McCain Campaign Press Release - McCain-Palin 2008 Launches New TV Ad: "Original Mavericks"

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 released its latest television ad, entitled "Original Mavericks." The ad highlights John McCain's and Governor Sarah Palin's record of bringing reform to government so that government fights for the people. Instead of talking about change, John McCain and Governor Palin have used their careers to bring change. The ad will air on national cable and in key states.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVIaqCjvLpU

Script For "Original Mavericks" (TV :30)

ANNCR: The original mavericks.

He fights pork barrel spending.

She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere.

He took on the drug industry.

She took on big oil.

He battled Republicans and reformed Washington.

She battled Republicans and reformed Alaska.

They'll make history. They'll change Washington.

McCain. Palin.

Real change.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Original Mavericks" (TV :30)

ANNCR: The original mavericks.

• Boston Herald: Governor Palin Is "A Maverick Governor." "Palin, 44, a maverick governor and a staunch, anti-abortion, pro-gun rights conservative, is a political outsider who has five children and a working-class background." (Jessica Fargen, "Sarah Palin: Mom, Hunter, Maverick," Boston Herald, 8/30/08)
• FOX News' Carl Cameron: "[Governor Palin] Was Elected Governor In 2006 And Took Office In 2007. Her Accomplishments Reflect And Even Echo McCain's Reform Agenda." (FOX News' "Special Report," 8/29/08)
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Palin Has The Same Maverick Reputation As Sen. McCain." "It will go down in history as one of the boldest, most deft and wonderfully strategic vice-presidential picks ever. Palin has the same maverick reputation as Sen. McCain and has been a pull-no-punches reformer in The Last Frontier. She even took on the ethically challenged hierarchy of her own state GOP." (Editorial, "McCain-Palin: A Bold & Deft Pick," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 8/30/08)
• The Wall Street Journal: "Her Reputation As A Reformer In Alaska Dovetails With Sen. McCain's Image, Too." (Laura Meckler, Elizabeth Holmes and Jim Carlton, "McCain's Surprise V.P. Choice," The Wall Street Journal, 8/30/08)
• The Weekly Standard's FredBarnes: John McCain And Governor Palin "Are More Likely To Clash With Special Interest Groups Than Are Obama And Biden." "With Palin on board, the change issue is no longer Obama's exclusive possession. She and McCain are more likely to clash with special interest groups than are Obama and Biden, who have yet to buck a single liberal pressure group." (Fred Barnes, "Providential Palin," The Weekly Standard, 8/30/08)
• The Washington Times: "If Anything, Her Zeal For Busting Pork-Barrel Spending May Outstrip Mr. McCain's." "She unseated a sitting Republican governor in a primary by running against the Republican establishment in Alaska. If anything, her zeal for busting pork-barrel spending may outstrip Mr. McCain's. And she's spent her time in office fighting for ethics reform." (Stephen Dinan, "Trumping Obama On Change," The Washington Times, 8/30/08)

ANNCR: He fights pork barrel spending.

• John McCain: "I Will Veto Every Bill With Earmarks." "If that authority is entrusted to me, I will use the veto as needed, and as the Founders intended. I will veto every bill with earmarks, until the Congress stops sending bills with earmarks. I will seek a constitutionally valid line-item veto to end the practice once and for all. I will lead across-the-board reforms in the federal tax code, removing myriad corporate tax loopholes that are costly, unfair, and inconsistent with a free-market economy." (John McCain, Remarks, Pittsburgh, PA, 4/15/08)
• National Journal: "[McCain is] a longtime foe of pork barrel spending." (David Baumann, "Finding It Hard to Say 'No," National Journal, 7/13/02)
• Time Magazine: "[John McCain] has spent his entire Senate career exposing wasteful pork-barrel projects." (Massimo Calabresi and Perry Bacon Jr, "America's 10 Best Senators," Time, 4/24/06)
• Vice President Of Citizens Against Government Waste David Williams: "You have Senator Clinton who has roughly $200 million in earmarks. You have Senator Obama, about $97 million in earmarks. Senator McCain, zero. ... He has no earmarks and no money. And this is not atypical of Senator McCain. ... For years and years he has been trying to get rid of these projects. Back in 1998, there was the Vulcan monument in Alabama. $2 million for this project. He went to the floor of the Senate, he fought hard, he tried to get this removed from the appropriations bill. He received 12 votes to get rid of this funding. After he lost the vote, he got up and brushed himself off and moved on to the next project. So he has been fighting this tooth and nail for many years." (Bloomberg's "Money And Politics," 4/2/08)

ANNCR: She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere.

• In December 2006, Governor Palin Proposed Her First Budget Which Included No Funds For The "Bridge To Nowhere" Saying "We Need To Make Wise, Sensible Choices." "Gov. Sarah Palin proposed a spending plan Friday that would increase the state operating budget by 5 percent while shaking the list of publicly funded construction projects down to the bare minimum. ... Palin's budget doesn't include money for mega projects that she supported as a candidate, such as the controversial Gravina Island bridge in Ketchikan. Asked if she'd changed her mind about the project, Palin said she will hash out where the bridge fits on the state's list of priorities with the help of the Legislature and public. 'We have a limited pot of money, of course, and we need to make wise, sensible choices,' she said." (Kyle Hopkins, "Budget Plan Calls For Belt-Tightening," Anchorage Daily News, 12/16/06)
• In February 2007, Governor Palin's Transition Team Criticized The "Bridge To Nowhere" Project Concluding That It Was "A Severe Drain On Resources That Would Otherwise Be Assigned To Heavily Used Commercial And Passenger Routes." "Both the Juneau road and the Ketchikan Gravina Island Bridge project, known by its detractors as the 'Bridge to Nowhere,' drew criticism in the report. 'Statewide, these two projects are seen as a severe drain on resources that would otherwise be assigned to heavily used commercial and passenger routes,' the report said. The team said federal earmarks in Congressional appropriations trump all other priorities, including those in the State Transportation Improvement Plan, and the state suffers as a result." (Pat Forgey, "Palin Team Sees Low Morale In Southeast," Juneau Empire, 2/6/07)
• In September 2007, Governor Palin Ordered A Halt To The "Bridge To Nowhere.". "Gov. Sarah Palin ordered state transportation officials Friday to abandoned the 'bridge to nowhere' project that became a nationwide symbol of federal pork-barrel spending. The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island." (Steve Quinn, "Alaska State Government Abandons Ketchikan Bridge Project, Dubbed 'Bridge To Nowhere'," The Associated Press, 9/21/07)
• Governor Palin: The Bridge To Nowhere "Is Not The Answer" To Reach Ketchikan. "'Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer,' Palin said in a news release." (Steve Quinn, "Alaska State Government Abandons Ketchikan Bridge Project, Dubbed 'Bridge To Nowhere'," The Associated Press, 9/21/07)

ANNCR: He took on the drug industry.

• In 2004, John McCain Co-Sponsored Bipartisan Drug Reimportation Legislation. "At a press conference today, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) introduced breakthrough bipartisan, consensus prescription drug reimportation legislation, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, with Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), John McCain (R-AZ), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Trent Lott (R-MS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)." (Sen. Olympia Snowe, Press Release, 4/21/04)
• A John McCain Bill To Make It Easier For Cheap Generic Drugs To Come Onto The Market Drew "Strong Opposition From The Pharmaceutical Industry." "The most public front was active last week, with the Senate passing a bill intended to make it easier for cheap generic drugs to come onto the market. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., drew considerable support in Congress and strong opposition from the pharmaceutical industry." ("Insurers' 'Counter' Attacks Aim To Boost Generic Drugs," Grand Rapid Press, 8/11/02)
• John McCain Fought To Allow The Importation Of Cheaper Drugs Which Was "Adamantly Opposed By Industry Lobbyists." "McCain said he wanted the government to be able to negotiate lower drug prices and import cheaper drugs from Canada, both ideas that were adamantly opposed by industry lobbyists, and which ultimately failed." (Eamon Javers, "Is John McCain Good For Business?" Business Week Online, 2/7/08)

ANNCR: She took on big oil.

• Anchorage Daily News: Governor Palin "Took On The Oil Producers." "Palin took on the oil producers there, saying they had been dragging their feet on a gasline, and she pushed the Legislature to pass a bill authorizing an independent company to build the line." (Tom Kizzia, "Gov. Sarah Palin: A Biography," Anchorage Daily News, 8/29/08)
• The Associated Press: Governor Palin "Refused To Kowtow To The Powerful Oil Industry." "During her first year in office, Palin moved away from the powerful old guard of the state Republican Party and has refused to kowtow to the powerful oil industry, instead presiding over a tax increase on oil company profits that now has the state's treasury swelling." (Steve Quinn And Calvin Woodward, "McCain's Veep Choice Is Historic And Hardly Known," The Associated Press, 8/29/08)
• The Associated Press: "She Has Tangled With Exxon Mobil And Other Oil Companies Over Their Reluctance To Develop Gas Fields On State Land." (H. Josef Hebert , "Palin Could Complicate Energy Debate," Associated Press, 8/30/08)
• Bloomberg: Governor Palin "Threatened To Evict" Oil Companies From A State-Owned Gas Field For Not Drilling. "Earlier this year, Palin threatened to evict Exxon Mobil Corp. and its partners BP Plc, Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips from a state-owned gas field, winning a promise from them to boost Alaska's natural-gas output by 17 percent." (Ken Fireman and Lorraine Woellert, "Alaska Governor Palin Picked As McCain Running Mate," Bloomberg, 8/29/08)
• PolitiFact: Governor Palin "Took On Big Oil" To Build A Gas Pipeline From Alaska. "Palin has also sparred with big oil companies over who gets to build a pipeline to carry natural gas to market from Alaska's North Slope. The fields there have enormous gas reserves, but so far they have remained largely untapped due to the lack of a pipeline. Palin's predecessor, Frank Murkowski, supported a contract between the state and BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil to develop the pipeline. Palin opposed that, promising to consider other companies. Indeed, after she was elected she solicited other bids, and ended up supporting a proposal by TransCanada Corp. to build a 1,715-mile pipeline down the Alaska Highway and through Canada. Exxon, ConocoPhillips and BP all criticized Palin's move to give the job to the Calgary-based company. ... So in the pipeline battle as well, Palin took on big oil." ("'As Governor, I've Stood Up To&n bsp;... The Big Oil Companies," PolitiFact, 8/29/08)
• The Wall Street Journal: "Sarah Palin Has Pushed Oil Companies To Move Faster With Projects To Expand Oil And Gas Production." "Since becoming Alaska's governor in 2006, Sarah Palin has pushed oil companies to move faster with projects to expand oil and gas production. She is widely credited with reviving a long-stalled effort to build a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay energy fields to the Lower 48 states." (Russell Gold, "Palin Has Long Experience Dealing With Big Oil In Home State," The Wall Street Journal, 8/30/08)
• Alaska House Of Representatives Democrat Mike Doogan: "They don't have big color pictures of Sarah Palin in the board rooms of BP, ConocoPhillips or Exxon. ... If she's in the pocket of big oil, she's kept it a pretty good secret.'" (Tom Fowler, "McCain's VP Pick Palin No Stranger To Energy Industry," The Houston Chronicle, 8/30/08)

ANNCR: He battled Republicans and reformed Washington.

• John McCain's Bipartisan Record Is Broad, Having Taken On His Own Party Over Health Care, Immigration, Judicial Nominees, Tobacco, And Terrorism. "Republicans deemed it beyond the pale when Sen. John McCain crossed the Capitol, set up shop in an office belonging to House Democrats and lobbied wavering lawmakers on legislation to reduce the role of money in politics. A legend in his own mind,' then-Majority Leader Dick Armey, a Texan, acidly called his fellow Republican at the time. Yet the events of that long day and night in 2002 fit a pattern for a man whose congressional career long has included a singular brand of combative bipartisanship. For more than a decade, on tobacco, health care, immigration, judicial nominees, creation of a commission to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and more, McCain has championed high-profile legislation opposed by President Bush or others in his own party." (David Espo, "Bip artisanship Marks McCain's Senate Tenure," The Associated Press, 7/2/08)
• The Washington Times: John McCain's "Record Indicates That He Has Bucked The Party Brand To Blaze An Independent Path." "Once considered an unbranded calf, the term 'maverick' has come to define a politician who takes an independent stand. It has been argued that, despite the 'R; behind his name, John McCain can't be branded - or painted in a box. His record indicates that he has bucked the party brand to blaze an independent path - including legislation on tax cuts, embryonic stem-cell research and immigration." (Editorial, "The 'Maverick' Is Back," The Washington Times, 9/6/08)

ANNCR: She battled Republicans and reformed Alaska. They'll make history. They'll change Washington. McCain. Palin. Real change. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

• Anchorage Daily News: Governor Palin Is "A Maverick Who's Willing To Challenge Her Own Party." "Palin, 44, is a first-term governor known for being a maverick who's willing to challenge her own party, a key trait that McCain hopes will help him attract independent voters. She's perceived as an ethics crusader and reformer within a state Republican Party that's been rocked by scandal, credentials that also enhance McCain's similar image." ("Palin Picked As McCain VP," Anchorage Daily News, 8/29/08)
• New York Times: Governor Palin "Took Intense Criticism From Members Of Her Own Party For Turning The Spotlight On The Failures Of Alaska Republicans." "But Ms. Palin ran as a change agent when she was elected as governor of Alaska in 2006, and in a move that might have appealed to Mr. McCain, she took intense criticism from members of her own party for turning the spotlight on the failures of Alaska Republicans, some of whom had been beset by corruption scandals." (Michael Cooper And Mitchell L. Blumenthal, "McCain Chooses Palin As Running Mate," The New York Times, 8/29/08)
• The Washington Post: Governor Palin "Rose To The Statehouse By Challenging The Corruption That Has Become Endemic In Alaska, Even If It Meant Taking On The Republican Establishment There." "Palin, a 44-year-old mother of five who hunts caribou and was once a beauty queen, rose to the statehouse by challenging the corruption that has become endemic in Alaska, even if it meant taking on the Republican establishment there, including the former governor and the state's congressional delegation." (Amy Goldstein and Michael D. Shear, "A Tenacious Reformer's Swift Rise," The Washington Post, 8/30/08)