issue. Most have supported some version of comprehensive immigration reform and only changed their minds when they realized that it wasn’t politically convenient to stick to their guns. The second major problem with the ‘tough on immigration’ stance is that it hasn’t been accompanied with practical solutions. We are twenty years too late for simple solutions. Ironically, the reason the candidates never took a hard-core approach before is that these solutions aren’t workable. It’s not that the candidates are too liberal, or don’t care about American citizens, as some people in the media like to say, it’s simply that this issue is more complicated than ‘build a wall’ or ‘send them home’ style solutions. The third problem with the tough talk style solutions is that they don’t address what is politically possible. These solutions have to pass the House, Senate, and then be signed by the President. That’s not an easy process, and frankly with a Democrat controlled Congress there is zero percent chance of an enforcement only bill being passed. It’s unfortunate that people aren’t looking for real solutions because this is a serious problems that needs to be dealt with, and the more emotional and reactionary people are, the less likely this issue will be addressed in a serious manner.

Also Posted at Purple People Vote

Republican Debate

Having gone to several McCain events I was invited by his camp to attend last week’s Republican debate at UNH. Prior to the debate several candidates had their supporters cheering and carrying signs and shouting back and forth to each other on the college football field. Senator McCain’s supporters, however, were down the street having a beer. Supporters were encouraged to come to a local pub as the Senator planned to make an appearance prior to the debate. Having accidentally parked about as far away from the pub as humanly possible I was a bit late arriving and the place was full. I found a spot in the back off to the side where I could lean against a pool table and watch the video they were playing about the Senator, when I spotted someone familiar. I couldn’t figure how I knew this person. I was pretty sure it wasn’t work related. I was starting to wonder if he was the father of someone I either went to school with or played soccer with when I saw a flash bulb go off. Then I realized the Senator and his entourage had already entered the room. Finally, it dawned on me that it was Senator Lindsey Graham that I was convinced I knew.

At the debate I sat behind a row of guys supporting Ron Paul and the couple in front of them were McCain supporters. I had always thought when watching debates on TV that it was silly how candidate’s supporters applauded when their guy spoke. What I didn’t realize is that the atmosphere of a debate is similar to that of a sporting event where the crowd is excited for their candidate to score so they can cheer him on. The young men in front of me were very nice and very loud. The guys got a kick out of the couple in front of them, as the woman would elbow her husband if he applauded for anyone other than McCain. They asked her about it towards the end of the debate and she explained that he could applaud other candidates just not too loudly. What I have been pleasantly surprised by is that most primary events are very civil and courteous. National politics seem so nasty its nice to see that at least at the local level people still have manners.

It certainly was a good night for Senator McCain as he not only had a strong performance, but other candidates agreed with him and complimented him several times. My first impression was that Senator McCain had the strongest showings and Governor Huckabee did a good job too. Senator McCain showed his depth of knowledge and conviction on Iraq. When I got home and turned on the TV I was glad to see that others thought he was the winner too.

I've Been Tagged

My intent in writing about the New Hampshire Primaries was that, as I normally do, I would stay undecided until time to vote. However, I've been converted. As much as I try to deny it, I have become a supporter of Senator McCain. I’ve gone to a number of primary events, and have resisted wearing any stickers or signing any cards swearing my loyalty to a particular candidate. When I went to the last John McCain town hall meeting a young man asked me if I’d like a McCain sticker. I took the sticker put it on my shirt and thought, ‘Dang, I’ve been tagged.’

The major reason I am a supporter of Senator McCain is his position on Iraq. I’ve seen a number of candidates from both parties, and he’s the only one giving details about the situation on the ground and how U.S. presence is keeping the region from erupting into chaos. While I’m not thrilled about how the U.S. got into Iraq or how the war has been run, the reality is that we’re there, and that withdrawal could have serious long reaching consequences. Senator McCain seems to be the only one addressing this.

His stance against torture is also why I am able to support him. While there were other Republicans that I was interested in, I was extremely disappointed that he was the only Republican to definitively oppose torture. I don’t see how in good conscience I could vote for someone who is ambivalent about torture.