Michigan For McCain

Obama finally makes it to Michigan to "discuss" our ecnomic issues...

2008-06-17T12:24:00.002-05:00

There is much to say about Obama's most recent trip to Michigan. This is his thrid trip to our state since May after refusing to acknowledge our state for over a year.

Our MIGOP Chair Saul Anuzis sums up Barack's attitude on Michigan fairly well:

"He refused to campaign here during the primary, he insulted our home-grown auto manufacturers, and he called us bitter because we go to church and like to hunt. I don’t know who’s advising Obama, but I am sure those things are not the top-three ways to win Michigan. Someone who can make such flippant comments certainly doesn’t have the experience or leadership to be our next commander in chief."

click here for more:
http://www.migop.org/readarticle.asp?id=6826

In spite of the fact that Obama was greeted like a "rock star" in Michigan, he isn't doing much to redeem his negligence of our state.

I found a good Op-Ed in the Free Press that encompasses the attitude of many Michiganians:

"Obama tries to have it both ways on free trade issue"
BY TOM WALSH • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • June 17, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/COL06/806170389

"If Barack Obama really wants to sell his message of hope to American voters this November, he needs to stop treating us like pathetic victims unable to compete economically with people in Mexico or China."

Michigan McCainiacs: we need to get out there and spread our message, from the candidate who has traveling throughout Michigan holding town halls and talking with Michigan workers, not TO or above us.

Don't be fooled by people who say Obama is committed to Michigan because he is spending time here all of the sudden, now that he realizes how much he needs our state. His tour through Michigan does not make up for the year during which he completely forgot one of the most important parts of the country and economy.

Obama's "economic plan" Not Good For Michigan...

2008-06-16T08:26:00.004-05:00

...or the rest of the country.

Detroit News: Editorial: Obama's economic plan deserves close scrutiny
June 14 2008

http://http//www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080616/OPINION01/806160322

"The senator claims to be a free-trader, but he couches his language on trade in ways designed not to offend voters in industrialized states such as Michigan. He opposes the Central American Free Trade Agreement, a pact that could help America solidify its relationships in a worrisome part of the world, and says he would retool the North American Free Trade Agreement to make it more responsive to American labor concerns."

...

"Obama would also extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to smaller employers and says he will advocate for more personal leave for all workers. Those policies have the potential of moving the United States toward a European work force model, with its negative impact on productivity and economic output."

Check out the new John McCain website!!!

2008-05-20T09:17:00.002-05:00

http://www.johnmccain.com

Check out the new JohnMcCain.com! It's new format is spiffy and has tons of information on the issues as well as latest campaign news. Also be sure to check out the campaign store, there's exciting new items every day!

McCain Erases Obama Lead!

2008-04-10T22:48:00.002-05:00

A new poll (AP-Ipsos) released today shows Senator McCain has cut Obama's 10-point lead and is essentially tied w/ Clinton & Obama. The poll shows that Senator McCain is still enjoying a bounce in the polls since securing the GOP nomination. The poll shows that Clinton & McCain are statistically tied. According to the poll, "About a quarter of Obama supporters say they'll vote for McCain if Clinton is the Democratic nominee. About a third of Clinton supporters say they would vote for McCain if it's Obama." McCain '08!

Get to Know Senator McCain's Family!

2008-04-10T09:52:00.003-05:00

While we all know Senator McCain himself is most fitted to lead our country, we would like to get to know more about his family. I'd like to share with you one of my favorite websites: www.mccainblogette.com This is a blog run by Meghan McCain, one of Senator McCain's daughters and a couple of her friends. While Meghan sometimes discusses politics, the blog concentrates on her travels with her father on the campaign trail-wonderful pictures! She also gives us playlists she is currently listening to, she has a wide variety of taste in music! One of my favorite blog posts, she gave makeup tips. She also gives us more insight to her family which I think is very interesting. She will write blogs such as: "10 Things You Didn't Know About My Mom" referring to Mrs. Cindy McCain, and her brother was even a guest blogger.

This website is wonderful to help keep the younger generation (and older!) interested in politics, in an exciting, and refreshing way. She updates almost daily so there is always something to read. Please check out: www.mccainblogette.com and share it with your family & friends! The blog has even had news stories written about it and been nominated for awards.

Go McCain '08!

We're Back!

2008-04-09T20:23:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry we haven't written in much too long, but we have been hard @ work helping to make Senator McCain the nominee for the Republican Party! GREAT JOB EVERYONE, WE DID IT! Everyone thought we were down and out, but we kept going and here we are! Now we have to continue our hard work to ensure that Senator McCain is the next president of the United States! So what can you do? LOTS! Here are a few ideas:

- Call your local party & ask how you can help within your community: we all know how important Michigan is!
- Go to www.johnmccain.com and sign up to find more information!
- If you are in school, look around Facebook and ask your friends about a local Students for McCain chapter at your school.
- DONATE! As we all know, this campaign is historically expensive, at www.johnmccain.com you can donate $. Every dollar helps!
- Tell your family/friends about Senator McCain and why YOU think he should be the next President of the United States.
- Encourage your friends to be sure to register to vote! November will be here before we know it!
- Check back to the blog for more information.
- *If you are a student at Michigan State University, BE SURE to join the Facebook Group MSU Students for McCain where information will be sent out & PLEASE invite your friends!.*
- If you are an MSU student and have a question, please e-mail msustudentsformccain@gmail.com- Contact your local College Republicans group for more information.

Thanks for your patience everyone! Please be sure to recruit your friends and leave your comments! McCain '08!

Aboard the Straight Talk Express!

2008-01-08T10:31:00.001-05:00

The following are excerpts from an article Dana Milbank did for the Washington Post. The Senator opens up a bit and as always, cracks some jokes. I included the best parts-enjoy!

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.

McCain's cellphone rings. It's Sen. Lindsey Graham calling, at 8:30 a.m. "What happened, you have a nightmare?" McCain says with mock concern. "What are you doing awake?"

Detroit News Endorses McCain!!!

2008-01-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

With our own primary coming up on January 15th, Michigan's very own Detroit News has endorsed Senator McCain for president!

"No matter whose ox is being gored, John McCain puts the country first. He is the leading critic of congressional earmarks to fund pork-barrel projects. He has co-sponsored campaign reforms to slow the influence of money in politics. He will use the veto pen if necessary to curb the growth of the federal government (nearly 50 percent during the past seven years)...

So Michigan's Jan. 15 competition will be all about Republicans. And in that primary, we endorse Arizona Sen. John McCain with enthusiasm."

For the full article, click here!

Jan 15 is soon. Get excited.

Why Lieberman Endorses McCain

2007-12-28T19:12:00.000-05:00

This is an interview with Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator McCain from Fox News. It is from when Senator Lieberman came out to endorse Senator John McCain for President and explains why he chose to cross party lines and what it can do for the American people. Very positive message about bringing the nation together and getting things done!

Boston's Other Newspaper Endorses McCain, not Romney!

2007-12-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Boston Herald's editorial staff has now endorsed Senator McCain! See "Choice is clear McCain's the one".

“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.

In an age when too many candidates are driven by polls and focus groups, fashioning and re-fashioning their “core” beliefs, 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

On immigration reform, on tax reform, on campaign reform McCain has proven time and time again that he has the ability to reach across that increasingly wide partisan divide and make things happen."

The Case For McCain - The Economist

2007-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

This is from a couple of weeks ago, but it's a great article that presents why Senator McCain should be president. Just another feel good article about our favorite candidate.

For the full article, click here.

I recommend reading the whole article, but if you can't, then take a look at a few excerpts:

"Mr McCain's qualifications extend beyond character. Take experience. His range of interests as a senator has been remarkable, extending from immigration to business regulation. He knows as much about foreign affairs and military issues as anybody in public life. Or take judgment. True, he has a reputation as a hothead. But he's a hothead who cools down. He does not nurse grudges or agonise about vast conspiracies like some of his colleagues in the Senate.

He has also been right about some big issues. He was the first senior Republican to criticise George Bush for invading Iraq with too few troops, and the first to call for Donald Rumsfeld's sacking. He is one of the few Republicans to propose sensible policies on immigration and global warming.

Mr McCain's qualities are particularly striking if you contrast him with his leading rivals. His willingness to stick to his guns on divisive subjects such as immigration stands in sharp contrast to Mr Romney's oily pandering. Mr Romney likes to claim that his views on topics such as gay rights and abortion have “evolved”. But they have evolved in a direction that is strikingly convenient—perhaps through intelligent design. Can a party that mocked John Kerry really march into battle behind their very own Massachusetts flip-flopper?

...Mr McCain is surely worth another look."

"Republican primary voters know John McCain is the only great man running for president"

2007-12-15T21:48:00.000-05:00

McCain's Last Stand
He Still Has A Chance

By Fred Barnes, The Weekly Standard
December 15, 2007

Article Excerpt

John McCain finished a Q-and-A session with reporters here with a shot of his offbeat humor. "Thank you, jerks," he said. A few hours later, he suggested in a speech to the Greenville Rotary Club that former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan could head a commission to reform the federal tax system. If he's dead, McCain said, "prop him up and put some dark glasses on him, just like in Weekend at Bernie's."

McCain sneers at the importance of Iowa, whose caucuses on January 3 are the first contest in the Republican presidential race. "If I don't finish in the top 50 in Iowa, I'll still stay in the race," he told reporters in South Carolina last week. In Iowa the next day, McCain went out of his way in a televised debate to denounce the federal subsidy for ethanol, a popular program in the state.

So the old McCain is back, the flippant, contrarian candidate who came close to defeating George W. Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000. And amazingly enough, after his campaign to be nominee in 2008 all but collapsed this summer, McCain is experiencing a rebirth. He now has a chance--an outside chance, at least--of winning the Republican nomination.

Things large and small in the campaign have been moving McCain's way. The war in Iraq has turned sharply toward victory now that President Bush has adopted the strategy McCain had been recommending for several years. This is McCain's best issue and now a distinct plus for his campaign. And the immigration issue, a poisonous one for McCain, has become less intense since his immigrant-friendly approach lost in the Senate last summer.

Then there's the rise of Mike Huckabee, the ex-Arkansas governor. If he defeats Mitt Romney in Iowa next month--and polls show Huckabee ahead--that will disrupt Romney's early-state strategy and leave him vulnerable in the New Hampshire primary on January 8. To capture the nomination, McCain must win in New Hampshire. McCain, by the way, likes Huckabee and can't stand Romney.

Just as Romney has run into trouble, McCain's other rivals have as well. The campaign of Rudy Giuliani, the ex-New York City mayor, has stalled amid a burst of unfavorable media stories. Former senator Fred Thompson has failed to stir significant support among conservatives, his target group. Still, like Huckabee, Thompson is running hard against Romney in Iowa.

In his up and down campaign, McCain has already disproved two pieces of conventional wisdom. One is that Republicans are a primogeniture party that routinely makes the next major Republican figure in line the near-prohibitive frontrunner. McCain, having paid his dues in 2000, did lead the pack initially, but his campaign cratered in June from overspending and the unpopularity of his position on immigration.

The second is that primary debates don't matter. In McCain's case (and Huckabee's), however, televised debates have been a godsend. McCain's recovery began in a Fox News debate in New Hampshire on September 5, when he pugnaciously challenged Romney on the surge.

Romney said the surge--consisting of a troop buildup in Iraq and a new counterinsurgency strategy--was "apparently working." No, McCain responded sharply, "not apparently--it's working." Romney said he wanted to hear from General David Petraeus, the Iraq commander, to be certain. McCain took exception to that. The surge's success, he repeated, "is more than apparent. It's working."

McCain was instantly crowned by the media as the winner of the debate. In effect, he was rewarded for vociferously persevering in his support for a war the media opposes. Even a few of his advisers had urged him to downplay his pro-Iraq position.

Six weeks later, McCain scored again in the Fox News debate in Orlando. The day before at a campaign event at the nearby Shingle Creek Resort, he had zinged Hillary Clinton for proposing to spend $1 million for a Woodstock concert museum. And hours before the evening debate, he told a town meeting he'd missed the Woodstock concert in 1969 because he "was tied up at the time." He was a POW in North Vietnam.

His aides urged him to use the line in the debate. And he did--to great effect. After mentioning Clinton's Woodstock scheme, McCain said, "I wasn't there. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event." He paused as the audience laughed, then delivered the punchline. "I was tied up at the time." The crowd roared.

McCain is concentrating his campaign on New Hampshire, where "he's got to win," according to former senator Phil Gramm of Texas, who traveled with McCain last week. If Romney loses there, "he's out of the race," Gramm says. Then, adds McCain adviser Charles Black, McCain will win in Michigan and South Carolina and take command of the race.

"Deep in their hearts," Gramm says, "Republican primary voters know John McCain is the only great man running for president."

Iowa State Wide Newspaper Endorses McCain

2007-12-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

The leading candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president present an intriguing mix of priorities, personalities and life stories.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani inspired the city and nation with his confident leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister from Arkansas, charms with homespun humor. Mitt Romney, the multimillionaire investment adviser from Massachusetts, exudes
executive discipline. As governors, both worked across the party divide to improve education and health care in their states.
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Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee brings an actor’s ease to his no-nonsense calls for a return to fiscal discipline.

Yet, for all their accomplishments on smaller stages, none can offer the tested leadership, in matters foreign and domestic, of Sen. John McCain of Arizona. McCain is most ready to lead America in a complex and dangerous world and to rebuild trust at home and abroad by inspiring confidence in his leadership.

In an era of instant celebrity, we sometimes forget the real heroes in our midst. The defining chapter of McCain’s life came 40 years ago as a naval aviator, when he was shot down over Vietnam. The crash broke both arms and a leg. When first seeing him, a fellow prisoner recalls thinking he wouldn’t live the night. He was beaten and kept in solitary confinement, held 5 years. He could have talked. He did not. Son of a prominent Navy admiral, he could have gained early release. He refused.

The one-time playboy emerged from prison a changed, more serious man. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and the Senate in 1986, he has built an unconventional political career by taking stands based on principle, not party dogma, and frequently pursuing bipartisanship.

His first term was touched by scandal when the Senate rebuked him for meeting with savings-and-loan regulators on behalf of campaign donor Charles Keating Jr., who was later imprisoned. That ordeal steered him into championing government transparency and battling alongside Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold for the campaign-finance-reform bill that bears their names.

Time after time, McCain has stuck to his beliefs in the face of opposition from other elected leaders and the public. He has criticized crop and ethanol subsidies during two presidential campaigns in Iowa. He bucked his party and president by opposing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. A year ago, in the face of growing criticism, he staunchly supported President Bush’s decision to increase troop strength in Iraq.

In this campaign, he continues to support comprehensive immigration reform — while watching his poll standings plunge. Some other Republican candidates refuse to acknowledge that climate change is a serious threat caused by human activity. McCain has worked on the issue for seven years and sponsored bills to limit greenhouse-gas emissions.

McCain would enter the White House with deep knowledge of national-security and foreign-policy issues. He knows war, something we believe would make him reluctant to start one. He’s also a fierce defender of civil liberties. As a survivor of torture, he has stood resolutely against it. He pledges to start rebuilding America’s image abroad by closing the Guantanamo prison and beginning judicial proceedings for detainees.

McCain has his flaws, too, of course. He can be hot-tempered, a trait that’s not helpful in conducting diplomacy. At 71, his age is a concern. The editorial board disagrees with him on a host of issues, especially his opposition to abortion rights and gay marriage. McCain foresees a “long, hard and difficult” deployment of troops in Iraq. The Register’s board has called for withdrawal as soon as it’s safely possible.

But with McCain, Americans would know what they’re getting. He doesn’t parse words. And on tough calls, he usually lands on the side of goodness — of compassion for illegal immigrants, of concern for the environment for future generations.

The force of John McCain’s moral authority could go a long way toward restoring Americans’ trust in government and inspiring new generations to believe in the goodness and greatness of America.

McCain Leads in Michigan!

2007-12-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

Dear Michigan Supporter,

I wanted to bring your attention to a new dynamic in the Presidential race.

Michigan is very similar to New Hampshire in that approximately 30% of voters consider themselves Independents. As you know, John McCain won Michigan in 2000 with the help of Independent voters who voted in the Republican Primary. This year there is not a contested Democrat Primary in Michigan and that bodes very well for John McCain because Independents in Michigan strongly favor McCain and they will vote in mass in the Republican Primary.

Independents are eligible to vote in the Republican Primary if they choose a Republican ballot at the polls. Several new polls have been released recently in Michigan and all of them show John McCain is surging among both segments of the GOP Primary electorate: Republicans and Independents. One of the polls correctly takes into account the role of Independents and shows that Senator McCain is actually leading in Michigan - ahead of Mitt Romney in his adopted home state.

This is obviously very good news for the McCain campaign. It is also potentially catastrophic for Mitt Romney and forced him to purchase television and radio ads in Michigan this week. His collapse in Iowa is being felt in Michigan.

Continue reading for more information about the latest polling conducted for Inside Michigan Politics Newsletter. MRG is a well-respected Michigan pollster not affiliated with our campaign in any way.

Breaking News: Michigan Polling Update

Recent polls released today in Michigan show John McCain is surging among Republicans and Independents across the state. One of the polls correctly takes into account the role of Independents and shows that John McCain is actually leading in Michigan - ahead of Mitt Romney in his adopted home state:
John McCain- 21%
Mitt Romney- 18%
Mike Huckabee- 16%

Salon: McCain Town Halls Like A Rock Star

2007-12-04T13:40:00.000-05:00

On MTV, John McCain proves he can hang with voters a quarter his age.

Michael Scherer

Dec. 04, 2007 | For at least Monday night, John McCain was the hippest old guy in presidential politics. He bucked the traditional Republican aversion to that basic cable network that invented reality television, lionized the crotch grab and created the first major bisexual dating show. He became the only Republican candidate this cycle to accept an invitation for a town hall meeting with young voters on MTV.

"My friends, I'm not the youngest candidate in this race. You know that. But I am the most experienced," the 72-year-old said upon taking the stage, which was surrounded by red, white and blue lights, like the inside of a patriotic microwave oven.

Then he tried to make a funny. "I'm older than Frankenstein and I've got a few scars," he said, before realizing that didn't make any sense. "I'm older than dirt and I've got more scars than Frankenstein," he tried again. "Screwed up that line." The audience of students of Southern New Hampshire University laughed. The old guy was trying to please. They appreciated it.

Over the next hour, he spoke on a number of issues, passionately making the case for the current military policy in Iraq, speaking about the dangers of global warming and pledging to fix Medicare and Social Security for the younger generation. He said he supported federal stem cell research, despite his pro-life beliefs, wanted to increase government aide for college, and said he would have made the genocide in Darfur "a higher priority" than President Bush.

At another point, when asked how he would have governed differently than President Bush, McCain said that he would have called the nation to public service after the attacks of Sept. 11. "I would not have asked Americans to go shopping or take a trip," he said.

He said he would not accept Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice president, and confessed to a rather historic taste in music. "My musical progress stopped with the Beatles and Abba." When asked about immigration, he joked, "Uh. This meeting is adjourned."

By the end of the night, the MTV computers showed that people watching the debate online had a far more positive view of him than they had when he began. And he did that despite some blistering words for the Internet golden boy, Texas Rep. Ron Paul. "Frankly, Ron Paul is wrong," he said, after he was asked about Paul's view on the Iraq war. "They aren't fighting over there for oil. They aren't fighting over there for empire. And they aren't fighting over there illegally."

It was the sort of night that made you wonder why he was only the third candidate to accept MTV's invitation. (On the Democratic side, both John Edwards and Barack Obama have participated in similar forums.) What do Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have to fear?

Union Leader: Sen. John McCain & Sen. Joe Lieberman: It's Inexcusable For Congress Not To Fund Troops In Iraq

2007-12-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

HAVING SPENT much of the past year mired in legislative trench warfare over Iraq, advocates in Congress seeking a mandatory withdrawal of troops are now refusing to pass funding for our forces deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

For Congress to fail to provide the funds needed by our soldiers in the field is inexcusable under any circumstances -- but it is especially disappointing right now, coming at the very moment when Gen. David Petraeus and his troops are achieving the kind of progress in Iraq that few would have dared imagine possible just a few months ago.

We recently traveled to Iraq, where we saw and heard firsthand about the remarkable transformation that our brave men and women in uniform have succeeded in bringing about this year.

As every major news outlet now acknowledges, security has improved dramatically across Iraq since Gen. Petraeus took command and began implementing a bold new counterinsurgency strategy -- the so-called "surge." Today, rocket and mortar attacks have dropped to their lowest levels in 21 months. Car bombs and suicide attacks in Baghdad have plummeted 70 percent. Iraqi civilian casualties are sharply down throughout Iraq. And the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action has fallen for five straight months and is now at the lowest level in nearly two years.

Simply put: a year ago, al-Qaida was winning in Iraq. Now we are.

Our soldiers know they have seized the momentum in this fight.

Idealistic and innovative, they rightly recognize what has happened this year under Gen. Petraeus as one of the most extraordinary turnarounds in American military history.

As a result of the hard-won gains our troops have secured, Gen. Petraeus has been able to initiate a drawdown of U.S. forces. The first 5,000 American troops are now on their way out of Iraq, with more likely to follow in the months ahead. However, we should not have an automatic timetable for withdrawing brigades. Gen. Petraeus should decide the size of the force he needs to maintain security and keep our enemies on the run.

The success that Gen. Petraeus and his troops have achieved could provide the foundation for a new bipartisan consensus about Iraq in Washington. All of us, after all, want our troops to succeed in Iraq so that they can begin to come home with honor.

Unfortunately, too many Democrats have thus far been reluctant to welcome the reality of progress -- instead searching for ways to deny or disparage it.

In particular, Democrats have seized on the lackluster performance of the Iraqi government to insist that we should abandon Gen. Petraeus' successful strategy and withdraw far more of our troops, far faster, than he recommends.

This would be a terrible mistake.

There is no question Iraq's national leaders must do more to promote reconciliation and improve governance in the months ahead.

But the fact is, there has been enormous political progress in Iraq at the local and provincial levels thanks to the surge, as Sunni and Shiite leaders have stepped forward to fight against the extremists in their communities.

Building on these gains is going to require deft diplomacy and subtle statecraft from the United States -- not declarations of defeat.

And whatever the failings of the imperfect, fledgling democracy in Baghdad, they do not justify abandoning it to the al-Qaida fanatics and Iranian-backed terrorists who are trying to destroy it.

And make no mistake. Despite the progress we have achieved this year, there is no cause for complacency. Just as we have managed to turn failure into success in 2007, we can likewise turn success back into failure in 2008, if we are not careful.

As Brig. Gen. Joe Fil, the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, recently put it, al-Qaida in Iraq is now off balance, but they will come swinging back at us, if we give them the chance.

That is why Congress' failure to fund our troops is so profoundly reckless.

Nine months ago, when Gen. Petraeus took command in Baghdad, people of good conscience could disagree about whether his new counterinsurgency strategy would succeed. After so many mistakes and missteps by the Bush administration in Iraq, many Americans were understandably skeptical about the possibility of success.

Now, however, the evidence is unequivocal. The surge is working.

Rather than holding hostage the funding for our troops in the field and writing off the hard-won gains they are secured, it is time for Democrats and Republicans alike to recognize the extraordinary progress that Gen. Petraeus' strategy has achieved -- and build a new political consensus around it.

Just as we demand Iraqi leaders take advantage of the success of the surge to set aside their sectarian agendas and pursue peace, so too it is time for Congress to stop playing senseless partisan games and instead fund our troops -- who have accomplished so much -- without delay. They deserve nothing less.

Andrew Sullivan Blog

2007-12-03T17:52:00.000-05:00

By Andrew Sullivan

Competence, courage, and conviction are enormously important for our next President to possess. No one has a better understanding of U.S. interests and dangers right now than does McCain. He was right on the mistakes made by the Bush administration in prosecuting the Islamic terrorist war in Iraq and he is being proved right on the way forward both there and worldwide.

McCain is pro-life. Always has been. He fights against special-interest and pork-barrel spending, and high spending in general, which ticks off liberals and many in the GOP who have wallowed at the public trough. Yet he also has the proven ability, unique among the contenders, to work across the political divide that has led our government into petty bickering when important problems need to be solved, - the Manchester Union Leader endorsing John McCain in New Hampshire.

My only qualm with this assessment is the notion that the best way ahead in Iraq is an indefinite continuation of the occupation. But on this, I still trust McCain's judgment more than I do Romney's or, God help us, Giuliani's. And he was right in predicting tactical success for the surge, and I was too pessimistic. I'll be interviewing the senator tomorrow. A reader seconds:

I'd been leaning McCain for a few days now, but the debate the other night clinched it for this disenchanted Republican who voted Democrat in '06.

Rudy came across as the small and petty man that he is. His attacks on Romney were immature and sleazy, just like the man himself, as we now know from his use of taxpayer dollars and government property to tend to Judith Nathan. Romney, meanwhile, continues to be the most cynical candidate around, parroting lines that he thinks conservatives want to hear, even though everyone can see through them. Fred Thompson is good but pointless. He clearly doesn't want to be in this race. His wife must really want to be First Lady. Paul is hopeless. Huckabee is at least sincere, but I just feel that nominating him is tantamount to giving away the store. He's a big-government liberal with the compassion of Jimmy Carter and a nanny-state busybody of the highest order. I'd rather have the Bitch. At least she'd balance the budget. You know, like her husband did.

But McCain is a man of honor who is reasonably conservative and who would move the Republican Party forward in lots of important ways. Finally we would have a president that agrees that it's not okay to torture or wiretap without a warrant or suspend habeas corpus. Finally we would have a president who agrees that climate change is real and who wants to do something about it. Finally we would have a president who believes in science. And all of this without giving in to a big-government liberal agenda with Huckabee or Obama. McCain wouldn't raise taxes, would cut spending, and would be able to tackle immigration and entitlements in a bipartisan way. He was right about the surge and he could finish the job in Iraq with honor. Sure, McCain has pissed me off over the years on this or on that, but he remains the least imperfect choice in a highly imperfect field of candidates on both sides.

As such, I've made my decision. I'm backing McCain. Further, I hope that Obama takes down Hillary and clinches the Democratic nomination. A McCain/Obama race would be one about policy, not personalities, and would be a unifying event, not a polarizing one.

New Hampshire Union Leader Endorses McCain!

2007-12-03T13:55:00.001-05:00

By Publisher Joseph McQuaid, The Union Leader
December 2, 2007

On Jan. 8, New Hampshire Republicans will make one of the most important choices for their party and nation in the history of our presidential primary. Their choice ought to be John McCain.

We don't agree with him on every issue. We disagree with him strongly on campaign finance reform. What is most compelling about McCain, however, is that his record, his character, and his courage show him to be the most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination. Simply put, McCain can be trusted to make informed decisions based on the best interests of his country, come hell or high water.

Competence, courage, and conviction are enormously important for our next President to possess. No one has a better understanding of U.S. interests and dangers right now than does McCain. He was right on the mistakes made by the Bush administration in prosecuting the Islamic terrorist war in Iraq and he is being proved right on the way forward both there and worldwide.

McCain is pro-life. Always has been. He fights against special-interest and pork-barrel spending, and high spending in general, which ticks off liberals and many in the GOP who have wallowed at the public trough. Yet he also has the proven ability, unique among the contenders, to work across the political divide that has led our government into petty bickering when important problems need to be solved.

We have known John McCain for many years. We will write more about him in the days ahead. For now, we leave you with this to ponder:

When McCain was shot down and taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese, he was repeatedly beaten. When his captors discovered that his father was a top U.S. admiral, they ordered him released for propaganda purposes. But McCain refused, insisting that longer-held prisoners be released before him. So they beat him some more. He never gave in then, and he won't give in to our enemies now.

John McCain is the man to lead America.

Democrat Strategist Bob Beckel: "McCain a nightmare" for Democrats

2007-12-03T12:30:00.001-05:00

Great Article in San Francisco Chronicle

2007-12-03T12:20:00.000-05:00

San Francisco Chronicle (CA): The Great Man In The Race

By Debra J. Saunders

Wednesday's CNN/You Tube debate began with a ditty by Chris Nandor of Snohomish, Wash., on the eight GOP hopefuls. Sen. John McCain, Nandor sang, "is loved by many, but hated by the rest."

Why do so many Republicans loathe John McCain?

No Republican candidate has been better in pushing to make sure that the sacrifices made by U.S. troops in Iraq are not made in vain - and there is no issue more important than this war. McCain spent Thanksgiving visiting the front, and he carried back the message he heard from those serving: "Let us win."

McCain has spared no one - including President Bush and his administration - in his righteous desire to do right by the troops. "I am the only one on this stage," McCain noted, "that said the Rumsfeld strategy was failing and was doomed to failure. I'm the only one on this stage that said we've got to have a new strategy, and that's the strategy we're employing now."

Maybe that's part of the problem. When I asked Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and former adviser to ex-Gov. Pete Wilson, why so many Republicans hate McCain, Whalen saw two main reasons: Much of McCain's reputation "has come at George Bush's expense."

And: "He's too beloved by the media." Too bad the media are a fickle crew, who this go-round are smitten with the cuddly conservative, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

It's more than a bit bizarre. When McCain called The Rev. Jerry Falwell an agent of "intolerance" in 2000, the media loved him. When McCain appeared next to Falwell at Liberty University last year, pundits labeled the event - a savvy political move to reach out to Falwell's values voters - a sellout to the religious right. So who's their new crush? An ordained Southern Baptist minister. Go figure.

GOP voters resented profligate spending under the now-dethroned Republican leadership in Congress. They should love McCain, who crusaded against earmarks and pork-barrel spending when it didn't win him many friends in power circles.

Perhaps the problem is that McCain is not just talk. When Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist asked the candidates if they would sign the ATR pledge not to raise taxes, McCain said no, "My pledge and my record is up to the American people, not up to any organization."

The Norquist exchange may signal a sea change in Republican politics. Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo of Colorado said they would sign the ATR pledge, and have. Rudy Giuliani said he would, but hasn't. (In October, an aide told me that Giuliani "doesn't sign pledges.")

Because it is now clear that no-new-taxes pledges don't tamp down government spending, McCain, and Republican rivals Fred Thompson, Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter said they oppose tax hikes, but refused to sign a pledge they are not 100 percent certain to keep.

Republican readers often tell me that they will never forgive McCain for his 2002 campaign finance reform bill that restricts political advertising. Come on. Thanks to well-heeled lawyers, the courts are gutting McCain-Feingold. To them I say, let go of it. There are more important issues - like a war.

Americans say that they are looking for strong leaders. In McCain, you see a man who doesn't shift his positions just to please people, yet is realistic enough to realize when it is right to bend.

McCain still was wrong when he argued that this year's failed Senate immigration bill would not have provided "amnesty" to illegal immigrants. But he has had the good sense to let voters know that he has heard their outrage and understands that border enforcement must precede any measures to set a path toward legalization for qualifying illegal immigrants.

My position on immigration reform is closer to those of Romney and Giuliani, but who do they think they're kidding as they preen about how tough they've been on the issue? In a different time, they had a more forgiving attitude toward illegal immigrants. McCain is simply more honest about why he has changed.

I want the government to be much tougher on enforcing immigration policies with employers, but I also want a president with heart. Or as McCain put it, "We need to sit down as Americans and recognize that these are God's children as well."

Maybe McCain's problem is that he tells people things they don't want to hear.

I still say that now-Attorney General Michael Mukasey was right to tell the Senate that he would not classify waterboarding (simulated drowning during interrogation) as illegal. That said, when McCain, who was tortured during his five years in a Vietnamese POW camp, says that as commander in chief, "we will never allow torture to take place in the United States of America," I'll salute.

New York Times columnist David Brooks described McCain as the only great man from either party in the race.

As McCain said of his support of the Senate immigration bill, "I came to the Senate not to do the easy things, but the hard things." But do voters want the hard things?

McCain leads Romney v. Obama

2007-12-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Rasmussen Reports: Election 2008: Obama vs. McCain And Romney

Obama, McCain Tied at 44%; Obama Leads Romney by Nine

Arizona Senator John McCain has struggled in the race for the GOP nomination, but he continues to be competitive in general-election match-ups with top Democrats. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds him now tied 44% to 44% with Democratic Senator Barack Obama.

This match-up has been tight for much of the fall. In mid-November, Obama had a three-point advantage over McCain. In mid-October, it was McCain over Obama by a single point (see match-up history).

The new Rasmussen Reports election poll found that Obama enjoys a nine-point edge of 48% to 39% over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Obama has led Romney in eleven consecutive Rasmussen Reports polls. In November Romney was just six points behind Obama, but he lagged by nine in October. (see match-up history).

A separate survey found Obama in a toss-up with Rudy Giuliani and a comfortable lead over Fred Thompson.

Senator McCain is often respected even by conservatives who sharply disagree with him on issues like illegal immigration, global warming, or the treatment of captured terrorists. But he does only a few points better than Romney among conservatives, although he has a 5% advantage among Republicans.

McCain-viewed favorably by 52% now-also attracts a few percent more Democrats than Romney, and 5% more liberals. He has an 8% edge over Romney with moderates.

McCain is perceived as politically moderate by a plurality of 49% of likely voters. Just 30% view him as politically conservative.

Romney is seen as conservative by 38%, moderate by 31%. He is viewed favorably by 41%, unfavorably by 40% (see key stats and general election match-ups for all Republican candidates).

Senator Obama is most often regarded as liberal (44%), but many (33%) see him as moderate. His is now viewed favorably by 44% of voters nationwide.

Romney and McCain are among four candidates competing for second place nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. But Romney is still a man to beat in early primary states. He and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee are the frontrunners in Iowa while Romney has a substantial lead in New Hampshire.

Obama has consistently placed second in national polling for the Democratic nomination. However, he is one of three candidates essentially tied for the lead in Iowa. The Senator from Illinois has also pulled to within single digits of frontrunner Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire.

McCain: the Clear Choice

2007-12-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

Washington Post: Principles Amid The GOP Pack

By David Broder

If the Republican Party really wanted to hold on to the White House in 2009, it's pretty clear what it would do. It would grit its teeth, swallow its doubts and nominate a ticket of John McCain for president and Mike Huckabee for vice president -- and president-in-waiting.

Those two are far from front-runners. They trail Mitt Romney in Iowa and New Hampshire and lag behind Rudy Giuliani in national surveys of Republican voters. But, in a series of debates, including last week's CNN-YouTube extravaganza, McCain and Huckabee have been notable for their clarity, character and, yes, simple humanity.

From everything I have heard on the campaign trail, it's obvious that they are the pair who have earned the widest respect among the eight Republican candidates themselves. McCain is the eldest and the most honored, not only for what he endured as a Vietnam prisoner of war but as a principled battler for what he considers essential on Iraq and other national security issues.

Huckabee, who previously was known only to those of us who cover state government and governors, has been the surprise discovery of the campaign season. His combination of religious principle, good humor, tolerance and clear passion on education and health care complements McCain's muscular foreign policy and aversion to wasteful domestic spending.

The two of them seem often to be operating on a different -- and higher -- plane than the quarrelsome Giuliani and Romney, whose mutual contempt is as palpable as it is persuasive.

Fred Thompson appears perpetually grumpy -- a presence hard to imagine inhabiting the Oval Office. The three House members -- Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter -- are exercising their lungs but running for exercise, happy to be part of the proceedings but with no hope of being nominated.

What sets McCain and Huckabee apart is most evident in the way they treat the contentious issue of illegal immigration. Both of them have been burned by it -- Huckabee in a losing battle with his legislature over tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants; McCain for his sponsorship of President Bush's comprehensive immigration reform. Both now acknowledge -- as everyone must -- that the failure of the federal government to secure the southern border has produced broad public outrage.

But, unlike the others, who seem to take their rhetorical cues from the rabidly anti-immigrant Tancredo, Huckabee and McCain always remember that those who struggle to reach the United States across the deserts or rivers of the Southwest are human beings drawn here by the promise of better lives for their families.

After outlining the failed Senate effort to pass a bill that included a temporary guest worker program and a pathway to earned citizenship for the illegal immigrants already living here, McCain said, "What we've learned is that the American people want the borders enforced. We must . . . secure the borders first. But then . . . we need to sit down as Americans and recognize these are God's children as well, and they need some protections under the law and they need some of our love and compassion." That answer was interrupted by applause.

Huckabee was asked to defend a bill he sponsored that the questioner said "gave illegal aliens a discount for college in Arkansas by allowing them to pay lower in-state tuition rates."

The former governor corrected him. The bill, he said, "would have allowed those children who had been in our schools their entire school life the opportunity to have the same scholarship that their peers had, who had also gone to high school with them and sat in the same classrooms. . . . It wasn't about out-of-state tuition."

Romney was not appeased. He said Huckabee sounded like a Massachusetts liberal, giving the taxpayers' money to people who are here illegally.

To which Huckabee replied: "In all due respect, we're a better country than to punish children for what their parents did. We're a better country than that." He, too, was applauded.

I think we are that better country. And I hope the Republicans agree.

McCain Momentum!

2007-12-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

Newsweek: McCain Gets Momentum - Can he make a comeback?

By Eleanor Clift

A funny thing happened on the way to New Hampshire. John McCain got his mojo back. Meeting with reporters in his campaign headquarters, McCain, back from Iraq and on his way to South Carolina, held forth on a variety of subjects in the easy, straight-talking way that earned him a special place in political journalists' hearts in 2000, and that still sets him apart from almost every other leading contender for the presidency on either side.

He had just come from taping the Charlie Rose show, an hour's exploration of his inner feelings, he said, and he seemed eager to get to Iraq and the gains made by the buildup of U.S. troops. "John Edwards used to call it the McCain surge. He doesn't anymore. I wish he would," McCain said. With roughly half of Americans now saying the war in Iraq is going well, according to a Pew Research Center poll, McCain hopes his firmness in sticking with the war will translate into a first- or second-place finish in New Hampshire.

It's a long shot for a candidate who during the summer had to shed much of his staff and is operating on a tight budget, but McCain seems comfortable and on his game. The Republican race is so fluid that almost anything can happen. And for an electorate searching for authenticity, the new McCain is the old McCain, the candidate we saw eight years ago who speaks his mind and whose personal story brings a moral dimension unmatched by his rivals. The questions now are whether Republicans will see McCain as their most electable nominee and whether the independent voters that launched him in 2000 will return to him in New Hampshire. "His destiny is out of his hands," says Matthew Dowd, who was George W. Bush's pollster in 2000 and 2004 and is now unaffiliated with any candidate or party.

For McCain to make a comeback, several things have to fall in place. Mike Huckabee has to win Iowa or do damage to Mitt Romney. The two current GOP front runners, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, have to continue the demolition derby they kicked off in Wednesday evening's YouTube debate on CNN, jabbing each other about who's tougher on immigration and crime. The hint of scandal around Giuliani has to grow. That would leave the voters faced with Huckabee, who raised taxes in Arkansas to build roads (heresy for conservatives); a lethargic Fred Thompson, who can't seem to stir himself for the big fight, or McCain, a credible commander in chief who's always been pro-life. McCain could be the last man standing.

Reminded by a reporter at Monday's "sandwiches and scoops" session that Thompson had made fund-raising calls for him before entering the race, McCain quipped, "I'd like to see those phone lists." McCain is not coy about what he has to do. He has to win in New Hampshire, or come close enough to claim the "Comeback Kid" mantle that Bill Clinton rode to victory after finishing second in 1992. He also has a stake in how the Democratic race shakes out. If the Democratic contest seems settled by the Iowa returns, McCain would benefit because independents, fully a third of the New Hampshire electorate, generally flock to the party where the action is. In other words, if Hillary Clinton, the front runner nationally and in New Hampshire, wins Iowa, she will look like a foregone conclusion, and independents won't want to waste their vote on a race that's already over.

Voters in New Hampshire don't have to declare party allegiance until Election Day, and if the independents decide to play on the Republican side, McCain could be the beneficiary. Here's an example of how powerful this dynamic is: if it hadn't been for the excitement around McCain in 2000, Bill Bradley would have beaten Al Gore in New Hampshire, and perhaps snatched the nomination. "A Clinton victory in Iowa would be the best thing that could possibly happen to John McCain," says Bill Galston, a former domestic-policy adviser in the Clinton White House who is now with the Brookings Institution. "And if that doesn't happen, [second best would be] an Edwards victory, because Edwards is not going to be much of a player in New Hampshire. An Obama victory would be trouble for Hillary--but a disaster for McCain."

McCain is finally running the campaign he should have from the start. Will it be enough? It may. The history of presidential primary politics is littered with surprises: failed front runners, and dead-in-the-water winners.

McCain at Clemson University

2007-11-29T11:21:00.001-05:00

By Anna Simon, Greenville News
November 29, 2007

Article Excerpt

John McCain addressed the legacy -- or burden -- that today's college students will inherit during a town hall-style meeting Wednesday at Clemson University.

They will bear the burden of overloaded Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs and other big government mandates, said McCain, who wants to pare down federal government and promised to veto pork-barrel spending.

"We're going to stop mortgaging your future," McCain said, holding up his "veto pen" he said former President Ronald Reagan gave him.

An overflow crowd of about 400 people filled the 250-seat Self auditorium at Clemson's Strom Thurmond Institute. Stacks of extra chairs were wheeled in and quickly filled and some people stood in the foyer and listened through the open doors, as McCain discussed Iraq, education, health care, immigration and other concerns.
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"The war is not lost, and in fact, we're succeeding,"' McCain said of Iraq, pulling his coat sleeve back to show a KIA bracelet he wears for a soldier killed last year, but he expressed concern that wounded veterans "have not received the treatment they deserve from their government."

He said treatment facilities for those wounded in combat should be expanded and older veterans should have cards that let them choose their own doctors rather than stand in lines at VA facilities.

No Child Left Behind is "a good beginning" that should be improved, not scrapped, said McCain, a proponent of "choice and competition" in schools.

After McCain spoke, scores of students, faculty, staff and area residents lined up at microphones with questions.

Clemson student Felipe Fernandes asked about health care, saying he received medical attention for a few pesos while studying abroad in Argentina, yet his mother, a child-care provider in South Carolina, can't afford a mammogram.

Every American should have affordable, accessible health care, said McCain, who envisions community health centers and a $5,000 tax credit to make insurance affordable but opposes government intrusion on competition and choice.

Inflation in health care is "a crisis in America," McCain said, but the answer "is not going to be a government-run system."

On immigration, McCain said borders must be secure first -- "you have to stop the flow" -- before moving on to a temporary worker program. That prompted disagreement from a student who said his family stood in line for a green card to immigrate legally, and those who came illegally shouldn't be rewarded.

McCain Declared Debate Winner

2007-11-29T11:18:00.001-05:00

John McCain Declared Debate Winner, "Most Presidential," "Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Fight On!"

Townhall's Matt Lewis: "The bottom line is that I think McCain got his message out tonight -- that he has the experience needed at this time in history. In short, he was Presidential.'" (Matt Lewis, Townhall Blog, 11/28/07)

· Lewis: "I'm reading David McCullough's excellent book on Truman, so a lot of what McCain said rang true tonight. McCain's comment to Ron Paul about WWII and the danger of isolationism rang particularly true. In addition, his comment about the importance of America taking the high-road when it comes to torture also reminded me of the book." (Matt Lewis, Townhall Blog, 11/28/07)

CNN's David Gergen: "I think that the most presidential tonight were John McCain, who's found his voice again ... especially I thought on the issues of Iraq and on torture ..." (CNN Post-Debate Coverage, 11/28/07)

Redstate's Erick Erickson: "McCain won on scalps. He got Mitt Romney and he got Ron Paul. McCain was the adult in the room all night. He was stable, composed, and mature." (Erick Erickson, Redstate Blog, 11/28/07)

· Erickson: "McCain kicks ass on taking out Ron Paul. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Fight on!" (Erick Erickson, Redstate Blog, 11/28/07)

National Review's Jim Geraghty: "Is it just me, or is McCain dominating the debate tonight?" (Jim Geraghty, National Review's Campaign Spot Blog, 11/28/07)

CNN's Jamal Simmons: "I thought that John McCain clearly won this thing." (CNN Post-Debate Coverage, 11/28/07)

The Politico's Jonathan Martin: "McCain is really starting to look strong now that the conversation has moved onto national security. Beyond his answer to torture, his response about what really happened in Vietnam (contrary to what those blame-America-first types would have you believe) was red meat to every conservative in the crowd and at home who is over the age of 50." (Jonathan Martin, The Politico, 11/28/07)

Ankle Biting Pundit's Bull Dog Pundit: "The 'winner' tonight was John McCain with Mike Huckabee in second." (Bull Dog Pundit, Ankle Biting Pundit Blog, 11/28/07)

· Bull Dog Pundit: "McCain continues to impress the hell out of me with his assessment of Iraq and how it fits into the larger war on terrorism. I also wonder if he paid Ron Paul to make his usual stupid comments because McCain brilliantly played off of them to make his larger points on why the war in Iraq is necessary, and why it's necessary we win. His 'let us win' retort to Paul was brilliance, and is the 'sound bite' of the evening. It's hard to deny the man has so much credibility on the issue. He also seems to be the one who is trying to be 'above it all' in terms of playing 'gotcha' with his opponents and focusing on the big picture." (Bull Dog Pundit, Ankle Biting Pundit Blog, 11/28/07)

"God Bless John McCain" For "Stirring" Statement On Iraq War: "Let Us Win"

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "'Let us win,' the troops say. God bless John McCain. Ron Paul should have let it alone. Absurd to say John McCain doesn't understand this war. He's communicated our effort in Iraq better than the White House for a very long time. We owe him a debt." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review's The Corner, 11/28/07)

The American Spectator's Philip Klein: "McCain's stirring on criticism of Ron Paul's opposition to Iraq and foreign policy views in general, delivered in a way that only he could, will play well with the base." (Philip Klein, The American Spectator Blog, 11/28/07)

Granite Grok's Skip Murphy: "McCain does a good job standing up for people like me who realize that we are in the fight of our lives with those that want us dead. McCain understands, better than anyone else, we have to actively fight these folks with everything we have -- and not just militarily. ... [Y]ou can tell that he is the real deal on this subject -- and I will stand with him on this issue to the gates of hell and to the Pearly Gates. He ripped Paul up and down -- good for him." (Skip Murphy, Granite Grok Blog, 11/28/07)

"McCain Shines" Tonight As He "Triumphed" On Experience, Torture And Spending Issues

Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "McCain shines, as always, on spending and the war. He's right, he's quick-witted, and he comes across as dead-sure ..." (Mary Katharine Ham, Townhall Blog, 11/28/07)

Townhall's Matt Lewis: "McCain's answer to the question about the Vice President was very good. He was able to seamlessly segue into his real message -- that he has the most foreign policy experience -- and thus, wouldn't need to rely on a VP to the same degree Bush did." (Matt Lewis, Townhall Blog, 11/28/07)

National Review's Jim Geraghty: "McCain said that Bush had to rely on Cheney for expertise on national security issues after 9/11. Says he himself would never need to rely on his veep in this area. Ooooh." (Jim Geraghty, National Review's Campaign Spot Blog, 11/28/07)

MSNBC's Mark Murray: "Did that just become the lead of tonight's debate? It sure looked like McCain triumphed in that exchange. But to fair, it was a question that McCain -- the former POW -- was going to win no matter what." (Mark Murray, MSNBC's First Read Blog, 11/28/07)

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "You can't help but to respect and admire McCain." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review's The Corner, 11/28/07)

· Lopez: "The Unspoken Truth ... John McCain doesn't own a gun because he's put in more time protecting and defending freedom on the frontlines than most of us will mercifully ever know." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review's The Corner, 11/28/07)

The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan: "McCain came out of the exchange easily the most appealing and mature candidate." (Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic Blog, 11/28/07)

Tampa Tribune: "'We let spending lurch completely out of control,' McCain says. Lays out a joke about spending money to study bear DNA in Montana. 'Not sure if it was paternity issue or a criminal issue.' Best laugh of the night." (Billy Townsend, Tampa Tribune Blog, 11/28/07)

National Review's Jonah Goldberg: "I think his immigration answer was grown-up and serious." (Jonah Goldberg, National Review's The Corner, 11/28/07)

The American Spectator's Jennifer Rubin: "McCain oozes credibility and seriousness on controlling spending." (Jennifer Rubin, The American Spectator Blog, 11/28/07)

McCain ready to return GOP to its base

2007-11-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

By Dan Hoover, Greenville News
November 28, 2007

Article Excerpt

ANDERSON -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain told an audience here Tuesday that he's the candidate to return the GOP to its traditional tight-fisted guardianship of America's tax dollars.

The Arizona senator told a crowd of approximately 150 in the Anderson County Arts Center that his party's loss of its congressional majorities in 2006 occurred not because of Iraq but because "we betrayed our base" through big spending and corruption.

As president, McCain said he would halt the use of congressional earmarks for pork-barrel spending and would make ample use of a veto pen given him by President Ronald Reagan while naming names of those playing fast and loose with tax money.

McCain campaigned earlier in Seneca and this morning will hold another town hall meeting at the Strom Thurmond Institute on the Clemson University campus.

Fresh from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq that he said renewed his confidence in ultimate victory, McCain challenged comments made by Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York in a morning appearance in Spartanburg.

Clinton told a crowd of 500 that a military solution is not possible, the Baghdad government has failed politically and the Bush administration failed diplomatically.

"She was the one who when Gen. Petraeus came in September that said she would have to suspend disbelief in order to believe that it's not working," McCain said of Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. "It is succeeding," he said of the Bush administration's troop surge and shift to a counterinsurgency strategy.

"Six, seven months ago, Sen. Clinton and the liberal Democrats were saying it would never work militarily... that it was lost. They now continue to want to withdraw, which if we had done six months ago what Sen. Clinton wanted, al-Qaida would be trumpeting to the world that they beat the United States of America," McCain said.

McCain returns from Iraq with confidence in military progress

2007-11-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

LEXINGTON, South Carolina (CNN) – Buoyed by an apparent reduction in violence in Iraq, McCain hit the campaign trail Monday and tore into Democrats running for president and in Congress for "willfully ignoring the facts on the ground" in the country.

In his first campaign stop since returning from a trip to Iraq over Thanksgiving, McCain told an audience here that there is clear military progress on the ground and "a dramatic shift in the attitude of the Iraqi people."

"Today it is clear we have succeeded with this new strategy," said McCain, who has supported the so-called "troop surge" since its inception. "The Democrats refuse to acknowledge that, they refuse to acknowledge the progress. They are willfully ignoring the facts on the ground in my view."

McCain said the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki "has got a long way to go" and said that "winning" requires political progress in the country, but he criticized Democrats for continuing their calls to remove combat forces from the country.

"There's a lot at stake here," he said. "I understand my friends the politics of it. I understand it when the Democrats stand up and fall all over each other to decide who can get us out the quickest, but I am grateful that we Republicans have stood fast, I am grateful that this president has stood fast."

McCain took on Sen. Hillary Clinton for comments she made in September to Gen. David Petraeus during his testimony on Iraq progress before the Senate. At the time, Clinton said that Petraeus' progress report required "a willing suspension of disbelief."

"My friends, any objective observer today would have to suspend disbelief to know that it's not working," McCain said. "It is working and it's working successfully, and the people of Iraq are far better off now than when we began this."

9/11 Commissioner Endorses McCain

2007-11-20T21:51:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Senator McCain received another important endorsement. This one came from Governor Tom Kean, the 9/11 Commission Chairman and former governor of New Jersey. Governor Kean is one of many national security experts endorsing Senator McCain. Governor Kean, along with Governor Tom Ridge will serve as Chairmen of the First Responders for McCain Coalition. Governor Kean credits Senator McCain with helping to produce the "most significant reform in the nation's intelligence gathering and defense capabilities since 1947."

This endorsement by Governor Kean and other national security experts (such as Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig) supports the fact that Senator McCain is the most experienced and most qualified candidate to be president. No other candidate running has the foreign policy expertise, experience, and knowledge that Senator McCain holds to fight the terrorism facing the United States today.

McCain Outperforms Giuliani Against Clinton in Swing States

2007-11-16T14:34:00.000-05:00

John McCain: The Candidiate with character

2007-11-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

In the November 13 edition of The New York Times, David Brooks, an op-ed contributer to the Times wrote a pretty accurate description of Senator John McCain's unique character. In "The Character Factor" Brooks acknowledges a truth stated by his friend's assertion that "there’s really only one great man running for president this year, and that’s McCain.”

Brooks illuminates the reality today that "We tend to view them (presidential candidates) like products and base our verdicts on their market share at the moment. We don’t so much evaluate their character; we analyze how effectively they are manipulating their image to appeal to voters, and in this way we buy into the artificiality of modern campaigning." Brooks illustrates in this column that there is no one else out there with Senator McCain's character, and no one can deny his energy and capability.

I wanted to highlight some of bits and pieces from the article that speak to the Senator's true character.

for the full article click here

"Prison in Vietnam gave him self-respect and a cause greater than himself, but it didn’t diminish his dynamism. His office in the Senate isn’t tucked away in a tranquil corner of his suite; it’s right in the vortex, and it’s always empty because he’s walking around. Campaigning last weekend in New Hampshire, he was his old restless self, never alone, craving contact, conversation and fun.

The years and the Senate have smoothed some of his rebelliousness, but he still fights a daily battle against the soul-destroying forms of modern politics...He won’t tell you everything, but there will never be a moment as the hours stretch by when you feel that he is spinning you, lying to himself or insulting your intelligence.

Telling the truth is a skill. Those who don’t do it habitually lose the ability, but McCain is well-practiced and has the capacity to face unpleasant truths. While other conservatives failed to see how corporations were insinuating themselves into their movement, McCain went after Boeing contracts. While others failed to see the rising tide of corruption around them, McCain led the charge against Jack Abramoff. While others ignored the spending binge, McCain was among the fiscal hawks.

Other Republicans used to accuse him of kissing up to the news media. But when the Iraq war was at its worst, and other candidates were hiding in the grass waiting to see how things would turn out, McCain championed the surge, which the major Republican candidates now celebrate.

He did it knowing that it would cost him his media-darling status and probably the presidency. But for years he had hated the way the war was being fought. And when the opportunity to change it came, the only honorable course was to try.

...character is destiny, and you will never persuade me that he is not among the finest of men.

That human point seemed worth remembering, even amid the layers of campaign pretense."

McCain's "Handling of the B Question"

2007-11-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Below is a video of Senator McCain responding to a woman asking: "How do we beat the b****?" Rick Sanchez and CNN unfairly attacked Sen. McCain, going as far as to say: "Is John McCain done?" Senator McCain clearly states he has respect for Senator Clinton and anyone who gets the nomination of the Democratic Party. The bottom line is that Senator McCain handled the question gracefully and dignified, just as he always does. Watch the video below for yourself and see Sanchez being factually incorrect.

McCain pulls even in National Polling

2007-06-26T16:53:00.001-05:00

Love for McCain continues

2007-06-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Article
If you have a few minutes, check out the debate recap by Liz Mair from GOPProgress.com. I was planning on doing a thorough analysis of the debate but Liz hit the nail on the head in so many ways. Here are some excerpts but I really do recommend that you read the whole thing:

"But here's where McCain's point comes into play. Ultimately, the reality of the situation in Iraq is that if we haven't seen substantial progress by September, we're going to have a lot of options on the table to assess, and none of them will be good. As McCain implicitly acknowledged, if this situation came to pass, you can bet there would be vastly diminished political will for keeping the troops in Iraq. The flipside of course is that if we just withdraw, we risk leaving Iraq in an incredibly dangerous situation-- both for its citizens, and for ourselves, both in terms of the potential terrorist-haven scenario and (more importantly, in my view) in terms of the spiraling-out-of-control regional hotbed scenario-- and in all of those cases, there is a great likelihood that in due course, we would find ourselves right back fighting the same people, in the same place, months or years down the road, regardless of any withdrawal right here, and right now."

"Ultimately, McCain earned credit from me for not running the tired and rather simplistic and therefore only half-accurate line that "we have to win because if we don't beat them there, we'll have to fight them here." That may be true on one level, but as I've said before, it's not the best argument to make in relation to staying in Iraq (or, rather, against the pursuit of other options) and frankly, it sounds desperate, pathetic, fear-mongering and propagandist to most people now. Instead of falling for the simple talking point, McCain actually offered some thoughts, some rationale and some logic-- all of which are in desperately short supply in politics these days."

"McCain was also brilliant, as pretty much all the major pundits have noted, in responding to the young woman whose brother died in Iraq. He was genuine, heartfelt, sympathetic, compassionate and honest. His response to her was perhaps the finest moment of the entire debate, and he absolutely shone. If there is any argument for a McCain presidency, it is essentially the character and personality that was demonstrated by his response to her question."

Debate Highlights

2007-06-06T20:14:00.000-05:00

Pundits and political experts seem to give John McCain very high grades for his debate last night in New Hampshire. For your reading pleasure, I included links on post-debate analysis.

The most talked about segment was when McCain stood up to address a lady who recently lost her brother in the Iraq War. It was very touching and showed a level of empathy that is simply not found on the "other" side of the aisle.......

Even more symbolic is how up until that point in the debate (the second half) all the candidates were sitting down. McCain, being the leader that he is, began a trend of standing up to answer questions, which was followed by every other candidate. Maybe I'm reading into it too much but, yet, this appears to be another example of McCain leading and everyone else following.

Debate analysis:

Jonathan Martin from the Politico: "John McCain turned in a strong and steady performance. He was clearly prepared for the immigration question, and offered an effective defense of his position."

Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: "As we said above, this debate was all about moments. And to our mind, McCain had two of the best in the two-hour scrum."

Marc Ambinder from the Atlantic: "McCain's easy command on national security issues drew the evening's first applause when he criticized Hillary Clinton for calling Iraq "Bush's war.........A very good night for him, too. At times, he was noticeably in a league of his own."

After the debate, a slew of McCain supporters celebrated with the Senator for a masterful performance:

"Character, integrity, vision, straight talk, compassion, and leadership...."

Not afraid to debate

2007-06-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Solving our illegal immigration problem is controversial. McCain and President Bush have proposed, along with other Democratic and Republican Senators, a comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders and protect our values. The reform includes a guest worker program.

Some will say that this is amnesty for the illegals that are already here but isn't doing nothing amnesty also? As John McCain said on the O'Reilly Factor, "Right now it's de facto amnesty because we have 12 million people here illegally." Many want to criticize the bill but none offer alternatives. Gov. Romney has been a vocal opponent, however, we all continue to wait for his policy recommendation.

Not only is McCain leading the immigration reform, he is not afraid to debate the issue. According the the Washington Post, he's been on "The Mike Gallagher Show," Sean Hannity's radio show," The Michael Medved Show," "Captain's Quarters Blog Radio", and entered the No Spin Zone with Bill O'Reilly (see video below). Truly, this is a presidential quality - to be able to take a stand on a policy that you feel in your heart is the best for the American people and also be open to stumping for the policy (Not unlike Pres. George W. Bush and his social security privatization plan).

McCain continues to lead in IA, NH, and SC

2007-05-30T21:13:00.000-05:00

Despite being in the middle of the heated immigration debate (will post on this later this week) that has divided the party, McCain's numbers in the Big 3 remain solid according to the latest ARG poll on May 29. What's even better is that John McCain continues to receive support from independents who are likely Republican primary voters/caucus goers in Iowa (48%), New Hampshire (40%), and South Carolina (41%).

Let's break down the numbers for the top 3 vote-getters in each state (and yes, Fred Thompson is included in each poll).

Iowa: McCain 25%, Giuliani 23%, Romney 16%
New Hampshire: McCain 30%, Romney 23%, Giuliani 21%
South Carolina: McCain 32%, Giuliani 23%, Thompson 13%, Romney 10%

And in graph form...

Maverick Unleashed

2007-05-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of postings. We are trying to get into the swing of things for summer. With '08 officially underway, MFM promises more regular postings in June.

In case you missed it, John McCain has come out swinging in the last few weeks at opponents from both sides of the aisle.....

On a blogger conference call last week, McCain blasted Romney for his attacks on the guest worker immigration plan. Agree or disagree on the contentious issue of immigration (I'll post this later), it is important for Republicans to debate issues and policies. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney has no immigration policy so he has resorted to attacks on McCain in order to score political points.

When asked on how he felt about Romney's criticisms towards his guest worker program, McCain told reporters, "In the case of Governor Romney, you know, maybe I should wait a couple of weeks and see if it changes, because it's changed in less than a year from his position before. And maybe his solution will be to get out his small-varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn. I don't know," McCain said.

Ouch.

Then, on May 25, McCain chided Senator Clinton and Obama for there "No" votes on the Iraq War funding bill: "This vote may win favor with MoveOn and liberal primary voters, but it's the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda."

Senator Obama didn't take too kindly to the truth. Obama reiterated his disagreement with Republicans on the Iraq War and supported his claim by mocking McCain's recent trip to Iraq: "And if there ever was a reflection of that it's the fact that Senator McCain required a flack jacket, ten armored Humvees, two Apache attack helicopters, and 100 soldiers with rifles by his side to stroll through a market in Baghdad just a few weeks ago."

So what's a Maverick to do? Reload and fire away..

McCain:
"While Senator Obama's two years in the U.S. Senate certainly entitle him to vote against funding our troops, my service and experience combined with conversations with military leaders on the ground in Iraq lead me to believe that we must give this new strategy a chance to succeed because the consequences of failure would be catastrophic to our nation's security. ""By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket."

Zing! Some may dislike McCain's style and approach but I for one enjoy his candor and no-holds-bar approach. Keep it coming Johnny!

Will the real Romney please stand up?

2007-05-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

In 2002, Mitt Romney was not only for campaign finance reform - he was a radical reformist. According to The Hill, in 2002:

“Mr. Romney campaigned in favor of clean elections, which provides public money to candidates for state office who meet strict fundraising requirements,” the Telegram & Gazette reported. “But he suggested an alternative funding method. Instead of providing campaign funds from state coffers, his plan would tap 10 percent of the fundraising of candidates who choose to raise money privately.”

Not radical enough for you? How about banning evil PACS? In 1994, Romney's "advocated on publicly advocated placing spending limits on congressional campaigns and abolishing political action committees (PACs)."

Fast foward to 2007 in South Carolina

Romney attacks McCain-Feingold and campaign finance reform at the debate hoping to score political points. Which led to this exchange:

Soaring Since California

2007-05-15T16:36:00.000-05:00

With the second debate just hours away, let us take a moment to reflect on what has happened since the last debate.

Two weeks ago, John McCain gave an impressive performance in California at the first Republican debate. He declared that he would "follow Osama to the gates of hell" and would veto pork-laden legislation and "make its authors famous". Pundits took notice. The National Review asserted that "McCain has stolen Rudy's fire" and a CEO of Red State, Erick Erickson, would "vote for John McCain, if the primary was today."

But the pundits weren't the only people to take notice. May polls showed an increase in support for McCain among Republicans and a decrease in support for his opponents. Want proof?

A Mason-Dixon poll now has McCain leading Nevada, the state that may go before Super Super Tuesday and after the Big 3. McCain leads with 19%.

In California, a state that has so far been a Giuliani stronghold, McCain has dramatically edged Giuliani's lead down to a mere 3% or a statistical tie.

In a national primary, among Republican primary voters, McCain stays within 4% of Giuliani and both increase their leads over Mitt Romney, who is stuck at single digits. Without Fred Thompson, McCain and Giuliani both garner over 30% of the vote. Most importantly, the ARG poll has McCain reclaiming the support of independent conservatives (support among indep. McCain: 46% Giuliani: 21%).

Another CNN poll, with Fred Thompson, has McCain within 2% of the leader, Giuliani.

And who can forget these numbers in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina (click to enlarge):

So what's the point? We may look back to the first debate in California to the time that John McCain first began close in on Giuliani........and with a strong showing tonight, we may be looking back to May 15, 2007 as the date that John McCain "won" the nomination.

Debate Tonight!!

2007-05-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

Make sure to watch Senator John McCain defend his title from the first GOP debate this evening at 9pm EST.

Go McCain!

McCain wins GOP Bloggers Poll in Michigan for the 2nd month in a row!!!

2007-05-04T02:04:00.000-05:00

For the second month in a row John McCain has show himself to be the candidate to beat in Michigan.

This victory comes on the heels of new poll numbers that show McCain leading the pack in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Here are the GOP Blogger numbers for Michigan:

McCain 202 (36.1%)
F. Thompson 174 (31.1%)
Romney 45 (8.1%)
Giuliani 43 (7.7%)
Gingrich 35 (6.3%)
(none) 17 (3%)
Hunter 16 (2.9%)
Brownback 11 (2%)
Tancredo 10 (1.8%)
Huckabee 3 (0.5%)
T. Thompson 2 (0.4%)
Pataki 1 (0.2%

McCain ahead in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina

2007-05-03T20:38:00.000-05:00

Poll Update McCain leads in three early primary states

2007-05-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

HT to Politico.

According to a recent ARG Poll John McCain has surged ahead in New Hampshire and Iowa and remains the front runner in South Carolina.

According to Josh Martin at The Politico -

ARG has new numbers today from the early state troika, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, showing McCain ahead in all three.

He' s up by 7 percent over Rudy in Iowa, 5 percent over Romney in New Hampshire and 13 percent over Rudy in South Carolina.

Per pollster Dick Bennett, McCain has gained strength among independents and continues to do well among Republicans.

He notes that this could be the beginning of the McCain "re-surge", which is something that I also wrote about a little while back as the "McCain Moment" arriving.

With McCain coming off an impressive run of major policy speeches that set him apart as far as experience among the current crop of GOP hopefuls, and a stellar announcement tour in all of the states included in this poll, it sure seems like the Senator's message is resonating with the voters in South Carolina, Iowa, and New Hampshire.

And Away We Go!!!!!!!!

Show your support for McCain in the new GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

2007-04-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

McCain wants to know what issues you want to get some "Straight Talk" about

2007-04-26T12:26:00.000-05:00

Video of McCain's announcement speech

2007-04-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

Excerpts of McCain's announcement speech

2007-04-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

"I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me...."

"I'm not running for President to be somebody, but to do something; to do the hard but necessary things not the easy and needless things. I'm running for President to protect our country from harm and defeat its enemies. I'm running for President to make the government do its job, not your job; to do it with less and to do it better. I'm not running to leave our biggest problems to an unluckier generation of leaders, but to fix them now, and fix them well. I'm running for President to make sure America maintains its place as the political and economic leader of the world; the country that doesn't fear change, but makes change work for us; the country that doesn't long for the good old days, but aspires to even better days. I'm running for President of the United States; not yesterday's country; not a defeated country; not a bankrupt country; not a timid and frightened country; not a country fragmented into bickering interest groups with no sense of the national interest; not a country with a bloated, irresponsible and incompetent government. I'm running for President of the United States, a blessed country, a proud country, a hopeful country, the most powerful and prosperous country and the greatest force for good on earth. And when I'm President, I intend to keep it so."

~Sen. John McCain

Click here to read the rest of McCain's truly inspiring announcement speech.

And so it begins....

2007-04-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

Check out the new website design as well...very nifty!

Kudos to Team McCain for launching an official campaign blog. Now you can read whats new with the campaign directly from the campaign.

CJ, can we add them to the blogroll?

Michigan Veterans Join the State Advisory Committee for the McCain Campaign

2007-04-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

MICHIGAN VETERANS SUPPORT JOHN MCCAIN

Veterans Join State Advisory Committee

ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the creation of the Michigan Veterans Advisory Committee. The state veterans’ leadership team is made up of former POWs, senior ranking officers and non-commissioned officers, state veterans’ group leaders, as well as elected officials.

“John McCain’s unwavering support for our men and women in uniform in the face of political adversity proves that he is uniquely prepared to be our Commander-In-Chief,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel and Michigan State Senator John Pappageorge.

“We are proud to stand with a fellow POW and support his candidacy for President of the United States,” said former POW Donald “Digger” Odell. “He is a man of honor and dignity who can lead America’s foreign policy from day one.”

Lieutenant Colonel Hank Fuhs, a 31-year veteran of the Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force, and Secretary of the Michigan Republican Party, will chair the Michigan Veterans Advisory Committee.

Senator John McCain stated that he was proud to have the support of these respected veterans. “These individuals have earned the respect of their country and communities, and I am thankful for their leadership as we move forward in this campaign.”

MICHIGAN VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Lieutenant Colonel Hank Fuhs – Chair

Colonel Robert Abbott
Michael Bruntjens
Captain Rob Deane
James Duray
General David Hall
Dan Healy
Vicki Healy
Carnie Jackson
Gary Lane
Command Master Chief Claude McManus
Donald Meskill
Thomas Mullaney
Sylvia Nicholas
Louis Oberle
Lieutenant Colonel Donald Odell
Rick Orlowski
State Senator John Pappageorge Captain Brian Ratzlaff
Major Rocky Roskowski
Ralph Shufeldt
Steve Washington
Sergeant Major Bill Womer

McCain on top in South Carolina

2007-04-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

Hotline has the results of a recent Zogby Poll taken in South Carolina.

McCain 22%
Giuliani 19%
Fred Thompson 11%
Mitt Romney 10%

According to Zogby "He [McCain] leads every age category, and self-identified "born again" voters favor him over Giuliani 22-16 percent. McCain also has a double digit lead in the conservative upstate, where his presidential campaign effectively ended in 2000. McCain is beating Giuliani there 26 to 15 percent with Romney at 10 percent. "

This poll might add some substance to concerns over the legitimacy of some recent Romney Straw Poll victories.

Some have accused the Romney campaign of rigging the victories (nothing new for a straw poll) but then touting the results as proof that Romney was dominating support among GOP Presidential contenders with likely primary voters. (Some of those straw polls contained as many as 82 voters!!!!)

While straw poll victories are cute and nifty ways to get some positive press for your candidate; it is poll numbers like the ones from Zogby which serve as a clear window into a states political landscape.

Clearly that landscape is being dominated by McCain.

McCain speech on energy policy and security

2007-04-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

Get all the highlights and info here.

MoveOn goes after McCain

2007-04-20T12:16:00.001-05:00

Well, it didn't take the liberals long. This is being circulated by a far leftist organization, MoveOn. They plan to air a similar ad on TV.

Fox News reports that MoveOn plans to spend about $100,000 to air a commercial on network and some cable television stations in Iowa and New Hampshire, states that hold early contests in the presidential nomination process, spokesman Alex Howe said Friday.

Okay, MoveOn is responding to John McCain doing a Beach Boy parody with Iran. Click here to see it. It was an honest question from a concerned citizen asking when we will get tough on Iran.

The liberal group says that McCain's comments are "reckless." The truth is that liberal groups are becoming afraid of facing McCain in the general election. They foresee that foreign policy issues (Iraq, Iran, North Korea) will be the focal point in 2008, and it must be a terrifying thought to go up against McCain's military history/record with Senator Obama, whos dangerous Jimmy Carter-like rhetoric will not be bought by the American public.

The campaigns response to the ad:
“It comes as no surprise that America’s most liberal interest group would attack John McCain’s belief that we cannot allow Iran to destroy Israel. After all, MoveOn.org posted ads comparing President Bush to Hitler during the last Presidential election.”

And the best response is from the Senator himself when asked about his "singing" today: "My response is, Lighten up and get a life."

MFM is squarely behind McCain on this. Iran is the most dangerous threat to world security. I don't need to remind everyone of the countless times their "President" has belittled the Holocaust, said he intends to wipe Israel off the map, and threatened the western world. Also, considering Iran supplies terrorist groups right now, it is possible (if not probable) that they would sell nuclear weapons to these terrorist groups to do their bidding. John McCain himself said it best: "There is only one thing worse than going to war with Iran, and that is Iran having nuclear weapons."

The old saying rings true here: When groups like this start attacking you, you know you are doing something right.

Breaking News McCain to announce April 25th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-04-18T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a little teaser from the campaign.

It looks like McCain is the talk of the blogosphere

2007-04-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

"The following graphs compare how often the Democratic and Republican candidates for president are mentioned by name in the blogosphere, both in the last 30 days and in the last 90 days."

From: http://techpresident.com/tracks

Video of McCain's Economic Policy Speech

2007-04-17T10:33:00.001-05:00

McCain on Economic Policy

2007-04-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

You can read a copy of Senator McCain's speech on Economic Policy here.

Here are some tasty tidbits to wet your whistle:

"Government should never ask from American families more than is necessary to do the things they cannot do for themselves. It should spend money as wisely as they would, and exercise its responsibilities as competently as they exercise theirs. "

"Pork barrel politics balkanizes America into competing interests groups just as race-based or religion-based or class-based politics do. Congress is the national legislature, not a town council, not a state assembly, not a corporate boardroom. And it should be concerned with meeting national priorities, not fostering greater social divisions by squabbling over who gets the bigger piece of the federal pie at the cost of the national interest. "

"To illustrate how badly the problem skews our priorities look at the recent debate in Congress over the spending bill to support our troops in Iraq. Democratic leaders wanted to use the bill to force the President to withdraw our troops from Iraq by next year. But they didn't have the votes. Some Democrats wanted them withdrawn sooner and some worried, rightly I might add, that Congress should fund or not fund the war, but it shouldn't make tactical decisions that are best left to our generals in the field. To win their votes, Democratic leaders didn't persuade them of the merits of their proposal. They bought them. They took the lid off the pork barrel, and said to wavering members â€˜help yourself, there's plenty more where that came from.' They gave $7 million to research water quality on pig farms in Missouri; $24 million to sugar beet farmers; $74 million for peanut storage; $95 million to dairy producers and nearly $400 million for highway projects, two years after we passed a $244 billion highway bill.

This war is more important than a new highway overpass, a pig farm or a peanut barn. And most Americans, whether they support or oppose the war, expect their representatives to cast an honest vote on whether to fund it, and not use it as another excuse to waste their money."

"I believe the President should have the line item veto as 43 governors have, and I'll fight to get it. But I won't wait for it. Give me the pen, and I'll use it. I won't just talk about it, or threaten it, or use it once and put it back in the drawer to gather dust. Give me the pen, and I'll veto every single pork barrel bill Congress sends me, and if they keep sending them to me, I'll use the bully pulpit to make the people who are wasting your money famous."

I'll post some video as soon as I can find it.

Has the McCain Moment arrived?

2007-04-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

Kudos to the folks over at Brainster's Blog for their thoughts on this.

Last month, Ramesh Ponnuru, from the National Review wrote a cover story on some reasons the McCain campaign was very likely and well positioned to shine very brightly in the near future.

You can read most of the article here.

"McCain has the moral authority to get a country that has grown tired of the war to listen to him, an authority President Bush has seen slip away. That isn’t just because he is a former prisoner of war with one son serving in the Marines and another in the Naval Academy — although that helps. It is because he is not seen as playing politics with the war, as most Democrats and Republicans are, and he never will be."

Brainster Blog points out some key signs that might signal the start of the McCain Moment that Ponnuru predicted.

Robert Caldwell's Human Events article about Senator McCain; A Profile in Courage, Principle.

"A lesser man than John McCain might be backing away from his previous support for the war-gone-bad in Iraq. What we're seeing instead is the very opposite of political expediency -- a Churchillian call to endure and prevail in an admittedly unpopular war but still a fight that McCain believes America cannot afford to lose.

McCain's Virginia Military Institute speech April 11 stands as his most compelling case yet for persevering in Iraq. Moreover, McCain's steadfast demonstration of principle over polls shows more courage and character than any other presidential aspirant in either party."

New Poll numbers that shows support for McCain, who has always been at the top of the pecking order, increasing. (Full Results)

"Giuliani, the former New York mayor, had a healthy 16-point lead over the Arizona senator last month, but that has dwindled to six points -- that is, if either Thompson or Gingrich enters the race.

Should they both toss their hats in the ring, Giuliani's lead over McCain drops to three points, 27 percent to 24 percent."

While others are slipping:

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who led Republican hopefuls in first-quarter fundraising with $23 million, slid into the No. 4 spot -- between Thompson and Gingrich -- with 10 percent of the vote"

With McCain in the midst's of three major policy speeches that will serve to define his candidacy and show the American people why he is right person to lead America in the upcoming election the campaign seems to be firing on all cylinders.

His first speech, on the Iraq War at the VMI received praise across the board and showed McCain's credibility and leadership potential.

Here are some highlights:

His second speech, on the subject of economic policy, is to be delivered today. (You will be able to see highlights of it and sign the petition to eliminate wasteful government spending at McCain's website here.)

The third speech, which will be on the subject of energy-security policy, is scheduled to be delivered on April 23rd.

These speeches will continue to highlight McCain's knowledge and experience in vital areas of concern to the American public and they will serve to bring the Senator's message to a broader group of Americans.

All of this coupled along with the Senator's revamped fundraising efforts sure makes it seem like that Coming McCain Moment that Punnuru had spoke about has arrived.

McCain in Kalamazoo Update

2007-04-14T14:52:00.001-05:00

Also a good article

Breaking News Senator McCain dominates West Michigan Straw Poll

2007-04-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

HT to Michigan Conservative Dossier for putting up this press release.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Senator Wayne Kuipers 4/12/07
(616)-393-7700

McCain Wins Ottawa County Straw Poll

Shows Strong Support in West Michigan

Holland, MI – Today, the Ottawa County Republican Party held their annual Lincoln Day Dinner celebration at the Tulip City Airport. Senator John McCain was the event’s guest of honor and featured speaker.

A 2008 Presidential Straw poll was held at the event among the attendees and members of the Ottawa County Republican County.

With a total of 1683 votes cast, the results were as follows:

McCain 69%

Romney 14%

Gingrich 5%

Giuliani 5%

Rest 7%

“Senator McCain’s message is clearly resonating among the members and supporters of our Party,” said Senator Wayne Kuipers. “Republicans in West Michigan respect Senator McCain’s principled and consistent positions on the issues facing our nation and strong support for winning the war in Iraq.”

McCain on staking his '08 bid on Iraq, the surge, bloggers, and Al-Sadr

2007-04-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I had the opportunity to join in a blogger conference call with John McCain. The topic was the War in Iraq.

He was quick to point out the wonders of the blogosphere and emphasized a McCain presidency would keep the public better informed on the War (providing it is still going on). A McCain presidency would hold conference calls with conservative and liberal bloggers every 2 weeks. He wasn’t sure how this would work, but was confident there would be a way to rotate who asks questions and to get more people involved. As President, he would also hold press conferences on Iraq every two weeks as well. He recommended that they be broadcasted on C-SPAN, and would use a map to pin point what is going on where.

McCain also (and I agree) claimed that since the main stream media is hesitant to run any success stories on Iraq, it is up to bloggers to get the truth out.

Here are some highlights of the conference call with the bloggers questions and John McCain’s answers.

Q: On the Democrats’ plan for withdraw:

McCain: "Of those who favor a withdraw or timetable, [they] do not tell us how they will handle the situation when we leave. I believe chaos will ensure and other nations will enter the region and Al-Qaeda will become even more present in Iraq……[The] Senate did unanimously appoint General Petraeus and we should give him the time [to implement his strategy]”

Q: Caller was concerned of the politics of the war. How do we convince the public that we can win this thing?

McCain: “Town hall meetings, letters to the editor….Bloggers are important. They pay more attention than anybody. I have to give speeches on the Senate…..If I was the President, I would be going once every two weeks on C-SPAN to give an update on the war. Be more specific.”

Q: On Al-Sadr telling all Iraqis to attack American troops

McCain: “Heard several times that he was telling his forces to attack U.S. It hasn’t happened…. Interesting is the demonstrations that took place yesterday in Naraj. They were peaceful and no U.S. military there. Yes, the demonstration was for us leaving but it was peaceful and the Iraqi police monitored it. They were taking part in the democratic process.”

“Al-Sadr is in a bit of a tenuous situation. Most people are tired of his constant fighting and executions. One of the key elements that gives us hope are the dramatic reduction in number of bodies that are on the streets on Baghdad. Went from 100 to 30 . Still terrible and completely unacceptable but a dramatic change. ….Al-Sadr will not order a dramatic attack against us because if he loses, he is finished.”

Q: On the pundits and Washington Post claiming that McCain is staking his GOP bid on Iraq

McCain: “I have held this position for 4 years and I can not let anything to do with my political career effect my judgment on Iraq. Not only do I not know but I do not care on what affect it is has on my political ambitions or aspirations. For me to think otherwise, it would be a great great betrayal of the young men and women serving.”

Q: How and when do you determine success or failure in Iraq of the new strategy?

McCain: “Militarily, it has a lot of nuances. But we will know fairly soon whether the Maliki government will take the necessary actions that are vital to making the process succeed. One is the oil revenue. Two, is the de-bathification. Three, is declaring the provinces able to hold elections. [The] Sunni boycotted the last election which resulted in the Shiite being elected in the Anbar province” Militarily it will be a tough road but there are early signs that are encouraging."
“I’ve talked to General Petraeus on several occasions and I’m convinced that he is a man of honor and if he is convinced that the strategy is not succeeding, he will tell the American President and he will tell the American people.”

Excerpts of McCain's VMI Speech

2007-04-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

Senator McCain gave an excellent speech this afternoon over at the VMI on the future of the Iraq war. You can read the full text of the speech here.

Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

"And now we confront a choice as historically important as any we have faced in a long while. Will this nation's elected leaders make the politically hard but strategically vital decision to give General Petraeus our full support and do what is necessary to succeed in Iraq? Or will we decide to take advantage of the public's frustration, accept defeat, and hope that whatever the cost to our security the politics of defeat will work out better for us than our opponents? For my part, I would rather lose a campaign than a war. " [Emphasis Added]

"We must gain the active support of modernizers across the Muslim world, who want to share in the benefits of the global system and its economic success, and who aspire to the political freedom that is, I truly believe, the natural desire of the human heart. No matter how much attention their ruthless tactics receive, terrorists are not the true face of Islam. Devout Muslims in Lebanon, Indonesia, Pakistan and Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, and in Iraq, aspire to progress for their societies in which basic human needs are met for more than the privileged few and basic human rights are respected. "

"Many in Washington have called for an end to our involvement in Iraq. Yet they offer no opinion about the consequences of this course of action beyond a vague assurance that all will be well if the Iraqis are left to work out their differences themselves. It is obviously true that no military solution is capable of doing what the Iraqis won't do politically. But, my friends, no political solution has a chance to succeed when al Qaeda is free to foment civil war and Iraqis remain dependent on sectarian militias to protect their children from being murdered. "

"To enumerate the strategic interests at stake in Iraq does not address our moral obligation to a people we liberated from Saddam Hussein's tyranny."

"We are engaged in a basic struggle: a struggle between humanity and inhumanity; between builders and destroyers. If fighting these people and preventing the export of their brand of radicalism and terror is not intrinsic to the national security and most cherished values of the United States, I don't know what is."

"We, who are willing to support this new strategy, and give General Petraeus the time and support he needs, have chosen a hard road. But it is the right road."

The War You Are Not Reading About

2007-04-09T16:44:00.000-05:00

In Sunday's Washington Post, John McCain wrote an op-ed that highlights his experiences from his recent trip to Iraq, the successes (that we are not being told of), and why we can't give up.
Click here to read the article

McCain cited these as examples of successes:

· Sunni sheikhs in Anbar are now fighting al-Qaeda. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited Anbar's capital, Ramadi, to meet with Sunni tribal leaders. The newly proposed de-Baathification legislation grew out of that meeting. Police recruitment in Ramadi has increased dramatically over the past four months.

· More than 50 joint U.S.-Iraqi stations have been established in Baghdad. Regular patrols establish connections with the surrounding neighborhood, resulting in a significant increase in security and actionable intelligence.

· Extremist Shiite militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr is in hiding, his followers are not contesting American forces, sectarian violence has dropped in Baghdad and we are working with the Shiite mayor of Sadr City.

· Iraqi army and police forces are increasingly fighting on their own and with American forces, and their size and capability are growing. Iraqi army and police casualties have increased because they are fighting more.

Update: Conservative bloggers at Red State are describing McCain's steadfast support as a "Profile In Courage." No argument here.

Senator McCain continued faith in Iraq seems to be paying off

2007-04-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

“We have a long way to go in Iraq . There is tough, difficult work ahead. But we are making progress, and there is reason for cautious optimism about President Bush's surge. Despite all you see and hear in the media, there is a springtime of hope beginning in Iraq . I saw it on the faces of hundreds of ordinary Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad .”

~Rep. Mike Pence

Read the rest of Rep. Pence's comments here.

It has been well documented that Senator McCain has been one of the few people who has publicly spoken out and taken a great interest in accomplishing what we set out to in Iraq.

McCain has vocally stood behind President Bush in his continued quest to aid in securing a safe, free, and democratic Iraq. Sen. McCain realizes, just as President Bush does, that the our safety, along with the safety and stability of the volatile Middle East depends on accomplishing this goal.

Well it appears that McCain's continued faith in the ability and talents of our brave military to accomplish what they set out to is paying off.

Here is a video of Gen. David Petraeus talking about McCain recent visit to Iraq.

And here is a video of a recent ABC report on the improving conditions in Iraq.

John McCain wins GOP Bloggers Straw Poll for Michigan!

2007-04-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

McCain won with 30% of the on-line vote for Michigan Republican Bloggers over the weekend. That bested Fred Thompson and Gingrich and it was nearly 20% better than Mitt Romney. This poll compiled with the normal Michigan polls show that he is #1 in Michigan among on-line grassroots activists and regular party voters. Proving once again that Michigan is (still) McCain country!

McCain in Michigan!!

2007-03-30T20:10:00.000-05:00

Sen. John McCain will be in Michigan on April 12 -13 speaking at some local GOP functions.

Get your tickets as soon as possible and go support your local GOP. Oh ya...and see the next President of the United States in person!!

Here are the events that I am aware of:

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN REAGAN DAY DINNER
Date: Thursday, April 12th, 2007
Location: Shenandoah Country Club
Time: VIP Reception-5pm, Dinner-5:30pm
Dinner tickets: $65
Table for 12: $780
For more information: 9th District- 248-375-9431, 11th District-734-727-4890
Make checks payable to: 9th District Republican Committee, P.O. Box 4553,Troy, MI 48099 or 11th CDRC, 6408 Durham, Canton, MI 48187

OTTAWA COUNTY LINCOLN DAY DINNER
Date: Thursday, April 12th, 2007
Time: Doors open at 6:00pm, dinner served at 7:00pm
Dinner tickets: $60
Location: Tulip City Airport
Table for 10: $600
For more information: 616-396-3791
Make checks payable to: Ottawa County Republican Party,13 E. 8th St. Suite21, Holland, MI 49423

KALAMAZOO COUNTY LINCOLN DAY LUNCHEON
Date: Friday, April 13th, 2007
Time: 12:00pm Location: Radisson Plaza Hotel-Main Ballroom
Luncheon tickets: $50.00
Table for 8: $380
For more information: 269-330-4051
Make checks payable to: Republican Party of Kalamazoo County, PO Box 1502,Portage, MI 49081

Brian Calley Joins Supporters Of McCain

2007-03-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

Michigan State Representative Endorses Common Sense Conservatism

ARLINGTON, VA - U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that Michigan State Representative Brian Calley will support the Arizona Senator on his road to the White House.

"I am privileged to announce my support for John McCain as he seeks the White House," said Calley. "Senator McCain is a leader with a distinguished conservative record that will resonate with Michiganders."

Senator John McCain spoke to having Brian Calley's support. "I am honored to have his endorsement and look forward to his leadership in Michigan," said Senator McCain.

McCain's Blogger Conference Call

2007-03-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

Red State's Erick Erikson has some good thoughts on the call:

- "John McCain had a conference call with bloggers this morning to talk about the War in Iraq and answer other questions. First, let me say it was very commendable of him to do so."

- "He suggested that when the President vetoes the legislation, the President should hold a press conference and read all the bribes in the bill -- every earmark the Democrats attached to the supplemental funding.

That is a truly terrific idea."

Eye on 08' also has some great coverage of the call:

McCain tied for first in Iowa

2007-03-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

Check out the full analysis over at Krusty Konservative.

"The American Research Group recently conducted a presidential poll of Iowans. The poll was conducted from March 19th through March 22nd; they surveyed 600 (515 Republicans, and 85 Independents) likely Republican caucus goers living in Iowa. Here is how the presidential hopefuls placed."

Republicans

Rudy Giuliani – 29%

John McCain – 29%

Fred Thompson – 12%

Mitt Romney – 10%

Newt Gingrich – 7%

Chuck Hagel – 1%

Tom Tancredo – 1%

Tommy Thompson – 1%

Gallup Poll for March 2007

2007-03-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

For Giuliani and Romney, March came in like a lion and out like a lamb. Both candidates lost support, especially Giuliani. But astute MFM readers will find Rudy's loss of support as no surprise. It was predicted here.

Meanwhile, John McCain climbed in the polls. Team McCain continues to do well, but then again, the Straight Talk Express speaks for itself. Sam Brownback did well too and is now tied with Romney for 5th place. Respectable for Brownback considering Romney has more name recognition, a larger organization, and has already ran commercials.

Clearly, there's a long way to go and much work to be done. In the end though, I am confident that voters will see John McCain as the only candidate that can win the White House in 2008 and advance the conservative agenda.

McCain's numbers on the move in key states

2007-03-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

Check out this article from over at the Politico. Apparently the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire liked what they saw from the recent campaign stop of the "Straight Talk Express."

"In Iowa, ARG now has McCain and Rudy tied at 29%, with Thompson at 12% and Romney at 10%. 11% of likely caucus goers -- a notoriously tough universe to sample -- said they were undecided. McCain leads Giuliani 39%-30% among Independents in the Hawkeye State."

"In New Hampshire, ARG has McCain at 23% to Rudy's 19%. Romney gets 17%, Newt 11% and Thompson 10%. 15% of likely Granite State primary voters are undecided. Among Indepdenents there -- the folks who powered the maverick to victory in the 2000 New Hampshire primary -- McCain's lead over Rudy grows to 33%-22%."

Tom Ridge on McCain

2007-03-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

Story

Great read and a great endorsement for Team McCain. If you recall, Tom Ridge was the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a former Governor of Pennsylvania. He says McCain "fits the times" and "is a citizen's soldier." Ridge stresses how McCain is the most equipped person to keep our country safe from those that want to see us destroyed. Strong stuff.

More Ridge:

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, much has changed. We are safer than we have ever been. We are thriving despite those who tried to thwart us. Progress is measurable, but we must make the utmost effort to sustain those successes and build new means to protect and defend the nation and to prosper in a 21st-century world. We must face difficulty as the definition of difficulty continues to change.

The challenge of our time, however, is not simply to change, but also to leave nothing to chance. That is particularly true when electing the next president of the United States.
John McCain is well known as the soldier's soldier and the citizen's soldier, whose attention to duty to country is unequalled. We know the mettle of the man who has been tested and has passed the test – as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, as a member of the United States Congress, and as a statesman who engenders the respect of our friends and allies around the world.

McCain ahead in new poll of likely MIGOP Primary voters

2007-03-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

According to a new poll conducted by EPIC ▪ MRA Senator John McCain is the front runner for the GOP nomination here in Michigan.

You can see the full results of the poll here.

The poll broke down in the following order:

30% John McCain
26% Rudy Giuliani
21% Mitt Romney
16% Newt Gingrich
2% Fred Thompson [volunteered]
1% Sam Brownback
4% Undecided

It's back!!!! The Straight Talk Express Rides Again

2007-03-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

Via the Politico this morning, I noticed that John McCain brought out a revamped version of the famed Straight Talk Express from his 2000 campaign.

IMO this is a great move by the Senator as he moves around the country and tries to brand his image for a 2008 run at the White House.

My favorite part of the Politico article is this quote:

"John McCain is different and his Straight Talk Express is different and America is different."

I think that sums up my thoughts on the McCain campaign perfectly. The Senator made a valiant go at it in 2000, but when it was all said and done 00' was just not the right time for John McCain.

After doing what any noble politician would do, he accepted his defeat, stayed true to his principles and worked with the administration to protect and serve America.

Quantum Leap to 2007-2008....

Here we are now, post 9/11 and wrapped in a struggle to bring freedom and democracy to the Middle East...the Politico's thoughts ring very true:

"John McCain is different and his Straight Talk Express is different and America is different."

John McCain is not the same candidate he was in 2000, America is not the same place it was in 2000, but one thing is the same; the Straight Talk Express is still ready and willing to give Americans a no nonsense, common sense view on the state of America and the direction we need to go...

Think you know more about hoops than McCain?

2007-03-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

March Madness is heating up and John McCain is taking notice. At the campaign site, there is a bracket challenge with the winners receiving free McCain '08 gear. And by the way, you are competing against the Senator. Up to the challenge? Click here to fill out your bracket and try to best John and other McCaniacs in prognosticating!

On a side note (to Senator McCain, if you are reading this), Washington State in the Elite 8? Are you kidding me? Well, at least, you have my Spartans getting past Marquette....

Michigan Conservatives Flocking To McCain

2007-03-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

With the addition to the Sen. Cropsey endorsement/hire yesterday, a clear trend is developing in Michigan. Influential, out-spoken conservatives in Michigan are backing John McCain for President in 2008.

It began with Attorney General Mike Cox, who was one fo the Michigan Republicans that survived the anti-GOP storm in '06. Both MI RNC Committee persons Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes got on board. Soon after, Keith Butler, the Reverend that ran for the Senate in 2006, joined the team as Co-Chair for the MI Conservatives For McCain group. The Oakland County Clerk and Dick DeVos's running mate in 2006, Ruth Johnson, is on the steering committee. And yesterday, a leading, vocal activist with the proposition to ban gay marriage in 2004, MI Sen. Alan Cropsey officially joined.

While other candidates may lay claim to endorsements of State Representatives and District Chairs, McCain's team is led by the most well-known Republicans in the state. Not too mention, Team McCain also has a host of grassroots leaders and State Legislatives .

All in all, regarding structure, organization, and notable endorsements, Michigan is quickly becoming not only the lead state for Team McCain, but a pedestal for all other campaigns to emulate.

McCain leads in key states

2007-03-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

According to an American Research Group 2008 poll conducted on March 9, John McCain is out in front on three very important states; Michigan (speaks for itself), South Carolina (the first southern state to hold a primary), and Florida (a state that Team Romney is investing heavily in).

Oh yeah, John McCain was also victorious in a South Carolina GOP straw poll two weeks ago. The poll was taken in Spartanburg County, which is widely regarded as the most conservative area in the state.

Senator Cropsey to Serve as Co-Chair of The Americans of Faith Coalition in Michigan

2007-03-12T21:58:00.000-05:00

"Senator McCain shares my passion for nominating constructionists that strictly interpret the Constitution, not legislate from the bench. I’m honored to support him and I look forward to spreading his conservative message throughout the state.”

~Senator Alan Cropsey

Team McCain made another impressive addition to their Michigan organization today with the announcement of Senator Alan Crosby. Senator Crosby will serve as the Co-Chair of The Americans of Faith Coalition here in Michigan.

According to a press statement released earlier today by the McCain organization:

"Alan Cropsey has served the state of Michigan for over 25 years. Cropsey began his impressive career in 1979 when he was first elected to the Michigan legislature. Currently, he represents the 33rd District in the Michigan Senate and chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee."

This pickup for Team McCain adds to the list of conservative leaders in Michigan who have endorsed Senator McCain's bid for President.

Attorney General Mike Cox, the chair of McCain's Exploratory efforts here in Michigan stated that, "Senator McCain is an American hero whose common sense conservative values resonate with leaders in Michigan. We all look forward to working with him on his road to the White House.”

Things are continuing to shape of very well for the Senator's campaign here in Michigan.

McCain's great month

2007-03-10T13:03:00.001-05:00

Red State and Hotline both agree on one thing: John McCain's presidential campaign is off to a terrific start .

Why was February such a great month?

According to Erik, CEO of Red State:

--"He's gotten Chip Pickering of Mississippi on board. Senators Kyl and Thune are with him. Mitch Daniels is with him, though that might be an anchor. Frank Keating is on board -- I thought all Catholics were for Brownback, KLo excepted. And Jerry Sanders, the Mayor of San Diego is with him now too. That's a big one for Southern California."

--"He's picked up a host of extremely prominent Californians to raise him money -- and they are all quite capable of doing so."

--"Oh, and let's not forget his non-straw polling. He may be trailing Rudy, but he's still ahead of the rest of the pack and the general public really likes the guy."

According to the Hotline Blog (directly quoted):

-- He continues to lead most polls in NH and all of them in SC. He's running strong in IA, too, despite stepping away from the '00 caucuses. He's leading in MI, and was leading in the last GOP poll we saw in CA.

--McCain has the strongest teams in IA, NH and SC bar none.

-- While voters fawn over Rudy Giuliani, they continue to like McCain quite a bit. His fav/unfavs are very strong. Romney's favs are ok among conservatives, but among Republicans, generally, they're even with his favorables.

-- When was the last time you read a "McCain Panders To the Right" story?

-- He'll probably wind up raising more money this quarter than any other candidate, although Romney might come close. His direct mail list is producing significant returns, his calendar is full of fundraisers, and no major bundler has defected.

-- He continues to get endorsement after endorsement: Thune, Ridge, Sen. Warner, Chip Pickering, Mitch Daniels, Frank Keating, strategist Charlie Black. Note that Sen. Hillary Clinton hasn't been able to keep prominent Dems from endorsing Sen. Obama, but McCain, for the most part, has been able to keep prominent Republicans from endorsing anybody else.

-- McCain (and Hillary Clinton) are two candidates who, by dint of their public profiles, are immune from opposition research. Their popularity (or lack thereof) reflects the sum of all there is to know about them. So more than the other candidates, McCain and Clinton will rise (or fall) on their merits.

-- Most insiders believe that McCain will be the nominee. Only 11 percent of RNC members surveyed by the Los Angeles Times say they'd never vote for McCain. McCain's nomination has the tacit blessing of the Bush White House. "Tacit blessing' doesn't mean "endorsement" -- it means that the White House -- Karl Rove, specifically -- is not going to put his body in front of any prominent GOPer who wants to endorse McCain.

So far, so good. Keep up the good work!

MCCAIN ANNOUNCES MICHIGAN FINANCE TEAM

2007-03-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

While in Grand Rapids and Detroit, John McCain took the time to announce the Michigan Finance Team. These men and women will help raise money to fund campaign activities in the state. Money isn't everything but it is a prerequisite for a successful campaign. Going through the list of names, I can assure you that Michigan McCain '08 is in good hands. The stature of many of these names proves that Team McCain is serious and committed to winning Michigan.

The Michigan Finance Chair, Jim Nicholson, seems ready to go to work:
“Senator McCain is a national hero with a long history of using his common sense leadership to achieve results. I firmly believe that John McCain is the person best suited to protect and lead our country,” said Michigan Finance Chairman James Nicholson. “On behalf of myself and all the members of the Michigan finance committee, it is an honor to be a part of Senator McCain’s team and we look forward to helping raise the financial resources necessary to elect him the next President of the United States.”

Additionally, former Ambassador and longtime Michigan resident Ron Weiser, who was appointed Ambassador to Slovakia by President George W. Bush, is serving on Senator McCain’s national finance committee

Other notables on the list include:
Mike Cox aide and spokesman Stu Sandler, prominent Oakland County GOP fundraiser David Trott, NextGen Energy CEO Todd Wyett, ex-United States Congressman Joe Schwarz, MI State Senator Wayne Kuipers, MI State Senator Michelle McManus, and RNC Committeeman Chuck Yob

The entire list:
Chair James B. Nicholson, Margaret Allesee, Eugene Applebaum, J. Christopher Beckering
Curt Benson, Harold Beznos, Keith Brophy, Peter C. Cook, Samuel Cummings, David Dishaw,
Kenneth Eisenberg, Harvey Gainey, Frank Hennessey, James Hiller, Thomas Hoeg, Robert Hoffman, Jeffrey A. Ishbia, Jerrold Jung, J. Douglas King, John A. Krasula, State Senator Wayne Kuipers, Alphonse Lucarelli, Habib Mamou, Richard F. Mazur, Claude McManus, State Senator Michelle McManus, George Mickel, Timothy O'Brien, Peter Remington, Shelby Reno, James Saalfeld, Stu Sandler, Former Rep. Joe Schwarz, W. Sidney Smith, Michael Soimar, Derek Stevens, David Stone, Frank Torre, David Trott, Clune Walsh, Todd Wyett, Chuck Yob, Richard Zuckerman

McCain DECLARES!!!! Sort of....

2007-03-01T11:02:00.000-05:00

"Asked by Letterman if he would consider being a vice presidential candidate:"

"You know, I spent all those years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, kept in the dark, fed scraps - why the heck would I want to do that all over again?"

Read the whole article.

McCain Comes Alive in Iowa

2007-02-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

10 days ago, John McCain took Iowa by storm. With the shackles of Washington finally unhinged, McCain was free to get back to the straight talking that made his campaign in 2000 so famous. He gave town hall meetings all weekend with no prescreening of questions or attendees.

The Washington Post called it the return of "the Old McCain:" "....as he campaigned across Iowa this weekend, there were flashes of the old McCain. During town hall meetings in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport, he staunchly defended his position on the war, decried a Republican Party that he said has lost its way and punctuated question-and-answer sessions with his particular brand of humor."

Vintage McCain conversation on the campaign trail:

When a man said he was serving in the Marines in Vietnam around the time McCain was being held in a North Vietnamese prison camp, the senator interjected, "Why didn't you come get me?"
As the audience broke into laughter, the man responded, "Marines always love to rescue the Navy when they get the chance."
"That's what you (I) get for being a smart [expletive]," McCain said of being turned into the butt of the joke.

He spoke on the necessity for our party to get back to its roots of fiscal discipline. More Post:
A longtime scourge of pork-barrel spending and a proponent of fiscal discipline, McCain is well positioned on an issue that has gained more currency among conservative Republicans because of the mushrooming spending during Bush's presidency. "I'll veto every pork-barrel bill that comes across my desk, and I'll make the people famous who put it in," he said in Cedar Rapids. "I promise you."

However, John McCain's toned changed dramatically when talking about the Middle East. He reiterated the importance of winning the Iraq War and how the troop surge is the only way accomplish the mission. When asked what would happen if the surge failed, he responded, "If it continues to deteriorate . . . ." and then trailed off. Simply put, there are no other options.

And he blasted Iran by attacking Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as someone "whose name I refuse to learn to pronounce,” and claimed that no options should be taken off the table....if they continue with their nuclear program.

Notable speakers that praised McCain in Iowa: ex-Sen. Phil Gramm, Maxine Sieleman (largely recognized as the leader in Iowa's pro-life movement), and former Iowa Govs. Branstad and Ray.

The town hall meeting from Des Moines was shown live through a video feed at http://www.johnmccain.com/ . If you missed it, not to worry, there will be many other opportunities to see McCain live on your computer as the Straight Talk Express is starting to rev up.

Senator Warner endorses McCain

2007-02-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

"Senator McCain's long experience with, and understanding of, our military coupled with his proven, unquestioned courage and leadership, provide him with the essential qualifications for our next President."

~Sen. John Warner

Caucus Cooler has the story...

ABC News say's:

"Warner's endorsement gives McCain the backing of a well-respected institution of the Senate, the military, and Southern politics in general."

This is a big pick up for Team McCain!

White House 2008 Rankings 2/22/07

2007-02-24T14:13:00.000-05:00

National Journal has updated their Republican White House 2008 Rankings. Still at the top is John McCain (he has been #1 since Day 1). Rudy Giuliani is #2 and Mitt Romney is now #3.

The rankings now come with a projection of how much money each candidate is suppose to raise in the first quarter of 2007. Interestingly, they projected John McCain to raise the most money at $30 million. This is great news. The campaign team, candidate, message, and issue positions certainly matter but without money, no one will hear you. Just ask Tom Vilsack.

Here is what National Journal said about McCain:

John McCain Arizona senator Last Ranking: 1
The more it looks as Hillary Clinton's going to win the Democratic nomination -- the more McCain can be the old McCain the press and independents fell in love with, because conservatives won't abandon him. He had about as good an inaugural Iowa trip as Clinton did. The "Weaver Freeze" has hardened into permafrost; Republicans who want to endorse or raise money for someone else are simply afraid they'll alienate the next president. Fundraising projection: $30 million, +/- $7 million.

Michigan For McCain!!

2007-02-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

Rebuttal to Romney's Attack

2007-02-22T19:22:00.001-05:00

Mitt's position on abortion in 1994, 2002, and 2006. And this, I assure you is not edited.

Bloggers Rip Romney For Disingenuous Attack

2007-02-21T14:39:00.000-05:00

Ah election season. You know it is right around the corner when candidates start airing attack ads. However, after 6 months of the Michigan Democrats' ads telling Michigan voters that a Governor DeVos would ship every blue-collared job out to China, I am quite sensitive to ads that distort the truth about a voting record or personal stance. These ads hurt our democratic system by misinforming voters and they paint the candidate as distrustful.

With that being said, the blogosphere was buzzing all day with a recent You-Tube ad that Team Romney released that accompanied a letter out to a hundred or so conservative activists in the country. The video appears to show John McCain speaking out against abortion and how he is against the repeal of Roe v. Wade. (Any McCainiac knows that John McCain is staunchly pro-life and for the repeal of Roe v. Wade). So when did McCain say all of this?

He didn't. Team Romney edited a speech McCain made a few years ago by cutting out a portion of the speech to distort McCain's words. Here is the transcript with the italicized and bold words as what was left out in the video:

"I am proud of a 17-year voting record of pro-life positions. And I adhere to that position. I believe this issue of the repeal of Roe v. Wade is important. I favor the ultimate repeal of Roe v. Wade. "
"But we all know, and it's obvious, that if we repeal Roe v. Wade tomorrow, thousands of young American women would be performing illegal and dangerous operations. I want us to be a party of inclusion. I think that we can all be members of the Republican Party whether we are pro-choice or pro-life because we share the same goal and that is the elimination of abortion...."

I would say the first paragraph seems to be quite vital to the whole context of the speech. Needless to say, Red State and other pundits shared my outrage. In fact, adding the rest of the speech and McCain's abortion position is identical to then-Governor George W. Bush's position when he ran in 2000. So at the end of the day, all Team Romney accomplished was losing the respect of conservative bloggers and showing how desperate they really are.

Deceitful, Disingenuous, Distrustful.....Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Team Romney!

Phil Gramm on John McCain

2007-02-20T17:59:00.000-05:00

"I believe the man we need to meet the mortal need today is here. He is experienced, but has not lost his common sense or his ability to be outraged. His conservatism is not the result of a studied philosophy, but of common sense and personal observation. His name is John McCain."

~Former Sentor Phil Gramm

The Wall Street Journal has a great OpEd written by former Senator Phil Gramm on why he is supporting John McCain for President.

Here is a link to the article. (It is a MUST READ!!!)

This endorsement is particularly important for Senator McCain as it distinguishes the level of faith in his leadership capabilitites across many sectors of the political spectrum.

In particular, Senator Gramm is widely regarded as one of the nations most revered fiscal conservatives and his endorsement of Senator McCain only solidifies McCain's position as the most ardent fiscal conservative in the race.

Gramm also touts McCain leadership in areas like domestic security, foreign policy, free trade, social security and health care.

In closing Gramm offers one of the strongest and possibly the most accurate truism that I have heard from any of Senator McCain's supports thus far:

"The presidency is a terrible thing to waste. I believe that if the American people make him president, John McCain won't waste it."

Senator John Thune endorses John McCain

2007-02-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

"Senator McCain has dedicated his life to the advancement of freedom and human rights. Senator McCain is a once in a generation leader who has my full support."

~Senator John Thune (R–SD)

Today, Senator John Thune from South Dakota has endorsed Senator McCain’s campaign for President, should he decide to run.

According to a press statement released by the Senator’s Exploratory Committee, McCain stated that “he admired Senator Thune for his dedication to a social and fiscal conservative agenda.”

Senator Thune will actually be in Michigan today speaking at the Kent County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids. It will be interesting to see if talk of the 08’ elections and his endorsement of Senator McCain make their way into his speech.

Straight Talk Iowa has a great post on what this endorsement means to Senator McCain's campaign nationwide, and in particular, in Iowa. Here are some highlights:

(From Straight Talk Iowa)

This endorsement is particularly important for several reasons:

First, according to WAPO, Thune, "extracted a promise from the Arizonan on judicial nominations. Thune said McCain told him he would appoint "guys like Roberts and Alito". That's a reference to Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, both of whom were nominated by President Bush and were popular selections among Christian conservatives.

Thune's endorsement is important not only for Social Conservatives, but for the Republican base as a whole. President Bush's largest applause line during the 2000 election was when he promised to appoint judges to the federal bench that would interpret the Constitution and not re-write it. Moreover, the American people tend to support the Conservative movement's viewpoint regarding judges.

Secondly, Thune's South Dakota media market overlaps into Sioux, Lyon, Osceola and O'Brien counties. These four counties are the "Conservative Quadrant" of Northwest Iowa. Hardly every electing Democrats to office, these four counties are ripe with Straw Poll and Caucus votes.

Iowa TV watchers in these four counties, including some in Dickinson and Clay, are used to seeing John Thune on their TV sets and hearing him on their radios. Thune's endorsement will help in these key counties in the run up to the Straw Poll and the Caucus.

Third, Thune's endorsement is key to Social Conservatives in general. Thune, who is not a Social Conservative in the sense of Brownback or Huckabee, is respected by Social Conservatives around the country for taking out Daschle and standing firm on social issues in the Senate.

We are going to venture out and make the prediction that having Thune on board is just as good as having Steve King on board when addressing the issues that matter to Northwest Iowans. Thune is well know to farmers and conservatives in Northwest Iowa and STIS believes that Thune will play a direct role in the run up to the Straw Poll and Caucus.

Red State Editor/CEO Finished With Romney

2007-02-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

Story.

Erik Erickson , editor and CEO on the conservative blog Red State, is "giving up on Multiple Choice Mitt." He is tired of all the flip-flops, dodges, and countless explanations. Erik's grievances against the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate:

" First there was abortion. He [Mitt Romney] was for it, then really for it, then really, really for it, then indifferent to it, and now against it. "

"Then there was campaign finance reform. Mitt was for it more than McCain before he was against it more than McCain He's tried to caveat his way out of it, but his caveats have been so nuanced as to be meaningless. "

" Oh, there is homosexuality too. Mitt was going to be more gay and more abortion friendly than Ted Kennedy in 1994. Now he's not. "

"Finally, there is voting for Paul Tsongas. In 1992, Mitt Romney voted for Tsongas. He explains this now as trying to pick the weakest guy to go up against George H. W. Bush. But, in 1994, Mitt Romney said he did so because "Tsongas was from Massachusetts and because he favored his ideas over those of Bill Clinton."

This is the clincher:

"....like Hillary Clinton, he [Romney] is a political opportunist who I increasingly see as someone without principle, only a weather vane."

Considering we are a year away from any serious ballot being casted, it is amusing, but not surprising, that Mitt Romney is already burning bridges with conservatives.

McCain live townhall this morning

2007-02-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to check out Senator McCain's live townhall this morning from Iowa.

You can see a live stream on the website.

The feed starts at 10am CST. Here is the link.

ENJOY!!!

Team McCain launches new website

2007-02-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

Check out all the info over at the new McCain website:

http://www.johnmccain.com/

Sign up and get the latest updates, check out the cool online media, contribute to the campaign, or sign up to volunteer in your state.

So far it is the best website for any of the 08' candidates.

This poster over at Red State seems to agree...

Do political endorsements matter in a presidential campaign?

2007-02-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

Some will answer, "Not really." If that's so, then Attorney General Mike Cox has certainly been an exception to that rule here in Michigan. The grassroots work that Cox has done for Team McCain in Michigan is nothing short of phenomenal. Cox was named Chair to the Michigan McCain Exploratory Committee on December 14, 2006. Since then, Team McCain has expanded their grassroots supporters (ex. 7 District Chairs), won the support of influencial conservative leaders (ex. Rev. Keith Butler and former DeVos running mate Ruth Johnson), and greatly enlarged his backing of Michigan Legislators.

Coincidence? I think not. Cox has worked tirelessly to recruit McCain supporters in Michigan, and Michigan for McCain greatly appreciates his help and service. Without a doubt the Attorney General deserves the lion's share of the credit Senator McCain’s success in Michigan.

Romney announces - McCain counters in Michigan

2007-02-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

McCain makes big waves in Michigan today

2007-02-13T15:45:00.000-05:00

“Michigan grassroots Republican Party leaders are announcing loudly and strongly that we support Senator John McCain to be the next President of the United States.”

~14th District Chair Bill Beddoes

“This is a critical moment for our nation, which is why we need a principled leader like Senator John McCain in the White House. Senator McCain has my full support and I look forward to communicating our shared conservative principles to the people of Michigan.”

~ Senator Randy Richardville.

“Senator John McCain is a leader with conviction and consistent defender of life. I am proud to stand with him. Senator McCain is a common sense conservative who has what it takes to win this election.”

~ State Rep. Judy Emmons

“Senator McCain is a common sense conservative whose leadership and courage have helped guide our nation through challenging times. “Senator McCain is a proven leader whose track record demonstrates he is the right man to move America forward.”

~ State Rep Glenn Steil Jr.

“I am honored to give Senator McCain my full support. “When times get tough and decisions need to be made, you can always count on John McCain.”

State Rep Lorence Wenke

“Senator McCain is committed to fiscal responsibility. I am proud to support a leader who has been steadfast in protecting our nation and who is committed to reforming government.”

~ State Rep David Law

“Senator John McCain leads by example and is dedicated to protecting America. I will take the Senator’s reform message to the voters in Michigan.”

~ MIGOP Vice Chair Andrew Wendt

“Senator McCain has the overwhelming support of Republicans across Michigan. I know Senator John McCain is the right candidate not just for Republicans in Michigan, but across this great land.”

~ Former Macomb County GOP Chair Janice Nearon

On the heels of Governor Romney’ speech at the MIGOP convention last weekend and today’s declaration of his candidacy from the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, John McCain’s campaign has also been able to make some news for themselves in our state.

Riding high from Team McCain’s show-stopping presence at the convention McCain’s Michigan Team has announced a number of GOP District Chairs who have decided to endorse the Senator.

Michigan GOP Secretary Hank Fuhs
Michigan GOP 3rd Cong. District Chair Kim Yob
Michigan GOP 5th Cong. District Chair Eric Klammer
Michigan GOP 6th Cong. District Chair Gerry Hildenbrand
Michigan GOP 9th Cong. District Chair Glenn Clark
Michigan GOP 11th Cong. District Chair Shannon Price
Michigan GOP 13th Cong. District Chair Ed Joseph
Michigan GOP 14th Cong. District Chair Bill Beddoes
Michigan GOP Wayne 11 Chair Chris Roosen

In a statement released by the McCain camp 14th District GOP Chairman Bill Beddoes said that:

"Senator McCain clearly had the best organization at the convention and we will work hard to win Michigan for Senator McCain in 2008."

In what must be seen by some as even bigger news, Team McCain also announced that some members of the Michigan GOP who were on Romney’s Commonwealth PAC Steering Committee have endorsed Senator McCain.

(It has also been reported that McCain is attracting a large amount of support from the legislature in Romney's second home state of Massachusetts.)

Representative Judy Emmons is calling her endorsement of McCain a ‘switch’. Here is an article from Fox News on the subject.

Notably State Representative Judy Emmons sighted Romney’s shaky record on life issues and his recent conservative conversion from more liberal tendencies while serving in Massachusetts as reasons for her switch.

Of McCain Emmons notes that, "his pro-life record is compelling...for 20 years, he's been pro-life every step." Romney, on the other hand, has a "consistency issue." Emmons also praised McCain’s "willingness to be at the forefront of protecting our country from terrorism" while categorizing him as "fiscally responsible."

Here is as far as I know the full list of new additions to Team McCain:

State Rep Judy Emmons - former Romney supporter
State Rep Lorence Wenke - former Romney supporter
State Senator Randy Richardville State Rep Glenn Stiel Jr.
State Rep David Law - former Romney supporter
MIGOP Ethnic Vice Chair - Andrew Wendt
Former Macomb County GOP Chairwoman - Janice Nearon

Michigan GOP Secretary Hank Fuhs
Michigan GOP 3rd Cong. District Chair Kim Yob
Michigan GOP 5th Cong. District Chair Eric Klammer
Michigan GOP 6th Cong. District Chair Gerry Hildenbrand
Michigan GOP 9th Cong. District Chair Glenn Clark
Michigan GOP 11th Cong. District Chair Shannon Price
Michigan GOP 13th Cong. District Chair Ed Joseph
Michigan GOP 14th Cong. District Chair Bill Beddoes
Michigan GOP Wayne 11 Chair Chris Roosen

Random News & Notes from the Michigan GOP Convention

2007-02-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

I'll try not to repeat what has already been said....

Event began Friday. By Friday evening, the McCain Team had the most volunteers visibly. One of Romney’s field managers, told me that he had 60 volunteers (somewhat of a stretch, but I digress) while the McCain count was around 100. The volunteers for both groups consisted of College CRs, Teen Republicans, and Young Republicans. Team Brownback was about a dozen volunteers (maybe a few employees).

On the lighter side, just after caucus finished, the delegates were greeted with a “Mitt’s A Flip-Flopper” chant from the Brownback Team while the Romney people responded “We Can’t Hear You.” Gotta love conventions.

Friday night there were two parties, McCain’s and Romney’s. As I didn’t attend Romney’s, I can’t comment. The McCain party was a hit. It was billed “A Ronald Reagan Celebration” and Pawlenty and MI AG Mike Cox both spoke. Oh yeah, did I mention free drinks. As one delegate from Troy said, “It doesn’t get much better than Reagan and free beer.” No argument here.

On Saturday at the Convention, the slated speakers were Senator Brownback, Mitt Romney, and Gov. Pawlenty from Minnesota, who acted as a surrogate on behalf of John McCain. Brownback and Pawlenty were much more accessible to the crowd as they worked it Saturday morning and Friday night.

No serious tension between candidates. However, the Young Americans Foundation was protesting Romney right before the convention. They had huge signs with slogans such as “Flipper,” “Romney the RINO,” and one that listed their grievances with Romney. They also passed out literature advertising their website, romneyisaliberal.com .

Equal or maybe greater of the “talk of the weekend” was Gov. Pawlenty. From what I gathered from delegates, everyone was extremely impressed by his credentials, speaking-style, and communication skills. What impressed me was his ability to keep an audiences attention at every word. Sure he used humor as he went, but Pawlenty talked with a folksy-tone that grassroots activists can appreciate. Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes kept referring him as our future Vice President. Again…no argument here.

Brownback spoke mainly on family values. His literature only talked about family values and pro-life. Doesn’t take a politics junkie to realize what issues he’ll be focusing on. Interesting, not a whole lot on the GWOT or the Iraq War. He praised ethanol and a “grass to gas” solution. Then, he whipped out a piece of clothe that was composed of part corn (according to him). There was no Giuliani Team save for two volunteers handing out literature. Regardless, Congresswoman Candice Miller spoke on his behalf. Nothing earth shattering here. The crowd was not moved.

On a side note, Grand Rapids is a very underrated city. Anyone who experienced the bar scene on Friday night can attest to that.

Some Pics of Team McCain at the Michigan GOP Convention

2007-02-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Gov. Tim Pawlenty talking to a district Caucus about John McCain

Team McCain flood the caucus rooms showing their support for the Senator.

Team McCain storms the convention hall on Saturday w/Gov. Pawlenty

Volunteers surround the stage during the Governors speech.

Team McCain makes a strong showing at the MIGOP convention

2007-02-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

From today's MIRS:

"U.S. Sen. John McCAIN (R-Ariz.) who many perceive to be the front-runner inthe race, clearly had the most active workers at the convention."

Team McCain was out in droves at the Michigan GOP Convention this weekend. The weekend started out with a big event to open up the McCain Campaign headquarters in Grand Rapids.

The guest list included Mike Cox, GOP Chair Saul Anuzis, Congressman Fred Upton, Chuck and Holly Hughes and many other state and local officials; hundreds turned out to open up the office in a grand fashion.

McCain opens state HQ

As for the actual convention, Team McCain, was well represented with hundreds of volunteers who made their presence known on Friday in and out of various district caucus rooms. Speaking on behalf on the Senator was both National Committee Reps Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, the National Co-Chair of Explore McCain made his way around with the McCain ground troops for the second half of Friday night’s round robins.

Pawlenty referred to McCain as a "candidate who's not only true to our party and principles, but who can win the election." Pawlenty also sighted the key role that McCain will play in assuring that the Republicans will hold on to the White House in 08'. He highlighted McCain's ability to "win in states like Michigan," and other Upper Midwestern states.

Pawlenty touts McCain's experience at Mich. GOP convention

As far as some of the other candidates go, (Brownback, Giuliani, Romney) McCain was clearly the best represented member of the 08’ field.

The night closed out on Friday with a McCain sponsored campaign event at a restaurant in the lobby of the Amway Grand. Team McCain put on quite a show with speakers such as Governor Pawlenty and Attorney General Mike Cox. The event was “the buzz” with district delegates and other members of the MIGOP.

Governor Mitt Romney also sponsored an event on Friday night.

On Saturday, the convention hall was opened and the show began. Some notable speakers included Mike Cox, Mike Bouchard, Dick Devos, and Saul Anuzis, and Terri Lynn Land. Congressman Thad McCotter was on the mic all day introducing the speakers.

It was very clear from the get go that the focus of the day was on the Presidential candidates. Senator Sam Brownback addressed the attendees, as well as Governor Mitt Romney, Candice Miller (who spoke on the behalf of Giuliani), and Keith Butler and Governor Pawlenty who both spoke on behalf of Senator McCain.

According to this news article:

"Governor Pawlenty says Senator John McCain brings experience in military and domestic affairs to the presidential race.The Minnesota governor spoke for McCain today at the Michigan Republican convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Republican Pawlenty is the co-chairman of McCain's presidential exploratory committee.He told the group that McCain has also proven that he can attract the independent voters needed to win a national election."

Watch this interview of Governor Pawlenty live at the convention.

Team McCain culminated the theme of their convention activities, which were all based around a tribute to Ronald Reagan, with a two minute video introduced by Mr. Butler. The video highlighted Senator McCain's appreciation for everything Ronald Reagan did for the conservative cause and stressed McCain's desire to get the party back on track with those types of conservative roots.

The video received numerous standing-ovations from the crowd.

See the video here.

I would have to say that Team McCain was far and away the star of the show at this weekend’s convention. McCain volunteers greatly out numbered the amount that any other campaign was able to put together; they looked sharp, they were organized, and they were LOUD!!

I am working on trying to dig up some picture from the weekend and I will put them up as soon as I get them.

Massachusetts Republicans turn to McCain

2007-02-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

How does Mitt Romney expect to win the nomination when his own Republicans are turning on him?

The Hotline On Call reports that Massachusetts Republican Legislators and party employees are shunning Romney for......John McCain. The report cites that Romney's flip-flop on abortion and gay marriage appear disingenuous to some and others are turned off by his continual comedy routine of poking fun of Massachusetts to the South and Midwest.

MA GOP treasurer Brent Andersen claims that Romney was "totally unsuccessful" at party building, and adds that his "abrupt change in social philosophy" left State GOP Legislators feeling "betrayed and embarrassed."

The article on John McCain:

Moderate Mitt won Massachusetts in 2002 but active Republicans think the new right-wing version would get crushed at home in 2008. Optimists think their only shot at a revival next year will be with McCain or Giuliani at the top of the ticket. ....

McCain showcased some local leg on Wednesday when 125 locals turned out for an organization meeting in Dedham, Massachusetts. Meeting was of particular note because there are few venues or occasions when that many state Republicans are gathered together in one room—and they didn’t need a boost from likely McCain supporter and state hero, Red Sox Curt Schilling.

Ouch. While party building isn't essential in looking for a presidential candidate, loyalty and trustworthiness are.

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Update: I wonder what the MA GOP thinks now that Mr. Romney will be announcing his presidential candidacy in Michigan...not Massachusetts. Yes, there is the "liberal" stereotype that comes with "Massachusetts," but if he is so proud of his record as governor, then why run from it?

New Poll Alert: McCain ahead in New Hampshire

2007-02-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
New Hampshire Likes Hillary, McCain
February 7, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - "John McCain has become the presidential frontrunner for Republican Party supporters in the Granite State, according to a poll by American Research Group. 27 per cent of likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire would support the Arizona senator in the 2008 United States primary."

John McCain 27%
Rudy Giuliani 20%
Mitt Romney 20%
Newt Gingrich 11%
Chuck Hagel 4%
Sam Brownback 1%
Mike Huckabee 1%
Tom Tancredo 1%
Undecided
15%

McCain on Reagan

2007-02-06T17:45:00.000-05:00