McCain campaign calls for education reform

Policy advisers from the McCain Campaign Phil Handy, Lisa Graham Keegan, Doug Holtz Eakin, and Nancy Pfotenhauer discuss Sen. John McCain’s remarks on education at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Participants in the conference say McCain’s proposals like bonuses to recruit highly qualified teachers can have an immediate effect and help to lessen unnecessary bureaucracy. Participants also explain McCain’s support for school vouchers as an alternative to low-performing public schools. (20:02)
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McCain campaign blasts Obama's Iraq strategy

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and McCain senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann discuss why Obama's plan for withdrawal Iraq will ultimately fail. (42:36)
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Obama campaign blasts McCain’s changing Iraq position

In an Obama campaign conference call, former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig and Major General Geoffrey Lambert (USA, Ret.,) discuss McCain’s opposition to a timetable for withdrawal in Iraq and the Iraqi governments support for the establishment of a timetable. Lambert says Iraqi forces have a greater functioning capacity and increased confidence, two factors that increase Iraqis’ desire for sovereignty. Danzig states that McCain previously said he would support withdrawal if requested by the Iraqi government and questions why McCain’s position has changed. Danzig adds that Sen. Obama’s support for withdrawal matches Iraqi and American public sentiment. He also says McCain’s position fuels mistrust of the United States in the region. (11:36)
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McCain part of energy policy failure

Senator John McCain’s stance on energy was discussed in a conference call hosted by the Obama campaign. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland were available to discuss how McCain has been part of Washington’s failure on the energy policy.

Vilsack said that McCain has staunchly supported large oil companies for raking in profits but has not stood for families struggling with higher oil prices. In stark contrast, Vilsack pointed out Senator Barack Obama’s ‘visionary plan’ to increase energy efficiency standards and that he will allocate $150 million towards research and development of cleaner energy. Vilsack pointed out that developing cleaner energy will form an ‘energy secure America and rebuild the economy by creating more jobs and expanding the middle class.

Strickland emphasized that, over the span of four days, Ohio has suffered significant job losses directly related to the increasing oil prices. He said that, while McCain seems tied to the current administration’s policies, Obama offers a fresh approach with tax policies that will benefit most Americans. In addition, Strickland said that Obama is committed to working to achieve affordable health coverage for all Americans.

When asked as to why Obama does not visit places like Ohio more often, Vilsack gave assurance that Obama would certainly ‘come to the homelands’. Vilsack also said he was struck by McCain’s failure to support wind energy which is a vital source of alternate energy for Iowa and Ohio.

In response to the possible negative effect of Obama’s proposed tax on coal for coal-producing states such as Ohio, Strickland pointed out that Obama himself is a senator of the coal-producing state of Illinois. He said that America needs to pursue sequesteration to deal with the carbon issue and invest in research and development. Vilsack added that this will create a market driven system that will push America to create cleaner energy that will allow America to be less dependent on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (35:03)
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McCain says his plan for health care is "affordable and portable"

Presumptive presidential nominee John McCain speaking at the League for United Latin American Citizens. He says that he has a plan that will make healthcare both affordable and portable, by making the insurance companies lower their prices and compete with each other. (0:29)
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McCain cuts taxes to aide small businesses

Presumptive presidential nominee John McCain speaking at the 79th annual League of United American Citizens. He says that it would not make sense to raise taxes in the middle of economic slump because it does not encourage growth. (1:02)
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McCain and Obama on opposite sides of tax fence

Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign held a press conference call with economic policy adviser Steve Forbes and senior policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin to discuss Senator Obama’s economic plan. Both advisers said that McCain’s economic proposals are opposite that of Obama’s proposals.

Forbes said that Obama has a series of tax proposals that would devastate the U.S. economy. When looking at his voting actions, Obama has been a ‘massive tax increaser.’ Forbes noted that McCain, on the other hand, had tax cut proposals for middle-class Americans and small businesses which is a pro-growth and job creating plan. According to Forbes, small businesses have created around 200,000 jobs and they would be adversely affected by Obama’s economic plan.

When questioned by a caller as to how McCain intends to balance the budget by the end of his first term, the advisers said that McCain will talk about a broad based future in terms of making cheaper energy available to families, helping with international competitiveness and reducing tax burdens on entrepreneurs. The advisers emphasized McCain has ‘learnt lessons of history’ and will not raise taxes when the economy is in trouble. (9:36)
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Obama campaign lashes out against McCain energy policy

Obama presidential campaign supporters Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and former Iowa Governor Vilsack discuss their opposition to the energy policies and "offshore drilling" ideas proposed by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain. (27:10)
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Obama’s policies could lead to chaos, genocide

Noting the reduction of Iranian influence and the growth of democracy, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain says that the United States is on its way to victory in Iraq and that the consequences of Obama’s positions would lead to chaos and genocide. (0:46)
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ANWR safe with McCain

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain calls ANWR pristine and says that there are areas in the world where oil drilling should not take place. McCain adds that he supports lifting bans on offshore oil and natural gas exploration and suggests that states should be given incentives to search for reserves. (1:02)
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Change: Obama wants it, McCain knows how

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain says that he has repeatedly called for town hall meetings between Sen. Obama and himself, stating that a change in Washington needs a change in campaign protocol. McCain suggests that he and Obama should give Americans “what they deserve” by holding a town hall meeting in California. (1:48)
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McCain campaign: Obama "is out of touch"

In a conference call, republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's supporters criticize Barack Obama's recent comments on gas prices and tax policy. (10:27)
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Dean points Dems toward November

DNC Chairman Dean says though the democratic primaries were long, voters must remember that the election is not about Obama and Clinton but working to end Bush-McCain policies that have damaged the United States, saying that the Democratic Party will be unified by the election. (1:09)
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Obama campaign "dumbfounded" by McCain's stance on disaster insurance

The Obama campaign held a conference call discussing the Senator's support for legislation to provide affordable disaster relief insurance to people in need, particularly in states such as Florida. The call also describes the problems with Republican Senator John McCain's stance on providing disaster relief insurance. (26:38)
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McCain conference call: Obama's promises difficult to back up

The McCain campaign responded to Senator Barack Obama's (D-Il.) speech at the AIPAC policy conference. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Randy Scheunemann, McCain's foreign policy adviser, spoke on the call and discussed Obama's speech, pointing out that it was easy to talk about supporting Israel, but actually supporting Israel is much more difficult. (19:28)

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Candidates the same on healthcare

Ed Howard of the National Healthcare Alliance compares some of the similarities and differences between the presidential candidates healthcare platforms. (0:51)
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Governor says Obama is unprepared to run the country

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty spoke today about Senator Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign stop in St. Paul. Pawlenty said that Obama continues to show a lack of judgement in security and international affairs that would be dangerous for the United States if he was voted President.

Pawlenty went on to discuss the negative parts of Obama’s campaign, citing a recent report that Obama is the most liberal senator in the whole senate. He said Obama doesn’t have on the ground, real time, up-to-date information on Iraq, has liberal views on the economy and plans to raise taxes and that Obama lacks understanding of American traditions and values. Overall, Pawlenty said Obama would not make a good president, citing the necessity of experience, which leads to better insight. John McCain has that experience and would be ready to come from day one, Pawlenty said. (13:55)
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Maverick McCain will not support the gay community

In a conference call today, the Human Rights Campaign spoke about Senator John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) record of opposing the interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans. While McCain touts himself as a maverick and independent, a uniter not a divider, his record with the GLBT community shows that he will be a strong opponent of their issues, said David Smith, vice president for HRC.

McCain has promised to act and vote against civil rights for GLBT’s in the community at home and at work, said Lara Schwartz HRC legal director. McCain has said in no uncertain terms that he opposes same sex marriage, supports the defensive marriage act, and opposes same sex partners adopting children, according to Schwartz. Many concerns of the HRC are about working discrimination, and John McCain opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibits employment discrimination on employees based on sexual oreintation.

Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona State legislator, said that McCain has shifted his views and in 1994 stated support of the gay community but has back away from that stance. In 2006, McCain was the face of a campaign using television commercials and mailing pamphlets to ban same sex marriage from the Arizona state constitution, which refused minimal legal protection like health benefits and rights to visit in hospitals from the gay community. All in all, McCain would not be supportive of the civil rights of the GLBT, despite his claim of being independent, said Sinema. (12:01)
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Interview with Middle East conflict expert Dr. Trita Parsi: McCain does not "savor" diplomacy

Dr. Trita Parsi, author of the new book Treacherous Alliances: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States and founder of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), speaks with News Correspondent Evan Segerman on a number of issues concerning the conflict in the Middle East. During the interview, Dr. Parsi discusses the upcoming presidential election, his feelings about the recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, and the role young people can play by educating themselves about what is taking place in countries such as Israel and Iran. (5:49)
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McCain and Bush are unwilling to engage with other nations

Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) talks about the foreign policy opinions of Senator John McCain and President Bush. They stated that it would be useless to engage in talks with Iran, but Biden says it's amazing how little faith John McCain and Bush have in themselves in their unwillingness to engage with other nations.(1:04)
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