The McCain Surge

Steven Hayes of the Weekly Standard writes that John McCain, described as out of the game by many, is far from out of the fight:

Tempers flared as a horde of journalists jostled its way through the headquarters of Granite State Manufacturing last week. "Where are you from?" demanded a cameraman with a shaved head toting an unwieldy television camera on his shoulder. His question was directed at a tanned TV news reporter with Lego hair who kept thrusting his Fox 10 microphone in front of the candidate. "You should tell your cameraman that he's not the only one here! He keeps walking right into my shot!"

It was crowded. There were also two boom microphones, seven television cameras, ten still photographers, and at least a dozen print reporters.

This was not what I expected when I decided to join John McCain for the launch of his fall campaign. For much of the summer, the only stories about McCain's campaign told of its demise and the imminent end of his political career. The conventional wisdom in Washington: He's finished.

McCain has certainly had a difficult few months. His fundraising has been weak, his spending excessive, his campaign staff gutted. He favored Bush-style immigration reform; GOP primary voters do not. And he is the most outspoken proponent of the unpopular Iraq war among the candidates.

One commentator after another has informed us that McCain's support for the war dooms his campaign. Even with positive reports out of Iraq from the unlikeliest sources--Carl Levin? Hillary Clinton?--the prevailing sense is that McCain is playing an unwinnable hand.

McCain thinks they're all wrong, and he's betting his candidacy on it. In appearances across southern New Hampshire last week, he spoke mostly about the war and the need to win it. This week, he will travel through several states with pro-war veterans in what his campaign is calling the "No Surrender Tour."

If this were poker, he'd be all in.

You can read the whole article here. Thanks go to the Corner for the link.

John McCain's Statement on the Latest OBL Tape

Here is John McCain's response to the latest (apparent?) video from Ossama Bin Laden:

The release of the purported bin Laden video starkly reminds us that there is no greater responsibility for a president than to protect America from attack and to command our military forces in a time of war against a barbaric enemy -- an enemy plotting every day to kill Americans.

"Osama bin Laden and his henchmen must be hunted down -- and as president, I will. Al Qaeda terrorists and the violent, aggressive ideology they propagandize must be defeated across the globe, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which bin Laden's top lieutenant calls al Qaeda's central battlefront against the United States. My presidency will be al Qaeda's worst nightmare.

"This is no time for equivocation and waffling from politicians on the need to succeed in Iraq. As Ronald Reagan would say, now is a time for choosing. With General Petraeus set to testify before Congress next week, we can choose to continue to support the new strategy and the real progress -- not apparent progress -- our troops have made against our enemies in Iraq. Or, we can choose the path of surrender by undermining our current military campaign through funding cutoffs and congressionally mandated troop withdrawals.

"You know where I stand. I believe you can't be serious about fighting the war on terror unless you are serious about fighting and defeating al Qaeda in Iraq. We can succeed if we don't lose our resolve.

Focus Group: McCain Wins GOP Debate; Rudy Disappoints!

John McCain stood strong in the GOP Debate last night, and this commanding performance was recognized by the people of New Hampshire.

Update: The Des Moines Register agrees:

John McCain turned in his best performance of the 2008 Republican presidential campaign during a debate Wednesday night in New Hampshire.

His blunt, candid answers were reminiscent of the "straight-talking" McCain we saw in the 2000 presidential campaign. His good showing should provide a little lift to his troubled 2008 bid, an effort he's struggling to get back on track.

One measure of how effective McCain was came from two of his opponents, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani, who praised him and quoted from his positions during their own answers to questions. You can't ask for a better commercial than to have one of your opponents, Giuliani, say he'd be supporting you if he weren't running. Huckabee lavished high praise on McCain for his service to the country.

McCain was blunt in telling the audience the troop surge was working, that the United States had to finish the job in Iraq, that he opposed torturing prisoners for information, and that he wouldn't sign a no-tax-increase pledge that's popular in New Hampshire.

Huckabee also had a good night. He correctly ducked a hypothetical question about what, precisely, he would do in response to a nuclear Iran. And he looked presidential when he stood up to Ron Paul's badgering about the need to immediately get out of Iraq.

John McCain: Courageous Service

Called to Serve, Ready to Lead.

Tomorrow's Veterans Need John McCain Today

A brief message from Central Coast Co-Chair Donna Jordan:


Remember, no other candidate is a better friend of America's veterans than John McCain.

The Fight for Freedom is an Honor

Courtesy of Maggie O'Brien at the Des Moines Register:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain continued his Labor Day weekend tour of Iowa today at a ceremony unveiling a veteran's monument in Neola.
McCain was the last of a half-dozen speakers at the event, which drew a crowd of about 300. Many wore fatigues or military uniforms.
McCain said while war is tragic, the fight for freedom is an honor veterans share and understand.
"Most veterans know, war is an experience we would not trade," he said. "We might be proud to have overcome the paralysis of terror...to sacrifice for something greater than ourselves."
McCain's morning western Iowa stop was part of a holiday weekend of campaigning in the state - his first visit since the Iowa State Fair last month. At a visit to a rural Gladbrook home Sunday, McCain's remarks focused on the fate of the Iowa caucuses, saying that Iowa and New Hampshire should remain the traditional leadoff states in the presidential nomination process.

The full article can be found here.

Convention Calling

The California Republican Convention is fast approaching. For those who missed it before, they can find further information here.