McCain Speaks to State Republican Leaders in Atlanta
By Travis Fain, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.
Feb. 20–U.S. Senator and likely Presidential candidate John McCain continued to serve up harsh criticism for former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld this morning during a frank discussion with state Republicans.
McCain echoed statements from earlier this week, calling Rumsfeld one of the worst defense secretaries in history and saying the war in Iraq has been a “train wreck.”
But McCain also expressed new hope for President George Bush’s current Iraq strategy, which includes an increase in troops and new military leadership.
“Now we’re going into places, we’re killing bad guys and we’re staying,” McCain said. “We’re building… so that economic and political development can take place.”
McCain played to an interested, if non-commital, crowd during a weekly House Republican caucus meeting this morning. House leaders have not announced endorsements for the 2008 presidential primary and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who has announced his run for the Republican nomination, is expected in town later this week.
McCain also complained about government spending, saying the Republican Party angered its conservative base by presiding over the greatest expansion of government since the Great Society reforms of the 1960s.
“Nobody says no in Washington anymore,” said McCain, who has railed against pork-project spending at the federal level.
McCain, who represents Arizona and is on a cross-country trip to drum up support for an expected, but not formally announced, presidential run, also discussed energy policy, his position on appointing federal judges and the need for social security reform.
He fielded a question on PeachCare, which is Georgia’s version of a national health insurance program for children. That program is running short of money and state leaders are looking to Congress for additional funding.
McCain said he didn’t know there was a problem with the program.
“Drop me a note on that,” he told a state representative who brought the issue up. “I thought the program was in pretty good shape. (I’d be) glad to get on it.”
Former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, who was born in Georgia, accompanied McCain today and noted that McCain has two sons in the military, leaving him with “plenty of skin in the game” as the war continues in Iraq.
Gramm also called him the “right president for this time.” State Rep. Jim Cole, R-Forsyth, echoed that sentiment after hearing McCain speak.
“As Gramm said, he might not be the right president for all times, but he’s the right president for this time.”
For more coverage of McCain’s visit to Atlanta, see tomorrows Telegraph.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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