By Sen. John McCain , Duluth News Tribune
October 19, 2008
Article Excerpt:
A little over a month ago, I stood at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and promised Americans I would fight for them as their next president. I asked the thousands in the arena and the millions of our fellow citizens to stand up and fight with me to fix Washington because, as Americans, we do not hide from history — we make history.
Since that night, Duluth and the rest of the nation has borne witness to the most serious economic crisis in our lifetime. We have seen once-sturdy Wall Street institutions vanish; we have seen huge swings in the market, both down and up; and we have seen new federal commitments in the hundreds of billions of dollars. We have seen how suddenly a crisis can unfold and how great the costs can be in jobs, savings, lost opportunities and taxpayer dollars.
What we need to see now is swift and bold action to lead this country in a new direction.
Today we are seeing how, in so many ways, Washington is on the wrong track. We need change, and I know how to deliver it. The status quo is not on the ballot. Change is coming. The question is: in what direction will we go?
As president, I will help to create jobs for Americans in the most
effective way a president can: by cutting taxes, giving small-business owners the tools to create new jobs, and protecting your life savings. I will lead reforms to help families keep their homes, help retirees keep their savings, help college students pay their tuition, help every citizen afford health care, and lead America to reclaim its energy independence.
In tough economic times, higher taxes are the last thing we need as a nation. Barack Obama’s plan will raise taxes on businesses that generate more than half of the income of all small businesses in America. These are the people who added 350,000 jobs at a time when America lost 700,000 jobs. They are the backbone of our economy and will lead us to recovery.
My plan to cut capital gains taxes on investments will make sure those families forced to sell assets during this downturn aren’t penalized. We will also suspend the rules to prevent our seniors from being forced to sell off their IRAs during a weak market. These initiatives will have a real effect on working men and women in Minnesota and Wisconsin who look to pension and retirement plans in the future.
Having visited Minnesota and Wisconsin during this campaign, both Gov. Sarah Palin and I know how important mainstream values and the enjoyment of the outdoors are on both coasts of Lake Superior. When it comes to conservation of the environment, I walk the trail blazed by Teddy Roosevelt. Being a Republican and being a proponent of the environment are not mutually exclusive.
Gov. Palin and I both know what sportsmen mean to conservation efforts. Everyone who spends time in a stand or a blind or in waders knows how much the environment means to us. We enjoy the natural blessings God has given our country, and we know how important it is to share it with our children.
Sen. Obama tells us that the “tradition” of gun ownership is one which must “be respected.” It is obvious to Gov. Palin and me that he just doesn’t get it. A tradition is one thing, a constitutional right is another. Sen. Obama has a record of not supporting the Second Amendment, including support of the D.C. gun ban, which was ruled unconstitutional. A president doesn’t get to pick and choose which parts of the Constitution he gets to enforce, and I view the right to own a gun as sacred as our right to free speech.
I have been upholding my oath to support and defend the Constitution, putting my country first, since I was
17 years old and about to enter the United States Naval Academy. I have had the great fortune of defending her liberty in uniform and defending the rights of her citizens in Congress. I believe my experience will inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their own self-interests.
We cannot afford to 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. We have to stand together and fight. I ask that you stand together with me on Nov. 4, so we can truly change to a new direction — one that puts our country first.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the Republican candidate for president. He wrote this exclusively for the News Tribune.
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