John McCain: Common-sense Conservativism

"Common sense conservatives believe in a short list of self-evident truths:

• love of country
• respect for our unique influence on history
• a strong defense and strong alliances based on mutual respect and mutual responsibility
• steadfast opposition to threats to our security and values that matches resources to ends wisely and
• confident, reliable, consistent leadership to advance human rights, democracy, peace and security."

-Senator John McCain

This awesome quote was brought to my attention by a blog announcement that all 50 states have Google groups set up in support of John McCain! Please take a minute to check out these groups to learn more about getting involved.

Light a candle or curse the darkness?

The media is quick to report that our much-maligned President Bush has an approval rating of only 32%. But I was surprised to learn that the Democratic-controlled Congress has even LOWER approval ratings, averaging a mere 21%. A similar margin - about 4 out of 5 people - said our country is headed in the wrong direction and people blame the government more than anyone else for economic and other woes. So the billion-dollar question: what is truly wrong with our government and how do we fix it?

I believe John McCain has shared the missing piece of the puzzle. It is not glamorous and it leaves traditional political media scratching their heads. It's not a magical end to war and terrorism. It's not Uncle Sam paying for Grandma's medications or your mortgage payment. The unpopular reality is this: there is no substitute, no shortcut, for personal responsibility.

Even in the midst of celebrating his unarguably heroic service, McCain has admitted his own mistakes and imperfections, and (gasp) shared what he learned from them. Speaking at the Naval Academy last week, McCain called for a return to responsibility not just in government but in all citizens:

"If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them."

The good citizen and wise person pursues happiness that is greater than comfort, more sublime than pleasure. The cynical and indifferent know not what they miss. For their mistake is an impediment not only to our progress as a civilization but to their happiness as individuals."

Glamorous? No. True? Absolutely.

To anyone who is unsure if McCain is 100% perfect, I will spare you some legwork: he's not. But he is refreshingly honest, always accountable, unwavering on issues of life or death and willing to make even politically-unpopular decisions. We are handing our next President a complex war, a volatile global and domestic economy, oversight of a divided and ineffective legislature, multiple judicial appointments, and a host of challenges yet unforeseen. Let's hand that responsibility to a man who takes it seriously.

Update: Article on Jimmy McCain

I wrote earlier about McCain's two sons currently serving in the military, but in my research found a distinct lack of information about his youngest son Jimmy, a Marine. I hate to promote anything they do, but the New York Times has a more detailed article on Jimmy and his father's response to his deployment.

Thanks to Moe Lane at RedState for pointing it out...

Leslie in Florida: Why I Support John McCain

Moms for McCain is now in 10 U.S. States! Keep spreading the word ladies!!

This is an unsolicited piece from Leslie in Florida titled 'Why I Support John McCain.' If you agree with Leslie, please take a moment to get involved -tell a friend, make a donation, put a bumper sticker on your car. We have a golden opportunity to elect a great man, let's make the most of it!

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Why I Support John McCain

It is with great interest, and a degree of puzzlement, that I have observed the response of a number of Christian leaders and conservative pundits to John McCain’s emergence as the front-runner for the nomination. Thanks to the 24/7 rumor news mills and the abundance of information available on the internet, I feel as though I am better informed in this election than in any I have ever witnessed.

After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, I voted for John McCain on Super Tuesday. I realize that he didn’t win my state, but if I had to do it again, I would not change my vote. I will most certainly vote for him in the general election in November as well.

I chose McCain because of his leadership abilities, his practicality, his willingness to say what he believes and not just what people want to hear, and his proven conservative (yes, that’s right) track-record on moral issues. I believe he will do the right thing by our military, our economy, illegal immigration and given the opportunity will appoint pro-life judges to the Supreme Court.

Another reason I chose McCain is his ability to reach across the aisle. For too long now, our nation’s government has been grid-locked by the childish bickering and maneuvering that goes on between the two parties. I realize that there are certain core issues that cannot be compromised, but at some point, Congress must grow up and realize that on most issues, there is common ground between the two ideologies. This is what is best for the country. I believe that McCain is best suited for finding this common ground and making us a stronger nation.

Here is where my puzzlement lies with many of the conservative mouth-pieces. For years now, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, et al, have raised hue and cry about the Democrats’ unreasonable attitude and unwillingness to work together. Now, given the opportunity to support a candidate who is capable of effecting this, they choose to withdraw into their corner and pout, threatening to vote for Hillary (what?!?) or Obama (WHAT?!?) or even worse, not even vote at all. Their theory is, “We will let the country have four to eight years of liberal leadership and then they will see why we need a conservative president.”

Ignoring the potential damage that this could bring to the country, they are demonstrating at best a shortsightedness, and at worst an arrogant spitefulness that shows that they value their ideas above their country. In my opinion, this makes them no better than the liberals that they so handily criticize for the same thing. If these individuals wish to sit out the upcoming election, that is their right. I would suggest, however, that if they do so and the true liberals win, they have forfeited their credibility and have no right to complain about the leadership that the Clintons or Obama will bring to the White House.

After weighing all the issues, it is my opinion that John McCain might just turn out to be the best president we have had since Ronald Reagan. Conservative voters need to follow Mitt Romney’s lead and get behind him. Otherwise, we can prepare ourselves for the political and moral nightmare that the alternative will bring.

"The only thing that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Military Mom Speaks Up!

I am *so* honored to have Q&A with Marissa, who is an Army wife and mother in Virginia. I 'met' Marissa through my CafeMom John McCain group. The war on terror is a major election issue, but it's not just abstract for the thousands of families who sacrifice - often silently - for our freedom. Thank you to Marissa and Ken and the many families whose bravery would be truly recognized by a President McCain.

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Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
A: I'm Marissa, wife to Ken, mother to Aidan (6), we live in Belle Haven, VA. Ken has been in the U.S. Army for 21 yrs., on Active Duty for some of that time. He is currently NC Nat'l Guard 20th Special Forces Group, Sergeant First Class Senior Medical Sgt. (18 Delta). He has been Special Forces for 12 years, he recently served as Team Sergeant in Iraq for 8 months, and Afghanistan for 6 months.
Q: Can you comment on why he joined the military?
A: Ken wanted to serve his country, he is passionately patriotic. He went to college after 2 yrs active duty on the GI bill. He remains passionate about his service.
Q: As a military wife, do you generally follow Iraq war news and politics?
A: Depends on whether he's over there or not!!!! I wouldn't say I'm glued to it. My husband follows it much more closely. He gets a lot more info than the media gets from inside sources. We don't get a warm fuzzy that the Iraqi people can really run the place effectively without an outside military presence, there's just too much turmoil there.
Q: How do you feel about media coverage of the war? How did it affect the troops from your point of view?
A: The only media coverage that we feel is fair is Fox News. Everything else is totally biased, and sometimes downright traitorous. My biggest beef: Americans who insist that they "need to know what's going on over there". Um, if their husband was embedded with guerillas in the mountains of Afghanistan hunting Taliban and Al Quaida I'm pretty sure they would have a problem with the liberal media highlighting their loved ones exact location to the terrorists!!! I don't feel like we have a right to know everything!!!
Q: As a wife whose husband has been in harm's way, did you initially support the 'surge' strategy? Do you now?
A: I did support the surge, that was the area where Ken was embedded in Iraq, it was overrun with insurgents. We are at war, soldiers will die and get horribly injured. My husband and I have talked about it at length. If something had happened to him, we believe it would have been the will of God, and that it would have been a sacrifice Ken would have freely given for his country, that's how passionate he is.
Q: Who do you support in the Presidential election and why?
A: MCCAIN!!!!!!! How can Obama or Hillary possibly be our next Commander in Chief???? What would they do, hug everyone who wants to exterminate us????
Q: Is there anything else you want us civilian Moms to know about the war?
A: Some 'dos and don'ts':

• DON'T believe everything you hear in the news, (unless you watch Fox News). It often gets totally skewed. Ken would call me and tell me "don't believe what you heard on the news about a bombing...."
• DON'T say "I just wish everyone would come home from Iraq!" It's patronizing and
  unrealistic. We are still in Korea, Japan, Germany, Bosnia, etc, etc, etc.
• DO say you're thinking about her, DO ask her if she needs help with the kids so she can have a moment to herself, etc.
• DO tell her that you won't take NO for an answer!!!! (It was really hard initially accepting help from others.) Sometimes dinner would appear as if by magic in my fridge
  anonymously!! (we live in the boonies and my front door's unlocked.)
• DO sponsor a soldier- our favorite online charity is Soldiers' Angels. My family, friends, and church were incredibly supportive. So were my other Special Forces team moms. Our husbands were with each other over there and we leaned on each other here (mostly online because we were all spread apart). Our Family Readiness Group was an awesome resource for me and for Aidan.

THANK YOU Marissa for sharing your thoughts, best wishes to you and all military families.

Red States, White Men and Navy Blue

Since becoming a full-fledged McCainiac, I've met several military Moms whose families are making the ultimate sacrifice for their country (watch for their perspective on the war and the White House next week). On their behalf, I want to comment about the relevance of military service when choosing a President.

It's no secret that Senator John McCain comes from a long line of military men who served their country with distinction (see NEW YouTube ad here). But many Americans don't know that Senator McCain has two sons currently on active duty - Jack is a navy midshipman currently in the Middle East and youngest son Jimmy bucked the system and signed on as a Marine (just returned last month from Iraq). They don't know because McCain, who is typically Mr. Straight Talk and fully open to the media, has made the subject explicitly and uncharacteristically off-limits.

It would be easy, and perhaps effective, for McCain to respond to Obama's anti-war platitudes and Hillary's misguided withdrawal promises with the image of his brave young sons in harm's way. It would be easy to speak as a parent, to other parents, appealing to their sympathies and schmoozing military parents as 'one of their own.' Meritorious service could be the trump card over the race and gender cards the other campaigns have played to the hilt. But that's not the kind of guy John McCain is - he is, after all, a parent first.

Blogs for John McCain's Victory had an interesting piece emphasizing the Democrats' hypocrisy dealing with McCain and his military record specifically. It is truly impossible for anyone to foresee the military and security challenges our nation may face during the next Presidency. But I know that I want someone in the White House who sees those men and women not as pawns but as heroes.

How to Make an Electoral Quilt

For all but the most committed Seattle-area Republicans, election season means either sudden introversion or spirited debate. But continue east of the Cascades and you’ll find as many conservatives as Seattle has espresso stands. Politically, Washington is schizophrenic, loudly blue and fiercely red, an electoral bruise.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see my home state of Washington leaning 'purple' in new polls, showing McCain ahead of Clinton and within striking distance of Obama (whose mother lived here during her youth). I’ve talked about other potential ‘purple’ states up for grabs, and it looks like we may have a race in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and even Michigan (hey Democrats, vote for McCain and we’ll actually – gasp – count your vote!) Evidently McCain’s message of straight talk, strong military and small, responsible government plays well with practical, patriotic voters across America. I have lived in three ‘swing’ states myself and truly believe it’s the turning out – and speaking out - of regular Moms like us which can swing our country in the right direction.

Make your own ‘electoral quilt’ here.

PS - As of this morning, Moms4McCain has had visits from Moms in 6 different states! Keep spreading the word to friends and family, put us in your email signature and leave comments so I know what issues are important to you and your families! Thanks!!