Posted on 03/10/2008 1:26:26 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PHOENIX - Sen. John McCain is finding out what the Republican presidential nomination is worth this week.
Then he plans to buff his foreign policy credentials, remind the nation of his long military history and try to frame the issues for the November election in three separate tours while his two Democratic opponents continue to struggle for their party's nomination.
"Whenever you're the nominee of your party, I think people will want to re-examine the candidate," the senator said before leaving Arizona following a weekend at home. "I'd like to believe that all 300 million Americans know me, but unfortunately, that's not the case. I'll have to work hard to attract their votes."
But first, he had a full medical screening on Monday.
While McCain has previously been treated for skin cancer, he said there was nothing that precipitated his visit, which included a full medical workup. He said his dermatologist also performed a cancer screening during the past few weeks. Results from all the exams will be released April 15, he said.
"Everything's fine," McCain told reporters during a news conference. "Like most Americans, I go see my doctor fairly frequently."
McCain's next step Monday was fundraising.
McCain has been outraised by both of his potential Democratic opponents, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton has more than doubled McCain's donations; Obama has nearly tripled the Arizona senator's total.
Six days after clinching the GOP nomination, McCain headed Monday to a fundraiser in St. Louis.
He planned to continue Tuesday in New York, Wednesday in Boston, Thursday in Pennsylvania and Friday in Chicago to counter an explosion in giving to the Democratic contenders who each set personal bests in February.
Sen. Obama raised $55 million in February alone, while Sen. Clinton collected $35 million. McCain has not yet released his February totals.
More broadly, while Obama and Clinton fight on, McCain hopes to shore up his campaign financing, public image and political posture.
On Wednesday, for example, McCain will hold his first general-election town hall meeting in a nostalgic locale: New Hampshire. The Exeter event is a nod to the state's pivotal role as host to the first primary McCain won en route to the nomination.
In the coming weeks, McCain also hopes to deepen voters' understanding of his background and policy views.
His first effort comes in foreign policy next week. McCain keeps a previously scheduled commitment to join a congressional visit to European and Middle Eastern capitals. He plans to meet with a series of world leaders.
Upon his return, McCain plans a major foreign policy address.
Then McCain will take off on a biographical tour that will highlight his military service.
Among the expected stops: McCain Field in Mississippi, a Navy facility named for his grandfather, a former admiral; Jacksonville, Fla., where McCain returned from his time as a Vietnam prisoner of war and commanded the largest flight squadron in the Navy; and Alexandria, Va., and Annapolis, Md., where McCain went to high school and then the Naval Academy.
That tour is expected to be followed by a trip aimed at outlining McCain's positions on issues such as the economy and the environment, as well as his concern for less-affluent areas of the country, such as Appalachia.
McCain's most immediate concern, though, is money.
During the current election cycle, Obama and Clinton have not only outraised him, but far exceeded him in cash on hand.
As of Jan. 31, Obama, a senator from Illinois, had raised $141 million, with $25 million cash on hand; Clinton, a senator from New York and former first lady, had raised $138 million and had $29 million cash on hand.
By contrast, McCain has raised $55 million and had $5.2 million cash on hand at the end of January.
An invitation to his event Wednesday night at the Taj Boston hotel is fairly typical of those this week: $2,300 donations the maximum allowable for each primary and general election campaign are required for a private reception with McCain. A half-hour later, the tab drops to $1,000 per person for a more widely accessible general reception.
It was uncertain whether former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had challenged McCain for the Republican nomination, would attend the event.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,
speaks to reporters in Phoenix, Ariz., Monday, March 10, 2008.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
He should. And I don’t care what the crepe-hangers say with all the present hype the filthy socialists are getting, McCain can win in November IF HE RUNS THE RIGHT CAMPAIGN and goes for the throat of the Dim nominee. Both a SO EASY to nail -— their weaknesses far outnumber any strengths (do they have ANY?) -— fight hard McCain, you can do it.
I wish him much luck in getting funds from those "independents" and Democrats to whom he keeps reaching across the aisle.
Who?
Hi, I’m John McCain. Let’s let bygones be bygones......you nativist piece of crap. LOL
call him Mr. Softie,,
maybe someone just needs to send him a diagram that shows where the jugular vein is... just in case he wants to actually assume an aggressive position against Hil or Obama rather than harangue many in “his own party” .. whatever the heck it has been turned in to off late :-)
Sympathy for The Devil
-f
Save your breath for the concession speech, Mac
Allow myself to introduce... myself
I still can’t get over the fact that he is the Republican nominee!
To think that our great nation, blessed at its founding with some of the brightest intellects and most brilliant statesmen in history, has sunk to the point where the best we can muster is McCain, Hillary and Obama.
How I grieve for my beloved country.
I guess the one bright spot about being stuck in Blue State Hell is that I can afford the luxury of a wasted protest vote. So I will refuse to vote for McCain without feeling guilty about helping the Democrats capture the White House.
Hank Hill’s Dad?
Man, I do hope I get the opportunity to meet the Weasel at some event so I can tell him to his face that he ain’t gettin’ a plugged nickel from me. I’ve already sent back two National Committee “begs” with nothing but a note about my opinion of McVain. They’ll probably go straight to the trash, but if enough of us do it, itmight register.
The new FR poll says it all.
Only 11% would vote for McCain because they like him.
Dole tried this. Remember, he resigned from the Senate and tried to run as an outsider; his wife gave an Oprah style speech at the convention. His numbers went up for two weeks, then back down again.
It doesn’t work. The man is 71 years old; he’s been in Washington forever, “reaching” out to the Dems.
He should have spent more time “reaching” out to his own party.
“McCain seeks to reintroduce self”
Hello my friends, I am a backstabbing, lib-loving, global warming myth believing, illegal alien hugging ba*tard.
Won’t you please vote for me? I’ll only f**k you over on the big issues, PROMISE!
I am thinking, The Shining, I am thinking Jack Nicholson, I am thinking “Here’s Johnny!”
And just whom are you hoping he will be conceding to ?

“he eats Raisin Bran for breakfast”
I would have guessed Grape Nuts.
That was my first thought too!!
The lyrics are an amazingly good fit:
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for long, long years
Stole many man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Kennedys?"
When after all
It was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste
Like I’ve said. You try to interject a positive story and there’s people like you who trash the man to make your point.
I don’t really understand your thought process. You equate Obama with Hillary and McCain as if there is no difference. I think we have a disconnect here...but that’s just my opinion.
We saw some trailers for the new Battlestar Gallactica and decided John McCain needs an eye-patch.
BWahahahahahahahahaha, if THIS doesn't show how out of touch he is, nothing will.
I avoid doctors like the plague and so does everyone else in my family.
Yeah, you’re right. Americans can’t afford to see their doctor and avoid them like the plague.
Your words, not mine.

It was twenty years ago today,
Pilot McCain taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile.
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years,
Pilot McCain's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
If I were a New Yorker I would demand his resignation.
You're right. We do have a disconnect. Can you think of one positive reason to vote for John McCain, other than that he MAY be (marginally) not quite as bad as Hillary or Obama?
The guy is wrong on practically every issue that matters, has no understanding of economics, has jumped on the global warming bandwagon, doesn't even remotely understand the issue of illegal immigration, is completely unable to grasp, let alone argue, a principled position on any issue, has basically made clear that he is not going to appoint strict constructionist judges, and would rather die than directly criticize a mainstream Democrat position.
Oh, did I mention that he really hasn't demonstrated that he's all that bright, or that he has any strength as a strategic thinker. Not to mention that he has ZERO executive experience and is therefore by definition unqualified to hold, let alone carry out the responsibilies of, the highest executive office in the US government.
Other than that he's swell.
So OK, maybe he wouldn't quite be the disaster that Hillary or Obama will be. But please don't try to persuade me that he has any serious qualities to recommend him for the office of the Presidency.
Every American family will pay another $2,000 annually thanks to McCain and his dopey carbon credit scam. Just what this country needs - billions stolen to redistribute to european socialists and third world dictators.
Now we will see a recession.
Those $5000 tax credits for healthcare are also gonna hit the pocketbook—and not of those receiving the benefit.
What if the ticket is McCain/Romney?
Now, that was funny!
If I lived in an important state like Florida, I'd hold my nose and vote for him.
But since I live in Massachusetts, which will go Democrat anyway, it really doesn't matter who I vote for, or even whether I vote at all, in the presidential race.
So I while I will definitely vote for whoever ends up running against John Kerry in the Senate race, I won't be voting for McCain no matter who he runs with.
And by the way, he won't be running with Romney, bet on that.
McCain will be on Bill Bennett’s show after the newsbreak at the bottom of this hour. (6:30 a.m. MDT)
McCain says he hates wasteful government spending.
A donation to McCain, Hillary, or Obama, would be considered wasteful spending on government.
LOL
Now the lying begins.
McCain seeks to reintroduce self:
“Hi there, conservative type person. Never mind about me, say hi to my new running mate Duncan Hunter!”
I believe the line actually goes like this:
"Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste..."
McCain treats his (and the nation’s) enemies better than he treats his friends (or conservatives, anyway). Don’t look for him to go for Hillary!’s throat (it would be sexist) or Obama’s (...racist).
You are 100% correct.
All of the whining and crying about McCain not being as bad as Hillary or Obama is the reason we end up with such terrible candidates time after time.
If we keep voting for republican candidates because they are not quite the worst of two horrible choices we will never see the republican party field a quality candidate.
As long as they can scare us with a democrat boogey man worse than the republican boogey man they are happy to run standard party hacks for office.
We should demand the best America can offer - not settle for someone who isn't quite as repulsive as the worst the democrats can offer.
Look at all of the dynamic movers and shakers in the country; self made men of ability, wisdom and great accomplishments, men that can inspire and lead.
And the best the republican party can offer is a hack like John McCain?P> Disgusting.
The Scum Also Rises - Is This Really The Best That America Can Do?
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