"In tight Senate votes, McCain not a maverick" by Ronald J. Hansen - The Arizona Republic

May. 7, 2008 12:00 AM

Over the years, Sen. John McCain has publicly condemned Republican Party leaders and occasionally voted against the GOP on selected issues.

But an Arizona Republic analysis of his Senate votes on the most divided issues in the past decade shows that McCain almost never thwarted his party's objectives.

The presumptive Republican nominee arguably cast the decisive vote 14 times since 1999 to ensure Republicans got their way, and he had five other close cases where his vote may have made a difference, Senate records show. By comparison, McCain effectively handed Democrats a win on roll-call votes four times in the same period. On one of those occasions, Republicans could still have won if Vice President Dick Cheney had cast a tie-breaking vote.

The numbers are based on a review of Senate roll-call votes since 1999 that ended in a tie or were settled by one vote. The closest votes in that period included momentous, partisan-charged legislation, such as President Bush's tax cuts. More often, they were procedural votes on deal-breaking amendments to bills that would otherwise pass.

They partly reflect how rarely Senate votes come down to a single person, even though the chamber has been narrowly divided on party lines most of the past decade. But the votes also suggest that when McCain broke from Republicans, others often joined him, keeping the votes from being so close.

And his chronic absence in the Senate has seldom come in the most divided debates, the records show.

"Senator McCain puts the interests of
Arizonans first and supports the principles of the Republican Party," said
Crystal Benton, a spokeswoman for the campaign. "He also has the courage and the
integrity to do what is right."

The voting pattern seems at odds with the popular narrative that McCain's maverick tendencies make him an unreliable conservative.

"He is a conservative who votes
conservative on most issues," said Keith Poole, a political scientist at the
University of California-San Diego. "By no means is he a liberal or even a
moderate."

Poole, who compiles a widely respected analysis of all Senate votes, ranks McCain as slightly less conservative than most Republicans throughout his career and near the far edge of the right while running for president.

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The Conservative Case for McCain By MARK SANFORD

March 15, 2008

Last week, I asked David Walker, the U.S. comptroller general, why he is quitting his job to travel the country on a "fiscal wake-up tour."

His answer: Because we have only five to 10 years to address the federal government's looming shortfalls before we're faced with a fiscal crisis.

In about a decade, the twin forces of demographics and compound interest will leave few options for solving the fiscal mess Washington has created. By then, our options will all be ugly. We could make draconian spending cuts, or impose large tax increases that will undermine our economy in the competitive global marketplace. Or we could debase the value of the dollar by printing a large amount of money. This would shrink the overall value of the federal government's debt. It would also wipe out the value of most Americans' savings.

Mr. Walker is right. And I join many others in saying that federal spending is now as significant an issue as the war on terror, federal judgeships and energy independence. The U.S. stands at a fiscal crossroads -- and the consequences of inaction, or wrongful action, will be real and severe.
Fortunately, the presidential election offers us a real choice in how to address the fiscal mess. To use a football analogy, we're at halftime; and the question for conservatives is whether to get off the bench for the second half of the game.

I sat out the first half, not endorsing a candidate, occupied with my day job and four young boys at home. But I'm now stepping onto the field and going to work to help John McCain. It's important that conservatives do the same.

It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of political perfection, and to assume that if a candidate doesn't agree with you 100% of the time, then he doesn't deserve your support.

In fact, Mr. McCain is a lot closer to 100% than
many conservatives realize. He has never voted for a tax increase in his 25
years in Congress. He holds an 83% lifetime rating from the American
Conservative Union. He is listed as a taxpayer hero by Citizens Against
Government Waste. And he is supported by noted conservatives Phil Gramm, Jack
Kemp and others.

The process of iron sharpening iron is good for the GOP. But now, I believe, the time has passed for focusing on what divides us.

There is a yawning gulf between the viewpoints of Mr. McCain and those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Nowhere is this more evident than on the critical issue of the steady collapse of our government's financial house.

Since 2000, the federal budget has increased 72%, to $3.1 trillion from $1.8 trillion. The national debt is now $9 trillion -- more than the combined GDP of China, Japan and Canada. Add in Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security commitments, and as a nation we are staring at more than a $50 trillion hole -- an invisible mortgage of $450,000 for every American family.

Hope alone won't carry us through the valley of the
shadow of debt. The fact that neither Mrs. Clinton nor Mr. Obama has made
cost-cutting a part of their political vocabulary is a clear indication that
they would increase spending. In fact, Mrs. Clinton has already proven skillful
at snagging pork. Over the past few years alone, she has attached some $2.2
billion in earmarks to federal spending bills. Mr. McCain has asked for exactly
$0 in earmarks.

And while Mr. Obama's oratorical skills have been inspiring, his proposals would entail roughly the same $800 billion in new government spending that Mrs. Clinton proposes. To his credit, Mr. Obama admits that his spending proposals will take more than three clicks of his heels to fund. He would pay for his priorities with a bevy of tax increases which he hopes taxpayers won't notice.

But taxpayers will notice. Mr. Obama plans to raise taxes on capital gains, dividends and corporate profits. He wants to hike estate taxes by 50%. And he wants to eliminate the cap on payroll taxes. These tax hikes would increase the burden borne by individuals and decrease the competitiveness of our economy.

I was elected to Congress in 1994 as part of a Republican Revolution that captured control of both the House and Senate. A number of us tried to apply the brakes to the Washington spending train. We didn't succeed. Six years later, I left Washington convinced that only a chief executive willing to use the presidential bully pulpit could bring spending under control.

Now, in John McCain, the GOP has a standard-bearer who
would be willing to turn the power of the presidency toward controlling federal
spending. Mr. McCain has one of the best spending records in Congress, and has
never shied away from criticizing government pork-barrel
spending.

The contrast between the two opposing teams is stark. It is time for the entire conservative squad to step onto the field. Who will join me in helping our team get the ball and move it down the field?

Mr. Sanford, a Republican, is the governor of South Carolina.

The Right Is Wrong On McCain By Robert McFarlane, Wall Street Journal

February 9, 2008

Article Excerpt

There's an old Groucho Marx riff in which he launches a new career as a stick-up artist -- while worrying that his native cowardice may not induce the requisite fear among his victims. Sure enough, after a little time in a dark alley he springs out to confront his first victim, points his gun to his own head and says, "Take one step closer and I'll kill myself."

Such is the posture today among pundits on the far right of the Republican Party as Sen. John McCain moves closer to receiving his party's nomination.

Consider the destructive implications of their pledge to work against Mr. McCain's nomination and even -- in the event he is nominated -- not to vote in the general election. Start with where it would leave our country -- presumably under the leadership of either Democrat candidate -- in the two domains where we will face critical challenges in the years ahead: our national security and the threat of an economic meltdown.

Notwithstanding the reversal of trends in Iraq of a year ago, we face a long and difficult struggle in the war to turn back the nihilistic crusade being waged by radical Islam. By my reckoning after 25 visits to Pakistan, over a half-million adolescents willing to blow themselves up have "graduated" from more than 1,000 Wahabbist madrassas in that country.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan are on the threshold of sinking into violent chaos as failed states unless new, experienced American leadership can conceive and launch an effective strategy -- and convince allies to join in its execution -- to turn matters around and cut off the Taliban and al Qaeda at their roots. Such a victory is feasible under competent leadership by introducing a classical counterinsurgency strategy.
Concurrent with the conflict on the battlefield, the new administration must tackle the complex task of fostering long-term economic and political stability in these forlorn countries. Here again, such a strategy is complex but not difficult to conceive. Its successful execution is only imaginable, however, in the hands of a knowledgeable, experienced leader -- who enjoys respect among allies -- who will be sorely needed to win this struggle.

Clearly John McCain fits the bill. To choose anyone without the
vital knowledge, experience and leadership skills for this role is to invite
disaster.

The nonmilitary cost and impact of these national security challenges form a natural segue to consideration of major economic challenges we must overcome in the years ahead. Today we are spending more than $300 billion annually to purchase foreign oil. It is well known that some of that money is passed on to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Indeed, it is fair to say that we are funding both sides in this war.

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Bob Novak: McCain Rally Bigger Than Romney!

Monday, January 21, 2008 2:40 PM\

By: Newsmax Staff

John McCain’s victory in the South
Carolina primary was the most significant in his campaign and establishes him
“by any measurement” as the front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential
nomination, says columnist Robert Novak.

Although McCain currently trails Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in the number of delegates won, he leads in the polls in Florida and a triumph there on Jan. 29 could launch him into the Feb. 5 super-primaries with a chance to wipe out his competition, Novak opines.

In Saturday’s South Carolina primary, McCain “came close to refuting the claim” that he can’t win votes from Republicans, said Novak.

He points out that McCain did well in
conservative strongholds, got 25 percent of the evangelical vote despite
Huckabee’s appeal to that sector, and trounced the other candidates among
non-evangelicals.

“The question is whether the Republican establishment’s grudges will persist … to somehow keep from the nomination the candidate that Democrats believe would be the strongest Republican in the general election,” Novak writes in an article that appeared on the Web site realclearpolitics.com.

“The probably answer is no, because it is Republican nature to abhor a Democrat-like free-for-all and to seek an anointed candidate. McCain is far closer to such status than is his principal rival, Mitt Romney…

“Romney was the real threat to McCain here [in
South Carolina], but his massive television buy failed.”

Novak concludes: “Even the GOP elders seem ready to grit their teeth and go along with McCain.”

"Criticism falls short" By Editorial - 'The Arizona Republic'

Jan. 14, 2008 12:00 AM

We must give this much to the assault troops of columnists and talk-show hosts who suddenly, vehemently are attacking Republican presidential candidate John McCain:

Yes, he's imperfect. Congratulations on figuring that out. Of course, the Arizonan would be the first to tell you so. But your superficial analysis of the obvious is spot-on.

McCain is not the perfect conservative.

He is merely the conservative with the
best prospect of winning the general election next fall. Was the conservative
perfect ever so much the enemy of the conservative
good?

To hear the catcalls, fulminations and vituperation cascading from radio speakers, as well as newspaper and Web pages, McCain has not merely cooperated on legislation with Ted Kennedy and Russell Feingold. Oh, no. He has changed his name to Ted Feingold.

If you have read or heard criticism of McCain in the days approaching the important Michigan primary - and it is nearly impossible not to - you have witnessed the litany of McCain's conservative transgressions, repeated ad nauseam. As if we didn't know them by heart, they include:

Cooperating with Sen. Feingold, D-Wis., on campaign-finance reform. Cooperating with Sen. Kennedy, D-Mass., on immigration reform (along with, we might add, conservative icon Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.). Cooperating with seven Democratic senators (as well as, notably, six other Republican ones) in the "Gang of 14,"

which arguably paved the way for the successful
nomination of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel
Alito

There are others. McCain has argued to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay. He argued against (but later became supportive of) the George W. Bush-era tax cuts.

To hear McCain's laundry list of "Crimes Against Conservatism" repeated time and again, one would be excused for believing he is, in fact, not a conservative. Then, explain this:

As the goody bag of billion-dollar pork known as "earmarks" rapidly swelled during the Bush presidency,

the loudest voices against this most
anti-conservative vote-buying practice were McCain and U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake -
the latter a flawlessly conservative Arizona Republican who freely acknowledges
his budget-hawking hero is . . . John McCain.

And explain this:

McCain has been a consistent conservative
advocate regarding the most heartfelt cultural issue of the past two
generations: the debate over Roe vs. Wade and abortion.

Frankly, it is astonishing that a newspaper that disagrees with McCain on this matter should feel compelled to point it out to conservatives.

And this:

McCain has been a consistent advocate of free trade - an issue dear to the heart of free-market conservatives - as well as free-market resolutions to the spiraling cost of health care. McCain's health-care proposals, in fact, are anchored by the ideas of Arizona GOP Rep. John Shadegg, one of the most free-market-friendly members of Congress.

And then, of course, there is McCain's foreign policy, especially his long-standing, steadfast advocacy for a successful strategy in the Iraq war.It candidly takes our breath away to witness "true blue" conservatives actually stooping to attack McCain on this count. But, shamefully, they are.In a recent commentary on National Review Online, contributor Mark R. Levin complains that McCain seems to be taking too much credit for the "surge" of troops in Iraq early last year, and the success that resulted from it.

That is history rewritten for the rabidly anti-McCain crowd. If Levin, or anyone, can point to an elected official who risked more to make three points - send more troops, take the fight to the enemy and dump the man resisting a troop buildup, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - we'd like Levin to point him or her out.

No, John McCain is not a perfect conservative. But let us say this about the effort to blemish his conservative authenticities:

It's perfectly wrong.

"The Surge Worked" - By John McCain and Joe Lieberman, The Wall Street Journal

January 10, 2008

Article Excerpt

It was exactly one year ago tonight, in a televised address to the nation, that President George W. Bush announced his fateful decision to change course in Iraq, and to send five additional U.S. combat brigades there as part of a new counterinsurgency strategy and under the command of a new general, David Petraeus.

At the time of its announcement, the so-called surge was met with deep skepticism by many Americans -- and understandably so.

After years of mismanagement of the war, many people had grave doubts about whether success in Iraq was possible. In Congress, opposition to the surge from antiwar members was swift and severe. They insisted that Iraq was already "lost," and that there was nothing left to do but accept our defeat and retreat.

In fact, they could not have been more wrong. And had we heeded their calls for retreat, Iraq today would be a country in chaos: a failed state in the heart of the Middle East, overrun by al Qaeda and Iran.

Instead, conditions in that country have been utterly transformed from those of a year ago, as a consequence of the surge. Whereas, a year ago, al Qaeda in Iraq was entrenched in Anbar province and Baghdad, now the forces of Islamist extremism are facing their single greatest and most humiliating defeat since the loss of Afghanistan in 2001. Thanks to the surge, the Sunni Arabs who once constituted the insurgency's core of support in Iraq have been empowered to rise up against the suicide bombers and fanatics in their midst -- prompting Osama bin Laden to call them "traitors."

As al Qaeda has been beaten back, violence across the country has dropped dramatically. The number of car bombings, sectarian murders and suicide attacks has been slashed. American casualties have also fallen sharply, decreasing in each of the past four months.
These gains are thrilling but not yet permanent. Political progress has been slow. And although al Qaeda and the other extremists in Iraq have been dealt a critical blow, they will strike back at the Iraqi people and us if we give them the chance, as our generals on the ground continue to warn us.

The question we face, on the first anniversary of the surge, is no longer whether the president's decision a year ago was the right one, or if the counterinsurgency strategy developed by Gen. Petraeus is working. It is.

The question now is where we go from here to sustain the progress we have achieved -- and in particular, how soon can more of our troops come home, based on the success of the surge.
Gen. Petraeus has already announced that five "surge" brigades will be withdrawn by mid-July. The process is now underway. The Pentagon has also announced that it is conducting a series of internal reviews to examine whether and when additional troops can be withdrawn -- with Gen. Petraeus, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Central Command each asked to offer their own analysis. As the president awaits these recommendations, it is important for the rest of us to keep some realities in mind.

First, it is unknown whether the security gains we have achieved with the surge can be sustained -- and deepened -- after we have drawn down to 15 brigades. Until we know with certainty that we can keep al Qaeda on the run with 15 brigades, it would be a mistake to commit ourselves preemptively to a drawdown below that number.
As the surge should have taught us by now, troop numbers matter in Iraq. We should adjust those numbers based on conditions on the ground and the recommendations of our commanders in Iraq -- first and foremost, Gen. Petraeus, who above all others has proven that he knows how to steer this war to a successful outcome.

Every American should feel a debt of gratitude to Gen. Petraeus and the great American troops fighting under him for us. This gratitude is due not simply for the extraordinary progress they have accomplished in Iraq, but for what they have taught us about ourselves.

If the mismanagement of the Iraq war from 2003 to 2006 exposed our government's capacity for incompetence, Gen. Petraeus' leadership this past year, and the conduct of the troops under his command, have reminded us of our capacity for the wisdom, the courage and the leadership that has always rallied our nation to greatness.

As Americans, we have repeatedly done what others said was impossible. Gen. Petraeus and his troops are doing that again in Iraq today.

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Wall Street Journal: McCain's Mojo By Editorial, The Wall Street Journal

January 9, 2008

Article Excerpt

Mr. McCain's victory catapults him back into contention in a GOP race that he once led, only to implode last year. The Arizona Senator can thank New Hampshire voters who knew him well from his primary win there in 2000. But the candidate himself also deserves credit -- for sheer doggedness, and because his determination on Iraq when everyone else was running for cover has now paid off politically.

Three out of four New Hampshire Republicans yesterday said they support the Iraq War, and Mr. McCain got the bulk of them.

On the question of who would be the
better Commander in Chief, the exit polls showed that Mr. McCain beat Mitt
Romney decisively.

The Senator's performance suggests that, at least among Republicans and independents, the war was unpopular mainly because the U.S. seemed to be losing it.

General David Petraeus's "surge" has not only saved Iraq from defeat, it has also helped to rescue the McCain candidacy.

The race now heads to Michigan next week, where independents can also vote and where Mr. McCain prevailed in 2000. Mr. Romney signaled that he'll also fight in a state where his father was once Governor, offering his latest retooled theme that he's the Republican Obama, the best man to "change" Washington.

While making that case this week, however, he also made the same mistake he did in Iowa, assuming that immigration was the kill shot against his opponents. Yet the smooth businessman never seemed natural impersonating Tom Tancredo.

Mr. Romney is now portraying Mr. McCain, a four-term Senator, as an "insider." But this may also be a tough sell considering Mr. McCain's status as an outside insider, someone who has never been part of the Senate club.

Mr. McCain's opportunity -- and challenge -- is to show that he is now the best candidate to unite the anxious and fractious wings of the Republican coalition.

With Rudy Giuliani suspect among cultural conservatives, and Mike Huckabee trashing Wall Street and corporations, Mr. McCain is now the candidate best positioned to appeal to all Republican voters.

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The Guy With the Bus Is on a Roll - By Dana Milbank - The Washington Post

By Dana Milbank

Tuesday, January 8, 2008; Page A01

ABOARD THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS, Jan. 7

For the moment, at least, the John McCain of yore has returned.
The 2008 model Straight Talk Express is a cheap version of the 2000 model, befitting a low-budget operation. But old-time McCainiacs are on board, the Dunkin' Donuts coffee is pouring, and the candidate is in the back of the bus, working his base -- the press corps -- with banter about everything from the Ohio State-LSU game to Eisenhower's 1952 campaign.

As in 2000, McCain is having his last pre-primary rally in Portsmouth, N.H. As in 2000, he's juggling superstitions: He knocks on the table when he hears the number 13, blows in his fist for the number 11 and displays a lucky nickel that replaced his lucky eagle feather from 2000. And, as in 2000, he has a tendency to veer dangerously off message.

The Associated Press reporter on the bus, he jokes, has just returned from the Betty Ford Center, and McCain himself confesses that he "never learned" how to walk away from a casino table.

Asked about the near-bankruptcy of his campaign last summer, he replies: "We actually had lots of money in Swiss bank accounts." Puzzling over "Senator Obama's attraction," he is told that the Democratic front-runner looks good with his shirt off. "I won't even take my sweater off," McCain returns.

As the bus rolls on, Time magazine's Jay Carney reads out a headline from the Drudge Report: "TALK OF HILLARY EXIT."

"I don't believe that," McCain retorts immediately. "My favorite Drudge was when I had the walk-on role in 'Wedding Crashers.' . . . I log on to Drudge: 'MCCAIN STARS IN RAUNCHY BOOBS MOVIE.' So Leno called me up and said, 'I got a great response for you: In Washington, I get to work with boobs every single day.' "

Ladies and gentlemen, John McCain is back. Left for dead when his campaign ran out of cash last summer, he returned to his endless town hall meetings and freewheeling talks on his campaign bus -- and he's risen to the top of the Republican primary polls in New Hampshire, just as he did eight years ago.

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Letter To The Editor: "John McCain has best chance at presidency"

From Today's 'Arizona Republic':

Jan. 7, 2008 12:00 AM

Who will win the presidency? John McCain - hands down!

Americans aren't going to elect Barack Hussein Obama at a time when his name and Indonesian connection sound at odds with our current wars. And we won't elect Hillary Clinton; we're weary of the Bush and Clinton 20-year hold on the presidency. John Edwards may be electable, but he won't get the nomination.

Despite his charisma and qualifications, we aren't going to elect Mitt Romney. Public assertions aside, privately many still won't vote for a Mormon.

Rudy Giuliani did a grand job in New York post-9/11 but lacks the qualifications to be president. Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee is too evangelical for mainstream America.

That leaves our favorite son, Sen.
John McCain. McCain is qualified and respected for his heroic
sacrifices.

He's a little too liberal for some conservatives, and he's a little too conservative for some liberals, but overall he is the most acceptable to the greatest number of people.

Democrats should pray he doesn't get the nomination; Republicans should pray that he does. If he does, he will win. - Patricia Hance,Phoenix

Detroit Free Press: Sen. McCain Would Make Strongest GOP Nominee

By Editorial Board, Detroit Free Press
January 6, 2008


Eight years ago, endorsing U.S. Sen. John McCain in the Michigan Republican presidential primary, the Free Press said he was "an articulate hardliner on how the United States should lead the world" and the best candidate in a GOP field that included George W. Bush. McCain won Michigan, but that proved to be the high-water mark of a campaign that collapsed shortly thereafter, outspent and outmaneuvered by the Bush forces. Eight years later, he is running again, and JOHN McCAIN is, again, the best candidate to carry the GOP banner into the fall.

While the Free Press differs with McCain on a number of issues, the Arizona senator is a smarter, more tested and pragmatic leader who has shown since 2000 that he knows how to build bipartisan alliances around issues. He's a straight shooter, sometimes to his detriment in the political world, where McCain also loses points for persistently championing needed campaign reforms and criticizing pork-barrel spending that benefits special interests. McCain's latest campaign faltered early in this overextended election season. But he has regrouped, and while polls do not show him as the GOP front-runner, they do consistently show that he fares best against any of the leading Democrats.

That has to be a consideration for Republican voters with the party expected to lose more ground in Congress next year. McCain, with his appeal to independent voters, looks at this time like the best bet to keep the White House in GOP hands.

A former Navy pilot and Vietnam War prisoner of war whose
personal ordeal and triumph make him the most inspiring candidate on either
side, McCain is a passionate advocate for national service and volunteerism, and
critical of the Bush administration for failing to rally Americans around their
country after the horrors of 9/11. McCain said his decision to run again for
president was driven by America's need for stronger, more effective leadership
against the threat of radical Islamic terrorists.

Also a vocal critic of the Bush war strategy in Iraq, McCain is alone among the candidates in calling for an increase in U.S. forces there to stop the violence and a long-term American presence to keep the peace. That's not what the American people want to hear, but McCain's assessment of the situation in Iraq appears to be the most realistic of anyone running.

McCain would close the U.S. prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo and move them into the military justice system. He has offered legislation with explicit bans on torture, an issue McCain is uniquely qualified among the candidates to address, and speaks eloquently about the importance of the United States regaining its moral leadership around the world. McCain comes at health care first from a cost-cutting vantage; he is not an advocate for a national single-payer system.

He supports more choice in education and favors federal subsidies to help displaced industrial workers maintain their standard of living while in retraining for new jobs. McCain said he would oppose any federal effort to divert Great Lakes water to growing or dry parts of the country.

As for the rest of the GOP field, Michigan-born former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has morphed into what he seems to believe is the perfect conservative Republican in pursuit of the presidential nomination. He says his positions have changed with knowledge and experience -- or perhaps with a sense of opportunity in this first election since 1952 with neither an incumbent president nor vice president in the field. Certainly Romney has been a capable manager of every challenge he has ever faced, and his Michigan roots might help a state that surely needs more friends in Washington, but who knows what Romney might morph into in the White House?

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has the right ideas on health care -- streamlining the system, tax credits for low-income households, deductions for insurance costs -- but his "fair tax" plan to replace income and payroll taxes with a national sales tax of 23% portends fiscal chaos. The sales tax rate would likely have to be far higher, too, to maintain the government.

Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson is a thinking person's conservative, but he flatly fails to inspire at a time when the nation needs some inspiration.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani seems temperamentally ill-suited to the White House.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the former Libertarian presidential candidate, may rock the GOP boat with his Internet-based support but would be a disaster as the standard-bearer for the party.

Although he would be 72 on Inauguration Day and the oldest man ever to take the oath,

John McCain appears vigorous and up to the enormous
challenges facing the next president. He would be a formidable candidate for a
party that needs one, and voters in the Jan. 15 Michigan Republican presidential
primary should say so by casting a ballot for John McCain.

McCain To Begin Advertising in Michigan - By Chris Cillizza - The Washington Post

Buoyed by new poll numbers in New Hampshire that show him at the verge of victory, Sen. John McCain will take to the television airwaves in Michigan on Friday as he seeks to build his own path to the Republican presidential nomination.

McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker confirmed the ad buy when reached by The Fix this afternoon but did not offer details of the media markets in which it will run. (We hear Grand Rapids and Traverse City at the moment.) "We have an early-state strategy and Michigan has always been an important state in our path to victory," she explained.


Michigan's Republican primary will be held on Jan. 15, sandwiched between primaries in New Hampshire on Jan. 8 and South Carolina on Jan. 19. McCain senior strategists see Michigan as a potential momentum-builder for his candidacy as it heads to South Carolina where the senator's 2000 bid ended for all intents and purposes.

Remember that Michigan voters -- like their compatriots in New Hampshire -- have already shown their affinity for McCain, having given him a victory over then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the state's 2000 primary. In that race, Bush had the support of the majority of the state's political establishment including then-Gov. John Engler (Mich.). But, as in New Hampshire, McCain attracted a large number of independent voters and just enough Republicans to knock off Bush

Polling in the state of late has shown former Gov. Mitt Romney leading with McCain, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani all in low double digits. Romney is the only candidate who has had any steady course of advertising in Michigan; he also has long ties to the state as he was born there and his father served as its governor.

While Romney has real strength in Michigan, if he comes up short in Iowa and New Hampshire, his support could well erode in the days before Michigan votes. If, on the other hand, McCain can win New Hampshire, he would immediately become the focus of the media coverage in the days following the primary. (There's nothing the media likes so much as a comeback story.)
His decision to spend part of his limited resources in Michigan is a sign that McCain and his strategists believe a path to the nomination requires victories in New Hampshire and Michigan followed by a battle with either Romney or Huckabee in South Carolina.

It's a longshot but far more probable today than almost anyone -- The Fix included -- would have believed over the summer when McCain's campaign imploded.

Union Leader: John McCain: A Trusted Leader

By Editorial, The New Hampshire Union Leader

January 2, 2008

Editor's Note: The Dec. 21 endorsement of Sen. John McCain for President by the Boston Herald, Boston's conservative newspaper, is so good we wanted to be sure our readers could see it for themselves. We reprint it here, edited for length, with permission.

THERE ARE times in this nation's history so perilous that they cry out for a steady, experienced leader, a person so trusted that we would put the fate of this country in his hands.

This is one of those times, and Sen. John McCain is that person.

He has a brand of courage that is rare in the public arena these days -- a courage forged in part by those years spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and in part by more than two decades of fighting for what he believes in on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

McCain is a man of unwavering conviction and integrity. His values, his beliefs, his goals are what they were when he first entered public life, what they were in 2000 and what they will be a decade from now.

And those goals include a safe and secure America, a country that is respected around the world for honoring its commitments, for encouraging and respecting the rule of law whether in Baghdad or Guantanamo Bay.

The war in Iraq has, of course, loomed large both in the national consciousness and as a campaign issue. McCain knew that the administration's early military strategy was not enough to get the job done. And he was among the first to sign on to this year's troop surge as devised by Gen. David Petraeus.

"John Edwards used to call it 'the McCain surge.' He doesn't anymore," McCain said. "Al-Qaida isn't defeated in Iraq, but it's on the run."

But John McCain's expertise doesn't begin and end with national security. He is now a firm believer in the power of tax cuts as a driver of the economy. He saw the Bush tax cuts work and vows to make them permanent. He also supports an end to the alternative minimum tax, which has managed to snare far too many middle class families in its unindexed grip.

McCain's name, of course, is also synonymous with immigration reform -- the kind of real reform that will both safeguard our borders and provide a path to citizenship -- NOT amnesty -- for the 12 million illegal aliens who now live among us. The senator freely acknowledges that his support for immigration reform threatened to jettison his presidential candidacy.

"What we miscalculated was the total mistrust in government," McCain told the Herald. "They didn't believe we could secure the borders." But this isn't 1986. The technology has changed. But more than that, it takes commitment. A McCain administration would have that commitment.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who was himself on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2000, took the unprecedented step of endorsing McCain in the upcoming Republican primaries. He did so with these words:

"In this critical election, no one should let party
lines be a barrier to choosing the person we believe is best qualified to lead
our nation forward. The problems that confront us are too great, the threats we
face too real, and the opportunities we have too exciting for us to play
partisan politics with the presidency."

The Boston Herald agrees. And so this newspaper too will break with its decades-old tradition of endorsing candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. In doing so we also address our words particularly to those millions of independent voters here, in New Hampshire and around the nation who can choose to cast their ballot in either party primary.

The choice this year is indeed clear. John McCain should be the next President of the United States and the Boston Herald is proud to endorse his candidacy.

Please click here to read the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Why John McCain?

John McCain is an experienced conservative leader in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. He is a common sense conservative who believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values.

Election 2008: What's at Stake?

America faces a dangerous, relentless enemy in the War against Islamic Extremists - We face an enemy that has repeatedly attacked us and remains committed to killing Americans and the destruction of our values. This election is about who is best prepared to lead and defend our nation and its global allies as Commander-in-Chief from day one. This election is about making sure we have the experienced leadership to guide us to victory in this war, protect the nation against future terrorist attacks, and support our troops and first responders who are on the frontlines of the war. This election will decide whether we choose to fight or announce surrender. It will decide whether we have a president who dangerously weakens U.S. security or strengthens it; whether we will flinch and retreat or fully engage the enemy on multiple fronts. We need decisive leadership with the vision and experience to guide our country and the world through this challenge. Having a courageous Commander-in-Chief who is willing to lead us in this war, rally our democratic allies and defeat our enemy to secure a broader peace is what's at stake in this election.

America is at an Economic Crossroads - Government spending is out-of-control. A Democrat elected President will join hands with a tax-and-spend Democratic Congress and subject Americans to enormous tax increases. Even now, the tax code is too complex and too burdensome. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid - the government's promises to seniors and those in need - must be modernized. Too many American workers are unprepared by non-performing schools and shackled by outdated government employment assistance programs. America needs experienced leadership to guide the U.S. economy to greater prosperity, control government spending, keep taxes low, save Social Security and protect the American worker. Americans want a leader willing to offer straight talk and make the hard calls necessary to ensure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. The long-term strength of our economy and financial stability of American households are what's at stake in this election.

Americans have lost faith and trust in their government - Americans have lost trust that their government and its elected officials will serve the Nation's interest and not their own. Special interests have too much influence in Washington. Americans want a courageous leader who will stand up to the trial lawyers and labor bosses and other special interests, govern by principle rather than political expedience, keep their promises, and solve problems instead of leaving them for our children. Restoring Americans' confidence in their government is what's at stake in this election.

Americans want judges who will strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench - The next president will appoint many federal judges and perhaps even a Supreme Court justice. The recent victory on partial birth abortion is an example of how important the Supreme Court is in protecting our values and interpreting the law as it is written. America needs a president who will provide strong moral leadership. A Democrat president will appoint judges who make law with disregard for the will of the people, but to the cheers of those advancing a liberal social agenda. America needs a leader who recognizes that that the people and states should decide what's best, not the courts. The future of the U.S. Supreme Court is what's at stake in this election.

What are the Bold Solutions?

Winning the War Against Islamic Extremists. Radical Islamic extremists are a relentless threat to America, its citizens, and the values we share. In the words of the al Qaeda leadership, Iraq is the central battleground of this war. We face a fork in the road. John McCain will pursue our opportunity for victory in Iraq, strengthen our hand in the larger war against Islamic extremists, and make our nation more secure. Democrats will fold our tents, embolden our enemies, throw the region into instability, and increase the risks faced on our home soil. To concede defeat now would strengthen al Qaeda, empower Iran and other hostile powers in the Middle East, unleash a full scale civil war in Iraq that could lead to genocide, and destabilize the entire region as neighboring powers come to the aid of their favored factions. John McCain is best prepared to lead and defend our nation and its global allies as Commander-in-Chief from day one. He has the experience and leadership to defeat our enemy and secure a broader peace.

Reforming Health Care for All Americans. Real reform will put families in the driver's seat of our health care system. The road to reform does not lead through Washington and a hugely expensive, bureaucratic, government-controlled system. John McCain will harness competition to offer more affordable insurance options for as many Americans as possible, leveraging the innovation and cost-effectiveness of our nation's firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly bureaucracies. He will build a national market where insurance is more available, portable, and accessible across state lines; in which patients' rights are respected and their information under their control; and one in which people may save more in tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts. He will assist those who need help in getting private insurance.
John McCain will provide incentives for a national market - including the reimportation of pharmaceuticals - that offer greater transparency about effective patient care, options for preventative care and therapies, and prices so that competition makes it easier for families to navigate toward quality and low cost. He will demand reform to medical malpractice laws to curb abusive lawsuits that squeeze doctors, prevent innovation, and drive up the cost of health care. We need more transparency of prices and quality measures so that patients can make informed choices.

Reforming Government. Americans have lost trust that their government and its elected officials will serve the Nation's interest and not their own. Special interests have too much influence in Washington. John McCain will bring spending under control, veto wasteful, pork-barrel spending bills every time, and keep taxes low. He will reform a tax code that is too complex and too burdensome. John McCain will modernize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He will bring accountability, choice and competition to underperforming schools, so our children are equipped to take the best jobs of the 21st century. John McCain is the only leader willing to make the hard calls necessary to restore faith in our government and build a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

John McCain...Courageous Service, Experienced Leadership, Bold Solutions.

"Common sense conservatives believe in a short list of
self-evident truths: love of country; respect for our unique influence on
history; a strong defense and strong alliances based on mutual respect and
mutual responsibility; steadfast opposition to threats to our security and
values that matches resources to ends wisely; and confident, reliable,
consistent leadership to advance human rights, democracy, peace and security."
-Senator John McCain

ENPR: McCain Rising from the Dead?

President 2008

Republican Overview: With the Iowa caucuses in one week and the New Hampshire primary in 12 days, the GOP picture is getting fuzzier, rather than clearer. With former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee under increased scrutiny, and front-running former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney being closely watched for any misstep, lesser candidates are seeing glimpses of hope.

In New Hampshire, a late surge in the polls by Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) shows that the original frontrunner's long-shot strategy is paying off. McCain, as he did in 2000, has written off Iowa, and he is hoping a poor finish in the caucuses won't hurt him in New Hampshire five days later -- especially if Huckabee, and not Romney, wins the caucuses.

A win in New Hampshire could aid McCain in third-in-the-nation Michigan on Jan.
15.

If Romney finishes behind Huckabee in Iowa and behind McCain in New Hampshire, he's seriously wounded and probably finished (with a big win in Michigan a week later his only hope to hang on). He still has the most money and the strongest campaign team, but those two early losses would devastate his strategy of winning big early to get ahead of Giuliani, who still leads (though barely) in national polls.

NOTE: BOB NOVAK IS NO JOHN McCAIN FAN; HE HAS BEEN WRITING NEGATIVE

ARTICLES ON THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN FROM DAY1 - THIS IS HUGE NEWS!!!

"Conservatives Are Coming Home" By Editorial, The New Hampshire Union Leader

December 26, 2007

THERE IS A reason Mitt Romney has not received a single newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire. It's the same reason his poll numbers are dropping. He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he's the conservative he says he is.

Like a lot of people in New Hampshire, we wanted to believe Romney. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. We listened very carefully to his expertly rehearsed sales pitch. But in the end he didn't close the deal for us. Now, two weeks before the primary, the same is happening with voters.

Republicans and right-leaning independents in New Hampshire gave Romney a chance. His events have not been sparsely attended. Nor have they been scarce. He's made more campaign stops here this year than any other Republican, even John McCain.

And after a year of comparing Romney to McCain, of sizing up the two in person and in the media, Granite Staters are turning back to McCain. The former Navy pilot, once written off by the national media establishment, is now in a statistical dead heat with Romney here.
How could that be? Romney has all the advantages: money, organization, geographic proximity, statesman-like hair, etc.

But he lacks something John McCain has in spades: conviction.

Granite Staters want a candidate who will look them in the eye and tell them the truth. John McCain has done that day in and day out, never wavering, never faltering, never pandering.
Mitt Romney has not. He has spoken his lines well, but the people can sense that the words are memorized, not heartfelt.

Last week Romney was reduced to debating what the meaning of "saw" is. It was only the latest in a string of demonstrably false claims -- he'd been a hunter "pretty much" all his life, he'd had the NRA's endorsement, he saw his father march with Martin Luther King Jr. -- that call into question the veracity of his justifications for switching sides on immigration, abortion, taxes and his affection for Ronald Reagan.

In this primary, the more Mitt Romney speaks, the less believable he becomes. That is why Granite Staters who have listened attentively are now returning to John McCain. They might not agree with McCain on everything, as we don't, but like us, they judge him to be a man of integrity and conviction, a man who won't sell them out, who won't break his promises, and who won't lie to get elected.

Voters can see that John McCain is trustworthy. Mitt Romney has spent a year trying to convince Granite Staters that he is as well. It looks like they aren't buying it. And for good reason.

Please click here to read The New Hampshire Union Leader.

McCain closing gap with Romney - By Scott Helman, The Boston Globe

December 23, 2007

Senator John McCain of Arizona, whose bid for the Republican presidential nomination was all but dead this summer, has made a dramatic recovery in the Granite State 2 1/2 weeks before the 2008 vote, pulling within 3 percentage points of front-runner Mitt Romney, a new Boston Globe poll indicates.

McCain, the darling of New Hampshire voters in the 2000 primary, has the support of 25 percent of likely Republican voters, compared with 28 percent for Romney. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has slid into third place, with 14 percent. A Globe poll of New Hampshire voters last month had Romney at 32 percent, Giuliani at 20 percent, and McCain at 17 percent.

The Globe poll also found wide disparities in voter opinion on domestic issues, with Republicans and Democrats expressing starkly different views on the government's role in healthcare and on whether illegal immigration is a problem.

The survey provided fresh evidence of how tight the primary contests have become in New Hampshire and around the country, adding to a growing sense among political analysts, voters, and the campaigns that neither party has a clear front-runner just days before the crush of primaries begins.

The survey of 422 likely Democratic voters and 410 likely Republican voters in New Hampshire, conducted from Dec. 16 to Dec. 20, has a margin of error for each party subsample of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

The races in New Hampshire are still wide open - roughly 40 percent of likely voters in both parties indicated they are still undecided.

But McCain's momentum is striking given that he was essentially written off by the political class and by rivals after weak fund-raising and excessive early spending forced him to completely retool his campaign in July. Since then, his focus on New Hampshire, stumbles by his opponents, and a series of newspaper endorsements have helped him regain traction.

"Republicans talked about the John McCain deathwatch back in the summer," said Andrew E. Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which conducted the Globe poll. "He's back to the John McCain of 2000."

McCain appears to have gained ground without a surge of support from independent voters, who propelled him to a double-digit win over George W. Bush in the 2000 primary and nearly catapulted him to the GOP nomination. McCain earned more support in the Globe poll from registered Republicans than from "undeclared" voters

Latest Rasmussen Poll: New Hampshire: Romney 31% McCain 27%

Election 2008: New Hampshire Republican Primary

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

In many places around the country,
Mitt Romney is facing a challenge from Mike Huckabee. However, in New Hampshire, Huck-a-mania never took hold. But, following endorsements from the Manchester Union Leader, the Boston Globe, and Senator Joe Lieberman, John McCain is now challenging Romney in the state he won eight years ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state shows Romney with 31% support, McCain at 27% and no one else close. Rudy Giuliani attracts 13% and Huckabee barely reaches double digits at 11%. This is the first time any candidate has been within single digits of Romney in several months. It remains to be seen whether this is a temporary bounce or a lasting change.

Before the latest endorsements, it was Romney 33% and McCain 18%. In late-November, Romney led by nineteen points.
Earlier in November he was up by fifteen.

McCain also gained ground in Iowa over the past week. However, starting from a much lower base, he remains a distant third. Rasmussen Reports polling data released today shows that
Huckabee’s support has receded a bit in Iowa so that Romney is once again tied for the lead. Huckabee and Romney are also tied in South Carolina. Huckabee still leads nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

McCain leads among voters over 65 while Romney does better with younger voters. Romney has the lead among Republicans while McCain has a slight edge among Independents who will participate in the Republican Primary. Romney has the edge among conservatives, McCain among moderates.

The results of both the Republican and the Democratic caucuses could have a significant impact on the Republican Primary in New Hampshire. If Hillary Clinton wins in Iowa, many independent voters currently supporting Barack Obama could change their mind and vote in the GOP Primary. At the moment, that looks like it would help McCain. It’s the same model that McCain used to win the state eight years ago.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Romney’s supporters say they are “certain” to vote for him on January 8. That’s little changed from the previous poll. However, 61% of McCain’s supporters say they are certain, an increase from 46%. That increase is especially impressive given the dramatic growth in support for McCain.

The amazingly fluid nature of the Republican race makes it clear there is no frontrunner at this time.

Among New Hampshire’s Likely Republican Primary Voters, National Security Issues are deemed Very Important by 78%. Government ethics and corruption is seen as that important by 68%, immigration and Iraq by 66% each. Fifty-nine percent (59%) say the economy is Very Important in determining how they will vote.

Romney and McCain are each viewed favorably by 78% of Likely Primary voters. For McCain, that positive assessment reflects a remarkable comeback from the summer when he was viewed favorably by just 53% of Likely Republican Primary Voters. At the time, he was also viewed unfavorably by 43%. Now, just 20% offer an unfavorable opinion of the Arizona Senator.

McCain Gaining In New Hampshire By Martha T Moore, USA Today

December 14, 2007

Article Excerpt

MANCHESTER, N.H. - As his Republican rivals lock horns in Iowa, Sen. John McCain seems so little concerned with the state's caucuses that during a debate there Wednesday that he mentioned he opposes ethanol subsidies, the federal payments beloved of Midwestern corn growers.

McCain's make-or-break state is New Hampshire, where he vows he will win the state's first-in-the nation primary Jan. 8. Recently, it has looked a bit more likely he could do it.

"He's had a very good month," says New Hampshire GOP strategist Dan Carney, who is not affiliated with a campaign.

The Union Leader, the state's staunchly conservative and largest newspaper, endorsed McCain on Dec. 2, calling him "the most trustworthy, competent and conservative of all those seeking the nomination."

Last week, McCain campaigned with every candidate's new must-have accessory: a celebrity endorser.

Curt Schilling, pitching star for the world champion Boston Red Sox, drew 300 people to a Manchester school when he appeared with McCain on Dec. 5.

In recent state polls, support for McCain has crept upward.

Though he still trails former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney by double digits, he has moved into second place, either alone or tied with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"He's got a core of support that has stuck with him all the way through," says Fergus Cullen, state GOP chairman, who is neutral in the primary campaign.

New TV ads feature both the newspaper and the ace endorsements.

McCain is being outspent almost 2-to-1 by Giuliani and even more than that by Romney, according to Graniteprof, a blog from University of New Hampshire political scientist Dante Scala. Like McCain, Romney has focused on campaigning in the state: He's spent 28 days there vs. McCain's 37.

McCain's campaign aides say he is gaining momentum. "We're trending upward, and it doesn't matter why," says Mike Dennehy, McCain's national political director, who ran his successful New Hampshire campaign in 2000.

Voters' response to McCain has suddenly become energized, Dennehy says: "It was like a switch was flipped. Now they're coming up to him and saying, 'You've got my vote.' That was the first time I'd seen that all year long."

Cullen calls the Union Leader endorsement "the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for conservatives."

In 2000, McCain's message was focused on government overhauls and asking people to pledge to a cause larger than themselves.

Please click here to read the entire article.

McCain Fares Best Against Dems from CNN

Article Excerpt

WASHINGTON (CNN) - While Republican White House hopeful Mike Huckabee is surging in new surveys evaluating the GOP presidential horserace, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Tuesday suggests he might lose to all three leading Democratic candidates by double digits in a general election match up.

In head-to-head face-offs - the first to include Huckabee - the former Arkansas governor loses to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton by 10 percentage points (54 percent to 44 percent), to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama by 15 percent points (55 percent to 40 percent) and to former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards by 25 percentage points (60 percent to 35 percent).

The poll comes on the heels of a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday showing that Huckabee has doubled his support nationally among likely Republican voters in the last month and now is in a statistical dead heat with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

But according to CNN Polling Director Keating Holland, Huckabee's double-digit deficits with the leading Democrats likely suggests that the Arkansas Republican still lacks widespread name recognition nationally.

"Americans tend not to support candidates they're not familiar with, and it's possible Huckabee's numbers are low in these hypothetical match-ups because he is still not very well-known nationally," Holland said.

The poll also suggests Arizona Sen. John McCain would do best against the leading Democrats. He beats Clinton by 2 percentage points (50 percent to 48 percent), ties Obama (48 percent to 48 percent), and loses to Edwards by a smaller margin (8 percentage points) than the other Republican candidates do.

Please click here to read the entire article.