Pickering on MSNBC

Congressman Chip Pickering will appear on MSNBC's Tucker with Tucker Carlson tomorrow (Wed 4/25) at 3:11pm (central time) to discuss John McCain's Presidential announcement.

Fundraising and Jim Barksdale

Sunday's (4/22) Clarion Ledger reported that John McCain had raised more money from Mississippi than any other Republican candidate for President, although he trailed Democratic candidate John Edwards. McCain raised $43,625 from Mississippi during the first three months of this year.

Congressman Chip Pickering and Senator Trent Lott will be hosting a fundraiser for McCain in May, along with McCain's Mississippi Finance Chairman Jim Barksdale. They hope to raise $200,000.

Pickering: McCain and the Enduring Judiciary

Congressman Chip Pickering writes in "McCain and the Enduring Judiciary" at Townhall.com that as President, John McCain has both the conservative ideology to pick solid judicial nominees and the politics of results to see those nominees confirmed by the Senate. Pickering frames the column in context of the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the national federal ban on partial birth abortion. Read it here.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban

"Cherish The Sanctity Of Life:"
Statement By Senator McCain

ARLINGTON, VA - U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement: "Today's Supreme Court ruling is a victory for those who cherish the sanctity of life and integrity of the judiciary. The ruling ensures that an unacceptable and unjustifiable practice will not be carried out on our innocent children. It also clearly speaks to the importance of nominating and confirming strict constructionist judges who interpret the law as it is written, and do not usurp the authority of Congress and state legislatures. As we move forward, it is critically important that our party continues to stand on the side of life."

04.25.07 - Coming Soon

Watch the new McCain announcement teaser video here.

McCain shines on fiscal issues

Robert Robb writes in the Arizona Republic, "While John McCain's speech on Iraq got all the attention, his fiscal policy speech Monday was actually more central to his case to be the Republican nominee for president....McCain has been a ceaseless and useful public scold on pork, corporate welfare and spending not related to truly national priorities. 'Give me the pen,' McCain said in his speech to The Economic Club of Memphis, 'and I'll veto every single pork barrel bill Congress sends me.' There's reason to believe he means it." Read the full article here.

Economic Policy Speech in Memphis

Yesterday, John McCain spoke in Memphis on his vision of economic policy.

You can watch excerpts of the speech here and also view a video on McCain's Straight Talk on Wasteful Government Spending.

Here is a summary of John McCain's economic policy:

Veto Every Wasteful Spending Bill That Comes Across His Desk

Reform Our Nation's Broken Budget Process and Balance the Budget

Tax Policy Should Support Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Investment And Growth
Taxes Should Be Low, Simple, And Fair

A Dynamic Economy Is The Best Hope For Workers Today And Tomorrow

Worker-Assistance Programs Must Be Modernized to Support Greater Opportunities For American Workers

Read the full Fact Sheet here.

McCain looks to Pickering, Lott

In today's Roll Call, Erin Billings writes under "McCain Turns to Hill Backers" that McCain08 is looking to Representatives and Senators to help with message and fundraising. Here are excerpts, you can read the whole article here (subscription only).

Looking to inject fresh energy into his 2008 White House bid, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is asking his Congressional supporters to take their endorsements to a new level by more aggressively tapping into their respective fundraising and political networks on his behalf....

Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), one of McCain’s top House supporters, said lawmakers are becoming an increasingly more influential piece of the campaign, which he said entered a new phase beginning last week when McCain delivered a major Iraq speech at the Virginia Military Institute. Money aside, McCain also has been looking to regain his political footing on the driving issue of his campaign — support for a successful conclusion to the war.

“They are accelerating and aggressively moving the campaign forward, both on the policy side and in the organizational and fundraising components,” Pickering said. “We are an aggressive part of that.”

Along with other lawmakers, Pickering said his McCain efforts are multifaceted, including helping put together meetings to attract additional Congressional supporters, increasing his fundraising calls, especially to the technology community, and lining up new appearances for McCain in the South.

Also, Pickering is playing host to a major McCain fundraising event with Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) in the two lawmakers’ home state on May 31. Lott, one of McCain’s closest Senate allies, is participating in several more upcoming events for his Arizona colleague, including traveling on his behalf to Alabama on May 12 for an annual GOP dinner.

“I think Sen. McCain will be better positioned for the long race than some of the newcomers who may have had an initial burst of support,” Pickering said.

...McCain also is turning to his Congressional team to write to news outlets to help make his case as the strongest conservative candidate. In recent weeks, Pickering, Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) have all authored letters to local and national media outlets to tout McCain’s record.

A McCain Surge?

Fred Barnes writes in the Weekly Standard: "A McCain Surge? Defending the Iraq war is his best shot"

He says, "We know what a full-blown McCain moment looks like. We saw it in New Hampshire in 2000 when he drew large and adoring crowds, gained more than 20 percentage points in a matter of days, and roared past George W. Bush to win the New Hampshire primary. Nothing like that is happening now. But McCain has steadied his campaign at a time when his foes are stumbling. And his future in the Republican race looks brighter than it has in months."

Read the full article here.

The Incredible Shrinking Candidates

Peggy Noonan asks, "Why is there so little dignity in the presidential campaign?" but provides a contrast to other candidates with the 'seriousness' of John McCain. She writes:

On Wednesday John McCain distinguished himself with a closely argued and eloquent address in which he spoke seriously and at length of his position on Iraq. He said America faces "an historic choice" with "ramifications for Americans not yet even born."

"Many Democrats," he said, view the war as "a political opportunity," while Republicans view it as "a political burden." But it is neither, he said. It is not a political question to be poll-tested but a challenge that bears on our continuance as a great nation. We must stay and fight and win.

"It may be standard-setting," the Hotline said of the remarks the next day, "perhaps the most powerful plea a war supporter has . . . sent to the American people since the troop surge began. Has any other presidential candidate written a speech to persuade--importune--an audience to change their minds?"

You can agree or disagree with Mr. McCain, but where he stands is clear--and clarity these days, from our candidates, feels like a gift. As does certitude. He isn't running from the war but owning it. A political rival might say, "He has no choice." But there's always a choice.

My larger point, however, is that he sounded like a serious man addressing a serious issue in a serious way. This makes him at the moment stand out.

Read the full article here.

Veterans for McCain

Retired Captain Lou Marchetti from Mississippi is serving on the Veterans' For McCain Leadership team. He joins more than 200 veterans from around the country in announcing their support for McCain today. Read more details here.

Media Roundup on Iraq Speech

JohnMcCain.com has compiled a summary of the responses from around the country on McCain's Iraq address yesterday. You can read it here.

McCain's Churchillian address

The Washington Times editorial today discusses "McCain's Churchillian address." They write: "In Washington, nothing comes easier to some political pundits than mindless cynicism. But some politicians advocate certain policies because they believe them to be the right thing for the country, even if they don't play tremendously well with the focus groups. In his address yesterday to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, Sen. John McCain demonstrated that kind of genuine statesmanship -- a willingness to tell unpleasant truths regardless of the political consequences. In many ways, Mr. McCain delivered the speech on the war that President Bush should have given months ago, challenging congressional Democrats to do the right thing and approve adequate funding for the war effort without imposing conditions that will likely result in an American defeat." Read the whole editorial here.

The McCain Divorce

National Review Online has this piece about the mainstream media falling out of love with John McCain and portraying him as the Tokyo Rose of Iraq hawks. Their editorial says in part: "We have had many differences with Senator McCain over the years, but can only brim with admiration for the clarion voice he has sounded at this critical juncture in the war. The media are almost ready to pronounce his presidential candidacy dead. It has indeed been sagging (for many reasons), but there is an element of malice in the media’s predictions. Surely Republican primary voters won’t find McCain’s leadership on Iraq as strange and irksome as the press does. How often do media hand-wringers lament that politicians’ won’t buck the polls and make unpopular stands on principle? Sen. John McCain is doing just that, and all the press can bring itself to do is carp." Read the whole thing here.

VMI Speech on Iraq

John McCain will be speaking at the Virginia Military Institute today at 10:30am (central). You can watch the speech live at JohnMcCain.com as well as read other resources on McCain's vision on Iraq.

Kissinger, Haig, Eagleburger, Shultz

Former United States Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, General Alexander Haig, Lawrence Eagleburger and George Shultz have endorsed Senator John McCain for President. These distinguished leaders served the last five Republican presidents.

McCain vs Giuliani

Jonah Goldberg writes that whether its conservative principles or leadership ability on the war on terror, McCain trumps Giuliani.

McCain on Iraq

McCain writes about "The War You're Not Reading About" in Sunday's Washington Post. He recently returned from his most recent visit to Iraq.

Policy Speeches and Kick-Off Tour

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that John McCain, during the month of April, will deliver three major policy speeches and make his presidential candidacy official with a tour through early primary states, ending in his home state of Arizona.

John McCain's first major policy speech on his commitment to winning the war in Iraq will be delivered April 11th at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington. His second speech on economic policy in Memphis, Tennessee on April 16 th will focus on taxes, trade, and curtailing government spending. The third policy speech will be delivered on April 23rd and focus on his domestic policy agenda.

The campaign also made public that John McCain will officially announce his candidacy for President with a tour beginning April 25th in New Hampshire and concluding April 27 th in Arizona, with stops in South Carolina on the 26th and Iowa on the 27th.