CITIZENS FOR MCCAIN

ICYMI: "Why Two Democrats Are Backing McCain"
Jim McConaha and Valery Mitchell
Concord Monitor
July 7, 2008

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama went to great lengths last week in Unity to prove that the Democratic Party has put its internal acrimony aside. We believe that John McCain's support from Democrats and independents demonstrates that he is the best candidate to unite our entire country and not just a political party.

Why is this? Granite State voters put a premium on judgment, character, courage and principle over politics and partisanship. These are precisely the areas in which McCain stands head and shoulders above Obama.

McCain's unparalleled leadership, experience and willingness to put aside partisan politics are what America needs in these challenging times and why we are proud to help lead the New Hampshire chapter of "Citizens for McCain," a national grassroots organization dedicated to rallying Americans of all political parties behind John McCain's candidacy.

New Englanders know that they can trust McCain and that he will do what is right for our country - not only when times are easy, but when they are difficult. He will not put his finger to the political winds when deciding what to do, but will rely on his unparalleled judgment and experience. McCain's history of putting his country first and working across party lines provides a contrast with Obama, who cannot point to a similar record of bipartisan achievement.

The majority of Democratic and independent voters remain concerned about national security issues and keeping America safe at home and abroad and are discovering that McCain's leadership experience is simply in a different league than Obama's. McCain has been involved in every major national security issue our country has faced over the past 20 years and knows what we must do to succeed not only in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in the future security challenges that our nation will inevitably face.

McCain will reach across party lines to solve the daunting domestic challenges we face, such as making health care more affordable, combating climate change and reducing the tax burden on middle-income Americans while stopping unchecked, rampant federal spending.

There may not be one Democrat or independent (or Republican) in New Hampshire who agrees with McCain 100 percent on every issue. But voters know he will be honest with them. They will know exactly where he stands on issues, and they will be able to count on him to stand for what he believes is right for our country.

New Hampshire, with its proud independent and moderate streak, knows the difference between substance and rhetoric when it comes to unity. Our state will unite to make John McCain our next president.

(Jim McConaha and Valery Mitchell of Concord co-chair New Hampshire Democrats for McCain.)

http://www.johnmccain.com/

Edited on July 7, 2008 at 6:09 PM Quote

CITIZENS FOR MCCAIN is an organization within the McCain campaign for people who put country before political party and support the candidate for President who has a proven record of bipartisanship.

I have worked with John McCain for many years in the U.S. Senate and know from experience that he can unite Democrats, Republicans and Independents like no one else in this country. He did it in the United States Senate and he can do it as President of the United States.

Thank you for your willingness to help me expand this new organization. Together, we will make history.

Joe Lieberman

http://www.johnmccain.com/citizens/

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Who would you propose as an alternative, Al?

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eileen wrote:If I were a Democrat I would have voted for Hillary over Obama..so I understand the switch to McCain.

That was a "BIG" if!!

Same here...and that's huge for me. lol

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Sorry, Al...but there is no way in hell I would ever vote for Obama!

Incidentally...haven't ya heard? Obama is toast. LOL

BTW, I loved Pres. Kennedy. :)

Edited on July 8, 2008 at 3:27 AM Quote

Glad ya joined us on this thread, Bo. :)

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Commitment to America's Service Members: Past and Present

America owes its liberty, its prosperity, and its future to our veterans who have dedicated their lives to protecting our great country. John McCain has fought to honor our national commitment to our veterans who have given their careers and livelihoods to ensuring our freedom. He believes we must provide for service members and their families while they serve, we must help those who return from combat to adjust to civilian life, and we must honor and never forget the service of those who do not return.

John McCain has been a leader in Congress, fighting for all those who serve and their families, improving veterans' health care, providing veterans with the benefits they have earned, easing their transition to civilian life, and honoring the fallen.

Providing for Our Service Members

John McCain believes that meeting the needs of our service members who defend us is our obligation and is essential to our national security. He worked to increase pay scales for servicemen and women during both the Persian Gulf War and the current War on Terror and to increase enlistment and reenlistment bonuses for reservists and guardsmen. He also sponsored bills to give special tax relief to deployed service members and to set up overseas savings programs for the men and women fighting in the Gulf War.

Honoring the Service of Reservists and Guardsmen

The nation's reserve personnel have been a vital component of the Global War on Terror, with reservists serving side-by-side with active duty members in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe. John McCain believes that the fundamental role of reservists has changed over the last decade, and given their invaluable role and the tremendous sacrifices that these men and women have made, they should receive additional benefits than those that they have traditionally been granted.

For this reason, John McCain has supported legislation to expand retirement benefits for reservists, supported provisions to expand eligibility for health care benefits for reservists and their families, and sponsored legislation to grant survivor benefit payments to the spouses of reservists who die during or as the result of training.

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Improving Veterans' Health Care

John McCain believes that America's veterans who dedicated themselves to protecting our country deserve the highest quality health care. He is committed to ensuring that veterans' health care programs receive the funding necessary to provide the quality health care our veterans need and deserve. He has worked to ensure that the Veteran's Affairs provides care for all eligible veterans, no matter where they live or what they need. In addition, John McCain has fought to ensure that retired servicemen and women have meaningful access to affordable health care.

Funding Veterans' Health Care

John McCain has voted repeatedly, throughout his career, to ensure that the Veteran's Affairs health care programs receive the funding necessary to serve our veterans. He has supported numerous funding increases, initiatives to make the VA more efficient, and proposals to give higher pay to VA doctors in order to recruit and retain high quality physicians and dentists.

Expanding Veterans' Access to Health Care

John McCain has worked to ensure that geography does not prevent veterans from receiving the care they have earned. He supported measures to allow veterans in remote areas of Alaska to get care at existing facilities run by the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations. He also rallied support for a demonstration project to send mobile health centers to remote locations where veterans need care. In addition, he sponsored legislation that would ensure that health care funding is distributed fairly, and that eligible veterans in all regions of the country can equally access high quality health care.

Serving the Special Health Care Needs of Veterans

John McCain understands that veterans face a broad array of health challenges, many of which disproportionately afflict our former service members. He has fought to ensure that veterans receive health care that reflects their unique needs.

For this reason, John McCain advocated for guaranteeing health benefits to veterans who have been exposed to radiation. He also worked to advance studies on the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and to give disability benefits to veterans with cancer and other health problems caused by Agent Orange. He supported efforts to provide veterans with treatment for tobacco related illnesses and substance abuse problems, and he sponsored legislation to cover mental health care in military retiree health plans. John McCain has also been a leading advocate for providing veterans with hospice benefits.

Health Care for Retired Veterans

John McCain believes that all military retirees, even if they are not eligible for VA health care, should be provided with meaningful access to health care. The federal government should ease the burden of health care costs on those people who have dedicated their careers to protecting our freedom. He has supported allowing military retirees to remain eligible for CHAMPUS or TRICARE military health care programs even when they reach the age of 65 and are eligible for Medicare. He has also consistently supported efforts to give military retirees tax breaks to help pay health insurance premiums, and he has opposed placing user fees on military retirees for using military medical facilities.

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Providing Veterans with the Benefits They Have Earned

John McCain strongly believes that it is our duty as a nation to provide our veterans, who dedicated their careers, risked their personal safety, and sometimes sacrificed their lives in order to protect us, with the benefits that we have promised them and that they have earned.

John McCain has voted consistently to increase funding for veterans' benefits, recognizing that the people who serve our country should get priority over the disgraceful amounts of spending on corporate subsidies and wasteful pork barrel spending. He also pushed for various initiatives to ensure that veterans who are eligible for benefits know what they are entitled to and have the resources to obtain their benefits.

Caring for Our Disabled Veterans

John McCain has been a leading advocate in the Senate for disabled veterans throughout his entire career. He fought for nearly fifteen years, introducing numerous bills, to ensure that veterans with service-connected disabilities can receive the retirement benefits that they have earned, as well as the disability compensation benefits that they are entitled to. He has also worked to ensure that veterans can have their disability claims processed in a timely manner, working with the VA to rectify its huge backlog of claims and providing additional resources for that purpose.

John McCain believes very strongly that service members who suffered permanent injuries in service to our nation should not be forced to give up their disability compensation in order to collect their retirement pay. For this reason, John McCain has been a staunch supporter of repealing the historic ban on receiving both disability and retirement pay at the same time. Over the past few years, John McCain has successfully pushed for provisions to compensate disabled retired veterans for this disparity. Now, because of his efforts, veterans with severe combat-related disabilities are able to collect their retirement and disability compensation at the same time. John McCain will continue to fight for equal treatment of disabled veterans under the retirement system. In an effort to help disabled veterans with their health care, he cosponsored a measure to allow disabled veterans to be enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the same health insurance offered to Senators and Congressmen. He has also supported higher payments to disabled veterans and survivors of veterans who died because of service connected injuries.

John McCain has worked to increase VA resources for paralysis research, and he spearheaded an effort to establish a Blind Rehabilitation Center in Tucson, Arizona to help the 1,200 vets on waiting lists for rehab services for the blind.

A Leading Advocate for Gulf War Veterans

John McCain has always been a leader on veteran's issues, and Congress has often looked to him, particularly during times of conflict and war. On January 31, 1991, Senator Bob Dole appointed John McCain Co-Chairman of a task force to make recommendations to the Senate regarding effective policies to help the men and women and their families who served in Operations Desert Shield/Storm. John McCain worked with his colleagues to identify the most beneficial proposals, including doubling veteran and service member life insurance benefits, the establishment of a death gratuity payment for Persian Gulf service members, housing loan benefits for Gulf War veterans, expanded reemployment rights, and providing readjustment counseling for veterans.

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Easing the Transition to Civilian Life

John McCain believes that we must do what we can to smooth the transition for veterans from military to civilian life. He has strongly supported educational and job counseling programs to help veterans get civilian employment. He has worked to provide new educational assistance for reservists. He also fought to extend the availability of G.I. bill education benefits for Vietnam veterans, and to expand flight training benefits to more veterans. In addition, John McCain is a strong supporter of the Troops-To-Teachers Act, a program to train veterans to become teachers, and introduced legislation to extend the program. John McCain also believes that we must provide more assistance to veterans who are recently discharged and has worked to extend unemployment and vocational training benefits for veterans.

John McCain has also been a strong advocate for those veterans most in need. He has supported numerous bills to help homeless veterans by providing them with counseling, independent living training, and residential treatment programs so that they can address and overcome those ailments that plague many homeless veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

Protecting Veterans from Financial Loss

John McCain has also worked for a number of other financial protection and relief provisions for service members and veterans. He supported amendments to the bankruptcy reform bill that would protect veterans from being denied bankruptcy claims if they incurred their debts while defending our country. He also sponsored legislation to extend the tax filing deadline for Gulf War service members. In addition, he pushed for legislation to protect veterans from scam artists and loan sharks who would prey on low income veterans by offering them a small amount of "fast cash" to sign over their veteran's benefits.

Protecting for the Families of Our Fallen Heroes

John McCain believes that in addition to our national duty to provide benefits to veterans who return from combat, we must honor those who do not return and provide for their families with a death gratuity benefit and meaningful life insurance coverage. During the last two major military conflicts, John McCain worked to increase death gratuity payments. He cosponsored legislation to double the death gratuity payment in 2003 for service men and women who are killed in the War on Terror. He also sponsored legislation during the first Gulf War to increase the death gratuity payment, and to double the soldier and veterans' group life insurance.

In 2007, after learning about problems that the families of some service members killed in combat were having accessing the death gratuity payment, John McCain introduced legislation to allow service members to designate who they want their benefits to go to in the event of their death. John McCain has also worked to increase the survivor benefit plan for widows or widowers of retired veterans.

Honoring the Service and Sacrifice of Our Past and Present Veterans

John McCain has worked throughout his time in Congress to fulfill our nation's solemn duty to honor those veterans who sacrificed their lives to protect our liberty. In 2006, he sponsored legislation to immortalize the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial as a symbol honoring veterans of the Korean War.

He also advocated for the creation of a number of other veterans' memorials, including a memorial to honor disabled veterans and the National Native American Veterans' Memorial. He sponsored legislation to create National Medal of Honor Sites to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor. He worked to create Arizona's only National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, and he authored legislation to ensure that veterans have honor guards at their funerals.
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Wiccabasket wrote:If he behaved with integrity and honour, why is he so hated by Vietnam veterans?

You mean by those who love Hanoi Jane?

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Good for you, cw!

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Reply by jardinieraGOLD on March 8, 2008 at 6:59 PM
The best thing to do in relation to Arizonagal is just ignore her.....I mean, she doesn't like Hilary, this is clear, so why come here? Just to try and start trouble.

Hehehe

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Wiccabasket wrote:

Arizonagal wrote:

Wiccabasket wrote:If he behaved with integrity and honour, why is he so hated by Vietnam veterans?

You mean by those who love Hanoi Jane?

I think more the ones who believe him to be a coward who sang like a canary in return for preferential treatment.

Yep, we know about them. lol

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http://www.johnmccain.com/BVID/

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John McCain 2008 Launches New TV Ad: "God's Children"
July 11, 2008

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released its newest television ad entitled "God's Children." The ad features John McCain's remarks at a June 2007 debate in New Hampshire honoring the service and sacrifice of Hispanics in our Armed Forces. The ad will air in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.

Script For "God's Children" (TV 1:00)

JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, I want you the next time you're down in Washington, D.C., to go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You'll find a whole lot of Hispanic names.

When you go to Iraq or Afghanistan today, you're going to see a whole lot of people who are of Hispanic background. You're even going to meet some of the few thousand that are still green card holders who are not even citizens of this country, who love this country so much that they're willing to risk their lives in its service in order to accelerate their path to citizenship and enjoy the bountiful, blessed nation.

So let's from time to time remember that these are God's children. They must come into country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them.

Thank you.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/NewsReleases/Read.aspx?guid=0c949900-4abb-496e-9cb1-17f6b938b02f

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LOL Eileen!

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July 12, 2008
ICYMI: "Obama Overstates His Role On Immigration"

"No matter if you are -- or are not -- voting for presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), he deserves credit for trying to forge a bipartisan deal on immigration in 2005 and 2006 at great personal political risk, a situation unfamiliar to rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)." -- Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet

McCain put his comeback presidential bid in peril because of his leadership role with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to find a path for millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S.

The Kennedy-McCain legislation stalled in 2006, because the hardline pro- and anti-immigration forces preferred the status quo to a compromise. Another try in 2007 -- in a bill backed by McCain and Obama -- also failed.

McCain and Obama, wooing Hispanic voters, each has madeclear in recent appearances before the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and the League of United Latino American Citizens a few days ago that he would make immigration reform -- and legalizing the status of millions of illegal immigrants -- a priority if elected president. I expect each to send the same message at the upcoming National Council of La Raza conference in San Diego, where Obama speaks Sunday and McCain on Monday.

In the meantime, Obama on the campaign trail inflates his leadership role -- casting himself as someone who could figure out how to get something done. Obama "did not absolutely stand out in any way,'' said Margaret Sands Orchowski, the author of "Immigration and the American Dream: Battling the Political Hype and Hysteria," and a close follower of the legislation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a McCain ally and a key player on immigration, said Obama was around for only a "handful" of meetings and helped destroy a 2007 compromise when he voted for making guest worker visa programs temporary. A permanent guest worker program was to be a trade for a legalization program to cover many illegal immigrants.

"When it came time to putting that bill together, he was more of a problem than he was a help. And when it came time to try to get the bill passed, he, in my opinion, broke the agreement we had. He was in the photo op, but he could not execute the hard part of the deal," Graham said.

An Obama Senate staffer who did not want his name used disputed whether the sunset provision in the guest worker program killed the bill and said that either Obama or his top immigration staffer were in strategy sessions and that Kennedy, in his speech endorsing Obama vouched for Obama's work on immigration.

On Thursday in Fairfax, Va., Obama was asked about his qualifications to understand Latino needs. After noting his work as a community organizer and state senator -- he spoke of McCain. "John McCain bucked much of his party and worked with Ted Kennedy, worked with me and others to help shape comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the Senate. And I thought that was courageous of him." Obama, in a sly verbal stroke, made himself an equal on immigration leadership to Kennedy and demoted McCain to a helper.

McCain -- after the two failed attempts to pass a comprehensive bill -- now wants to satisfy conservatives by first passing a border security and enforcement measure.

Obama said that approach means McCain "can't give you confidence that he is going to be serious about that issue. I will be."

McCain is not saying enforcement only. He is saying enforcement first.
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You do watch such odd YouTube's, Jacqui. lol

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THE MCCAIN UPDATE - July 18, 2008

This week we released a new video, "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand." As Senator Obama finally heads overseas to see the situation in Iraq first-hand, this video is an important reminder of the record Barack Obama has of shifting his political positions on the critical national security issue of Iraq for political gain.

Barack Obama repeatedly opposed the Surge strategy, saying it would fail. At the time, at great political risk, John McCain put his country first and supported the Surge strategy and he was right.

Are You a McCain Ace Yet?

Our campaign is re-launching the popular 'McCain Aces' group, which recognizes those of you who are generously supporting John McCain's campaign. If you're not yet a 'McCain Ace,' join today!

As Senator Barack Obama continues to raise record amounts of campaign money and is aided by special interests like big labor and MoveOn.org, your immediate support for John McCain is more crucial than ever.

Latest News

John McCain spoke to the NAACP this week and outlined his vision for strengthening education to ensure opportunity for every American. John McCain's education policy removes needless bureaucracy, empowers parents, teachers and principals and ensures that every child has the opportunity to succeed from a quality education. Please take a moment to read John McCain's plan for strengthening America's schools and learn more.

Below are some of the top news articles from this week. For more news articles and press releases, go to www.JohnMcCain.com.

Cincinnati Enquirer: McCain calls for education reform

Denver Post: Dem green machine sputters

Los Angeles Times: NAACP gives McCain a respectful reception

Associated Press: McCain pledging to NAACP more education options

Washington Post: The Iron Timetable

New York Sun: McCain Will Call for a Surge of Troops to Afghanistan

Washington Times: Shift on war hits Obama's liberal base

New York Post: Planning to Ignore the Facts

Associated Press: McCain: I've earned Hispanics' trust

Wall Street Journal: Not All Democrats Want To Ride Obama's Coattails

Washington Times: EDITORIAL: Fairness is not equality

http://www.johnmccain.com/

Edited on July 19, 2008 at 4:33 PM Quote

July 18, 2008
Statement by John McCain on Recent Iraq Progress

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on recent progress in Iraq:

"Progress between the United States and Iraq on a time horizon for American troop presence is further evidence that the surge has succeeded. Most of the U.S. forces used in the surge have already been withdrawn. When a further conditions-based withdrawal of U.S. forces is possible, it will be because we and our Iraqi partners built on the successes of the surge strategy, which Senator Obama opposed, predicted would fail, voted against and campaigned against in the primary. When we withdraw, we will withdraw with honor and victory. An honorable and victorious withdrawal would not be possible if Senator Obama's views had prevailed. An artificial timetable based on political expediency would have led to disaster and could still turn success into defeat. If we had followed Senator Obama's policy, Iraq would have descended into chaos, American casualties would be far higher, and the region would be destabilized."

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July 19, 2008
ICYMI: Gov. Bill Richardson: Barack Obama Not On Fact-Finding Mission

NBC's Lester Holt: "But would he change his mind, and is there anything wrong with changing his mind? He's going there on a fact-finding. If he finds facts that change his view, would you expect him to change his policy -- maybe back off that 16 months and make it perhaps a bit more open-ended?"

Gov. Bill Richardson: "No. That's not the purpose of the trip."

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nobama wrote:The Obama Drama... he will try to be all things to all people. That is why he is so afraid of public Debates. He takes pop shots at others and puts his wife on an America Bashing journey only to say she is off limits. Im sorry but once she has put herself in the position of promoting a presidential candidate by making policy speeches she is no longer off limits. Obamas use of devisive tactics is an insult to all americans, He is the only one who has brought race as an issue by trying to make the under 30 crowd feel it is the other party that is doing it truthfully who besides him referred to him being black as a negative thing did i mention he's whack. Folks this guy is all hype and no substance. His plan to be elected is to run on a notion that anything else is the same ol thing, Yet what he offers is more sidesteps and flipflops (same ol big city politics) the tenents that drove our country to greatness are being strongly attacked by the left. While he is trying to run toward the right for political gain his voting record speaks for itself #1 liberal.

Excellent post! Welcome to the thread. Love the nick. lol

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I smell toast. lol

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Of course, I do, Jaci... Obama's toast. ;)

And "nobama" is correct.

Edited on July 20, 2008 at 6:08 PM Quote

Subject: OBAMA OPPOSES CALIF. MARRIAGE PROTECTION ACT
Date: 7/20/2008 4:07:01 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time
From: newsmax@reply.newsmax.com

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has come out in opposition to the California ballot initiative that would amend the state’s Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

In a letter sent to the Alice B. Toklas L.G.B.T. Democratic Club, a San Francisco gay rights group, Obama declared: “I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.”

The California Marriage Protection Act, which will appear on the state’s November ballot, asserts: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

The move to amend California’s Constitution came after the May 15 decision by the state’s Supreme Court that gave same-sex couples the right to marry.

While Obama opposes the initiative, he remains opposed to same-sex marriage, the New York Times reported. He does support civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Obama expressed opposition to the amendment, on the ballot as Proposition 8, because “as we have seen in some states, enshrining a definition of marriage into the constitution can allow states to roll back the civil rights and benefits that are provided in domestic partnerships and civil unions,” campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt told The Times.

Obama’s presumptive Republican rival John McCain announced his support for the initiative last month.

A Los Angeles Times/KTLA poll conducted shortly after the California Supreme Court decision found that 54 percent of registered voters surveyed supported the amendment, and 35 percent said they opposed it.

Among voters who said they did not know a friend, family member or co-worker who is gay, 70 percent supported the amendment.
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Edited on July 20, 2008 at 7:51 PM Quote

eileen wrote:I hope noone gets up in arms because nobama has no recordings. We've been down that road to "deflection" before..lol

Hi nobama..your welcome to politics..with or without songs..

a toast to nobama!!

Cheers, nobama!

Jaci wrote:FEAR... is all i'm saying....FEAR

Have no fear, McCain is here!

Edited on July 21, 2008 at 2:46 AM Quote

Jaci wrote:
Ari, are you "nobama"?

Jaci, are you Jacqui?

Edited on July 21, 2008 at 2:47 AM Quote