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What the Bloggers are saying about the "Service To America" Tour:
The McCain Kickoff Tour
Jennifer Rubin - 03.28.2008 - 13:47
The McCain team held a media call to kick off what they internally call the “Bio Tour” and what is formally known as “The Service To America Tour.” With stops at McCain Field in Mississippi, McCain’s high school in Alexandria, Virginia, the U.S. Naval Academy and in Florida (where McCain went to naval flight school) the tour, according to Senior Advisor Steve Schmidt, will start the “formal process of introducing Senator McCain to the American people.” Schmidt explained that they will do this through “personal stories” which show how McCain’s life and values were shaped and which McCain hopes to use to “connect his past to the present and to the future.”
Schmidt was asked by Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard about Barack Obama’s association with Tony McPeak and Reverend Wright and what this revealed about Obama’s outlook on Israel. Schmidt began by saying, “Senator McCain just returned from Israel. He is a great friend of Israel.” He then went on to explain that McCain understands the role of Israel in the world’s peace and security and the link between Iraq and Israel, noting that bin Laden had declared that his forces would first defeat the West in Iraq and “then in Israel.” He carefully said, “The American people will make a determination about Barack Obama should he be the nominee.” He did say that McPeak and “others” had made ” a lot of disturbing comments,” but that the focus should be on Obama whose rhetoric is “detached ” from reality and who, Schmidt contends, says he favors a few style of politics but who “day after day makes inaccurate and misleading attacks, many personality based.”
I asked him about Obama’s stated intention to raise income taxes on Americans making $75,000 or more and also raise the capital gains tax. Schmidt responded that after the Bio Tour McCain would devote considerable time to talking about the economy. He then damned Obama with faint praise for being “very articulate and very smooth,” but went on to jab him for contending that taxpayers who make $75,000 are rich. Schmidt said bluntly, ” $75,000 is not rich” and explained that these taxpayers are hardworking people struggling to pay the mortgage and save for college. As for a capital gains tax increase, he said this would have a “disastrous effect on the economy.” He then disputed the conventional wisdom that Democrats would be advantaged in tough economic times, declaring that McCain would win the economic argument and explain how Obama’s tax notions would “literally tank the American economy.”
Bottom line: Schmidt was careful not to count Hillary Clinton out. But from every indication the McCain team seems prepared and itching to take on Obama.
Jennifer Rubin - 03.28.2008 - 13:47
The McCain team held a media call to kick off what they internally call the “Bio Tour” and what is formally known as “The Service To America Tour.” With stops at McCain Field in Mississippi, McCain’s high school in Alexandria, Virginia, the U.S. Naval Academy and in Florida (where McCain went to naval flight school) the tour, according to Senior Advisor Steve Schmidt, will start the “formal process of introducing Senator McCain to the American people.” Schmidt explained that they will do this through “personal stories” which show how McCain’s life and values were shaped and which McCain hopes to use to “connect his past to the present and to the future.”
Schmidt was asked by Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard about Barack Obama’s association with Tony McPeak and Reverend Wright and what this revealed about Obama’s outlook on Israel. Schmidt began by saying, “Senator McCain just returned from Israel. He is a great friend of Israel.” He then went on to explain that McCain understands the role of Israel in the world’s peace and security and the link between Iraq and Israel, noting that bin Laden had declared that his forces would first defeat the West in Iraq and “then in Israel.” He carefully said, “The American people will make a determination about Barack Obama should he be the nominee.” He did say that McPeak and “others” had made ” a lot of disturbing comments,” but that the focus should be on Obama whose rhetoric is “detached ” from reality and who, Schmidt contends, says he favors a few style of politics but who “day after day makes inaccurate and misleading attacks, many personality based.”
I asked him about Obama’s stated intention to raise income taxes on Americans making $75,000 or more and also raise the capital gains tax. Schmidt responded that after the Bio Tour McCain would devote considerable time to talking about the economy. He then damned Obama with faint praise for being “very articulate and very smooth,” but went on to jab him for contending that taxpayers who make $75,000 are rich. Schmidt said bluntly, ” $75,000 is not rich” and explained that these taxpayers are hardworking people struggling to pay the mortgage and save for college. As for a capital gains tax increase, he said this would have a “disastrous effect on the economy.” He then disputed the conventional wisdom that Democrats would be advantaged in tough economic times, declaring that McCain would win the economic argument and explain how Obama’s tax notions would “literally tank the American economy.”
Bottom line: Schmidt was careful not to count Hillary Clinton out. But from every indication the McCain team seems prepared and itching to take on Obama.
More From the McCain Campaign Call
Posted By: Philip Klein
The purpose of the conference call I noted before was to preview McCain's "Service to America" tour, which the campaign is referring to internally as the "bio tour" that will introduce Americans to McCain's life story. It will start at McCain Field in Mississippi, where he will discuss how his ancestors have served in every major conflict in American history, with one of his distant relatives serving under George Washington. Other stops will include an Episcopal school in Alexandria, Virginia, where he will talk about his education and Annapolis, where he will discuss his time at the Naval Academy.
Some other notes:
-- Spokesman Steve Schmitt said the McCain campaign would not be playing up statements by Merrill "Tony" McPeak and Rev. Jeremiah Wright in the general election. Though he found the comments "disturbing," Schmitt said that, "We will be running the race, should he be the nominee, against Barack Obama, not against Barack Obama's advisers." He said the American people would "make a determination" about Obama.
-- Schmitt emphasized on several occasions that it would be a mistake to write off Hillary Clinton from the presidential race. Clearly, the McCain campaign wants to keep the Democratic race going for as long as possible. If the McCain team were smart, it would continue to attack Clinton along with Obama, to keep her as relevant as possible.
-- "When you look at what Barack Obama said yesterday, it should send a chill down the spine of every working American," Schmitt said. "Barack Obama obviously believes the rich in this country are those who make over $75,000 a year."
Posted By: Philip Klein
The purpose of the conference call I noted before was to preview McCain's "Service to America" tour, which the campaign is referring to internally as the "bio tour" that will introduce Americans to McCain's life story. It will start at McCain Field in Mississippi, where he will discuss how his ancestors have served in every major conflict in American history, with one of his distant relatives serving under George Washington. Other stops will include an Episcopal school in Alexandria, Virginia, where he will talk about his education and Annapolis, where he will discuss his time at the Naval Academy.
Some other notes:
-- Spokesman Steve Schmitt said the McCain campaign would not be playing up statements by Merrill "Tony" McPeak and Rev. Jeremiah Wright in the general election. Though he found the comments "disturbing," Schmitt said that, "We will be running the race, should he be the nominee, against Barack Obama, not against Barack Obama's advisers." He said the American people would "make a determination" about Obama.
-- Schmitt emphasized on several occasions that it would be a mistake to write off Hillary Clinton from the presidential race. Clearly, the McCain campaign wants to keep the Democratic race going for as long as possible. If the McCain team were smart, it would continue to attack Clinton along with Obama, to keep her as relevant as possible.
-- "When you look at what Barack Obama said yesterday, it should send a chill down the spine of every working American," Schmitt said. "Barack Obama obviously believes the rich in this country are those who make over $75,000 a year."
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