In his own words: John McCain on taxes, earmarks, the economy

This is another in The Ticket's continuing series of items called In His/Her Own Words, in which we dedicate the entire story to the full text of someone's remarks in politics.

Recent Ticket Word items have included Hillary Clinton speaking about Barack Obama, Obama explaining his view of lapel flag pins and Clinton, Obama and John McCain talking about one another at the end of the primary season.

This one is the complete text of Sen. McCain's first weekly radio address today, intended as a regular feature of his general election campaign to become president -- and to get the chance to give his own weekly presidential radio addresses that not that many people actually listen to but that have become a regular PR tool for White House residents for putting out a particular message they want to be seen/heard talking about.

Here's the text of today's McCain radio remarks:

"Good morning. I'm John McCain, and this week I've been on the road in Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. I've been holding town hall meetings to talk over the subject on most everyone's minds these days -- our slowing economy.

"More than 400,000 Americans have lost their jobs since December, and the rate of new job creation has fallen sharply. Americans are worried about the security of their current job, and they're worried that they, their kids and their neighbors may not find good jobs and new opportunities in the future.

"It's a big problem when gasoline, food and other necessities of life carry the price tag of luxury goods, and that's what it feels like to millions of Americans.

"I have a plan to grow this economy, and it starts with getting a handle on the cost of gasoline and regaining America's energy ...

... security. I believe we should immediately suspend the federal gas tax for the remainder of the summer driving season.

"We also have billions of dollars of oil in the United States, and vast reserves of natural gas as well. So we must commit to producing more of both, to send a message to the market and trigger lower prices for oil and gas.

"We will develop more clean energy, and especially zero-emission nuclear energy. We will build at least 45 nuclear plants that will create over 700,000 good jobs to construct and operate them. At the same time, we will develop clean coal technology -- which alone will create tens of thousands of jobs in some of America's most hard-pressed areas.

"Under my energy plan -- the Lexington Project -- we will also accelerate the development of wind and solar power and other renewable technologies.

"And we will help automakers design and sell cars that don't depend on gasoline. Production of hybrid, flex-fuel and electric cars will bring America closer to energy independence. And it will bring jobs to auto plants, parts manufacturers and the communities that support them.

"My opponent has an answer to the Lexington Project, and it's "no": no to more drilling, no to more nuclear power, no to more use of coal. For a guy whose "official seal" carried the motto 'Yes, we can,' Sen. Obama's agenda sure has a whole lot of 'No, we can't.'

"We need to think as well about small businesses and the jobs they create. Small businesses are the job engine of America, and I will make it easier for them to grow and hire more workers.

"My opponent would make it harder by imposing a healthcare mandate that will add a crushing $12,000 to the cost of employing anyone with a family. My plan attacks the real problems of healthcare -- cost, availability and portability.

"In an economic downturn, the worst of all ideas is to raise taxes. And Sen. Obama will do just that. If you are one of the 23 million small-business owners who files as an individual ratepayer, watch out -- because as your business grows, my opponent proposes to raise your taxes.

"If you have an investment for your child's education or own a mutual fund or a stock in a retirement plan, watch out -- because Sen. Obama intends to nearly double the taxes on capital gains.

"He will raise estate taxes to 45%. I propose to cut them to 15%.

"For those of you with children, I will double the child deduction from $3,500 to $7,000 for every dependent, in every family in America.

"To promote job creation, we must also get government's fiscal house in order. Government has grown by 60% in the last eight years, because this Congress and this administration have failed to meet their responsibilities.

"When I'm president, I will order a stem-to-stern review of government, and I will veto every single bill with wasteful spending.

"For his part, Sen. Obama proposes to create sprawling new federal programs that will increase government spending even more. As for earmark spending, I have never asked for a single earmark in my entire career.

"In his Senate career, Sen. Obama has requested some $930 million for earmark projects. That comes to more than a million dollars in pork for every working day since he became a United States senator.

"In America, the most important measure of the economy is the opportunity -- the chance for every man and woman to find a better life, and to make one better still for their children. That is all a part of the promise of our country. And if I am elected president, I will see that promise kept.

"We're passing through a very tough time, my fellow Americans. But we've been through worse, and beaten longer odds. And very soon, we're going to get this economy running again at full strength.

"Thanks for listening."

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[dave]

of course, he did not write that little speech himself. and obviously, he got someone somewhat more popagandistically skilled to write his speeches now; though he basically reiterates that ridiculous 'gas tax holiday' (wink to his oil lobbyists, smelling tax funded profits).' and as to 'alternative, clean' energy - nuclear energy is anything but that - of course it would seem that he came a little late there, and obama already cut that humongous deal with the nuclear lobby months ago (so that's only just in case); and how giving more concessions to american corporations to exploit national (public property) gas and oil resources for their private profit, could automatically lead to reduced prices when those companies are free to ship them off to china, he fails to explain. maybe he plans on producing such a tremendous increase in nuclear waste so his chief concern, the military industrial complex (not mentioned for some mysterious reason), gets an unlimited supply of depleted uranium to make more ammunition, bombs and missiles from, to attack more unsuspecting children in remote and foreign places, for at least 100 years, and contaminate their countries, for at least 1 million years. but isn't he doing one hell of a job, thinking of all those jobs?