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Life, Politics and the Law From ABC News Correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg
Jan Crawford Greenburg is a correspondent for ABC News' bureau in Washington DC. She covers politics, the Supreme Court and provides legal analysis for ABC News. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago's law school and is a member of the New York bar.
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McCain: "Put my country first"
August 11, 2008 3:50 PM
With his campaign plane parked on the tarmac at Erie's "Tom Ridge International Airport," Sen. John McCain just finished up an appearance at a GE transportation plant here with the with the former at his side. He heaped praise on his old friend throughout his remarks, saying Ridge represented the best of America in his patriotism and love for country, like "so many of the greatest generation" who also came from Pennsylvania and the "heartland."
He spoke of Ridge's service and sacrifice in Vietnam--when he could have gotten a deferment after Harvard, but chose not to--again saying that he represented the values of Pennsylvanians. And McCain warned they'd be seeing a lot of him in the months to come, with Pennsylvania being a battleground state.
But a curious moment for VP watchers--those of us on the "Veepbeat", who parse every phrase for hints of who the presidential candidates might choose as running mates: McCain said the first thing he'd do as President would be to "call Tom Ridge from whatever vacation he has taken and get him to work." Did that mean Ridge is off the potential McCain short-list for VP?
Also of note for those who think Independent Democrat and frequent McCain surrogate Sen. Joe Lieberman might be a contender: McCain hit hard themes of bi-partianship and restoring confidence in government, saying Washington needs to put party affiliation aside and "sit down together, Republican and Democrat...and put our country first." He talked about the impasse over energy policy, and then said he and Ridge used to joke that it was "hard to do the Lord's work in the city of Satan" and that it was even harder now.
"People aren't putting their country first," McCain said. "They're putting their party first."
McCain will have a more-open ended town hall with Ridge tomorrow in York, at the eastern end of the state.. In today's event, McCain focused on issues of global competitiveness and energy independence. He also mentioned the on-going crisis in Georgia, which McCain took a vocal position on late last week, condemning Russia’s aggression, as an example of the value of having a presidential candidate—and president—with foreign policy expertise. .
"If you every need any more affirmation that we live in a very dangerous world,” McCain said, “my friends, look at the events that are just transpiring in Georgia as we speak."
And McCain briefly talked about his own personal biography, as he has begun to do on the stump. McCain pointed to his own military service and noted during his 5-1/2 years as a
Vietnam POW his refusal to accept special treatment and be released before his fellow prisoners showed he was the candidate who "put my country first."
It’s a theme McCain is likely to strike increasingly in the 12 weeks ahead to showcase his own well-drawn biographical portrait in contrast to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who polls show, is still viewed by many voters as an unknown quantity.
August 11, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (11)
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Put your country first mccain real funny for a man that has helped sink his country into shambles on a senseless war in iraq and wants to continue a 100 years if have to mccain three words for you YOU ARE A JOKE!!!!!!
Posted by: angie | Aug 11, 2008 4:06:35 PM
Thank God, McCain is finally starting to get more personal about his life experience and patriotism. It's a no brainer beteween these two candidates. Obama can be a citizen of the world...but millions of us want our President of THIS COUNTRY to be McCain!
NEVER OBAMA...he even scares a 7 year old with his answer to why he wants to be President and he starts bashing our country again saying it's not what it used to be. I'm sure McCain would say if asked, he's running BECAUSE HE LOVES THIS COUNTRY AND WANTS TO SERVE IT.... a novel concept for Barack Obama, I'm sure.
McCAIN '08/HILLARY '12
Posted by: Deb | Aug 11, 2008 4:17:17 PM
Put your country first.... God I have heard it all now.
What about the statement you made that "You really didn't like America tell you became a POW and missed it"... the examples you have shown us the past 23 years I would have to say... You still don't like us!
YOU ARE A JOKE!!!!!
Posted by: beck | Aug 11, 2008 4:19:16 PM
I'm betting if you took a vote with Americans McCain would win hands down on loving this country more than world citizen Obama, Beck....c'mon...be real.
Posted by: Deb | Aug 11, 2008 4:22:18 PM
No doubt McCain loves this country with ALL of his heart. That's why he wants to be president, and he IS qualified. Obama? Obama loves Obama, That's why he wants to be president. I don't consider a stint in the Illinois State Senate and a partial term in the US Senate, half of which has been spent running for President qualification. Even he said two years go he WASN"T qualified. What happened? His ego got the best of him, that's what. What does Obama bring to the table?,,,,a speech he gave in 2004. Big Deal.
Posted by: Freedom | Aug 11, 2008 4:41:48 PM
Yeah, Obama put's his country first that's why he spent $500,000 to remove the American flag from the tail of his campaign jet! Instead, his "O" symbol is reminiscent of his good friend Oprah and his ego. Thank God, McCain HAS TWO AMERICAN FLAGS PAINTED ON HIS SMALLER PLANE. This guy, Barack Hussein Obama HAS NEVER BEEN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, not one day of his life. Citizen of the world doesn't deserve to be CIC.
Posted by: Deb | Aug 11, 2008 9:21:16 PM
"PUT AMERICA FIRST"...Absolutely!!!
Obama will never 'put America first'.
He favors a major redistribution of America's wealth thru the United Nations via his Senate Bill (S.2433). Reseach: "OBAMA'S GLOBAL POVERTY PLAN" and see how he will TAX Americans $845 BILLION dollars, and make America subservient to U.N. doctrines and mandates. Obama is UN-American and is Bad for America!!!
Posted by: RSR | Aug 13, 2008 8:56:12 AM
john mccain=WWWIII
Posted by: james | Aug 15, 2008 12:42:29 AM
thats whats wrong with america we are always picking the lesser of the evils so we got a guy now who may or may not be in americas best intrest or macain whos going on america first but with his buddies sent 40k jobs to of all places france i would not be surprized if voter turn out is at an all time worst this time the only one in our resent history who has even addreessed the real problem of our debt that is killing america was cliton and we say what they tried to do to him but bush he just says ill let a democrat pay back the debt and is now paying the visa bill with the mastercard
Posted by: Blaine | Aug 19, 2008 11:55:18 AM
our debt 43 trillion what is the intrest on 43 trillion trade deficet as a govt guy said only 700 billion central banks buying dollars like crazy to help mantain its value and the govt bail outs when japan bailed thier banks out it took their econemy 20 years to recover 2/3 of companies in america are not paying taxes and its just a footnote in the news cant waste air time on something as important as that we need to talk about what a bad boy edwards is yeah keep the focus off the real problems and no im not a edwards supporter i think hes a lair on two levels just like with clinton we are going to rant and rave about something thats basically three peoples bussiness for days so we dont have to address the real problems so unless your a wife or the other women in these guys lifes i suggest not getting suckered into thier misdrection and focus on what they are trying to make you forget with all the bs so far i fail to see how edwards being unfaitful has hurt this country but sending 40k high paying jobs to france has macain is a history maker first time in history our defence contract is going overseas now thats what i call putting america first
Posted by: Blaine | Aug 19, 2008 12:53:12 PM
McCain said "People aren't putting their country first," "They're putting their party first." Here there is increase in the selfishness of people no body bothers about their country and they only need their party is alive or not.
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steve
Posted by: steve | Aug 20, 2008 2:34:33 AM
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