Subject: Tracking: McCain, Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner in Phoenix, AZ on 5/6
From: Thomas Nuccio <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2016 12:37:56 -0400

Highlights are in bold

*John McCain comments: *

- McCain talks about Hispanic Americans being a very active group.

- McCain's are immersing with Bangladesh population in Phoenix

- Comments about how he was honored to work with Senator Cotton though he
did not come to the event.

- Talks about how he has gained Vietnamese support in the community.

*Joni Ernst:*

(Ernst laughs and thanks McCain. Ernst takes a swipe at the liberal war on
women. She lauds McCain’s experience.)

*Dan Sullivan:*

Sullivan goes on introduces himself and the freshman class in Senate, talks
about how McCain is a mentor, shout out to McCain interns, McCain is SASC
chairman and is awesome.)

*Cory Gardner: *

Gardner jokes about water and baseball. We are going to keep the majority
in the Senate. McCain stands up for people who are struggling.

[00:33:26]

By the way there is a couple of these gentleman who I have gotten to know
the years who have spent years in reeducation camps and were – How many
years?

VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN: Five-and-a-half years.

MCCAIN: Five-and-a-half years in a reeducation camp. I’m very happy that you
are here with us in the United States. The Vietnamese community has
contributed an enormous amount.

[00:33:48]

*There’s so many other groups: our Hispanic Americans, all – but also there
is a special group also that have been very active and that’s our Iranian
community.*

[Applause]

[00:34:08]

They care deeply about their country. They care a great deal about what has
happened o Iran. They feel that they need a President and a Congress that
will stand up Iranian aggression. I thank the Iranian-American group for
all they have done for me.

*[00:34:28]*

*We are assembling a coalition of different ethnic groups. We’ve got a
special, very special group – you know our daughter Bridget was born in
Bangladesh so weare motivating the Bangladesh community. There it is right
there. If we get that vote out it could tip the scales.*

[Laughter]

[00:34:52]

I just want to thank all of you again for this expression of support
and I* just
want to repeat what has been said – maybe not totally accurately but fairly
accurately – that I was quoted as saying that this could be the toughest
race of my political career.* Anybody who sees the turbulence in the
political environment today could not conclude anything else. I am
confident of victory. But *I believe that we have to ask people to work for
us harder than perhaps they have before.*

[00:35:28]

I’m very grateful at this turn out. I’m grateful – *as usual this is going
to come down to what usually determines elections and that’s voter turn
out. That’s general speaking the way elections are decided – obviously in
Democracies – and will this Fall. As you know we have a late primary at the
end of August and we’ve got to get through that: and of course the general
election.*

________________________________________________________________

McCain, Rally with Senators Ernst, Gardner, Sullivan, Perdue – Transcript,
6 May 2016

[McCain, Rally with Senators Ernst, Gardner, Sullivan, Perdue, 5/6/16
<https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/videos/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjI1NjkwNjksImVtYWlsIjoic2FtdWVsbGVlZmFsY29uZXJAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiaWQiOjMxNjI5OSwiZG93bmxvYWRhYmxlIjp0cnVlfQ.iyuxLeXBFYeiaLBDq-37Ow2QzcmhvaUO55q2ID6xssk>]
(AUDIO)

[00:02:00]

(Chatter from McCain staffers)

[00:02:14]

(McCain staff greets the volunteer tracker and enters the room)

[00:11:09]

(Announcer welcomes the Senators and McCain to applause. Chatter as McCain
and others make their way to the stage and greet people.)

[00:12:06]

MCCAIN: Well thanks to all of you coming this morning, thanks for this
great turn out. I’m very honored to have so many of our supporters, some
old geezers - like my friend here -that have been with us for many years.
But also I’m very pleased to see our young interns who have done such a
magnificent job.

[Applause]

[00:12:30]

MCCAIN: Somewhere in that group of young interns is a future Congressman, a
future Senator - I’m sorry to say I’m not so sure about President because
we in Arizona have very poor record. Barry Goldwater from Arizona ran for
president of the United States. Morris Udall from Arizona ran for president
of the United States. Bruce Babbitt from Arizona ran for President of the
United States. I from Arizona ran for President of the United States.  You
know Arizona may be the only state in American where mothers don’t tell
their children that some day they can grow up and be President of the
United States.

[00:13:11]

I’m very honored to have 4 of my colleagues – we had a 5th one Tom Cotton,
Senator from Arkansas who was with us yesterday and didn’t come back – but
I’m very honored. I know that many of you know that the election of
2014 brought
in a new generation of leadership into the United States Senate.  In fact
12, practically a quarter of the number of Republicans Senators were
elected in 2014.

[00:13:41]

They represent a new generation of leadership, they represent the kind of
work and dedication to the people they represent: and a diverse but very
important fashion. I have spent a lot of time with these new members of the
United States Senate: I refuse to call them freshman and I have spent time
with them and I am heartened and encouraged by what they have brought to
their respective states and what they have brought to the nation and to the
Republican Party.

[00:14:17]

So I am very honored that they would take the time from their busy
schedules to come to Arizona and be here on behalf, on probably as I said
before perhaps one of the toughest campaign of my political career. So with
that I would like to mention about each one of them and then ask them to
say a few words, although they have been in the Senate now long enough to
be incapable of a few words.

[00:14:45]

So could I introduce first of all Joni Ernst? Joni Ernst if from the great
state of Iowa. [Applause] Every four years the Senator from Iowa becomes
the most popular person in Senate. It doesn’t last long. When the primary
is over they forget about that Senator. But before the Iowa caucuses that
Senator from Iowa is really one of the most important.

[00:15:21]

Joni brings unique qualifications to the United States Senate, she grew up
on a farm, I’m sure that most of you know that the most famous commercial
of the 2014 campaign was showing Joni Ernst with some pigs around her
family farm, she talked about what she was going to squeeze when she came
to Washington. So far we are okay but – [laughter]

[00:15:48]

But she also served with distinction in the US Army Reserve and the Iowa
Guard and actually was in Iraq during that period of time: unique
qualifications and we are very proud to have her with us.

[00:16:03]

Second I’d like to mention Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. [Applause] He
has a great deal of military experience he has been a leader in the United
States Senate on the Asia-Pacific Armed services committee on Asia-Pacific
issues: all of that. He’s really a great guy but unfortunately he was in
the Marine Corps so...

[00:16:35]

Dan Sullivan understands the needs of our men and women in the military
having served, in face still serving on active duty, and we are very proud
of the great work he has done as a member of the Senate Armed Services
Committee. Corey Gardner: I want everybody to be so nice to him okay.
You’ve got to be nice to him because that is where our water comes from.

[Applause]

[00:17:07]

I always do go over and kiss his ring every time. Please the water coming
down the Colorado. Cory Gardner was in the legislature. He is now one of
the most valued members of the Foreign Relations Committee. Recently, and
remember he was in his first term; he was responsible for a significant
piece of legislation concerning this test of intercontinental ballistic
missiles by the Iranians. He has emerged as that leadership. Everybody
thank him for the water.

[Applause]

[00:17:48]

Senator David Perdue is from Georgia, he has an incredible – there she is.
He was the CEO of Reebok and Dollar General; he has the most extensive
experience. Any of you that didn’t like your Reebok: he’d be glad to talk
to you about that.

[00:18:12]

He is the foremost advocate for restraint on our out of control spending.
He is the foremost advocate to bring our spending under control. These
young people that are here our interns, I’m sure that they would be the
first to tell you, we are laying a burden of debt on them that is
unconscionable. He is foremost expert – spokesperson on getting our fiscal
house in order.

[00:18:44]

I’m proud of my work on behalf of national defense. We are proud of the
hard work that we do to train and equip the men and women who are serving.
Unless we get this debt under control all that work will be for
nothing.  Let’s thank David Perdue of Georgia one of the great leaders of
the United States Senate.

[00:19:11]

So with that I would like to hand it over to Joni Ernst who will tell you
that one of the great events in the world is the Iowa State Fair: where if
you are really smart you can get a deep fried Twinkie.

[00:19:27]

(Ernst laughs and thanks McCain. Ernst takes a swipe at the liberal war on
women. She lauds McCain’s experience.)

[00:23:03]

(Sullivan goes on introduces himself and the freshman class in Senate,
talks about how McCain is a mentor, shout out to McCain interns, McCain is
SASC chairman and is awesome.)

[00:26:43]

(Gardner jokes about water and baseball. We are going to keep the majority
in the Senate. McCain stands up for people who are struggling. )

[00:29:09]

(Perdue talks about how young peoples energy inspires him and McCain, this
race is about our country. We need McCain to help lead America again. This
campaign will turn campaign back to America’s founding principles. He’s an
American hero, let’s get him reelected.)

[00:32:20]

CROWD: John! John! John! John! ....

[00:32:30]

MCCAIN: Thank you. Thank you. I’m very humbled and flattered and I can’t
tell you how grateful I am to see this kind of support and eloquence. Don’t
you think that this is a wonderful group of Senators to help America?

[Applause]

[00:32:51]

MCCAIN: I’m proud and humbled to be in their company. I want to thank our
interns again but I’d also like to say that there’s a group of other
Americans that I have been very pleased to have their support and really
deep involvement: and that’s the Vietnamese community here in Arizona. They
are so active. Would are Vietnamese friends raise their hands for us?

[Applause]

[00:33:26]

By the way there is a couple of these gentleman who I have gotten to know
the years who have spent years in reeducation camps and were – How many
years?

VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN: Five-and-a-half years.

MCCAIN: Five-and-a-half years in a reeducation camp. I’m very happy that
you are here with us in the United States. The Vietnamese community has
contributed an enormous amount.

[00:33:48]

There’s so many other groups: our Hispanic Americans, all – but also there
is a special group also that have been very active and that’s our Iranian
community.

[Applause]

[00:34:08]

They care deeply about their country. They care a great deal about what has
happened o Iran. They feel that they need a President and a Congress that
will stand up Iranian aggression. I thank the Iranian-American group for
all they have done for me.

[00:34:28]

We are assembling a coalition of different ethnic groups. We’ve got a
special, very special group – you know our daughter Bridget was born in
Bangladesh so we are motivating the Bangladesh community. There it is right
there. If we get that vote out it could tip the scales.

[Laughter]

[00:34:52]

I just want to thank all of you again for this expression of support and I
just want to repeat what has been said – maybe not totally accurately but
fairly accurately – that I was quoted as saying that this could be the
toughest race of my political career. Anybody who sees the turbulence in
the political environment today could not conclude anything else. I am
confident of victory. But I believe that ask people to work for us harder
than perhaps they have before.

[00:35:28]

I’m very grateful at this tern out. I’m grateful – as usual this is going
to come down to what usually determines elections and that’s voter turn
out. That’s general speaking the way elections are decided – obviously in
Democracies – and will this Fall. As you know we have a late primary at the
end of August and we’ve got to get through that: and of course the general
election.

[00:35:55]

So your participation today means a lot to me. My colleagues’ mean a lot to
me. We can’t slack off; we’re going to have to work very, very hard. And I
know that I can succeed and I know that I can have the great honor of
continuing to serve the people of Arizona in the United States Senate with
your help and support. Thank you and God Bless.

[00:36:20]

CROWD: John! John! John! John!...

[Chatter and music]

[Volunteer tracker chats with a woman who used to work for the McCain
campaign but now does energy consulting]

END

-- 
Best,
Thomas Nuccio
203-501-0838