Hardball College Tour: Sen. John McCain
Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:58 PM by Cathy Finkler
Hardball Highlights
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., appeared on Tuesday's Hardball College Tour from Villanova University.
Below are highlights from the broadcast:
On the difference between him and Pres. Bush
Chris Matthews: How will you be different than President Bush?
Sen. John McCain: Well, I think that there's many philosophies and views and vision that we share for America. There are other areas, specific areas, in which we are in disagreement. Chris, I think the American people will make their choice for the presidency on who they believe, not only their record, but how they articulate a vision for the future. That's why forums like these, very honestly, are things that are important to me to be on so I can communicate directly not only with the people of this country but with the young people of this nation. So what‘s an area of disagreement? Climate change. I believe that climate change is real. I think we have to act... And I've said that for many, many years. I would just like to put the question this way to my fellow Americans: Suppose that we are wrong and there's no such thing as climate change but we go ahead and adopt green technologies and we reduce greenhouse gas emissions? All we've done is give our kids a cleaner planet...
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
On torture
McCain: My point is that for the future of this country, we have to make sure that we remain a nation that does not do things that our enemies do. And I promise you, my friends, I`ll close Guantanamo Bay and we will never torture another person in our custody again.
On whether or not he's a "typical white person"
Student: Senator McCain, the day following Barack Obama's speech on racism at the National Constitution Center, he remarked on comments he made during his speech about his racist grandmother, referring to her as a "typical white person." Would you characterize
yourself, as Barack Obama would phrase, as a typical white person?
McCain: May I say first that I thought that Senator Obama's speech was an excellent speech and I think it was well presented. I think it was an important statement that he had to make at the time, and I think it was good for all of America to have heard it. I can't comment directly as to how I portray myself, except to say that I hope that all of us learn over the years the need and the importance of treating everyone in this nation only and solely on the attributes they have and their ability to follow their ambitions and their hopes and dreams as far as they`ll take them. And I think that this campaign has contributed to that debate and that
progress, and so I applaud him for the statement he made, the differences that will take place and that will be discussed between myself and Senator Obama, if he's the nominee, or Senator Clinton, if she's the nominee and would be the first woman nominee in history of a major party, then that will be on our vision for America, our values, our beliefs and our views of the role of government in America.
But I do believe that I will present a vision of optimism and strength and the profound belief and conviction that America's best days lie ahead of us. So I'm sorry if I basically ducked the question, but... (laughter) but I want to say that I think Americans, all Americans,
want a respectful campaign.
On whiskey shots, what the does for fun
Student: Hi, Senator McCain. My name is Peter Doocey (ph). I'm sure that you saw one of your Democratic opponents, Hillary Clinton, recently drinking whiskey shots with
some potential voters. Now, I was wondering if you think that she's finally resorted to hitting the sauce just because of some unfavorable polling. And I was also wondering if you would care to join me for a shot after this.
(laughter and applause)
McCain: I did not see the clip of it, but I certainly heard about it. And whatever makes Senator Clinton happy is...
(laughter and applause)
Is certainly -- certainly what she ...You know, I`ve had two of the best questions, or the toughest questions that I have ever had... (laughter) I think it's important for all of us to show that we understand Americans and appreciate them. I happen to be a big sports fan. What I would like to do is take everybody and join everybody that can to me as the Suns defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs coming up. (laughter and some boos)
I think it's important for us to keep on the things that we enjoy. I enjoy hiking and fishing and swimming and the beauty of Arizona. And I also enjoy sports a great deal, including some of the teams that are right here at Villanova.
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Is Obama an elitist?
Matthews: Is Barack Obama an elitist?
McCain: No. But I do believe that his statements were elitist. I think the comments about America and small towns in Pennsylvania, which I guess would apply to across America, the values and the faith that they have, I think, is immutable and unshakable. I think that the fact
that they like to hunt has nothing to do with their economic conditions.
I think that they respect and cherish the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. And I think their faith, as I said, is something that goes on in bad times and good. These people were the ones that went through the Great Depression and then went to war and made the world safe for democracy, and came home and built a better nation than we
have today.
And I think that it's from the small towns and the large, but, from all over America, that people have hope and optimism and faith in this nation and their future, and a real feeling of the unique nature of the United States of America. And we are a unique experiment in history. And the greatest thing about America and these young people out here today is from the people from the small towns in Pennsylvania want to continue to serve a cause greater than their self-interest.
Matthews: Why do you think a guy, Barack Obama, who grew up in not exactly easy circumstances -- his father went back to Africa after he was just born, basically. He was raised in Indonesia, a Third World country, a white American mother, basically never had any breaks, except he`s a smart guy, obviously. But why do you think he thinks like an elitist, or talks like one, if he's not an elitist?
McCain: I don't know. I don't know what shapes his views. I don't know what would cause someone to say something like that. Frankly, those kinds of thoughts have never been in my realm of view about this great nation.
On 527s
McCain: One of the things I -- one of the things I regret most about this general election is the -- quote -- "527s." Many of the people in this audience don`t even know what a 527 is. It's this independent -- and I use the word loosely, "independent" -- unlimited expenditure of money to run attack ads on -- on candidates. And it's unfortunate, because I think that Americans want a respectful debate. And I think they want to know about the qualifications
of the candidate, not just attacks.
I defended John Kerry when he was attacked on his war record in 2004. And I would do so again. But it's unfortunate, and it's against the '74 law. And I won`t go into that detail.
Matthews: Would you sit down with the Democratic nominee, whoever it is, Hillary or Barack, and agree to them that there will be no outside sleazeball attacks by either side, that you will tell your people you will condemn any attack, like a swift-boating, and you will both agree to do that up front, right after you get the nomination? Would you do that?
McCain: I would love to do that. During the primary, there was a 527 that sprang up. And I asked them to stop. And I asked them to stop.
Matthews: Did they listen?
McCain: They stopped. They stopped.
Matthews: So, it works?
Mccain: I think so. I think so. And I believe that it can.
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
On the most important issue to the youth
Student: Besides climate change, what do you think is the most important issue to our generation? And I want to know your stance on that issue.
McCain: Keeping the nation secure, obviously. I mean, we have to always face that as our first priority. I think there`s one other aspect here that -- and it may not be as specific as you want. But, as you know, there`s a dramatic loss of confident and trust in government. When you look at the approval ratings of the government, all parts of it, the last approval rating I saw of Congress, I think, was 19 percent. You get down that low, you get down to paid staffers and blood relatives. And we have got to do business in Washington, so that we really carry out the agenda the American people have, not our own, not catering to special interests... One of those areas where we Republicans have failed as much or more, in my view, than the other party is in spending. We let spending get completely out of control, to the point where we have lost the confidence of the American people. We once spent $3 million not long ago to study the DNA of bears in Montana. I don't know if that was a paternity issue or a criminal issue.
(laughter)
But -- and you laugh and you joke about it --when you read about these pork-barrel projects. People talk about them all the time on Chris' show. But, after a while, it runs into real money. In the last two years, the president signed into law two big spending
bills that had $35 billion worth of earmark projects on it. That could have been a $1,000 tax credit for every child in America, I'm told. But the point is, it's got to stop. It's your money. It`s not ours.
Click here to watch more video:
On differences from President Bush
On students' questions
On Obama's 'bitter' comments
On politics
On the desire for change
On what his legacy should be
Read the entire transcript
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