POLITICO MAFIOSO

The McCain Update - July 18, 2008

2008-07-19T07:15:00.004-07:00

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.

Click here to watch our new documentary. Be sure to forward this to your friends and family so that they can learn the truth about Senator Obama's record.

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,' click here to 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. Click here and publicly show your support for John McCain as a McCain Ace today!

McCain on Conan O'Brien Tonight

John McCain will appear tonight, Friday the 18th, on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. John McCain has a great sense of humor and thoroughly enjoys appearing on late night comedy television to show the lighter side of politics

The show airs at 12:35am Eastern on NBC. Click here for more information on local air times in your area. If you miss the show, be sure to check out the JohnMcCain.com/Blog in the coming days for video of John McCain's appearance.

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.

To read his speech to the NAACP, click here.

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

For more information, log on to www.JohnMcCain.com and please be sure to forward this newsletter on to family, friends and fellow John McCain supporters.

I will be a Guest on Monday's "THE BLOG BUNKER SHOW" on Sirius Talk Radio Channel 110 - 5:30PM EST

2008-07-19T06:52:00.007-07:00

I have been invited to appear on "THE BLOG BUNKER SHOW"

on the Sirius 'Indie_Talk' Channel 110 on Monday July 21st @ 5:30PM EST (that's 2:30PM Phoenix time).

I will be discussing the McCain Campaign and the 2008 Presidential Race.

JOHN MCCAIN'S WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS - July 12, 2008

2008-07-19T06:29:00.008-07:00

Click Below to Listen to the Address:

Weekly Radio Address

07.12
Jobs for America

Good morning. I'm John McCain, and this week, debate in the presidential campaign turned to the war in Afghanistan. My opponent, Senator Obama, announced his strategy for Afghanistan and Iraq before departing on a fact-finding mission that will include visits to both those countries. Apparently, he's confident enough that he won't find any facts that might change his opinion or alter his strategy. Remarkable.

This is similar to the mistake Senator Obama made when he confidently declared that the surge in Iraq could not possibly reduce sectarian violence there, and might well increase violence. He was so certain the surge would fail that he called for our troops to retreat as quickly as possible. Senator Obama's previous statements against the surge have been hastily removed from his campaign website, in the audacious hope that no one would notice. But we all remember quite well that he said the surge would fail, and today we know that he was wrong.

Although the situation in Iraq is much improved, the war in Afghanistan has taken a bad turn that must be quickly reversed. Security in that country has deteriorated, and our enemies are on the offensive. And it is precisely the success of the surge in Iraq that shows us the way to victory over the Taliban.

Our commanders on the ground in Afghanistan say they need at least three additional brigades. I will ensure our commanders in Afghanistan get the troops they need by asking NATO to send more and by sending U.S. troops as they become available.

But sending more forces, by itself, is not enough to prevail. What we need in Afghanistan is exactly what General David Petraeus brought to Iraq: a nationwide civil-military campaign plan that is focused on providing security for the population.
Today no such integrated plan exists. When I am commander-in-chief, it will.

There are many differences between Afghanistan and Iraq, which any plan must account for. But, as in Iraq, the center of gravity is the security of the population. The good news is that our soldiers in Afghanistan have begun to apply the lessons of Iraq -- especially in the east, where our forces are concentrated. These efforts, however, are too piecemeal. They are the work of innovative local commanders, rather than a strategy for the entire country. In particular, American forces must re-engage deeper in southern Afghanistan, the Taliban stronghold.

A cardinal rule in any military operation is unity of command, and this has been lacking in our Afghan campaign. Today, there are three different American military combatant commands operating in Afghanistan, as well as NATO. And some of their members operate under national restrictions as to where their troops can go and what they can do. This is not a smart military practice, and it is not how wars are won. As commander-in-chief, I will work with our allies
to ensure unity of command. Moreover, with help from other nations, we must double the size of Afghanistan's own fighting forces to 160,000 troops -- so that battle-tested Afghan soldiers can safeguard their own people.

A successful counterinsurgency requires all instruments of our national power, and that military and civilian leaders work together, at all levels, under a joint plan. Too often in Afghanistan this is not happening. So I will appoint a highly-respected national security leader, based in the White House and reporting directly to the president, whose sole mission will be to assure victory in Afghanistan.

A special focus of our regional strategy must be Pakistan, where terrorists are known to hide. One way to root them out is to strengthen local tribes in the border areas that are willing to fight them. Senator Obama has spoken in public about taking unilateral military action in Pakistan. But in trying to sound tough, he has only made it harder to enlist the full support of Pakistan in the fight against terrorists.

In a time of war, the commander-in-chief's job doesn't get a learning curve. And if I have that privilege, I will bring to the job many years of military and political experience. It was this experience that guided me in the conviction that the surge in Iraq could turn things around, and clear a path to victory. And I believe with equal conviction that we can prevail in Afghanistan, assuring freedom to the Afghan people and greater security to the American people.

Thanks for listening.

Statement by John McCain on Recent Iraq Progress

2008-07-19T06:23:00.004-07:00

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."

OBAMA'S AFGHANISTAN TRAVEL GUIDE

2008-07-19T06:19:00.004-07:00

A Few Travel Tips Obama Should Keep In Mind As He Arrives In Afghanistan
______________________________________________________________________
TIP #1: You Should Take The Opportunity To Learn About The Difficult Work Our Troops Are Doing, Before Assuming That They Are "Just Air-Raiding Villages And Killing Civilians" In Afghanistan:

Obama Said American Troops Were "Just Air-Raiding Villages And Killing Civilians." Obama: "We've got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there." (Philip Elliott, "Obama Gets Warning From Friendly Voter," The Associated Press, 8/14/07)

Click Here To View

NOTE: "It Will Be Obama's First Trip To Afghanistan. He Has Been To Iraq Once." (Dan Hoover, "Demint Asks Obama For Hearings On Afghanistan," The Greenville [South Carolina] News, 7/16/08)

TIP #2: Leave The English-To-Arabic Dictionary At The Hotel, Because Contrary To Your Earlier Assertion, The Arabic Language Is Not Widely Spoken There:

Obama Claimed That We Are Placing "All" Of Our Arabic Interpreters In Iraq When They Are Needed In Afghanistan. Obama: "Right now, we don't have enough troops and NATO hasn't provided enough troops because they are still angry about us going into Iraq. So we just don't have enough capacity right now to deal with -- and it's not just troops by the way, it's like Arabic interpreters, Arab language speakers. We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then it's harder for us to use them, and obviously they may not speak Arabic, but the various dialects that they speak in Afghanistan often times people who speak Urdu or Pashto or whatever t he languages are, they are going to be needed in those areas and a lot of them have ended up being placed elsewhere. So, we've got to focus on Afghanistan." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Cape Girardeau, MO, 5/13/08)

According To The CIA World Factbook, The Languages Spoken In Afghanistan Are: "Afghan Persian Or Dari (Official) 50%, Pashto (Official) 35%, Turkic Languages (Primarily Uzbek And Turkmen) 11%, 30 Minor Languages (Primarily Balochi And Pashai) 4%, Much Bilingualism." (CIA World Factbook Website,

www.cia.gov, Accessed 5/13/08)

"The Vast Majority Of Military Translators In Both War Zones Are Drawn From The Local Population. Naturally They Speak The Local Language. In Iraq, That's Arabic Or Kurdish. In Afghanistan, It's Any Of A Half Dozen Other Languages -- Including Pashtu, Dari, And Farsi." (David Wright and Sunlen Miller, "Obama Gaffes On Iraq And Afghanistan," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 5/13/0 8)

TIP #3: If You Claim To Be A Leader On Afghanistan, You Could Have Taken The Opportunity To Lead And Hold Hearings On Our NATO Operations There:

Obama: "I ask you to consider my judgment and vision for new American leadership. Leadership that brings our combat brigades out of Iraq in 16 months, renews American diplomacy, finishes the fight in Afghanistan..." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Foreign Policy, Des Moines, IA, 12/18/07)

The Subcommittee On European Affairs Has Jurisdiction Over The Countries Of Europe As Well As NATO Activities. "Jurisdiction: The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries on the continent of Europe...and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe." (U.S. Senate Committee On Foreign Relations Website,

foreign.senate.gov, Accessed 2/27/07)

As Chairman Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs, Obama Could Have Held Hearings On The Role Of NATO In Afghanistan. "[A]mbassador John Ritch, who served for two decades as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's senior staffer on European affairs and East-West relations...[P]oints out that as subcommittee chair, Obama could have examined a wide variety of urgent matters, from the role of NATO in Afghanistan and Iraq to European energy policy and European responses to climate change..." (Joe Conason, "Obama's European Problem," Salon.com, www.salon.com, 1 2/29/07)

TIP #4: If You Really Wanted To Increase The Resources Available For Afghanistan, You Could Have Voted For A Bill Providing Funding For Operations There:

Obama: "Perhaps most importantly, some of these troops could be redeployed to Afghanistan, where our lack of focus and commitment of resources has led to an increasing deterioration of the security situation there. ... By redeploying from Iraq to Afghanistan, we will answer NATO's call for more troops and provide a much-needed boost to this critical fight against terrorism." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks To The Chicago Council On Global Affairs, Chicago, IL, 11/20/06)

Obama Voted Against Providing $94.4 Billion In Critical Funding For The Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay)

The Emergency Spending Bill Provided The Following For U.S. Operations In Afghanistan:

$40 million for new power generation
$314 million for rural road rebuilding
$155 million for rural development
$19 million for agriculture
$174 million for Provincial Reconstruction Teams
$25 million for governance capacity building
$10 million for a Civilian Assistance Program
$79 million to support Diplomatic and Consular Programs
$16 million for Migration and Refugee Assistance
$16 million for International Disaster and Famine Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons Assistance
$47 million for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement activities
(Stephen Daggett, Amy Belasco, Pat Towell, Susan B. Epstein, Connie Veillette, Curt Tarnoff, Rhoda Margesson, and Bart Elias, "FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations For Defense, Foreign Affairs, And Other Purposes," Congressional Research Service, 7/2/07)

TIP #5: Do Not Insult Your Hosts:

Obama Said The Karzai Government "Has Not Gotten Out Of The Bunker" In Afghanistan. Obama: "I think the Karzai government has not gotten out of the bunker and helped organize Afghanistan and government, the judiciary, police forces, in ways that would give people confidence." (CNN's "GPS With Fareed Zakaria," 7/13/08)

THIS WEEK IN CHANGE VI

2008-07-19T06:03:00.005-07:00

Obama Continues Breaking Pledges And Shifting Stances In Search Of The Most Politically Expedient Position
______________________________________________________________________

Click Here To View Obama Talk About Shifting Positions.

ON HIS OWN SHIFTS

This Week, Obama Acknowledged A "Shift" On His Rhetoric And Positions:

Headline: "Obama Acknowledges 'Shift In Emphasis' On Issues." "The Senator tells PBS' Gwen Ifill he has shifted his focus on issues like faith-based initiatives and campaign finance." (Mark Halperin, "Obama Acknowledges 'Shift in Emphasis' On Issues," Time's "The Page" Blog, thepage.time.com, 7/15/08)

Obama: "So the broader point, Gwen, is if you compare sort of my shift in emphasis on issues that I've been proposing for years, like say, faith-based initiatives, which have raised questions in the press..." (PBS's "Newshour With Jim Lehrer," 7/15/08)

Earlier This Month, Obama "Forcefully" Refuted Charges That He Was Shifting Positions:

Obama Claimed Charges Came From People Who "Haven't Been Listening To Me." "Senator Barack Obama on Tuesday forcefully addressed concerns that he had moved too quickly to the political center, acknowledging complaints from 'my friends on the left' about his statements on Iraq, his approaches to evangelicals and his remarks on other issues that have alarmed some of his supporters. 'Look, let me talk about the broader issue, this whole notion that I am shifting to the center,' he told a crowd gathered at a town hall-style meeting in this Atlanta suburb. 'The people who say this apparently haven't been listening to me.'" (Michael Powell, "Obama Says His Critics Haven't Been Listening," The New York Times, 7/9/08)

WEBSITE

Obama Purged His Website Of Criticism Of The Troop Surge In Iraq:

"Barack Obama's Campaign Scrubbed His Presidential Web Site Over The Weekend To Remove Criticism Of The U.S. Troop 'Surge' In Iraq, The Daily News Has Learned." (James Gordon Meek, "Barack Obama Purges Web Site Critique Of Surge In Iraq," [New York] Daily News, 7/14/08)

Obama's Old Website Called Troops Surge A "Problem" And Said It Was "Not Working." "The presumed Democratic nominee replaced his Iraq issue Web page, which had described the surge as a 'problem' that had barely reduced violence. 'The surge is not working,' Obama's old plan stated, citing a lack of Iraqi political cooperation but crediting Sunni sheiks - not U.S. military muscle - for quelling violence in Anbar Province." (James Gordon Meek, "Barack Obama Purges Web Site Critique Of Surge In Iraq," [New York] Daily News, 7/14/08)

Obama's New Website Cites An "Improved Security Situation" And "Improved Counterinsurgency Tactics." "Obama's campaign posted a new Iraq plan Sunday night, which cites an 'improved security situation' paid for with the blood of U.S. troops since the surge began in February 2007. It praises G.I.s' 'hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics and enormous sacrifice." (James Gordon Meek, "Barack Obama Purges Web Site Critique Of Surge In Iraq," [New York] Daily News, 7/14/08)

IRAQ

Earlier This Month, Obama Said His Plan On Iraq Would Be Based On Conditions On The Ground And The Advice Of Military Commanders:

Obama Said The Pace Of Withdrawal From Iraq Would Be Determined In Consultation With Commanders On The Ground And The Iraqi Government. Obama: "If current trends continue and we're in a position where we continue to see reductions in violence and stabilizations and continue to see some improvements on the part of the Iraqi army and Iraqi police, then you know my hope would be that we could draw down in a deliberate fashion in consultation with the Iraqi government, at a pace that is determined in consultation with General Petraeus and the other commanders on the ground and it strikes me that that's something we can begin relatively s oon after inauguration. If on the other hand you've got a deteriorating situation for some reason then that's going to have to be taken into account." (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With Military Times, 7/2/08)

Click Here To View

But This Week, Before Meeting With Commanders And Seeing The Conditions On The Ground, Obama Announced His Plan For Immediate Withdrawal:

"After Hinting Earlier This Month That He Might 'Refine' His Iraq Strategy After Visiting The Country And Listening To Commanders, Mr. Obama Appears To Have Decided That Sticking To His Arbitrary, 16-Month Timetable Is More Important Than Adjusting To The Dramatic Changes In Iraq." (Editorial, "The Iron Timetable," The Washington Post, 7/16/08)

ENVIRONMENT

Today, USA Today Reported On Obama's Shifting Stances On Environmental Issues:

Obama Has Shifted On The Kyoto Protocol. "In May 1998, at the urging of the state's coal industry, the Illinois Legislature passed a bill condemning the Kyoto global warming treaty and forbidding state efforts to regulate greenhouse gases. Barack Obama voted 'aye.' The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee now calls climate change 'one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation,' and proposes cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050. But as a state senator, from 1997 to 2004, he usually supported bills sought by coal interests, according to legislative records and interviews." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Shifts Stance On Environmental Issues," USA Today, 7/18/08)

Obama Has Shifted On Coal To Liquid Fuel. "Obama also drew criticism for sponsoring a bill in January 2007 to devote $8 billion in subsidies to a technology to convert coal to liquid fuel. The Sierra Club says liquid coal 'releases almost double the global warming emissions per gallon as regular gasoline.' As the presidential campaign was well underway in June 2007, the Obama campaign issued a clarification: He would not support liquid coal processes unless they emit a fifth less carbon than conventional fuels." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Shifts Stance On Environmental Issues," USA Today, 7/18/08)

HEALTH CARE

Obama's Original Health Care Plan Contained A Mandate With Only A Vague Exemption For "Some Small Employers":

Obama's Plan Required Employer Coverage Similar To The Failed Clinton Health Care Mandate Of 1993. "Obama would require almost all employers to offer insurance to workers or face a tax penalty, an idea that many businesses abhor and that is also in Edwards's proposal. This employer mandate drove much of the opposition to the Clinton plan in 1994." (Anne E. Kornblut and Perry Bacon Jr., "Obama Says Washington Is Ready For Health Plan," The Washington Post, 5/30/07)

Obama's Campaign Website Says "Some Small Employers" Will Be Exempt From Providing Health Insurance To Employees. Obama For America: "Employers who do not offer meaningful coverage to their employees will have to contribute a percentage of their payroll to help offset the cost of providing coverage to all Americans. ... Some small employers will be exempt from this requirement." (Obama For America Website, "Background Questions And Answers On Health Care Plan," www.barackobama.com, Accessed 4/9/08)

The Mandate Would Have "The Biggest Impact" On Small Businesses, Resulting In Lower Wages For Small Business Employees. "Mandates that require employers to provide health benefits or pay a percentage of their payrolls as a tax -- a proposal backed by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- would result in lower wages for some employees. ... The biggest impact would be on small businesses, which are less likely to offer health benefits, and industries that employ more low-wage workers."

(Guy Boulton, "Better Benefits Or Higher Wages?" The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/5/08)

But Obama Shifted His Health Care Plan To Now Include A New Tax Credit For Small Businesses To Provide Health Care - An Idea Previously Offered In Sen. Clinton's Plan:

Obama Is Now Offering A Tax Credit To Small Businesses For The Costs Of Insurance - An Idea Included In Sen. Clinton's Health Care Plan. "Senator Obama today unveiled a new tax credit for small businesses that offer quality healthcare to their employees. ... In summary, Senator Obama's plan will ... Reduce the burden on small businesses in our economy by offering a new Health Tax Credit to small businesses that provide quality health care to their employees. This idea - which has been championed by Hillary Clinton - will help small businesses grow and create good jobs with health care here in the U.S." (Obama For America, "Senator Barack Obama Announces Plan To Provide A N ew Health Care Tax Credit For Small Businesses," Press Release, 7/13/08)

Obama Said His Plan Will Now Offer A Tax Credit To Help Small Businesses Afford Health Insurance. Obama: "And today, I'm announcing my plan to provide real relief for small business owners crushed by rising costs, an idea championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who's been leading the way in our battle to insure every American. ... And under my plan, if you're a small business that wants to provide health care to your employees, we'll give you a tax credit to make it affordable." (Barack Obama, Remarks At The National Council Of La Raza Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, 11/13/08)

JERUSALEM

Last Month, Obama Said He Supported Jerusalem Being The Undivided Capital Of Israel:

In June, Obama Said Jerusalem Will Remain The "Undivided" Capital Of Israel. Obama: "And Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks To The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, Washington, DC, 6/4/08)

In An Interview On Sunday, Obama Backtracked:

When Asked About The Statement, Obama Blamed "Poor Phrasing" And Said All He Meant Was "We Don't Want Barbed Wire Running Through Jerusalem." CNN's Fareed Zakaria: "One area where you're outside the international consensus -- and certainly, perhaps, some others -- is the statement you made in a recent speech supporting Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. Now, why not support the Clinton plan, which envisions a divided Jerusalem, the Arab half being the capital of a Palestinian state, the Jewish half being the capital of the Jewish state?" Obama: "You know, the truth is that this was an example where we had some poor phrasing in the speech. And we immediately tried to correct the interpretation that was given. The point we were simply making was, is that we don't want barbed wire running through Jerusalem, similar to the way it was prior to the '67 war, that it is possible for us to create a Jerusalem that is cohesive and coherent. I was not trying to predetermine what are essentially final status issues. I think the Clinton formulation provides a starting point for discussions between the parties." (CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," 7/13/08)

PDF Format

John McCain 2008 Launches New TV Ad: "Troop Funding"

2008-07-18T18:33:00.001-07:00

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released its newest television ad entitled "Troop Funding." The ad highlights Barack Obama's record of failing to call a single oversight hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan, failing to visit our troops on the ground in Iraq for over 900 days and failing to support our troops when he voted against critical funding in 2007. The ad will air on national cable and in key states.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm9IUfPZsX8

From the TIM BEE Campaign: "Largest fundraising event in Tucson history"

2008-07-18T11:24:00.006-07:00

Largest fundraising event in Tucson history

Kenski poll indicates incumbent vulnerable

Tucson, AZ – Senator Tim Bee’s campaign released initial estimates from the fundraising event featuring President Bush. Over 400 supporters attended the sold out event with the expected donations raised to well exceed $500,000. Final numbers will be released on the next scheduled FEC filing.

The boost of financial support comes on the heels of an Arizona Opinion poll that indicates Ms. Giffords is a very vulnerable Democratic incumbent. Bee trails the incumbent 40%-47% with 13% undecided. According to Margaret Kenski, the well-respected southern Arizona pollster, the race becomes even more competitive when the issues are discussed.
Senator Bee’s fundraiser has raised the bar for future events in Tucson.

www.TimBee.com
###

Paid for by Tim Bee for Congress

John McCain's Plan to Support Innovation in the Automobile Sector

2008-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today, John McCain Addresses His Plan For Creating Jobs And Ensuring America's Energy Independence. At the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where GM is developing the Chevy Volt -- the next generation of electric vehicle -- John McCain highlighted how his Lexington Project will encourage ingenuity in America's automobile industry.

John McCain Has Outlined A Clean Car Challenge That Will Increase Access To Zero Emission Cars. John McCain will issue a Clean Car Challenge to the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial tax credit for the consumer based on the reduction of carbon emissions. He will commit a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission car, encouraging automakers to be first on the market with these cars in order to capitalize on the consumer incentives. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.

John McCain Has Proposed A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles. A $300 million prize should be awarded for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. That battery should deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs. At $300 million, the prize is one dollar for every man, woman and child in this country -- and a small price to pay for breaking our dependence on oil.

John McCain Supports Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) And Believes They Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector. In just three years, Brazil went from new cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make 50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012. John McCain calls on automakers to make a more rapid and complete switch to FFVs.

John McCain Believes Alcohol-Based Fuels Hold Great Promise As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing great potential.

Click Here To Learn More About The Lexington Project

In Case You Missed It: "Obama's 'Judgment'"

2008-07-18T10:48:00.003-07:00

July 18, 2008

"Barack Obama departs for Iraq as early as this weekend, with a
media entourage as large as some of his rallies. He'll no doubt learn a lot, in addition to getting a good photo op. What we'll be waiting to hear is whether the would-be Commander in Chief absorbs enough to admit he was wrong about the troop surge in Iraq."

-- The Wall Street Journal

Obama's 'Judgment'

Editorial

The Wall Street Journal

July 18, 2008

Barack Obama departs for Iraq as early as this weekend, with a media entourage as large as some of his rallies. He'll no doubt learn a lot, in addition to getting a good photo op. What we'll be waiting to hear is whether the would-be Commander in Chief absorbs enough to admit he was wrong about the troop surge in Iraq.

Mr. Obama has made a central basis of his candidacy the "judgment" he showed in opposing the Iraq war in 2002, even if it was a risk-free position to take as an Illinois state senator. The claim helped him win the Democratic primaries. But the 2007 surge debate is the single most important strategic judgment he has had to make on the more serious stage as a Presidential candidate. He vocally opposed the surge, and events have since vindicated Mr. Bush. Without the surge and a new counterinsurgency strategy, the U.S. would have suffered a humiliating defeat in Iraq.

Yet Mr. Obama now wants to ignore that judgment, and earlier this week his campaign erased from its Web site all traces of his surge opposition. Lest media amnesia set in, here is what the Obama site previously said:

"The problem -- the Surge: The goal of the surge was to create space
for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. Moreover, Iraq's political leaders have made no progress in resolving the political differences at the heart of their civil war."

Mr. Obama's site now puts a considerably brighter gloss on the surge. Yet the candidate himself shows no signs of rethinking. In a foreign-policy address Tuesday, the Senator described the surge, in effect, as a waste of $200 billion, an intolerable strain on military resources and a distraction from what he sees as a more important battle in Afghanistan. He faulted Iraq's leaders for failing to make "the political progress that was the purpose of the surge." And his 16-month timetable for near-total withdrawal apparently remains firm.

It would be nice if Mr. Obama could at least get his facts straight. Earlier this month, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad reported that the Iraqi government had met 15 of the 18 political benchmarks set for it in 2006. The Sunni bloc in Iraq's parliament is returning to the government after a year's absence. Levels of sectarian violence have held steady for months -- at zero. (In January 2007, Mr. Obama had predicted on MSNBC that the surge would not only fail to curb sectarian violence, but would "do the reverse.")

If this isn't sufficient evidence of "genuine political accommodation," we'd like to know what, in his judgment, is. The freshman Senator also declared that "true success will take place when we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future -- a government that prevents sectarian conflict, and ensures that the al Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not re-emerge."

Yet the reason Iraq is finally getting that kind of government is precisely because of the surge, which neutralized al Qaeda and gave Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the running room to confront Moqtada al-Sadr's Shiite Mahdi Army. And the reason the U.S. can now contemplate more troop withdrawals is because the surge has created the conditions that mean the U.S. would not be leaving a security vacuum.

On Wednesday, Mr. Maliki's government assumed security responsibility in yet another province, meaning a majority of provinces are now under full Iraqi control. Mr. Obama acknowledges none of this. Instead, his rigid timetable for withdrawal offers Iraq's various groups every reason to seek their security in local militias such as the Mahdi Army or even al Qaeda, thereby risking a return to the desperate situation it confronted in late 2006.

The Washington Post has criticized this as obstinate, and Democratic foreign policy analyst Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution reacted this way:

"To say you're going to get out on a certain schedule -- regardless
of what the Iraqis do, regardless of what our enemies do, regardless of what is happening on the ground -- is the height of absurdity."

Mr. Obama does promise to "consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government" in implementing his plans. But he would have shown more sincerity on this score had he postponed Tuesday's address until after he visited Iraq and had a chance to speak with those generals and Iraqis. The timing of his speech made it appear not that he is open to what General David Petraeus tells him, but that he wants to limit the General's military options.Mr. Bush has often been criticized for refusing to admit his Iraq mistakes, but he proved that wrong in ordering the surge that reversed his policy and is finally winning the war. The next President will now take office with the U.S. in a far better security position than 18 months ago.

Mr. Obama could help his own claim to be Commander in Chief, and ease doubts about his judgment, if he admits that Mr. Bush was right.

Read The Editorial

Read the entire article here.

Welcome, Mr Would-Be President

2008-07-18T10:35:00.004-07:00

From The Economist
Editorial
July 17, 2008

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[M]r Obama has not repealed the basic laws of politics. Most obviously, he may not win. Rasmussen, a pollster, rattled the Obama machine this week by showing the two candidates tied, and most other analysts agree that the bounce he enjoyed after seeing off Hillary Clinton has been small and short-lived. ...

[T]here are some disquieting signs of a tendency on Mr Obama's part to tailor his message to whichever audience he is talking to. All politicians do this of course. But Mr Obama's two-steps have become Astaire-like. For instance, in his primary battle with Mrs Clinton, Mr Obama laid out a timetable for a virtually complete withdrawal from Iraq within 16 months of taking office, specifying a rate of one to two brigades a month. Since starting to campaign in the general election, he has fudged this clear line: he committed to withdrawal again this week (see article), but he has also been careful to give himself wriggle-room on its pace. Similarly, he once talked of negotiating with the Iranian leadership without preconditions: now he talks of the need for "preparations". ...

[M]r Obama recently told the main pro-Israel group in Washington
that Jerusalem must never be divided, a position that goes beyond those of the Clinton and Bush administrations (not to mention that of many Israelis). Then he backtracked.

On trade, Mr Obama used to demand the renegotiation of NAFTA; now he stresses his dedication to the cause of free trade. ...

On all these fronts, in fact, there are doubts: doubts as to just what Mr Obama's positions as president would actually be, and doubts over what he could get through Congress. Those doubts will not stop the crowds turning out for him, even if he fails to commandeer the Brandenburg Gate as his backdrop. But the fans should bear in mind that what they see is not precisely what they will get.

To View The Entire Article, Please Visit: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11750395

The Audacity Of Vanity - By Charles Krauthammer The Washington Post

2008-07-18T10:14:00.005-07:00

July 18, 2008

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Barack Obama wants to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. He figures it would be a nice backdrop. The supporting cast -- a cheering audience and a few fainting frauleins -- would be a picturesque way to bolster his foreign policy credentials.

What Obama does not seem to understand is that the Brandenburg Gate is something you earn. President Ronald Reagan earned the right to speak there
because his relentless pressure had brought the Soviet empire to its knees and he was demanding its final "tear down this wall" liquidation. ...

Who is Obama representing? And what exactly has he done in his lifetime to merit appropriating the Brandenburg Gate as a campaign prop? What was his role in the fight against communism, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the creation of what George Bush the elder -- who presided over the fall of the Berlin Wall but modestly declined to go there for a victory lap -- called "a Europe whole and free"? ...

Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. ... [H]as there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?

Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times. As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.

It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow." ...

For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is? ...

To View The Entire Article, Please Visit:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701839.html

BIDEN'S ATTACK BACKTRACK

2008-07-18T09:58:00.006-07:00

Why Is Sen. Joe Biden Attempting To Refine Obama's Empty Record On Afghanistan After Attacking Him On The Issue In The Primary?______________________________________________________________________
As Chairman Of The Foreign Relations Subcommittee On European Affairs, Obama Has Not Held A Single Hearing On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan:

Obama Has Served As Chairman Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs From 2007 - 2008. (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Website, www.senate.gov, Accessed 2/15/08)

The Subcommittee On European Affairs Has Jurisdiction Over The Countries Of Europe As Well As NATO Activities. "Jurisdiction: The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries on the continent of Europe ... and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe." (U.S. Senate Committee On Foreign Relations Website, foreign.senate.gov, Accessed 2/27/08)

However, Obama Has Held Zero Hearings As Chairman Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs.

"Doubts about Barack Obama's presidential credentials have crystallized during the past two weeks over his stewardship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has convened no policy hearings since he took over as its chairman last January." (Joe Conason, "Obama's European Problem," Salon.com,
www.salon.com, 12/29/07)

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Defended Obama's Record And Claimed NATO's Mission Had Been Investigated In Full Committee Hearings:

Sen. DeMint (R-SC), Ranking Member Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs, Wrote A Letter To Obama, Asking Him To Hold A Hearing On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan. Sen. DeMint: "However, despite these successes, I am concerned our Subcommittee has not held any hearings on these issues over the last two years. With oversight of NATO relations and its role in Afghanistan, I believe it is time for us to focus closely on these issues. As Ranking Member of your Subcommittee on European Affairs, I would welcome a chance to hold a hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan upon your return." (Sen. Jim DeMint, Letter To Sen. Barack Obama, 7/15/08)

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Responded To Sen. Jim DeMint's Letter Citing Three Foreign Relations Full Committee Hearings On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan And Defending Obama's Record. Sen. Biden: "On the particular issue of NATO's mission in Afghanistan. ... We have held three Full Committee hearings in the last 22 months: one under Senator Lugar's chairmanship (September 21, 2006: "From Coalition to ISAF Command in Afghanistan: The Purpose and Impact of the Transition"), and two undermine (March 8, 2007: "Afghanistan: Time for a New Strategy?" and January 21, 2008: "Afghanistan: A Plan to Turn the Tide?"). At all three of these hearings, we were fortunate enough to have the expert testimony--in addition to other witnesses, both in and out of government-- of former NATO commander and Supreme Allied Commander-Europe, Gen. James R. Jones (USMC, ret.). At my request, Senator Obama chaired the confirmation hearing for our next ambassador to NATO, which he focused on NATO's mission in Afghanistan." (Z. Byron Wolf, "Biden Hits Back - More On Obama's Committee," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 7/17/08)

But Obama Missed 2 Of 3 Full Committee Hearings On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan, And Biden Previously Attacked Him As A "Johnny Come Lately" For His Failure To Show Leadership On The Issue:

Since Obama Joined The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The Committee Held Three Full Committee Policy Hearings On The War In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/31/08, Obama Not Present; Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 3/8/07, Obama Present; Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/21/06, Obama Not Present)

On January 31, 2008, Obama Did Not Attend The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On A New Strategy In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/31/08, Obama Not Present)

On March 8, 2007, Obama Attended The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On A New Strategy In Afghanistan In Which He Asked Only One Question. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 3/8/07, Obama Present)

Last Year, Sen. Biden Attacked Obama For Asking Only One Question Unrelated To The Taliban Or Afghanistan. Biden Campaign:

"Similarly on March 8th, Sen. Biden convened a hearing on a new strategy for Afghanistan ... At this hearing, Sen. Obama asked one question that was unrelated to Taliban or Afghanistan." (Sen. Joe Biden, "Biden Campaign Congratulates Sen. Obama For Johnny-Come-Lately Position," Press Release, 8/1/07)

On September 21, 2006, Obama Did Not Attend The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On The Coalition To ISAF Command In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/21/06, Obama Not Present)

Sen. Biden Criticized Sen. Obama's "Johnny-Come-Lately Position" On Afghanistan. "The Biden for President Campaign today congratulated Sen. Barack Obama for arriving at a number of Sen. Biden's long-held views on combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Much of what Senator Obama has proposed Senator Biden has already initiated or accomplished." (Sen. Joe Biden, "Biden Campaign Congratulates Sen. Obama For Johnny-Come-Lately Position," Pre ss Release, 8/1/07)

Obama Has Also Never Been To Afghanistan, And Skipped The Opportunity To Visit:

The Obama Campaign Pointed To His Trip To Iraq In Response To Criticism For Not Holding Any Oversight Hearings On Afghanistan. CNN's Jessica Yellin: "Obama's campaign points out the senator has visited Iraq..." (CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," 2/27/08)

"Obama's Second Trip Abroad As A U.S. Senator Starts In Qatar And, In Addition To Iraq, Will Include Stops In Kuwait, Jordan, Israel And The Palestinian Territories, According To A Statement From His Washington Office." ("Obama To Visit Middle East, Including Iraq," The Associated Press, 1/4/06)

"[Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)] Is Traveling With U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Sen. Christopher 'Kit' Bond, R-Mo., And Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn. Their Weeklong Trip Including A Stop In Israel For Meetings With Israeli And Palestinian Officials. Other Stops Included Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan And Pakistan." (Rick Callahan, "Bayh: Next Six Months Crucial To Iraq's Future," The Associated Press, 1/7/06)

"After A Two-Day Iraq Tour, Obama Is To Travel To Jordan And Israel On His Own." (Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Making 1st Visit To Iraq," Chic ago Tribune, 1/5/06)

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THE WAY TO BOX IN BARACK ON IRAQ - By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

2008-07-18T09:23:00.005-07:00

Published in The New York Post on July 17, 2008.

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The shadow of the Iraq War still hovers over the 2008 presidential race. In deed, though it's the issue that made Barack Obama (giving him his running room to Hillary Clinton's left), it may now become his chief vulnerability.

Weak on national-security issues, untried, inexperienced and (perhaps) naive, Obama can find the Iraq issue hard to handle - if John McCain plays it right.Obama has long since won the issue of Iraq-past - opposing the war before anyone and voting continuously and solidly against it when others waffled.

Yet McCain is winning Iraq-present: A majority of Americans believe that the surge is working.

Casualties are down so far that the pessimistic left has shifted its doom-and-gloom to Afghanistan.

But McCain's key opportunity is to exploit the issue of Iraq-future.To start, he must ask Obama: "Why won't your troop withdrawal allow al Qaeda and Iran to move into the vacuum, taking over Iraq to use it as a base for terror against us and Israel?"

Obama will hem and haw, but McCain must keep at him - and force his opponent to confront the consequences.

How will Obama answer?

He can't shift his position on his signature issue much more - or he'd get an even worse rap for flip-flopping. So he'll start by stressing the ongoing troop presence that he'll allow in Iraq.

He has said (vaguely) that he'll permit sufficient troops to cover our pullout, protect our embassy and pursue al Qaeda terrorists. Now he'll try to sell the idea that his gradual withdrawal over 16 months and his ongoing troop commitment will hold al Qaeda and Iran at bay.

But who'll believe that? Experience has taught Americans to expect the worst about Iraq. They're inclined to agree that, if we pull out, al Qaeda will move in. It's also self-evident that Iranian influence will grow as ours' declines. (To the extent that we do believe it, Obama will alienate the left and drive voters to Ralph Nader.)

His next dodge will be to talk up diplomacy
- that a dialogue with the mullahs can hold Iran at bay. But no negotiations are possible with al Qaeda - and Americans realize that talks with Iran will go nowhere unless we have the leverage of force. His reliance on diplomacy will come off as naive, reinforcing the impression that he's not ready for the job.

Eventually, he'll have to say he's prepared to go back into Iraq if the situation deteriorates. Voters will realize that a nominal troop presence and diplomacy won't do the job.

That's when McCain moves in for the kill:

"So, isn't your rigid adherence to withdrawal inviting a third Iraq War?"

He can claim the mantle of the true peace candidate - saying that he'll stay in Iraq, keep control, build up the Iraqi army and keep US casualties down. Obama's pullout, he can warn, would mean an inevitable third Iraq war. Obama is stuck seeming either naive - or just as likely to get us into a war as President Bush was.

The success of the surge has created an ideal situation for McCain. What had been the chief Democratic argument against the Republicans can now be their best tool to destroy Obama.

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JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO: "THE OBAMA IRAQ DOCUMENTARY: WHATEVER THE POLITICS DEMAND"

2008-07-17T15:17:00.003-07:00

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new video entitled "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand." Examining his many statements on Iraq over the last several years, the video is a timeline of Barack Obama's political positioning on the most critical national security issue America faces today. As the video concludes, Barack Obama's positions on Iraq are shaped by "whatever the politics demand."

VIEW THE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEIi4XKRmM