September 2, 2008
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I spent the better part of last week attending the Democratic Convention in Denver, watching and listening to history unfold before countless thousands of Americans. While the pageantry and high-soaring rhetoric was not in short supply, I couldn't help but be struck by the idea that Barack Obama's call for change and a "new kind of politics" was starting to ring hollow. To be certain, watching the lead up to "The Speech," I too began to anticipate a new manifesto for America - a modern day Magna Carta. What I heard instead was change that was not quite satisfying.
Mr. Obama is great at talking about change; and the idea that our next president must rise above today's trench-warfare politics to bring real change to our nation's policies is a commendable ideal. But what America needs is a leader who is prepared to make reform a central part of bringing real change not just to Washington, but to the institutions and policies that shape the very nature of our lives. That leader, that quintessential reformer is Sen. John McCain.
While Mr. Obama talks the talk, Mr. McCain has walked the walk. Indeed, Mr. McCain has consistently proven that he has the character, persistence and judgment not only to make a tough decision but to get it right.
The American people expect their president to stand on principle and fight for what is right, especially when it's not in their own political self-interest. Mr. McCain has based his political career on standing on principle, whatever the political consequences. While Mr. Obama
merely describes this new type of politics, Mr. McCain has been doing it for years.
When some Republicans lost their way and forgot why they were sent to Washington in 1994, Mr. McCain crusaded against runaway spending and government waste. When some became locked with special interests, Mr. McCain fought against special interest legislation and exposed the hypocrisy behind earmarks (to this day, Mr. McCain has never requested or received an earmark). When the majority of his own party and Democrats passed the biggest unfunded entitlement expansion (Medicare Part D) in nearly 40 years, Mr. McCain voted against it. When the Arizona senator's own Party sought to pass profligate spending bills with wasteful subsidies, he said no. When things were going wrong in Iraq, he took a stand against the Rumsfeld approach and has been a leader in crafting the very strategy that is working (and winning) in Iraq today. Each time Mr. McCain has taken a stand, the American people knew this leader did so on principle and always in their best interest.
Mr. McCain is one of only a small number of politicians in Washington we can trust to hold the line on spending, recognize the dangers of unbalanced budgets and possess the real know-how to reform
Washington and to get our nation back on a path to economic prosperity. He is the right person at this most important crossroad to bring the reform needed to Washington and to help America overcome the challenges that lie ahead.
In stark contrast, Mr. Obama has often times failed to meet the standard set by his own rhetoric. His promise to adhere to campaign finance limits couldn't withstand the weight of his desire to take the money and run. Moreover, Mr. Obama's call for post-partisan politics and efforts to reach across the aisle has been, well, rather partisan. You don't get awarded the most liberal voting record in the entire Senate by National Journal unless you have followed the Democratic Party line on almost every issue - so much for bipartisan solutions.
Americans want transparency and accountability in our leaders. That starts by those leaders at least adhering to the very principles that presumably guide their decisions and their judgment. Mr. McCain embodies these principles.
Mr. McCain is a stalwart fiscal and social conservative; and an experienced leader that -even when contrary to his own political interest - knows how to advance consensus on tough issues and bring important reforms to Washington. I trust his leadership and judgment to manage the important and often tumultuous relationships with both our allies and those who seek instability in the world. Likewise, I trust him to hold the line on spending, to recognize the dangers of unbalanced budgets and to possess the real know-how to reform Washington of its ways.
As we kick off the GOP Convention this week, the Republican Party has an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to "reform" as a core principal of leadership.
The American people will have the opportunity to hear and to see the stark contrast between the soaring rhetoric of things hoped for and the reality of things achieved. America will see that the days ahead are bright, but work remains to be done; that while the challenges she faces are real, the opportunities for her people are no less real. America will clearly see that Mr. McCain is what America needs.
Michael Steele is Chairman of GOPAC.
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