McCain

Current Position:
Senator from Arizona

Website:
http://www.johnmccain.com

Featured Quote:

Conference on Bio Economy in Ames, IA
November 5, 2007

"There is no economic force on this globe that is stronger than free people. Entrepreneurs lie at the heart of innovation, growth, and advancing prosperity. Entrepreneurs should not be shackled by excessive regulation that raises the cost of business. Entrepreneurs should not be disadvantaged by earmarking and pork-barrel spending that favors politically connected competitors."

Link to Full Article
John McCain

McCain Positions by Category:

McCain on Global Development and Health:
McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“We have to double the size of the Afghan army. We have to have a streamlined NATO command structure. We have to do a lot of things. We have to work much more closely with the Pakistanis. But most importantly, we have to have the same strategy, ..of the surge in Iraq, and that's the same kind of strategy of go out and secure and hold and allow people to live normal lives. And once they feel secure, then they lead normal, social, economic, political lives, the same thing that's happening in Iraq today.”

McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“I'm going to ask the American people to understand that there are some programs that we may have to eliminate. I first proposed a long time ago that we would have to examine every agency and every bureaucracy of government. And we're going to have to eliminate those that aren't working. I know a lot of them that aren't working. One of them is in defense spending, because I've taken on some of the defense contractors.

McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“Spending is going to have to be cut in America. And I recommend a spending freeze that -- except for defense, Veterans Affairs, and some other vital programs, we'll just have to have across-the-board freeze. And some of those programs may not grow as much as we would like for them to, but we can establish priorities with full transparency, with full knowledge of the American people, and full consultation.”

McCain’s Weekly Radio Address, Arlington, VA, October 4, 2008 – Link
“My administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods. These subsidies inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world, and I intend to abolish them.”

McCain’s Weekly Radio Address, Arlington, VA, October 4, 2008 – Link
“We must also realize that this rescue plan has serious implications for future spending. We cannot dedicate more than a trillion dollars to rescue failing institutions, and then go right back to business as usual in Washington -- as if there were no end to the resources of government or to the patience of taxpayers. Therefore, as president, I will impose a one-year spending freeze on every agency of the federal government, excepting only national defense, the care of our veterans, and a few critical priorities.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“Today too many around the world are excluded from the benefits of globalization. Disconnected from the prosperity that has lifted millions out of poverty, too many societies are plagued by violence, disease, and scarcity… It need not be this way. And in places where scarcity can breed resentment, despair, and extremism -- where problems cannot be contained by borders -- it must not be this way.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“Promoting development, creating opportunities, and eliminating disease do not only serve our national interests; they also accord with our deepest American values. We are a great and generous country, and we believe that all men and women, everywhere, are created equal and endowed by God with certain rights. In fighting disease, and sparing unnumbered lives across the world, we serve not only strategic interests. We serve our moral interests, and we show the good heart of America.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“Malaria alone kills more than a million people a year, mostly in Africa. Nearly three thousand children are lost every day just to this one affliction -- a disease well within our ability to eradicate. To its lasting credit, the federal government in recent years has led the way in this fight. But, of course, America is more than its government. Some of the greatest advances have been the work of the Gates Foundation and other private, charitable groups. And you have my pledge that, should I be elected, I will build on these and other initiatives to ensure that malaria kills no more.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“I will also make it a priority to improve maternal and child health. Millions around the world -- and especially pregnant women and children -- suffer from easily preventable nutritional deficiencies. As a result, a million children under age five die every year, millions more are born mentally impaired, and entire economies are left to stagnate. An international effort is needed to prevent disease and developmental disabilities among children by providing nutrients and food security. And if I am elected president, America will lead that effort.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“As we have done with the scourge of HIV and AIDS, we should embark on a more concerted effort to fight tuberculosis, which accounts for nearly two million deaths each year.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“We should reform our aid programs, to make sure they are serving the interests of people in need, and not just serving special interests in Washington.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“Foreign assistance will also be an important element of his foreign policy. Economic development in key countries around the world is a long term investment in American national security, intended to build the political and economic foundations of peace and stability. In doing so, America takes the route of responsible statesmanship.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“Even as the United States increases its military capabilities, John McCain will increase our civilian capacity so that an undue burden d oes not again fall on our soldiers as it has in Afghanistan and Iraq, where civilian agencies of our government have too often been missing in action. As President, John McCain would be committed to bolstering peaceful development in order to reduce the chances of war breaking out in the first place.”

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"Now, on this issue of aiding Pakistan, if you're going to aim a gun at somebody, George Shultz, our great secretary of state, told me once, you'd better be prepared to pull the trigger…I'm not prepared at this time to cut off aid to Pakistan…We've got to get the support of the people of -- of Pakistan."

McCain, Remarks in New Orleans, LA, June 3, 2008- Link
The right change recognizes that many of the policies and institutions of our government have failed. They have failed to keep up with the challenges of our time because many of these policies were designed for the problems and opportunities of the mid to late 20th Century, before the end of the Cold War; before the revolution in information technology and rise of the global economy. The right kind of change will initiate widespread and innovative reforms in almost every area of government policy To keep us safe we must rebuild the structure and mission of our military; the capabilities of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies; the reach and scope of our diplomacy; the capacity of all branches of government to defend us. We need to strengthen our alliances, and preserve our moral credibility.

McCain, America's Leadership in the Global Economy, Chicago Illinois, May 19 - Link
We're going to help developing countries in every way we can -- by sharing our technologies, by supporting micro-credit banking programs in Africa and elsewhere, and above all by setting an example of fair dealing with other nations.

McCain, Remarks at the VFW Headquarters in Kansas City: April 7, 2008 - Link
The international community should augment Iraqi efforts by broadly enhancing the proven success of microfinance programs to spur entrepreneurship at local levels throughout the country and Iraq's Arab neighbors should invest in regional stability by using the fruits of their oil exports to directly invest in Iraq. As these efforts begin to take hold in Iraq, it will be -- as in all countries -- the private sector that creates the vast majority of jobs and propels the growth that will end reliance on outside aid.

McCain, Speech at the Naval Academy: April 2, 2008 - Link
That is the good cause that summons every American to service. 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. I hope more Americans would consider enlisting in our Armed Forces. I hope more would consider running for public office or working in federal, state and local governments. But there are many public causes where your service can make our country a stronger, better one than we inherited. Wherever there is a hungry child, a great cause exists. Where there is an illiterate adult, a great cause exists. Wherever there are people who are denied the basic rights of Man, a great cause exists. Wherever there is suffering, a great cause exists.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
While Africa's problems -- poverty, corruption, disease, and instability -- are well known, we must refocus on the bright promise offered by many countries on that continent. We must strongly engage on a political, economic, and security level with friendly governments across Africa, but insist on improvements in transparency and the rule of law. Many African nations will not reach their true potential without external assistance to combat entrenched problems, such as HIV/AIDS, that afflict Africans disproportionately. I will establish the goal of eradicating malaria on the continent -- the number one killer of African children under the age of five. In addition to saving millions of lives in the world's poorest regions, such a campaign would do much to add luster to America's image in the world.

McCain, Statement on World AIDS Day: December 1, 2007 - Link
 It's critical that we face this crisis head-on, which is why I have consistently supported the most aggressive global AIDS program in the history of this pandemic, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Afflicted nations with whom we partner to fight this disease must also know that we expect a level of governance, transparency and effectiveness from them in order to make the fullest use of AIDS assistance so we can make the greatest impact on people's lives. Our commitment must be sustained, and our nation must always be faithful to those at home and abroad as they cope with the ravages of HIV/AIDS.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
As we increase our military capacity, we must also enhance our civilian capacity. As president, I will energize and expand our post conflict reconstruction capabilities so that any military campaign would be complemented by a civilian "surge" that would build the political and economic foundations of peace. To better coordinate our disparate military and civilian operations, I will ask Congress for a civilian follow-on to the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act, which fostered a culture of joint operations within the military services. The new act would create a framework for civil servants and military forces to train and work together in order to facilitate cooperation in post conflict reconstruction.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
Like-minded nations working together for peace and liberty. The organization could act when the UN fails -- to relieve human suffering in places such as Darfur, combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, fashion better policies to confront environmental crises, provide unimpeded market access to those who endorse economic and political freedom, and take other measures unattainable by existing regional or universal-membership systems.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
Africa's problems -- poverty, corruption, disease, and instability -- are well known. Less discussed is the promise offered by many countries on that continent. My administration will seek to engage on a political, economic, and security level with friendly governments across Africa. Many African nations will not reach their true potential without external assistance to combat the entrenched problems, such as HIV/AIDS, that afflict Africans disproportionately. I will establish the goal of eradicating malaria -- the number one killer of African children under the age of five -- on the continent. In addition to saving millions of lives in the world's poorest regions, such a campaign would do much to add luster to America's image in the world. These and other efforts, including enhancing trade and investment, would assist Africans in sparking a renaissance that would enable the continent's people to achieve their potential.

McCain, Speech to the Florida Association of Broadcasters: June 20, 2007 - Link
The United States should launch a major program designed not to increase handouts but rather to build capacity, improve education, cut red tape, and reduce the corruption that is the foremost impediment to economic growth. We should target assistance and micro-lending to the economically isolated and often indigenous populations among our free trade partners.

McCain, Speech to the Florida Association of Broadcasters: June 20, 2007 - Link
Our security priority in this hemisphere is to ensure that terrorists… have nowhere to hide. One element of this effort requires a new approach to the region's ungoverned areas. We must help governments establish sovereignty over the land, sea, and air, through broader partnerships with willing countries. This means defense assistance, but also measures designed to accelerate broad economic growth, build the rule of law, and extend the scope of government authority to lawless areas.
 
McCain on Diplomacy:
 McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“We've got to show moral support for Georgia. We've got to show moral support for Ukraine. We've got to advocate for their membership in NATO. We have to make the Russians understand that there are penalties for these this kind of behavior, this kind of naked aggression into Georgia, a tiny country and a tiny democracy. And so, of course we want to bring international pressures to bear on Russia in hopes that that will modify and eventually change their behavior… the Russians must understand that these kinds of actions and activities are not acceptable and hopefully we will use the leverage, economic, diplomatic and others united with our allies, with our allies and friends in Europe who are equally disturbed as we are about their recent behaviors.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“As President, John McCain will renew and revitalize our democratic alliances, while using diplomacy to promote the nation's interests in international affairs. John McCain will work with the more than 100 democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“The United States must listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies. When we believe that international act ion is necessary, whether military, economic or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must also be willing to be persuaded by them.”

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"Now, the new president of Pakistan, Kardari (sic), has got his hands full. And this area on the border has not been governed since the days of Alexander the Great…I've been to Waziristan. I can see how tough that terrain is. It's ruled by a handful of tribes…we're going to have to help the Pakistanis go into these areas and obtain the allegiance of the people. And it's going to be tough. They've intermarried with al Qaeda and the Taliban. And it's going to be tough. But we have to get the cooperation of the people in those areas."

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"I have proposed a league of democracies, a group of people - a group of countries that share common interests, common values, common ideals, they also control a lot of the world's economic power. We could impose significant meaningful, painful sanctions on the Iranians that I think could have a beneficial effect."

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"The Iranians have a lousy government, so therefore their economy is lousy, even though they have significant oil revenues. So I am convinced that together, we can, with the French, with the British, with the Germans and other countries, democracies around the world, we can affect Iranian behavior."

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"We have to work more closely with our allies. I know our allies, and I can work much more closely with them."

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“We can never guarantee our security through military means alone. True security requires a far broader approach, using non-military means to reduce threats before they gather strength. And this is especially true of our strategic interest in fighting disease and extreme poverty across the globe.”

McCain, Acceptance Speech: September 4, 2008 - Link
“I'm running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals -- to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace.”

McCain, Optional Editorial in the Detroit Free Press: June 20, 2008 - Link
On my watch, America will listen to the views of our democratic allies. When we believe action is necessary, whether military, economic or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must be willing to be persuaded by them.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
Today, understanding foreign cultures is not a luxury but a strategic necessity. As president, I will launch a crash program in civilian and military schools to prepare more experts in critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, and Pashto. Students at our service academies should be required to study abroad. I will enlarge the military's Foreign Area Officer program and create a new specialty in strategic interrogation in order to produce more interrogators who can obtain critical knowledge from detainees by using advanced psychological techniques, rather than the kind of abusive tactics properly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.

McCain, Speech to the Des Moines Embassy Club: October 24, 2007.
With our Arab allies, we must change Syria's calculus in ways that lead it to judge its regional interests differently than it has in recent years. We can do so not through unilateral concessions or unconditional negotiation which minimize our influence but rather by presenting a new package of carrots and sticks. Working with our European allies, this would involve substantial pressures on Damascus should it continue down its present course, including closing down its access to the international banking network, and but also leave open the prospect of closer economic and political ties should Syria pursue a path of reform, make peace with Israel, and end all support for terror.

McCain, Speech to the Hudson Institute: September 27, 2007 - Link
Even as we increase our military capacity, we must also increase our civilian capacity so that an undue burden does not again fall on our soldiers as it has in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the civilian agencies of our government have too often been missing in action. The State Department and other agencies need to enhance their ability to send more experts to rebuild war-torn lands - or, better still, bolster peaceful development to reduce the chances of war breaking out in the first place.

McCain, Speech to the Hudson Institute: September 27, 2007 - Link
As president, I would revitalize our public diplomacy. In 1998, the Clinton Administration and we in Congress agreed to abolish the United States Information Agency and put its public diplomacy functions inside the State Department. This was a mistake. Dismantling an agency dedicated to promoting America's message amounted to unilateral disarmament in the struggle of ideas. Communicating our government's views on day-to-day issues is what the State Department does. But communicating the idea of America, our purpose, our past and our future is a different task. We need to re-create an independent agency with the sole purpose of getting America's message to the world - a critical element in combating Islamic extremism. The cold war was won not with a tank battle in the Fulda Gap, but by winning the hearts and minds of the people that democracy was better than communism. And so it must be in our struggle with Islamic extremism. We must win this war by convincing the world that freedom is better than rule by terror.

McCain, Speech at the Hoover Institution: May 1, 2007 - Link
I will have much more to say about this in the future but our needs are clear in the organization, skills, and capabilities needed to prevail in the conflict with violent extremists: an intelligence community that is able to collect and analyze information on and conduct operations against our enemies; a public diplomacy effort that makes our case to the world effectively; a diplomatic corps that understands stability' does not mean supporting dictatorships; foreign aid programs that foster good governance….

McCain on Aid Effectiveness:

McCain, Speech at the Hoover Institution: May 1, 2007 - Link
Back in 1947, just a year into the Cold War, the Truman administration launched a massive overhaul of the nation's foreign policy, defense, and intelligence agencies to meet new challenges. Today, we must do the same to meet the challenges of the 21st century. I will have much more to say about this in the future but our needs are clear in the organization, skills, and capabilities needed to prevail in the conflict with violent extremists: an intelligence community that is able to collect and analyze information on and conduct operations against our enemies; a public diplomacy effort that makes our case to the world effectively; a diplomatic corps that understands stability' does not mean supporting dictatorships; foreign aid programs that foster good governance; generals that understand and learn from past wars and apply those lessons to the future; defense procurement that is transparent, accountable and effective; and civilian defense leadership that is held accountable for results and provides the resources necessary to achieve results.

McCain, Speech at the Hoover Institution: May 1, 2007 - Link
I will have much more to say about this in the future but our needs are clear in the organization, skills, and capabilities needed to prevail in the conflict with violent extremists: an intelligence community that is able to collect and analyze information on and conduct operations against our enemies; a public diplomacy effort that makes our case to the world effectively; a diplomatic corps that understands stability' does not mean supporting dictatorships; foreign aid programs that foster good governance….

McCain on Other Foreign Policy Topics:
McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“We must do whatever we can to prevent genocide, whatever we can to prevent these terrible calamities that we have said never again. But it also has to be tempered with our ability to beneficially affect the situation… We went in to Somalia as a peacemaking organization, we ended up trying to be -- excuse me, as a peacekeeping organization, we ended up trying to be peacemakers and we ended up having to withdraw in humiliation… So you have to temper your decisions with the ability to beneficially affect the situation and realize you're sending America's most precious asset, American blood, into harm's way.”

McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“We obviously would not wait for the United Nations Security Council. I think the realities are that both Russia and China would probably pose significant obstacles. And our challenge right now is the Iranians continue on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons, and it's a great threat. It's not just a threat -- threat to the state of Israel. It's a threat to the stability of the entire Middle East. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, all the other countries will acquire them, too. The tensions will be ratcheted up. I want to make sure… that we put enough pressure on the Iranians by joining with our allies, imposing significant, tough sanctions to modify their behavior. And I think we can do that.”

McCain, Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University Nashville, TN, October 7, 2008 - Link
“We can move forward, and clean up our climate, and develop green technologies and… alternative energies …so that we can clean up our environment and at the same time get our economy going by creating millions of jobs. We can do that, we as Americans, because we're the best innovators, we're the best producers, and 95 percent of the people who are our market live outside of the United States of America.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“An increasingly isolationist, anti-free trade America would further weaken our country and the US dollar. The depreciating dollar particularly affects Americans abroad because of the disadvantageous effect of exchange rates on the tax value of a fixed salary or pension.”

McCain, Statement on Americans Abroad: September 30, 2008 - Link
“John McCain believes that globalization is an opportunity for American workers today and in the future… John McCain will engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“We should work to dramatically raise agricultural productivity in Africa: America helped to spark the Green Revolution in Asia, and they should be at the forefront of an African Green Revolution.”

McCain, Remarks to Clinton Global Initiative: September 25, 2008 - Link
“We need to promote economic growth and opportunities, especially for women, where they do not currently exist. Too often, trade restrictions -- combined with costly agricultural subsidies for the special interests -- choke off the opportunities for poor farmers and workers abroad to help themselves. That has to change. And by promoting free trade, and ending unfair subsides, I intend to be the agent of change.”

McCain, Presidential Debate at University of Mississippi: September 26, 2008 - Link
"I won't repeat the mistake that I regret enormously, and that is, after we were able to help the Afghan freedom fighters and drive the Russians out of Afghanistan, we basically washed our hands of the region."

McCain, Campaign Speech, Columbus, Ohio: May 15, 2008- Link
[McCain describing what he hopes to have achieved at the end of his first term as President] Increased cooperation between the United States and its allies in the concerted use of military, diplomatic, and economic power and reforms in the intelligence capabilities of the United States has disrupted terrorist networks and exposed plots around the world… U.S. tariffs on agricultural imports have been eliminated and unneeded farm subsidies are being phased out. The world food crisis has ended, inflation is low, and the quality of life not only in our country, but in some of the most impoverished countries around the world is much improved.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
To meet this challenge requires understanding the world we live in, and the central role the United States must play in shaping it for the future. The United States must lead in the 21st century, just as in Truman's day. But leadership today means something different than it did in the years after World War II, when Europe and the other democracies were still recovering from the devastation of war and the United States was the only democratic superpower. Today we are not alone. There is the powerful collective voice of the European Union, and there are the great nations of India and Japan, Australia and Brazil, South Korea and South Africa, Turkey and Israel, to name just a few of the leading democracies. There are also the increasingly powerful nations of China and Russia that wield great influence in the international system.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
In such a world, where power of all kinds is more widely and evenly distributed, the United States cannot lead by virtue of its power alone. We must be strong politically, economically, and militarily. But we must also lead by attracting others to our cause, by demonstrating once again the virtues of freedom and democracy, by defending the rules of international civilized society and by creating the new international institutions necessary to advance the peace and freedoms we cherish. Perhaps above all, leadership in today's world means accepting and fulfilling our responsibilities as a great nation.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
At the heart of this new compact must be mutual respect and trust. Recall the words of our founders in the Declaration of Independence, that we pay "decent respect to the opinions of mankind." Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed. We need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies. When we believe international action is necessary, whether military, economic, or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must be willing to be persuaded by them.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
America must be a model citizen if we want others to look to us as a model. How we behave at home affects how we are perceived abroad. We must fight the terrorists and at the same time defend the rights that are the foundation of our society. We can't torture or treat inhumanely suspected terrorists we have captured. I believe we should close Guantanamo and work with our allies to forge a new international understanding on the disposition of dangerous detainees under our control.

McCain, Remarks To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council: March 26, 2008 - Link
Relations with our southern neighbors must be governed by mutual respect, not by an imperial impulse or by anti-American demagoguery. The promise of North, Central, and South American life is too great for that. I believe the Americas can and must be the model for a new 21st century relationship between North and South. Ours can be the first completely democratic hemisphere, where trade is free across all borders, where the rule of law and the power of free markets advance the security and prosperity of all.

McCain, Op-Ed in the Financial Times: March 18, 2008 - Link
But the key word is “together”. We need to renew and revitalize our democratic solidarity. We need to strengthen our transatlantic alliance as the core of a new global compact – a League of Democracies – that can harness the great power of the more than 100 democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.
 
McCain, Op-Ed in the Financial Times: March 18, 2008 - Link
We need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies. When we believe that international action is necessary, whether military, economic or diplomatic, we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must also be willing to be persuaded by them.
 
McCain, Op-Ed in the Financial Times: March 18, 2008 - Link
We all have to live up to our own high standards of morality and international responsibility. We will fight the terrorists and at the same time defend the rights that are the foundations of our societies. We cannot torture or treat inhumanely the suspected terrorists that we have captured. We must close the detention facility at Guantá¬namo and come to a common international understanding on the disposition of dangerous detainees under our control.
 
McCain, Op-Ed in the Financial Times: March 18, 2008 - Link
The bottom line is that none of us can act as if our only concerns are within our own borders. We cannot define our national interests so narrowly that we fail to see how intimately our fate is bound up with that of the rest of humanity. There is such a thing as good international citizenship. If we wish to be models for others, we must be model citizens ourselves.
 
McCain, Op-Ed in the Financial Times: March 18, 2008 - Link
Certainly the US must be that model country. Leadership today means something different than it did in the years after the second world war, when Europe and the other democracies were recovering from the devastation of war and the US was the only democratic superpower. Today, there is the powerful collective voice of the EU, India, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Israel, to name just a few of the leading democracies. And there are the struggling young democracies, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, that need and deserve help – more, in fact, than we have been giving. In Russia, democracy has been temporarily suppressed, but we all have an interest in seeing this great nation return to the democratic path soon. This is not idealism. It is the truest form of realism. It is the democracies of the world that will provide the pillars upon which we can and must build an enduring peace.

McCain, Republican Debate: January 24, 2008 - Link
And all we are saying is, look, you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions; you earn a credit. Somebody else is going to increase theirs; you can sell it to them. And meanwhile we have a gradual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We need a global agreement, but it has to include India and China. We need to go back to nuclear power. We cannot be dependent on $400 billion a year paying for foreign oil. There's a nexus here.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
But we should continue to promote free trade, as it is vital to American prosperity. Americans will thrive in a world of economic freedom because our products and services remain the best and because our country draws strength from the forces shaping the new global economy, ranging from inflows of foreign investment to new businesses created by highly skilled immigrants. Americans can be confident that a world of economic and political freedom will sustain our global leadership by promoting our values and enhancing our prosperity. To unite us with friends and allies in a common prosperity, as president I will aggressively promote global trade liberalization at the World Trade Organization and expand America's free-trade agreements to friendly nations on every continent.

McCain, Foreign Affairs article: November/December 2007 - Link
As president, I will employ every economic, diplomatic, political, legal, and ideological tool at our disposal to aid moderate Muslims -- women's rights campaigners, labor leaders, lawyers, journalists, teachers, tolerant imams, and many others -- who are resisting the well-financed campaign of extremism that is tearing Muslim societies apart. 

McCain, YouTube Debate: November 28, 2007 - Link
Well, I'd do a lot of things, but the first and most important and vital element is to continue this surge, which is succeeding, and we are winning the war in Iraq. That's the first thing I would do. And I would make sure that we do what we can to help reconstruct the country, to help the Maliki government move forward as rapidly as possible to train the police. But I'll tell you one other thing where (sic) I'm going to do, is we're going to fight back the Democrats' efforts to set a date for withdrawal, which is a date for surrender.

McCain, Conference on Bio Economy in Ames, IA November 5, 2007 - Link
I'm pleased to be here and grateful for this opportunity to share with you my views about the importance of Iowa to our economy and how I believe Iowa's economy is well situated to take advantage of increases in the global trade of goods and services. I've enjoyed getting better acquainted with Iowa this year, and I've learned a lot. I've learned that while Iowa takes great pride in its tradition of family farming, it also has a large manufacturing base, and ranks in the top ten of our fastest growing export states. That's an encouraging statistic for Iowa because, irrespective of the sporadic rise of protectionist sentiment in this country, opening new markets for American goods and services is indispensable to our future prosperity, and those states best prepared to seize the opportunities of the global economy will prosper most. My friends, we can compete with anyone. You wouldn't know that by listening to the protectionists. They think we're licked. They think we should hide behind walls, and hope we have enough left to live on while the world passes us by. That's not leadership, and that's not American.

McCain, Conference on Bio Economy in Ames, IA November 5, 2007 - Link
There is no economic force on this globe that is stronger than free people. Entrepreneurs lie at the heart of innovation, growth, and advancing prosperity. Entrepreneurs should not be shackled by excessive regulation that raises the cost of business. Entrepreneurs should not be disadvantaged by earmarking and pork-barrel spending that favors politically connected competitors.

McCain, Conference on Bio Economy in Ames, IA November 5, 2007 - Link
Our future prosperity depends on our competitiveness. Globalization is here and globalization is an opportunity not a threat. The American farmer is the most productive and innovative farmer on the planet and can compete with anyone. Period. But farmers can't compete if they can't get into the game. My friends, 95 percent of the world's customers live outside the borders of the United States. While my Democratic opponents play politics with trade -- using words like a trade "time out" to disguise their protectionism -- I don't intend to sit out opportunities and challenges of the world's economy. I intend to seize those opportunities to ensure, as every American generation has done, that our children's lives will be even more prosperous than were ours.

McCain, Speech to the Des Moines Embassy Club: October 24, 2007. - Link
NATO could forge or expand new security ties with these countries. A Mediterranean economic and political community could help put North African and Levant nations on a fast-track to closer engagement with the West in ways that stabilize the broader region and provide a model for their neighbors. Europe is worried about the problems posed by immigration from this region; the best solution is creating new opportunities within those countries in education and economics. People do not emigrate when they see a bright future for themselves at home. While there have been the beginnings of efforts from NATO, the G8 and the EU, I believe we need to go further with a far greater sense of urgency.

McCain, Speech to the Des Moines Embassy Club: October 24, 2007.Link
New roles for the EU and NATO in the Mediterranean highlight the importance of increasing our allies' stake in securing a new Middle East.

McCain, Speech to the Des Moines Embassy Club: October 24, 2007. Link
With our allies, America should lead in the creation of a Middle East free trade area tying the region's economies to each other, to the West, and to the dynamic economies of Asia. As we have seen in Lebanon, the expansion of a middle class, nurtured by growing economies, will inevitably create pressures for political reform within autocratic states. It is past time for all people in the region to enjoy the fruits of economic modernity that have transformed Asia, for instance, beyond recognition.

McCain, Press Release: October 9, 2007 - Link
The steady march toward more open global trade has been a critical part of the economic miracle that is the American economy. When I'm President I will relentlessly pursue trade agreements that will open markets all over the world for American businesses and workers and benefit consumers."
McCain, Speech to the Hudson Institute: September 27, 2007 - Link
To better coordinate our disparate efforts, I would ask Congress for a civilian follow-on to the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act which fostered a culture of joint operations within the separate military services. Today we need similar legislation to ensure that civil servants and soldiers train and work together in peacetime so that they can cooperate effectively in wartime and in postwar reconstruction.

McCain, Speech to the Hudson Institute: September 27, 2007 - Link
We also need to develop a deployable police presence to, when necessary, help maintain law and order where it is lacking, and to train foreign police forces to counter Islamic extremism and other threats. In the end, dollars, experts, and police must work together to address the interrelated issues of political freedom, good governance, and economic development.

McCain, Speech to the Florida Association of Broadcasters: June 20, 2007 - Link
We need to build on the passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement by expanding U.S. trade with the region. Let's start by ratifying the trade agreements with Panama, Peru, and Colombia that are already completed, and pushing forward the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Too many Democrats have embraced economic isolationism, paying off special interests by opposing trade agreements with our democratic neighbors. They could not be more wrong. My administration would reduce barriers to trade and press for renewed Trade Promotion Authority.

McCain, Speech at the Hoover Institution: May 1, 2007 - Link
The new League of Democracies would form the core of an international order of peace based on freedom. It could act where the UN fails to act, to relieve human suffering in places like Darfur. It could join to fight the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and fashion better policies to confront the crisis of our environment. It could provide unimpeded market access to those who share the values of economic and political freedom, an advantage no state-based system could attain. It could bring concerted pressure to bear on tyrants in Burma or Zimbabwe, with or without Moscow's and Beijing's approval. It could unite to impose sanctions on Iran and thwart its nuclear ambitions. It could provide support to struggling democracies in Ukraine and Serbia and help countries like Thailand back on the path to democracy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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