Posted on 08/16/2008 9:30:45 AM PDT by flyfree
ARLINGTON, Va., August 16 /Standard Newswire/ -- U.S. Senator John McCain's weekly radio address:
DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/downloads/081608_english.mp3
John McCain's Weekly Radio Address:
Good morning, this is John McCain. This week the presidential campaign took me through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Colorado, and California. My town hall discussions with voters touched on many of the great issues of this election, and especially on the urgent problems of a slowing economy and the runaway costs of energy. But Americans are concerned as well about events in the nation of Georgia, which eight days ago fell under attack by the Russian Army.
It's been a while since most Americans -- including most of our leaders and diplomats -- have viewed Russia as a threat to the peace. But the Russian government's assault on a small democratic neighbor shows why these assumptions need revising. Under the rule of Vladimir Putin -- first as president and now as prime minister -- Russia has become more aggressive toward the now democratic nations that broke free of the old Soviet empire. Russia also holds vast petroleum wealth. And this heavy influence in the oil and gas market has become a strategic weapon that Russia is clearly prepared to use.
Georgia stands at a strategic crossroads in the Caucasus. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which brings oil from the Caspian to points west, traverses Georgia. And if that pipeline were destroyed or controlled by Russia, European energy supplies would be even more vulnerable to Russian influence.
There are many reasons why the Russian invasion of Georgia is of grave concern to America and to our allies. Above all, Georgia is a struggling democracy where Soviet tyranny is still fresh in memory. And when young democracies are threatened or attacked, and innocent civilians are targeted, they should be able to count on the free world for support and solidarity.
Another very serious concern is the effect of this aggression and conflict on the world energy market. For some time now, I have been making the case for a dramatic acceleration of domestic energy production, primarily on economic grounds. With high prices and growing demand for oil and gas, Americans cannot remain dependent upon others for the most vital of commodities. But now we are reminded that energy policy is also a matter of the highest priority for our nation's security.
Some political leaders still speak as if America's domestic economy and our security interests abroad were largely unrelated. But the error in this way of thinking becomes more apparent every year, and especially so in the case of the world's energy supply. One disruption of supply abroad can suddenly raise energy prices, inflicting great harm on our economy and on America workers. And in the term of the next president, skillful handling of such a crisis could be the difference between temporary hardship and far-reaching disaster.
All of this only adds to the urgency of producing more of our own energy, including America's enormous oil reserves that lie offshore. We need to drill here and drill now, so that our energy supplies and the strength of our economy do not depend on the decisions or dictates of foreign powers.
On energy policy, my opponent and his allies in Congress offer only half measures or no measures at all -- as in their shared opposition to offshore drilling. In the long term, most everyone agrees that America must shift toward alternative energies like wind, solar, tide, hydrogen, and bio-fuels. But my opponent's policies fail to meet the challenges of the immediate future. To achieve energy independence, America will need every resource at our disposal, including nuclear power and the use of our abundant coal supplies that lie from Colorado to West Virginia. America has multiple choices in the great test of energy independence and the right answer is "all of the above."
Regaining control over the cost and supply of energy in America will not be easy, and it will not happen quickly. But no challenge to our economy and security is more urgent. And you have my pledge that if I am president, we're going to get it done.
Thanks for listening.
DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/downloads/081608_english.mp3
“DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE”
No thanks. The only thing worse than reading about the soft socialism of Sen. McCain is listening to him talk about it.
There will be two candidates.
Pick a lane.
That's so last century.
Who listens to radio?
Radio makes a nice soundtrack to FR.
Anything else, anyone would like to complain about on this thread? :)
It is hard enough to listen to soundbytes from McCain. Why the heck would anyone want to download him?
How gross.
“There will be two candidates. Pick a lane.”
I have: the third party offramp. Unfortunately, too many conservatives have decided to take the left lane of Sen. McCain.
You may be RKBA, but yes you are a democrat.
After all, your vote will count for Hussein Obama.
Way to stand on principle.
“You may be RKBA, but yes you are a democrat.”
Actually I’m not. Former Democrat is more accurate.
Interesting to see how quickly “conservatives” will prostitute their principles and integrity for any socialist who puts an “R” after their name.
Way to stand on principle, indeed.
I agree. I think the President should do weekly live Internet webcasts on the official WH website.
“Interesting to see how quickly “conservatives” will prostitute their principles and integrity for any socialist who puts an “R” after their name.”
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Wouldn’t know. This poster is a pro-RKBA Reagan libertarian.
I do know this much: If you’re not helping McCain at this point.
You’re helping Obama.
What soft socialism? Let’s be honest now: you didn’t even read it.
That’s not an offramp - just a ramp. But I heard there’s a lot of hangtime when you fly off the top of it.
Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barker for gameshow host. John McCain for President.
“I do know this much: If you’re not helping McCain at this point. You’re helping Obama.”
Which is about the same point that was made in 1996 with Bob Dole. Which is about the same point that was made in 2000 with President Bush and again in 2004.
Notice a pattern here? The GOP is not running political candidates for President that a conservative would actually support. They’re running candidates that they think conservatives might tolerate if they think the alternative is that much worse. It’s a losing game for conservatives in the long run.
Some conservatives can hold their noses far better than I can. If this is the best candidate that the GOP can nominate in a country of 300 million people, then they deserve to lose.
“Let’s be honest now: you didn’t even read it.”
Oh I did. And to give Sen. McCain his due, he happens to be right on energy. Too bad he’s wrong on so much else.
I have wondered about that, and I think I have a hypothesis:
Conservatives are shooting (our)selves in the foot, during the primary season. As a libertarian I say “ourselves”, because I’ve joined on as part of the coalition, and hope conservatives will have me.
I’m convinced if it weren’t for *exactly* this sort of “attack the nominee for every imperfection from the word go”, which happened quite roundly during the primary - the candidacy of Mitt Romney wouldn’t have been derailed.
And the GOP would be looking at a landslide election of historic proportion.
That’s not what happened. It was all “socialist this”, and “socialist that”. And “Mormon this”, and “RINO that”, and everyone was po’ed and angry and namecalling and ... John McCain snuck in.
While everyone was fighting. He just quietly got things done.
Evidently ole John learned a thing or two in those jungles.
This is entirely self-inflicted. We attack every candidate for piddly little stuff - and it sticks.
So we knock strong people out of the race, scare others from even running in the first place.
And end up with candidates who are smart enough to keep their head down.
We need a bold, hold-your-head-up somebody.
Problem is, we attack them.
The way I look at it he is right on so much else. 82% ACU rating equals 4/5ths of what conservatives want.
I won’t hold my breath waiting to see the disgusting socialist quote from this address.
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