Subject: [big campaign] Tracking Update: McCain Town Hall Meeting Nashville, TN 06/02/08
From: "Cammie Croft" <[email-masked]>
To: "big campaign" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 17:48:33 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Hello Big Campaign,

Just off the phone with our tracker Evan who was on the ground today in
Nashville, TN.  Below are the notes from our call.

*BIG HIGHLIGHTS:
*

   - McCain gaffe: "I will win in January,"
   - McCain attacks Obama for not voting to condemn MoveOn's NYT ad, attacks
   Obama's patriotism
   - Characterizes situation in Iraq, "Success is remarkable"
   - States his position on gay marriage -- marriage is between a man and a
   woman
   - Asked about his flip-flop on the Bush tax cuts and why he supports such
   tax cuts for the wealthy now
   - Asked how he would used faith as president
   - In a response to a health care question, Bill Frist jumps in and
   highlights the importance of dealing with chronic diseases in a health care
   policy.  (NOTE: McCain's health care plan puts those with chronic diseases
   at risk.)

*Nashville, TN: McCain Town Hall Meeting 06/02/08*
*
Background Details:*
- Bill Frist gave introductory remarks
- Sen. Fred Thompson introduces McCain
- Also in attendance, Congressman Jack Wamp , Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
and country singer John Rich
- Audience approximately 800 in size; mostly white, affluent crowd
- Usual press - traveling and local affiliates
- Demonstrators inside the event -- they shouted several times during the
event, but they were hard to hear
- No trouble getting into the event, staff noticeably less organized than
those at previous events

*Speech Highlights:*
- Protesters briefly interrupt opening thank-yous
- McCain tells a few jokes to warm up crowd
- Says in DC, we sometimes get into a 'bubble' or a cocoon
- We are a united party -- but we've got a little work to do
- Said "I will win in January"
- Gas Tax holiday
- lowest income people need to drive -- I wanted to give them some relief
- I still want to give low income people a break -- so they have a little
extra cash -- and can buy school supplies
- Independence from foreign oil
- I will get that done, we will have a plan of action
 - We are gonna have to embark together on this effort -- we're going to
need to develop alternative forms of energy, nuclear power needs to be part
of that
- Why are we not using more nuclear power? b/c we haven't figure out how to
reprocess or store the waste
 - 'Nuclear power is clean" -- navy ships have used it for 60 years without
an accident
- Situation in Middle East
- Folks are there any doubts in your mind as to the intent of Ahmadinejad
?-- Obama wants to sit down and talk with him without any preconditions
(Boos in the background)
 - Iran is sending into Iraq lethal devices
- I will never sit down until Ahmadinejad renounces the evil things he's
doing in Iraq
- Iraq
- 800+ days since Obama has been to Iraq; and never has sat down with
Petraeus or the other commanders on the ground
- McCain reads quote: Obama said, 'I'm not persuaded that 20,000 additional
troops in Iraq is going to settle the sectarian violence in Iraq ....',
Obama was against the surge
- McCain - I suggest that he immediately sit down with Gen. Petraeus
- Talks about MoveOn.org ad that appeared in the NY Times; Senator Obama
didn't vote -- my friends, all of us should vote to defend our generals
(hits Obama on patriotism)
 - The war in Iraq has been long and hard and tough; it was terribly
mismanaged for 4 years
- "Success is remarkable" in Iraq
- the key thing isn't American presence, but American casualties
- if we withdraw -- if we had done what Obama wanted -- what happens? chaos,
more fighting, and we'd have to go back
- I'm glad Saddam is gone and that the Iraqi people have a chance at
democracy, freedom
- Senator Obama does not have the experience or knowledge -- and clearly the
judgement
- I've had the honor to serve this nation for a long number of years -- and
i hate war, and everyday we prey that they can come home, but everyday we
pray to win so that we won't have to go back
- I believe I can inspire a nation of young Americans to serve

*Question and Answer
*Q 1) General Petraeus -- I served with him.  Tells story about Petraeus and
what a great man he is.
MCCAIN: Thank you for serving.  I am honored.  It's just hard to understand
why Obama would not vote to condemn an ad by an organization that questions
the patriotism of such a great man as Petraeus.

Q 2) Hillary Clinton -- you mentioned Obama, but not her.  Taxes on phone
bills -- the tax that was originally intended to pay for the
Spanish-American war.  Also, sales taxes from the mall don't stay in the
communities.
MCCAIN: I'll be glad to look into that.  By the way, there's many
individuals who want to tax the Internet.  Don't let them do it.

Follow-up: Character issue.  Like you I was opposed to gay marriage -- I
agree with civil unions.  Infidelity is a terrible cancer on this country. I
think if we are going to talk about gay marriage, we also need to talk about
the preservation of marriage.
MCCAIN: I respect her, I admire her.  We have stark differences.  I respect
the campaign that she has run.
I believe in the sanctity and unique status of marriage as between man and a
woman (cheers and small boos).

Q 3) Iranian threat.  What would be your response to Iran if they were to
bomb Israel?  And how would you fund faith based organizations.
MCCAIN: I think faith-based organizations are great entities.
I will never allow a second Holocaust.  I believe there are many measures we
can use to thwart Iran before taking any military action.

Q 4) Tax cuts -- we need tax cuts and spending cuts.  Reads statement about
Bush tax cuts and how McCain in 2001 and 2003 said he was opposed to the tax
cuts because they gave breaks to the wealthy.  As president, what kind of
tax cuts that you do propose?  Do you have your own thoughts or are you
simply trying to make the Bush tax cuts permanent?
MCCAIN: If you do not make the Bush tax cuts permanent -- you will
essentially raising taxes for everyone.  At the time, I had my own
spending-cut package in Congress.  We need to control spending -- I favor
further tax cuts.  You can't dispute cutting the capital gains tax.  Obama
wants to raise the capital gains tax.

Follow-up: Those tax cuts are distributed to the wealthy.  Are you looking
to do that different than what you said in 2001?
MCCAIN: We're talking a lot of people.  The capital gains taxes affects more
than just wealthy people -- 100 million Americans report capital gains taxes
on their income.  I favor further tax cuts.  But first we have to get
spending under control.

Q 5) Military member -- Iraq, good news coming out.  Military is strapped
thin however.  What will you do?
MCCAIN: I think you are right.  The army and the marine core are smaller
now.  One of the mistakes that we made is not to increase the size of the
military.  I will do whatever it takes to increase the size of the military.

Q 6) Military member - Only Republican in whole family.  I like you.  "I'm
the only one in my family that likes you."  I wanted to know if I can get a
picture with you.
MCCAIN: I'd be honored.  Tell the members of your family that you're the
smartest member.

Q 7) Have you chosen your VP?
MCCAIN: No.

Follow-up: Can I make a suggest?
MCCAIN: Sure.
QUESTIONER: Our good friend, Fred Thompson.

Q 8) Freedom from religion.  This country was founded on faith and God.
What or who is the supreme authority in your life and how will it be evident
in your presidency?
MCCAIN: I think the experience I had here and faraway, the only reason I am
here today is because of my faith.  I believe I am here because I got one
more day, one more hour, one more minute.
Tells story from POW experience.  We were used as propaganda.  One of those
methods was to use rope to tie your arms back.  One night I was in that
situation.  A guy walked in -- a gun guard -- he loosened the ropes that
were holding me.  He came at the end of his shift and tightened them again.
On Christmas day, I was let out to walk outside, the guard drew a cross on
the ground. That's the one person I always wanted to see again.

Q 9) Iraq war veteran and a poet.  I understand you are one of those
Senators who did not read all of the intelligence report leading up to the
invasion of Iraq.  Can you tell me who the poet laureate of Arizona is?
MCCAIN: I do not know.  You wanna tell me?
Questioner: That's all I needed to know.
MCCAIN: I was briefed many, many times. And everything showed that Saddam
had WMD's.
Follow-up: Inspirational authors to you?
MCCAIN: Joel Austeen.  Ernest Hemingway -- because of serving a cause
greater than ourselves.  History.  I could go on and on.  I read all the
time.

Q 10) Social conservatives are worried about your background on this.  Who
will you appoint to the Supreme Court?  And how will you combat judicial
activism?
MCCAIN: Standard judiciary answer.  I'd appoint people like Alito and
Roberts.  Appointing judges is one of the most important jobs of the
President.  In all candor, guys who know that very fact are Thomspon and
Frist.

Q 11) Thank you for your character.  Thank you for your service.  What is
your stand on immigration?  And will you autograph my book?
MCCAIN: I think the people that inspire me are our founding fathers.
I believe that are founding fathers in their writings and the most noble
words they've written -- we're all created equal ....

Q 12) Health care.  My aunt is 92 and suffers from chronic pain. A big
problem these days are doctors are being prosecuted by the federal
government for aggressively prescribing pain medication.  I want you to stop
the persecution and reverse this trend/policy.
MCCAIN: Trials are not brought without evidence.  But we're lucky, we have
Bill Frist here -- what do you think Bill?

FRIST: Chronic disease has to be the focus of health care policy.  It was
one of the biggest problems.  We must continue to invest in science so we
can help solve your problem.

Follow-up: Many doctors are afraid to be aggressive because of the
prosecutions that are happening.
MCCAIN: I will look into it.  And do everything I can if there are abuses.

Q 13) Thank you for your service.  I served as a nurse.  NARF -- about
health care policy?  There needs to be more doctors that specialize in the
treatment of seniors.
MCCAIN: I'll look into it.

-- 
Cammie L. Croft
Tracking/Media Monitoring Director
Progressive Media USA
[email-masked]
202-609-7679 (office)
206-999-3064 (cell)

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