by Curt Mercadante
1. He is principled. Unlike Governor Romney, he does not change his positions depending on the office he is running for. We've all seen the video footage of then-Senate candidate Romney defending his support for a "woman's right to choose" and distancing himself from Ronald Reagan's policies.
2. He is conservative. He has an 82.3 lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union. He has a 95% rating from Citizens Against Government Waste. He has an 82.7% lifetime rating from the National Taxpayers Union. While some conservatives point to several issues to label McCain a "liberal", they should also look to the actual records - not current campaign rhetoric - of Governors Romney and Huckabee. They were tax-raisers and big spenders. Their current rhetoric on immigration doesn't match their records. The tens of millions of dollars spent by Romney may be able to fool some conservatives about his real record ... but don't be fooled.
3. He will keep this country safe. John McCain has clear, Reagan-esque principles on national security and keeping America safe. He wagered his political career on his principles ... and didn't hedge or waiver like Governor Romney.
4. He can win. A Rasmussen Reports poll released today shows Senator McCain ahead of Hillary Clinton by 8 points and ahead of Barack Obama by 6 points.
5. The company he keeps. McCain has been endorsed by such noted conservatives as Jack Kemp, Senator Sam Brownback, and Senator Tom Coburn (who has the most conservative voting record in the U.S. Senate). He has the support of more than 100 alumni of the Reagan Administration, and former Reagan Secretaries of State George Schultz and Alexander Haig.
6. He is pro-life. Senator McCain has a 25-year pro-life record, which is why he was endorsed by Senator Sam Brownback. While he certainly does not have a more pro-life record as Senator Huckabee, he certainly has a stronger and more consistent pro-life record than Mitt Romney who, as we mentioned before, is on record as supporting a "woman's right to choose."
7. He will appoint conservative judges. In tonight's Reagan Library Republican Debate, Senator McCain pledged that he would appoint judges in the mold of Justices Roberts and Alito.
8. He will support national right-to-carry legislation. Last week, noted Florida pro-second amendment leader and Republican Chair of Pasco County, FL endorsed McCain. The endorsement came after Bunting met with McCain, Romney and Huckabee. In his endorsement, Bunting wrote: "Senator McCain will sign on to a national right-to-carry bill if Congress brings it to his desk. As far as he is concerned, the gun show loophole is a moot point, and he will appoint judges who follow the Constitution."
9. He will cut spending and restore fiscal discipline. John McCain is THE leader fighting for an end to corruption and wasteful spending in Washington. It is a key tenet of his campaign, and he has a record (unlike Romney and Huckabee) to back it up. It is why he consistently earns the support of Citizens Against Government Waste and has a 95% rating from that organization.
10. He is a man of honor. His service to our country and time spent as a POW (choosing to spend extra years in the Hanoi Hilton with his men even when offered release) is well documented. While some conservatives and Christians decry him as "angry" and "old" or a "jerk" (a recent one leveled tonight on this blog), they look the other way when their so-called "conservative" or "Christian" candidates level ugly, negative, dishonest and offensive attacks on this American Hero. Remember the ugly, disgusting robocalls launched against Senator McCain in South Carolina in 2000? Or how about the mailer mocking his time spent in the Hanoi Hilton that was sent to South Carolina voters this year? Or how about the millions of dollars spent on negative attack ads and robocalls by Senator Romney in Florida just last week?
