Presidential Campaign

Last week I joined John McCain's 2008 campaign for President as his Mississippi chairman, co-chairman with Senator Lindsey Graham of the Southern region, and a member of McCain's U.S. House Whip Team.

I chose Senator John McCain for three primary reasons.  1) He is the conservative candidate I believe to be best qualified to handle the preeminent issue of our day: national defense and homeland security.  2) I believe he has a passion and commitment to reform our failing government bureaucracies.  3) He will seek the politics of results.

First, we must have a commander in chief with the foreign policy credentials and steel resolve to win our Global War on Terror and finish well our war in Iraq.  I measured our candidates on their ability and experience to direct a global war on terror, manage and complete a war in Iraq, and command the respect of our troops and allies.  John McCain's experience and national defense credentials make him the most qualified person to serve as our next commander in chief. Read more...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is continuing his call to end government corruption, which was also a central theme in his previous bid for the presidency.

In this campaign ad, McCain says, “We need lobbying reform, we need ethics reform, and we need a legislative reform

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R) announced Tuesday that he will air the first television ad of the 2008 campaign, using the medium to portray himself as a Washington outsider with a record of accomplishment. The ads will begin running Wednesday and rotate through the early battleground states of New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, Michigan and Florida.

Romney has recently come under scrutiny from other Republican presidential candidates for his previous statements on abortion and gay marriage. The video below highlights part of his debate with Democrat Shannon O'Brien in Massachusetts' 2002 gubernatorial race.

"I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose," Romney says in the clip. "I want the voters to know exactly where I'm going to stand as governor. I am not going to change our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts in any way. I will preserve them. I will protect them. I will enforce them."

As Democratic presidential hopefuls race to become the party's anti-war candidate, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) points out that he is the only candidate to have voted against the Iraq War in 2003.

In this campaign video, Kucinich attacks the 2003 Democratic Senate for failing to prevent the war, singling out fellow presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) for their roles in that debate.

Kucinich also sides against the Democrats' non-binding anti-war resolution, which is currently being debated on the House floor. Kucinich calls the resolution "meaningless," and urges Congress to end war funding instead.

In this video posted on his presidential exploratory committee website, Senator Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) sets the stage for his announcement Saturday that he will run for president.

Obama says he is ready to begin "a journey to take our country back and fundamentally change the nature of our politics." He also calls on his supporters to help him run a different type of campaign.

"I am absolutely convinced that we can do a different kind of campaign," he says, "One that opens up the process and empowers every day voters all across the country."

He concludes the clip with a call to action.

"Let's go get to work," he says.

I am pleased that the President’s budget includes $1 billion for strengthened border protection, infrastructure and technology, and funding for 3,000 new border patrol agents to help secure our land borders.  The President’s budget also includes funding for the new Offices of Emergency Communications and Health Affairs, both of which were authorized by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act that Senator Lieberman and I authored.

There are, however, some disappointing budget proposals related to Homeland Security, about which I am concerned.  For example the fiscal year 2008 budget proposal again highlights the chronic and troubling under funding of first responder grant programs.  This year’s budget proposal includes only $250 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, a reduction of $275 million from last year’s level.  All states, including my home state of Maine, rely on these grant dollars for first responder activities such as emergency planning, risk assessments, equipment, and training exercises. A funding reduction of this magnitude will be a severe blow to states’ abilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorist attacks and other emergencies. Read more...

Continuing his attack on the current Congress's failure to "stand up" to the President on the War in Iraq, former Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.), a presidential hopeful, stressed fighting for the lower class and criticized the current Senate in his remarks at the Democratic National Committee's Winter Meeting last Friday.

Edwards discussed the difficulties many families face in affording health insurance and the rising cost of a college education.

"It doesn't have to be that way," Edwards said. "People need us to stand up for them. People need us to stand up for what's right...If we don't stand up, who will?"

Edwards then challenged Democrats not to be silent in opposition to the President's Iraq policies.

"We cannot stand by quietly and silently and allow him to escalate this war. Silence is a betrayal," Edwards continued, turning to Democrats in the Senate. "We cannot be satisfied with passing non-binding resolutions that we know this president will ignore. We have the power to stop the escalation of this war. We have to use our power. We have to be strong. We have to stand up for what's right."

Below is the video of Edwards' remarks.

In her speech at the Democratic National Committee's Winter Meeting last Friday, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) stressed taking control of the country back from the Bush administration and changing the direction in which it has been heading for the last six years. Those efforts, Clinton said, must begin now with the Democratic majorities in Congress and extend through the 2008 election.

"When I am president, working with a Democratic Congress," she said, "we will really take our country back and put it on the right track again."

Below, find video of Clinton's remarks.

Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) confirmed that he will formally announce his candidacy for the Presidency at Springfield's Old State Capitol on February 10th. The location will stir thoughts of President Abraham Lincoln, who worked in the Old State Capitol as an Illinois State Representative.

Last week, Obama also introduced Iraq legislation that calls for a phased redeployment of troops by April and a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by 2008.

In case you missed it, below is a complete video of Obama's remarks at George Mason University last Friday. Obama addressed why he decided to go into politics and is considering a presidential campaign, but stopped short of explicitly stating he will be seeking the presidency.

No matter how much time I spend outside of Washington with our members, I am struck by how practical and principled they are compared to the “thought leaders Read more...