John McCain in Chicago

I went to see John McCain this morning in Chicago. The Senator, in company with Sen. Joe Lieberman, came to McCormick Place to speak to the National Restaurant Association convention. There was a full house, and it was a great speech.

Before launching into his prepared remarks, he expressed appreciation for Sen. Lieberman's joining him, noting how they had worked together on the 9/11 commission, and to support the men and women who defend this nation. Sen. McCain said he wanted to directly address Sen. Obama's comment yesterday in Oregon that the threat Iran poses is tiny compared to that we faced with the USSR during the Cold War. McCain stated, to the contrary, Iran provides some of the deadliest explosive devices to kill American soldiers, is a state sponsor of terror, its president has called Israel a stinking corpse, Iran is working to acquire nuclear weapons, and the biggest challenge the US faces in the world today is to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists--the threat of Iran is anything but tiny.

Sen. McCain went on to say that Sen. Obama's pledge to meet with Iran's president, without preconditions, displays a depth of inexperience and reckless judgment--it would increase the prestige of an implacable foe of the US with dangerous ambitions, and one which threatens our ally Israel. McCain pointed out that we do engage in discussions with Iran--talks which Iran recently suspended, but a summit meeting is our top card to play. Why would we wish to lend prestige and strengthen Ahmadinejad, a man unpopular with his own people? It would convince him his policies are succeeding and embolden him--the next president should understand such basic realities of international relations.

As a prelude to the main part of his speech, Sen. McCain quipped that considering both Democrat candidates claim Chicago as their home town, he's gotten a warm welcome. At this point I counted three Code Pinkos who unfurled banners and shouted and sang for about half a minute before the crowd booed them and they were hustled out to the chants of McCain, McCain. I didn't get a chance to take the picture of the one a few rows behind me, as she had immediately turned to display herself for the consumption of the MSM. You note the Sun Times lead. Sen. McCain went on to express himself enthusiastic for Sen. Obama to finish his first term as Senator, which got quite a laugh.

He said both Democrat presidential candidates propose higher taxes, more regulation of your business and control over the economy, more government spending--"their idea of change sounds familiar to me".

Some key points:

Job creation and our ability to compete with anyone in the world depends on choices made in Washington. McCain would keep the current low tax rate, the Democrats would increase taxes by $1 trillion over 10 years. He pointed out the restaurant industry accounts for 13 million jobs in this country, grew by 2 million jobs in the last 10 years and wants to continue to grow. He got quite a bit of applause when he pledge to keep the capital gains tax low to help in job creation. McCain would double the size of the child tax credit (I like that), phase out the AMT and give people a choice of continuing to file under the rules of the current complicated and burdensome tax code or use a new, simpler, fairer and flatter tax, with two rates and a generous deduction--lots of applause.

McCain made the case for the benefit to the US economy of exports--one in five American jobs depends on factory exports--Illinois exported $48 billion last year, including sales from Boeing, Caterpillar, and for example, Bison Gear of suburban St. Charles, an exporter adding 50 new jobs since 2006. We need to reform our approach to retraining displaced workers--these government programs were designed for the 1950's.

Obama talking down NAFTA shows old style politics and bad judgment, exploiting not solving problems, breeding resentment, not offering opportunity. Sen. McCain said the Colombia Free Trade Agreement was to our advantage, opening their market to our exports--the Democrats blocking it was costing us: "It's being held up in the Senate right now, in part through the efforts of Senator Obama. American exporters now pay an extra $3.5 million in tariffs each day because we don't have a completed trade agreement.These exporters include Illinois companies that last year sold more than 300 million dollars in goods to Colombia", getting a murmur from the crowd on that one. McCain made the broader point that trade was a stabilizing force in the world--bringing jobs, prosperity and also security. South Korea is another market which buys millions, for example, from Illinois, and is a democracy with dangerous neighbors--another faithful ally whose interest are being sacrificed to partisan politics.

The Farm Bill is stuffed with subsidies to well-heeled special interests and will cost upwards of $300 billion. With food prices high and farm income up 56% over two years, Congress refuses to limit subsidies to largely corporate farms with an average income of $200,000 and an average net worth of $2,000,000. We are spending $250 million to subsidize one large landowner alone. McCain promised to veto that bill and seek an end to all agricultural subsidies, drawing long applause. (This has been a sore point with me for years. ) When the US and Europe subsidize our big corporate producers we hurt our own citizens, and poor people in other countries.

Sen. McCain closed with an appeal to the common good--claiming a Democrat phrase for his own, but giving it his own interpretation--we need to set an example of fair dealing to other nations, consistent with the good heart of America. The two parties have serious differences on the proper role of government at a time of economic hardship. McCain said he will never speak to denigrate government, but to make it better, and if we do it well we will finally reclaim the confidence of the American people.

I think he struck the right tone, I think he has some good ideas for reform. It's a strong start.

UPDATE: Trib story here. Some talk from the farm lobby that energy prices are high. Well, how about those Dem Cook County gas taxes? What about the Dem Congress passing ethanol mandates which pushed up prices? WSJ: No Farmer Left Behind.

UPDATE: I read Yuval Levin's article on a theme of reform for McCain, and the accompanying agenda, in the latest edition of TWS yesterday. One of the reform ideas he suggested, expanding the child tax credit, Sen. McCain addressed today in his speech. And McCain seemed to adopt the Edmund Burke quote cited by Levin, with McCain's talk of not denigrating, but improving government, to end the speech. Levin:

"A disposition to preserve and an ability to improve" was Edmund Burke's definition of the statesman two centuries ago, and it remains the hallmark of conservatism. While American conservatives have sometimes liked to think of themselves as revolutionaries (or radical counter-revolutionaries), the most significant accomplishments of the conservative movement have actually been targeted reforms that turned existing institutions to conservative ends. The Reagan "revolution" gave us a tax code better suited to entrepreneurship and growth. The Gingrich "revolution" gave us a welfare system with incentives geared toward encouraging independence and initiative. Conservative reform of urban law enforcement, and early efforts at reform of local education (through school choice), have improved what we have, rather than rejecting it. Reform, not revolution, is the conservative path to supporting strong families and free markets.

A reform agenda would be especially well suited to John McCain, as he himself seemed to see in 1999. McCain's conservatism is not fundamentally ideological. He is not especially interested in political "issues" or in abstract ideas about individual rights or the role of government. Rather, he is moved by large challenges and great exertions, and by the imperative of meeting America's commitments. He is a conservative because he believes the right has a more responsible attitude toward meeting these commitments, and is more likely to keep Americans (as individuals and as a nation) strong enough to do great things.