10/15/08

Road to the White House: John McCain

(Republican candidate focuses on wooing battleground voters) (1344)

In the days remaining until Election Day, Republican John McCain is campaigning across the country, especially eager to win support from voters in key battleground states. Here is a summary of recent campaign activities:

October 14

A day after his opponent unveiled new economic proposals, McCain did the same in a speech in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. His $52.5 billion plan would eliminate taxes on unemployment benefits and lower tax rates on retirement accounts. He also called for reducing the business tax rate, saying this would increase employment.

"If I am elected president, I will help to create jobs for Americans in the most effective way a president can do this - with tax cuts that are directed specifically to create jobs and protect your life savings," McCain said. "I will lead reforms to help families keep their homes, and retirees to keep their savings, and college students to pay their tuition, and every citizen to afford health care and America to reclaim its energy independence."

Briefly addressing noneconomic issues, McCain said he would "stand up to defend our country from its enemies."

"America is worth fighting for," the Republican candidate said.

October 10

John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin spent a second day holding rallies in Wisconsin, a state that seems to be favoring Democratic candidate Barack Obama but could swing Republican.

"We need the state of Wisconsin in order to win this election," McCain told supporters in La Crosse. "We're the underdogs and we're going to come from behind like we have every time in the past." He reiterated his proposals for a housing rescue plan that would allow the U.S. Treasury to buy people's current mortgages and replace them with restructured loans.

Speaking about wasteful government spending, the Republican candidate said he would "review every agency of the federal government, improve those that need to be improved and eliminate those that aren't working for the American people. ... I will confront the $10 trillion debt that the federal government has run up, and balance the federal budget by the end of my term in office."

McCain reminded voters of his long tenure in the Senate. "The American people know my record. They know I am going to change Washington, because I've done it before," he said.

October 8

Appearing with running mate Sarah Palin at a rally in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, John McCain spoke of his plan to help Americans pay their mortgages. The Republican presidential candidate introduced this plan during his debate with opponent Barack Obama October 7. His plan would call on the secretary of the Treasury to purchase bad mortgages and replace them with more manageable mortgages.

"The dream of owning a home should not be crushed under the weight of a bad mortgage," McCain said. "The moment requires that government act - and as president I intend to act, quickly and decisively."

In his speech, McCain said he has the leadership experience necessary to bring change to Washington. "We need change and I know how to deliver it," he said. As president, McCain told Pennsylvania voters he would cut wasteful government spending, help students pay for college and work to slow rising food prices.

October 5

Many were surprised when Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin held a campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska. Nebraska has voted solidly Republican for decades, so it rarely gets visitors from presidential campaigns this late in the election season.

Palin said it was her decision to visit the state's largest city. "I asked to come to the heartland of America," she told the crowd of about 3,000. But political experts suggest this was a calculated decision. Nebraska, along with Maine, awards its Electoral College votes by district. In hopes of winning this predominately urban district, the Barack Obama campaign has opened two offices in Omaha. The Obama campaign does not expect to win the entire state, but it is hoping to earn one Electoral College vote from Nebraska. The McCain campaign might be hoping that Palin's visit will rally supporters and encourage them to show up at the polls in large numbers.

At the rally, Palin talked about the importance of achieving energy independence, because "the cost of energy can make the difference between turning a profit and losing the farm." Speaking about the economy, Palin said, "John McCain is the only man in this race who will solve our economic crisis and not exploit it, and he's the only man in this race with a plan that will actually help our working families and cut our taxes and get our economy back on track."

October 2

Republican officials said the McCain campaign is pulling out of the battleground state of Michigan - indicating it believes Senator Obama will likely win that state.

The campaign will stop running television ads and remove staff from Michigan, sending them to states where the campaign believes the Arizona senator has a better chance of victory. Political analysts suggest some of these resources will be put into states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The campaign also announced it will run ads in Maine - a state not usually considered to be a battleground. But Maine awards its Electoral College votes by district, meaning a candidate does not necessarily have to win the most votes statewide in order to pick up an Electoral College vote. The campaign thinks McCain has a chance at winning the state's northern, predominately rural, district. McCain's campaign also is opening 12 new offices in Virginia.

October 1

McCain spoke with voters in Independence, Missouri - hometown of Democratic President Harry S. Truman.

Not only is Missouri a swing state, it has a fairly reliable history of picking the winner. Only once in the past 100 years has the state not voted for the winning candidate.

McCain spoke about the legislative proposal in Congress to shore up the U.S. financial system. McCain and his opponent - both senators - will return to Washington this evening to vote on a bill that "marks a decisive step in the right direction," he said.

The Arizona senator stressed his record of bipartisanship. "Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it," he said.

September 29

In his first public appearance since the presidential debate September 26, McCain focused on American's top concern this election: the economy.

"Times are tough for our economy, but I am confident America and Americans will emerge stronger than before. I will do my part. My commitment to the American people is this: I will clean up the Wall Street mess, reform Washington, and focus the entire federal government on a pro-growth agenda that creates jobs and gets this country back to work and back on track," he said in at a campaign rally before several thousand in Columbus, Ohio.

As McCain spoke, the House of Representatives prepared to vote on legislation to shore up the U.S. financial system; the bill failed later that day. McCain reiterated his campaign message of the importance of working on tough issues in a bipartisan manner. "Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country," he said.

September 27

McCain postponed his trip to Ohio to stay in Washington to focus on the financial crisis, but he addressed members of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance in Columbus via satellite.

McCain stressed the importance of supporting a rescue package that would help shore up the U.S. financial system.

"... [I]f we don't deal with [the crisis] right now, by working together for the common good, then this crisis could turn into a far-reaching disaster for workers, businesses, retirees, and the American middle class. This is a moment of great testing, when the future of our economy is on the line," he said.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)






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