Mccin - "McCain Has Delivered And Will Deliver Change"

"His record as an independent reformer makes our job of rallying New Hampshire independents to John McCain's candidacy a straightforward endeavor. Simply put, John McCain can point to a strong record of bipartisan achievement -- one that appeals to Democrats, independents and Republicans."
-- Democratic Activist David Lee

"McCain Has Delivered And Will Deliver Change"
David Lee
Portsmouth Herald
July 20, 2008

Editor's note: The writer is a resident of Derry and a longtime Democratic Party activist.

John McCain has a special relationship with New Hampshire. During the primary, he held more than 100 town hall meetings across the state, providing voters with a rare opportunity in modern politics: the chance to directly ask a major candidate challenging questions in an unscripted environment and without a media filter.

What did we learn from these sessions? We found that John McCain's candor, commitment to country and, most of all, his independence reflects the political spirit of most Granite State residents. That last point -- independence -- is of particular interest to me. I judge candidates based on their qualifications, not their party. Although I've supported several Democrats over the years -- including John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign and John Lynch in all of his campaigns for governor -- I recently agreed to serve as co-chair of New Hampshire Independents for John McCain.

Our local group, which is part of the national organization "Citizens for McCain," is spreading the word across New Hampshire about John McCain's long record of putting the nation's interests ahead of politics. Based on John McCain's many acts of political courage, we have a compelling story to tell.

Throughout his time in public life, McCain has never been afraid to buck his party and the status quo in Washington. Eager to work across party lines, McCain joined with Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold to fix America's broken campaign finance system. Last year, McCain teamed up with Sen. Ted Kennedy to try to reform our immigration laws. And before it became popular to criticize George Bush on how the war in Iraq was managed, McCain was one of the first Republicans to call for a change in the administration's military strategy.

As John McCain has said many times, he did not go to Washington to win the prize for congeniality. By putting principle over politics, McCain has rightfully been declared a true maverick. The majority of voters here in New Hampshire, and throughout the nation, prefer a leader who is not afraid of taking positions because they are the "right thing to do" for this country, rather than caving in to special interests or their respective political party's line.

His record as an independent reformer makes our job of rallying New Hampshire independents to John McCain's candidacy a straightforward endeavor. Simply put, John McCain can point to a strong record of bipartisan achievement -- one that appeals to Democrats, independents and Republicans.

John McCain has laid out a vision for our country that meets challenges head-on and aims to deliver the change we need. A few examples are worth noting. Defying party labels, he believes global climate change is the single greatest environmental challenge of our time and has called for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recognizing that members of both parties have abandoned their responsibility to taxpayers, McCain will stop runaway federal spending and eliminate wasteful programs. He wants to unleash the American economy by keeping taxes low while also modernizing programs that help workers obtain the skills they need to compete in the global marketplace.

And he wants to lead America to energy independence through a comprehensive program that relies on green and proven energy sources.

It's an ambitious agenda, but John McCain has spent his entire career fighting to do what's right for his country and delivering real results.

John McCain's record and life story make him a natural fit for New Hampshire's independent voters. Based on his unimpeachable character, independents know they can trust McCain to do what is right for our country -- in good times and in bad. Bringing forth a new day in our national political life, McCain will bring "straight talk" to the White House and will set to work on America's challenges with tested leadership only he can provide.

Our country has a real choice in this election. While Barack Obama talks of change, always in a very eloquent manner, John McCain has shown he knows how to deliver change. New Hampshire voters, who have all but trademarked the word "independent," can easily differentiate between the two. As McCain's campaign has said: don't just hope for a better life, vote for one. I encourage my fellow independents to give their strong consideration to John McCain.

Read The Op-Ed.