JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW WEB AD, “LEADERSHIP”

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today launched a new web ad in response to Governor Mitt Romney’s attack on John McCain’s leadership. The web ad, entitled “Leadership,” will appear on targeted national and early state news and information websites, including politico.com, unionleader.com and boston.com, among others.

VIEW THE NEW WEB AD HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/tvads/

Script for “Leadership” (:30-Web)

ANNCR: “Mitt Romney compares himself to John McCain and their public service and says, ‘I’ve actually been leading.’

“Mitt Romney, leading?

“He’d rather call lawyers.”

ROMNEY: “You sit down with your attorneys and tell you what you have to do …”

“Uh, you know, we’re gonna let the lawyers sort out …”

ANNCR: “And bureaucrats.”

ROMNEY: “Well, if we want somebody who has a lot of experience in foreign policy, we can simply go to the State Department …”

ANNCR: “When it comes to leadership, John McCain doesn’t have to call anyone.”

JOHN MCCAIN: “I’m John McCain and I approve this message.”

AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008 WEB AD, “LEADERSHIP”

Romney This Week: “I’ve Actually Been Leading”

Romney: “Senator McCain is an honorable person. He’s been in the Senate for 25 years or more. And so people have a lot of talk there, a lot of suggestions about what other people ought to do. But I’ve actually been leading during that time.” (MSNBC’s “Decision 08,” 1/2/08)

Romney Leading? “You Sit Down With Your Attorneys And Tell You What You Have To Do”

Romney On Action On Iran And Congress: “You Sit Down With Your Attorneys And Tell You What You Have To Do.” MSNBC’s CHRIS MATTHEWS: “If you were president, would you need to go to Congress to get authorization to take military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities?” ROMNEY: “You sit down with your attorneys and tell you what you have to do …” (Republican Debate, Dearborn, MI, 10/9/07)

·         Romney: “You Know, We’re Going To Let The Lawyers Sort Out What He Needed To Do And What He Didn’t Need To Do.” MATTHEWS: “Did he need it?” ROMNEY: “You know, we’re going to let the lawyers sort out what he needed to do and what he didn’t need to do …” (Republican Debate, Dearborn, MI, 10/9/07)

Romney Leading? “We Can Simply Go To The State Department”

Romney: “If We Want Somebody Who Has A Lot Of Experience In Foreign Policy, We Can Simply Go To The State Department.” “Well, if we want somebody who has a lot of experience in foreign policy, we can simply go to the State Department and pluck out one of the tens of thousands of people who work there. They, of course, have been doing foreign policy all their careers. But that’s not how we choose a president. A president is not a foreign policy expert.” (Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes,” 12/29/07)

John McCain: “The Man To Lead America”

New Hampshire Union Leader: “John McCain Is The Man To Lead America.” “What is most compelling about McCain, however, is that his record, his character, and his courage show him to be the most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination. Simply put, McCain can be trusted to make informed decisions based on the best interests of his country, come hell or high water. … John McCain is the man to lead America.” (Joseph W. McQuaid, “John McCain Is The Man To Lead America,” New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/2/07)

Portsmouth Herald: “[McCain Has] Spent His Life Fighting For Our Country And Leading The U.S. Senate For The Past 20 Years On Virtually Every Critical Issue Facing Our Nation.” “U.S. Sen. John McCain will tell you the truth, even if it costs him the election. He has a very clear-eyed view of the truth having spent his life fighting for our country and leading the U.S. Senate for the past 20 years on virtually every critical issue facing our nation. In our view, John McCain stands head and shoulders above the rest of the Republican field and deserves the support of those voting in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary Jan. 8.” (Editorial, “Vote Sen. McCain In GOP Primary,” Portsmouth Herald, 12/16/07)

Boston Herald: “There Are Times In This Nation’s History So Perilous That They Cry Out For A Steady, Experienced Leader … This Is One Of Those Times, And Sen. John McCain Is That Person.“ “There are times in this nation’s history so perilous that they cry out for a steady, experienced leader, a person so trusted that we would put the fate of this country in his hands. This is one of those times, and Sen. John McCain is that person. He has a brand of courage that is rare in the public arena these days — a courage forged in part by those years spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and in part by more than two decades of fighting for what he believes in on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In an age when too many candidates are driven by polls and focus groups, fashioning and re-fashioning their core’ beliefs, McCain is a man of unwavering conviction and integrity. His values, his beliefs, his goals are what they were when he first entered public life, what they were in 2000 and what they will be a decade from now.” (Editorial, “Choice Is Clear: McCain’s The One,” Boston Herald, 12/20/07)

Salmon Press: “John McCain Has The Right Stuff … To Become Among Our Greatest Presidents … His Experience In Foreign Affairs And In Military Issues Is Unmatched In The Field.” U.S. Sen. John McCain has the right stuff to become a statesman, indeed to become among our greatest presidents … [I]n our judgment John McCain towers over his political rivals and is our unwavering choice in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary next month. Sen. McCain is a man of great depth and character. He has demonstrated an enormous capacity for growth over his political career and his military record is truly heroic — in stark contrast to those of his opponents. As a congressman and senator from Arizona he has exhibited the ability to attract both sides of the political aisle. And yet he is a conservative in the best sense of the word: principled, unwilling to cave for political gain and an unbowed enemy of wasteful spending. His experience in foreign affairs and in military issues is unmatched in the field.” (Editorial, “New Hampshire’s Salmon Press Endorses Sen. John McCain,” Salmon Press, 12/13/07)

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