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President Obama should "state unequivocally" that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should step down from power, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Thursday. The trio ramped up pressure on Obama to take a stronger stance against the Assad regime, which has violently cracked down on anti-government protesters demanding reforms. "We urge President Obama to state unequivocally — as he did in the case of Qaddafi and Mubarak — that it is time for Assad to go," the senators said in a statement, referring to the leaders of Libya and Egypt. "The President should take tangible...

(snip) "I reminded them that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reimbursed us after Operation Desert Storm," McCain says. "They said they'd be glad to discuss that.(snip) "They're very good people," he says. "Mainly well-educated, a number of women in the [Transitional National Council] -- very normal, dedicated people." (snip) McCain dismissed concerns that rebel forces include some veterans of al Qaeda. "I'm sure that there may be some element there, but I guarantee you that they didn't rise up because they wanted to be al Qaeda fighters," McCain says. "They rose up because they wanted to throw off the yoke of...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday evening that he and a group of negotiators have “nailed down” language on a Libya resolution and are waiting for instructions from leadership on how to proceed. The measure would serve as a symbolic gesture of support for President Barack Obama’s use of military force in the North African country. Under the War Powers Act, Congress must authorize continued military presence in Libya after a May deadline if American troops are still active there, but it’s unclear if the Senate needs to act. “We pretty well got the resolution nailed down and now we’re...

A friend of mine recently wrote to the senior senator from Arizona regarding his anticipated "reaching out" to the other side on gun control. The senator's response is clearly a form letter, so I am not revealing privileged information by reproducing it here. My response follows. Thank you for contacting me regarding the Tucson shooting tragedy and its impact on federal gun control legislation. I appreciate hearing from you on this vital issue. On January 8, 2011, a gunman committed a senseless atrocity by murdering six people and wounding many others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, outside of a grocery store...

The politician who once best exemplified the idea of a "maverick" independent has shifted so far to the right that he is now tied for the title of the Senate's most conservative member, according to National Journal's 2010 vote ratings. According to a comprehensive examination of 96 Senate votes taken in 2010, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., along with seven of his colleagues, voted most often on the conservative side. His 89.7 composite conservative score ties him with stalwarts like Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and gives him a more conservative score than Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. (snip)...

WASHINGTON -- Two years after running against President Barack Obama, Senator John McCain says he sees a change. Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," McCain expressed optimism that Obama will lead Democrats and Republicans to find common ground on key issues.(snip) Asked if the push to repeal health care reform is a waste of time -- because Senate Democrats will block repeal and, should it pass, the president would veto it -- McCain said, "We need to have a vote on it because we promised the people we would. We campaigned that we would `repeal and replace'. We have to...

(snip) I disagree with many of the president's policies, but I believe he is a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause. I reject accusations that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America or opposed to its founding ideals.(snip)

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday he would work to help implement the repeal of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, despite his opposition to that legislation. McCain signaled he had made peace with the lame-duck bill to do away with the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members, which he had sharply criticized. "I think I have to do everything I can to make sure that the impact on the morale, retention, recruitment and battle effectiveness of the military is minimized as much as possible," McCain said on Fox Business. "It is a law and I...

Sen. Lindsey Graham is concerned that the Republican Party faces political dangers by resisting efforts to reduce carbon dioxide and other air pollution. That assertion seems to challenge GOP campaigns this year, in which candidates often rejected the science behind climate change. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, is designing an agenda for next year featuring a clean energy standard for utilities, which rewards increased nuclear and renewable power alike. Similar ideas have failed because they tended to dilute incentives for wind and solar. But under an increasingly conservative Congress, many advocates see that outcome as a potential victory, under...

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Senator John McCain said Monday that he worried about eroding Republican support for the war in Afghanistan and "the rise of protectionism and isolationism" in his party. "I worry a lot about the rise of protectionism and isolationism in the Republican Party," McCain, President Barack Obama's Republican rival for the White House in 2008, told a foreign policy forum. (snip) The Arizona lawmaker cited incoming Republican senator Rand Paul, stressing "already he has talked about withdrawals from, or cuts in defense, et cetera, And a number of others are." "There's no doubt that this new group...

“Dirty, Sexy Politics” author Meghan McCain slammed Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday, calling her candidacy “scary.” "I speak as a 26-year-old woman, and my problem is that, no matter what, Christine O'Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office," McCain told host Christiane Amanpour. "She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business." McCain said that O'Donnell's lack of experience sends the wrong message to her generation that “one day you can just wake and run for Senate, no matter how [much of] a lack of experience...

One of the most disliked, liberal Republicans in the Senate used money from conservatives who can't stand him to win reelection against the far more conservative candidate. John McCain easily beat JD Hayworth in the Republican primary for Senate this year, but the reason why is disturbing. The vast majority of the money he spent, $18 million out of a total of almost $24 million, came from contributions to his prior presidential campaign, not this Senate campaign. Many people who contributed to his presidential campaign – including myself – contributed because of Sarah Palin, not McCain. To have our money...

John McCain holds a comfortable lead in the contentious Arizona Republican Senate primary, according to the most recent public polling, making him the strong favorite against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth on Tuesday. But it’s been a costly road to a fifth term for the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, and the experience is likely to leave a lasting and unsightly stain on his legacy. It’s not just the $20 million he’s spent already this election or the scorched earth campaign that he’s run. Rather, it’s the choices he’s made and the positions he’s embraced — and what it reveals about him...

Tuesday's primaries in Arizona and Florida appear likely to deliver a few surprises -- surprises, that is, for anyone who accepted the conventional wisdom of just a few months ago. Back then, Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) was considered in danger of becoming the next victim of a tea party uprising that was threatening Republican candidates who were seen as straying from conservative orthodoxy. In what was taken as a sign of his nervousness, he brought in his 2008 vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, who vouched for his conservative bona fides. Now he enjoys a double-digit lead in the...

In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Senate Republicans on Thursday night joined their Democratic colleagues to pass legislation boosting border security funding by $600 million, including money for 1,500 new border personnel, a pair of unmanned drones and operating bases. The Senate passed the Democrat-sponsored bill by unanimous consent and forwarded it to the House, which passed a similar $700 million proposal last week and could take up the Senate measure when members return for a special session next week. The Senate bill would not add to the deficit - a concern of many Republicans - but would be...

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sen. John McCain hasn't always talked tough on immigration. That haunted his presidential ambitions, and now his political survival hinges on whether he can show that his conversion is genuine. It hasn't been easy. Boycotts, vigils and a legal fight over the state's attempted crackdown on illegal immigrants have kept voters attuned to each nuance in his run for re-election. "Since 2007, I've said we have to secure the border first. I said it in 2008 and 2009 and 2010," McCain told 120 people at a town hall meeting in suburban Phoenix. Leaning against the back wall...

U.S. Sen. John McCain has spent an unprecedented $16 million to date fending off a challenge from former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth. Hayworth, so far, has spent $1.5 million, according to campaign finance reports filed July 15. Hayworth’s spokesman, Mark Sanders, said the expenditure proves Hayworth is such a strong candidate that McCain pulled out all the stops with phone banking, mailers, radio and TV. “I think that the senator was really fearful of losing this race and he decided to just dump as much as he could into it to buy it,” he said. While candidates are allowed to...

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spent more than $10M on his primary battle against ex-Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R), according to his 2ndQ campaign finance report, leaving him with a much narrower financial advantage in the GOP primary than he once enjoyed. McCain has spent a total of $15.7M this cycle, according to FEC reports, and he has just $1.78M left to spend before the Aug. 24 GOP primary. Hayworth had $922K in the bank, his reports showed. "Senator McCain takes every campaign seriously, and this race is no exception. Senator McCain is proud of the statewide support he's received from Arizonans,...

In the hours after Sen. John McCain announced his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate in the last presidential race, members of an online forum called Journolist struggled to make sense of the pick. Many of them were liberal reporters, and in some cases their comments reflected a journalist’s instinct to figure out the meaning of a story. But in many other exchanges, the Journolisters clearly had another, more partisan goal in mind: to formulate the most effective talking points in order to defeat Palin and McCain and help elect Barack Obama president. The tone...

PHOENIX -- Senator John McCain, former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth, and conservative hopeful Jim Deakin will face off in the first of two debates on July 16 in Phoenix. The three candidates are vying for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by McCain. The debate will take place at KTVK-3TV Studios in Phoenix on Friday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m and will be simulcast on KTTU in Tucson and azfamily.com. A second debate to be held in Tucson is planned for the following night at KUAT PBS-6.