For John McCain, smaller government and lower taxes aren't just talk. He means it. For years he's been on a one-man crusade against wasteful spending in Washington. Because of his crackdown on waste in government, he's been nicknamed "The Sheriff."

John McCain has built his reputation on the "straight talk" he gives to America. Unlike many politicians who look to opinion polls to formulate and spin their policies, Senator McCain remains true to his principles and lays out his view, asking citizens to judge them on their merits. He has long been courageous in his fight for conservative principles like limited government, responsible federal spending, and a strong national defense and foreign policy. He does not seek popularity, but rather the policies that will best push America to its greatest potential.


John McCain was one of the first to highlight the terrible amount of pork-barrel spending that went into last year's Energy and Transportation bills - including such atrocities as the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska, where the federal government  would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to serve a community of a few hundred people. Rather than seeking to better national interests, many members of Congress use the national budget as a grab bag to support narrow interests and boost their own political power. Sen. McCain has continually fought against such manipulation of government, rightly recognizing that the current lobbying scandals wreaking havoc in Washington developed largely from pork-barrel spending. Lobbyists from specific industries or communities use their influence to attempt to get Congresspersons to earmark funds for pet projects back home. McCain recognizes that true lobbying reform, and the path to making government serve the people better, lies in eliminating the supply of lobbying scandals: pork-barrel spending. Many have recognized John McCain as an anti-pork hero; he received one of Citizens Against Government Waste's highest ratings for his efforts to fight Washington's loose use of the average American's dollar.


John McCain understands how to best defeat the forces of terror that lashed out at our country on 9/11. As a war hero and P.O.W. in the Vietnam War, Senator McCain understands how empowering our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen can help defend our nation. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he has continually pushed for increased pay to our country's troops and their families and bravely fought to assist the thousands of military families on food stamps-- a fact he rightly calls a national disgrace. Today our nation's troops face a dangerous world in protecting our nation - from roadside bombs in Iraq to extended tours of duty. John McCain has the experience, beliefs, and willpower to ensure that our government best serves the extraordinary men and women that defend it.

The Senator realizes that America should always stand up for the values our Founding Fathers built our country upon. For this reason, he has made democracy promotion a number one priority in his foreign policy. In recent visits to Europe, McCain met with members of the Belarusian opposition, individuals who take great risks to oppose the last dictatorship in Europe. He also sponsored the ADVANCE Democracy Act, a piece of legislation currently working its way through Congress. The ADVANCE Act makes the promotion of basic freedoms for all humans a key part of our country's foreign policy by emphasizing increased funding for free and independent media worldwide, standing up for political dissidents when dictatorships oppress them, and basing relationships with countries on the world on the basis of how they treat their people, not just on how they assist America's interests. John McCain knows that America has a special duty to stand up for the oppressed in their world by speaking out against human rights abuses and the tyrannies that cause them.