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Posted on 07/19/2008 3:41:03 PM PDT by flyfree
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the weekly radio address from John McCain. Please find below the text of John McCain's radio address and the link to access the audio file.
DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/downloads/weeklyradio_071908.mp3
John McCain's Weekly Radio Address:
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.
I really wish we had a different candidate more than ever now. McCain has proven he is not effective in going after Obama. He needs to pick someone who isn’t afraid to go after him, like Romney.
The only thing that McCain does effectively is alienate the conservative base of the republican party. Well, that and pander to liberals at every turn.
There is no VP candidate right now. Everyone needs to loosen up here. These are pretty good remarks he made. Anyone actually bother to read the text?
Reading the comments, the first 6 must not have read McCain’s remarks.
BTTT!
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LOL, apparently not! I thought everyone would agree these are a definite improvement over the pre-Independence Day phase of the general election.
The Just Say No to Juan McCain Ping List: The Amigos of al Qaeda.
I read his remarks, and then I read the comments. This is probably one of the few areas in which we will agree: McCain, with good advisers, will do a significantly (understatement!) better job managing our military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only negative he has in this area is his recent off-color jokes about Iran and cigarettes and his silly remarks about a hundred years in Iraq, and while the second one is a bit...eyebrow-raising, neither is a real showstopper in my book.
That said, he still has glaring and egregious flaws in other areas that prevent me from supporting his presidential aspirations at this time.
By failing to secure our borders and by promising amnesty to tens of millions of foreign nationals (not just Mexicans and those of other Central and South American powers), Juan has turned the clock on homeland security to 7 am on 09/11/2001.
But hey, freedom abroad is more important than freedom at home, right?
Maybe we should ask Barry?
““different candidate” The truth is we have NO candidate. Obama has no opposition. “
No accident, that.
Do not ever call me an amigo of AlQaeda. My whole family, including my child have served in the US military. Have you served, sir?
These kinds of attacks are really cheap little shots. McCain has done more than me or my family to help the terrorists by banning waterboarding, wanting to close GITMO, and fighting Bush and the WOT in these past years. He only did that to appear the “maverick”. Instead he made a hypocritical fool out of himself, and collaborated with the traitorous Democrats.
You folks who blindly want to make a man that has been considered a traitor to his party and considered a jerk right here on FR about a year ago, can keep on fooling yourself into thinking you are going to get a deal with your vote.
You sir, are voting for a backstabber and a man whon “works with and praises” the likes of the Marxist Obama.
You must be an Amigo of Juan de la Viagra.
Your own service is honorable but strange that you run roughshod of McCain, a retired veteran who went through quite an ordeal in the service.
You equate party with country.
McCain may have praised Obama but it’s not to be seen here and is almost always accompanied by a backhanded slap.
You actually think three or four waterboardings or the incidental location of terrorist prisoners is going to make or break American security? If so then we are already in big trouble and our fall would be inevitable.
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