McCain fears chaos, genocide

Americans’ energy concerns and the Iraq war were discussed by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in Virginia. McCain said that the United States must lower its dependence on foreign oil by increasing its domestic production. He also called for continued research on alternative energy sources. McCain restated his support for a gas tax holiday, a measure that would lower gasoline prices by temporarily removing its federal taxes.

To increase domestic production, McCain said that he will soon call for a lifting of a moratorium that prohibits states from exploring for oil and natural gas reserves offshore. He added that states with reserves should be given incentives to produce, saying that increasing the percentage of revenue states receive is one possible motivation. McCain called ANWR “pristine” and said the he opposes drilling for oil in a region that was set aside as a wildlife reserve.

McCain emphatically declared that the United States is winning the war in Iraq, saying that President Bush’s troop increases have brought greater stability to the country, reduced Iranian influence, and allowed for the growth of Iraq’s democracy. McCain said that Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama’s advocacy for a withdrawal date and Obama’s statement that a troop surge would fail were wrong. McCain noted that Obama has not visited Iraq in over two years and, to gain a complete and thorough grasp of the military situation there, suggested that Obama meet with General Petraeus. McCain said that US troops should come home with victory and honor and that a quick exit could lead to chaos and genocide.

McCain repeated his desire to hold weekly town hall meetings with Obama until each party’s convention is held, saying that he will continue to reserve one day a week for such an event. McCain remarked that town hall meetings are the root of democracy and that these discussions would clearly show the differences between the two candidates. In reference to Sen. Obama's statement that small town Americans are bitter and thus turn to guns and religion, McCain maintained he would never suggest that people in small towns turn to guns and religion out of bitterness, telling those in small towns that his presidency would bring them a safe and prosperous nation.

McCain a "flawed candidate"

Support for democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama was expressed during a news conference held by the Democratic National Committee. DNC Chairman Howard Dean thanked former democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for bringing inspiration to the democratic primaries and motivating millions of voters to vote for the Democratic Party. This gratitude was echoed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying that it is now clear that the United States is ready to have a woman president.

Pelosi and Dean emphatically stated that electing republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain would be comparable to a third Bush term. Dean said that McCain has voted with Pres. Bush’s policies 95 percent of the time, a higher percentage than any other senator has. Pelosi said that economic stability has been “sucked out of our economy,” by the top one percent of the United States due to Bush’s economic policies, causing the middle and lower class to fall behind. Pelosi said that McCain would continue to support these destructive procedures through taxes that support the wealthy. Pelosi repeatedly stated, “We do not need four more years.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) described the climate in the Senate as “surreal,” saying that republicans have disrupted debate on topics that are crucial to Americans like gas prices, renewable energy, and torture. Reid said Obama will lead the United States in a new, needed direction and that McCain is a “flawed candidate.”

Speakers strongly stated that Obama will win in November will be attributed to Americans’ dissatisfaction with republican policies. Despite a long primary election, Chairman Dean said he has “every confidence” that the party will unite. Pelosi added that woman and blue-collar voters, two demographics that voted strongly for Hillary Clinton, have the most to benefit from Obama and the most to lose from McCain.

More secure with McCain

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Doug Holtz-Eakin from Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) campaign team held a conference call to rebuttal some issues brought up in Sen. Barrack Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign speech on economic policy held in Raleigh, North Carolina. Burr began by saying that if the American people focus on the campaign rhetoric they will find big differences between what candidates propose and what they have done.

Burr said that about fifty percent of Obama’s speech focused on discrediting McCain rather than on Obama’s actual policy and proposals. While Obama said he wanted to lower tax rates for lower and middle class Americans, in the past he has voted 94 times to raise taxes. Burr explained that McCain has “been bold” in his pledge to keep taxes low and wants to give middle class Americans a tax break.

Burr also said that when looking at all the proposals and histories of both presidential candidates, there is more security with McCain. McCain has the better track record when it comes to committing to his promises. Burr went as far as to say that the speech Obama gave today is one that the American people are “sick and tired of.”

Holtz-Eakin explained that McCain actually voted against the 2005 Energy Policy Act while Obama favored it. This shows that McCain does not support a tax cut for Exxon, one of many false claims made by Obama. McCain does in fact believe that keeping taxes low is important for families, for the economy, and for corporations across America.

Obama campaign: McCain misinformed

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s position on the preservation of the Florida Everglades was discussed by former Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) during an Obama for America conference call. Graham said that the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) had not been passed since 2000 and that years without funding threatened to cause further harm to the Everglades and southern Florida.

WRDA was passed into law despite a presidential veto and a no-vote from McCain. According to Graham, McCain voted against WRDA, believing it to be an appropriations bill. He said that WRDA is in fact not an appropriations bill but that projects now qualify for appropriations after its enactment. The act intends to sustain the Everglades over the next twenty to thirty years. Funds are shared evenly by the federal government and the State of Florida. .

Graham said that Sen. McCain’s disapproval of WRDA shows that his views are out of sync with a large number of floridians, saying that environmental concerns consistently rank high among voters’ issues in the state. Graham emphasized that growth into the Everglades threatens 40 percent of floridians’ fresh water sources. According to Graham, the Everglades are currently in a state of jeopardy, causing him to question whether Sen. McCain is concerned with issues important to Florida’s voters.

Focus of healthcare system questioned by experts

A panel of experts from the Alliance for Health Reform held a press conference where they discussed issues with the healthcare system and solutions that the respective presidential candidates have proposed.

Mark McClellan, director of the Brookings Institution’s Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, explained that there is a need for an “underlying change” in the way treatment is implemented. According to McClellan, the current system should focus on more effective treatment that would address patients’ immediate needs instead of inefficient care that leads to further visits.

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s proposals are not new, said McClellan. One reason for this is that the Bush administration tax cuts and the Iraq War have hampered the system from adjusting spending.

Uwe Reinhardt, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, stressed the importance of advanced Health Information Technology that traces the cost of treatment and the quality of the care. Such technology, however, can cost individual hospitals 50 to 60 million dollars a year to maintain