The Candidates and The Issues

This is, indeed, a change

election...But, the choice is
between the right change and
the wrong change; between
going forward and going
backward.

John McCain Obama says he

would would meet
strengthen our unconditionally
alliances, keep with the world’s
America safe, worst dictators,
and enhance from
American Ahmadinejad to
prosperity by Castro to Kim
expanding trade. Jong Il.

John McCain will draw on his deep experience in national security

affairs to lead America to success in Iraq and Afghanistan, win in the
struggle against violent Islamic extremists, and enhance America’s
alliances and partnerships around the world. He will expand trade and
boost America’s economy and ensure that the United States remains the
world’s leader in standing for freedom and human rights. While he
supports robust diplomacy with our allies and adversaries, he would not
rush to bestow the prestige of unconditional presidential meetings on the
world’s worst dictators.

Senator Obama proposes to conduct presidential summit meetings with

the world’s worst dictators. He will withdraw all American combat
troops in Iraq, regardless of the consequences for our security, and his
trade policy – opposition to longstanding American commitments like
NAFTA and to future free trade agreements – will harm our economy
and alienate some of America’s closest friends.

John McCain Obama says he will

had the retreat from Iraq no
courage to matter what the situation
call for a on the ground is, and no
 change in matter what advice he
strategy that receives from military
is now commanders.
succeeding.

John McCain had the judgment to understand that America’s strategy in

Iraq was failing and the courage to call for a dramatic change. That
strategy is now working, and America is succeeding in Iraq: violence
has fallen to a four year low; Sunni insurgents have joined us in the fight
against al Qaeda; the Iraqi Army has taken the lead in places once lost to
insurgents; and the Iraqi government has begun to make progress toward
political reconciliation. Senator McCain believes that defeat in Iraq
would have terrible consequences for America’s security, and he will
lead the effort to succeed there. He envisions the majority of American
troops returning home by the end of his first term in office, with those
remaining unlikely to continue in a direct combat role. Senator McCain
wants to bring our troops home, but to bring them home with the honor
of victory their many sacrifices have earned.

Senator Obama opposed the new strategy and predicted wrongly that it
would fail. He voted to deny critical funds to our men and women
fighting in Iraq. Senator Obama has pledged to remove all combat troops
from Iraq regardless of the conditions on the ground, regardless of the
consequences for America’s security, and in disregard of the best advice
of our military commanders. The course Senator Obama advocates could
draw America into a wider war demanding even greater sacrifices from
our country.

John McCain Caving to isolationist

will lower sentiment, Obama would
barriers to reverse our path to
trade. lowering trade barriers to
Ninety-five U.S. products. Obama
percent of opposes free trade
the world's agreements with
customers Colombia and Korea, and
are outside would unilaterally
of our renegotiate NAFTA.
borders and
we need to
 be at the
table when
the rules for
access to
those
markets are
written.

John McCain will open foreign markets to American goods. Lowering

trade barriers to American goods and services creates more and better
jobs, keeps inflation under control, keeps interest rates low, and makes
more goods affordable to more Americans. To help workers, John
McCain will reform our unemployment insurance and retraining
programs.

Obama thinks America can remain prosperous without opening new

markets to our goods and services. That’s not change we can believe in.

John McCain Obama proposes to

is committed increase federal spending,
to and has further increasing the
long fought burden that we will pass
for restoring along to our children and
fiscal grandchildren.
discipline by
eliminating
wasteful
government
spending.

John McCain will end wasteful government spending. He has opposed

wasteful spending by both parties and the Bush administration. As
President, he will freeze discretionary spending until a top to bottom
review of all federal programs is completed.

Obama has supported wasteful spending and proposed more of his own.
That’s not change we can believe in.

Obama will keep wasteful programs and create new big government
programs. He will pay for these increases by raising taxes on seniors,
parents, small business owners and every American with even a modest
investment in the market. That’s not change we can believe in.

John McCain Obama voted for the same

will break policies that created the
from the past problem.
to lead a
great
national
campaign to
put us on a
course for
energy
independenc
e.

John McCain will break from the past to lead a great national campaign
to put us on a course for energy independence. No problem is more
urgent today than our dependence on foreign oil. It threatens our
security, economy and environment. The next President must be willing
to break completely with the energy policies of past administrations. We
must unleash the genius of Americans, and encourage industries to
pursue alternative, non-polluting and renewable energy sources.

Obama voted for the same policies that created the problem. He voted
for the energy bill promoted by President Bush and Vice President
Cheney, which gave even more breaks to the oil industry. John McCain
opposed it because we won’t achieve energy independence by repeating
the mistakes of the last half century. That’s not change we can believe
in.

To achieve energy independence, we need a president with a record of

putting the nation's interests before the special interests. Obama might
criticize special interests that give more money to Republicans, but he
doesn't take on those that favor him. John McCain has a record of taking
on the special interest. Sen. Obama does not.

John McCain has proposed a climate change policy that would greatly
reduce our dependence on oil. His approach was opposed by President
Bush and leading Democrats, and it was defeated by opposition from
special interests.

John McCain Obama has consistently

understands shown poor judgment
the threat about the nature of the
posed to terrorist threat and the
America by policies needed to keep
violent America safe.
Islamic
extremists
and has the
judgment
and
experience
necessary to
lead our
country to
success in
this struggle

John McCain fought for the creation of the 9/11 Commission and
implementation of its recommendations to enhance America’s security
against terrorist attack. He will ensure that America has the quality
intelligence necessary to uncover plots before they take root, the
resources to protect critical infrastructure and our borders against attack,
and the capability to respond and recover from a terrorist incident
swiftly. He will work to deprive terrorists of the converts they seek and
counter their teaching of the doctrine of hatred and despair, and will
engage in this effort with fidelity to America’s deepest ideals.

Obama’s lack of judgment is demonstrated by his pledge to meet, during

his first year in office and without precondition, with the leaders of the
world’s worst regimes, including Iran – the world’s chief state sponsor
of terrorism.
 John McCain Obama proposes to raise
is committed taxes on millions of
to keeping Americans and small
taxes low, as businesses.
well as
making the
tax code
fairer and
flatter.

John McCain is committed to keeping taxes low, as well as making the

tax code fairer and flatter.

Obama would keep spending money on programs that make our

problems worse and create new ones that are modeled on big
government programs that created much of the fiscal mess we are in. He
plans to pay for these increases by raising taxes on seniors, parents,
small business owners and every American with even a modest
investment in the market. He doesn’t trust us to make decisions for
ourselves and wants the government to make them for us. That’s not
change we can believe in.

John McCain Obama would nominate

will look for judges that would
accomplishe continue the judicial
d men and activism that has
women with characterized the federal
a proven bench for years. This is
record of why he opposed Roberts
excellence in and Alito.
the law and a
proven
commitment
to judicial
restraint

"For both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, it turned out that not
even John Roberts was quite good enough for them. Senator Obama in
particular likes to talk up his background as a lecturer on law, and also
as someone who can work across the aisle to get things done. But when
Judge Roberts was nominated, it seemed to bring out more the lecturer
in Senator Obama than it did the guy who can get things done. He went
right along with the partisan crowd, and was among the 22 senators to
vote against this highly qualified nominee. And just where did John
Roberts fall short, by the Senator's measure? Well, a justice of the court,
as Senator Obama explained it -- and I quote -- should share 'one's
deepest values, one's core concerns, one's broader perspectives on how
the world works, and the depth and breadth of one's empathy.'

"These vague words attempt to justify judicial activism -- come to think

of it, they sound like an activist judge wrote them. And whatever they
mean exactly, somehow Senator Obama's standards proved too lofty a
standard for a nominee who was brilliant, fair-minded, and learned in the
law, a nominee of clear rectitude who had proved more than the equal of
any lawyer on the Judiciary Committee, and who today is respected by
all as the Chief Justice of the United States. Somehow, by Senator
Obama's standard, even Judge Roberts didn't measure up. And neither
did Justice Samuel Alito. Apparently, nobody quite fits the bill except
for an elite group of activist judges, lawyers, and law professors who
think they know wisdom when they see it -- and they see it only in each
other.

"I have my own standards of judicial ability, experience, philosophy,

and temperament. And Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito
meet those standards in every respect."

- John McCain, May 6, 2008

John McCain Senator Obama thinks we

will make can improve health care
health care by driving Americans into
more a new system of
available, government orders,
affordable regulations and mandates.
and
responsive to
patients.

John McCain will make health care more available, affordable and
responsive to patients. His plan will break from inflationary practices,
insurance regulations and tax policies that were designed generations
ago. He will give families more choices over their care.

Obama thinks we can improve health care by driving Americans into a

new system of government orders, regulations and mandates. His plan
represents the old ways of government.

Only John The American people

McCain has have not seen Obama
a record of forsake partisanship for
working to progress.
end
Washington'
s stagnant,
unproductive
partisanship.

We can't reform government unless we change the political habits of

Washington. The American people are sick of the politics of selfishness,
stalemate and delay. We have to change not only government policies
that have failed them, but the political culture that produced them.

Only John McCain has a record of working to end Washington's

stagnant, unproductive partisanship. Americans have seen John McCain
put aside partisan and personal interests to move this country forward.
When Republicans refused to compromise not on principle but for
partisanship, John McCain sought to do so. When he fought corruption,
it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. When he
worked on campaign finance and ethics reform, John McCain did so
with Democrats and Republicans.

The American people have not seen Obama forsake partisanship for
progress. Obama hasn’t been willing to make the tough calls; to
challenge his party; to risk criticism from his supporters to bring real
change to Washington.

CLOSE BOX
 John McCain Obama is looking to the
will initiate past for solutions that
far-reaching have failed us before and
reforms in will fail us again. In his
almost every short-time in office,
area of Obama has accumulated
government the most liberal voting
policy record in the Senate.
recognizing
that many of
government's
policies and
institutions
have failed.

In this election, Americans will have a choice between the right change
that will move our country forward and the wrong change that will take
us backward. No matter who wins this election, the direction of this
country is going to change dramatically.

The right change will initiate far-reaching reforms in the recognition that
many government policies and institutions have failed. Many of the
government's failing policies were designed for the problems and
opportunities of the mid to late 20th Century. The right kind of change
will initiate widespread and innovative reforms in almost every area of
government policy. The right change stops impeding Americans from
doing what they have always done: overcome every obstacle to progress,
turn challenges into opportunities, and make a better country and safer
world.

The wrong change looks to the past for solutions that have failed us
before ad will fail us again. Like others before him, Obama seems to
think government is the answer to every problem and should make our
decisions for us. That type of change doesn’t trust Americans to know
what is right or what is in their own best interests. That type of change
and attitude created the unresponsive bureaucracies of big government in
the first place. It is not change we can believe in.

The solution to our problems is not to reach back to the past for answers.
In his short-time in office, Obama has accumulated the most liberal
voting record in the Senate. But the old, tired, big government policies
he seeks to dust off and call new won’t work in a world that has changed
dramatically since they were last tried and failed. That’s not change we
can believe in.