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John McCain on the Republican Party 2008

1,540 views · Published 4 June 2008 · 1:09 · Indexed 29 September 2026

Channel: Iowa PBS · 2008 · News & Politics

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Sen. John McCain discusses the status of the Republican Party. This interview took place on October 12, 2007, at Iowa Public Television. 
http://www.iptv.org/campaign08
Yepsen: A larger process question is the condition of the Republican Party, lost elections in 2006.  What do you advise the party to be doing to stave off another defeat in the 2008 campaign?
McCain: Clean up our act. We've got to clean up our act.   You want to mention how the war in Iraq may have hurt me.   I think the biggest blow to our base wasn't the war in Iraq.   It was spending going completing out of control and the corruption.   I don't use the word corruption lightly.   We have former members -- Republican members of Congress in federal prison, and unfortunately there's more to come.   So we've got to get back to the principles and philosophies of being careful stewards of people's tax dollars and do it in the most ethical fashion.   I mean it's just terrible what we've done.   And we've let spending go completely out of control.   You know, we came to power in '94 to change government and government changed us.   And by the way, the system is not fixed yet.   It is still broken.  It has not been fixed.
Henderson: Social conservatives in your party have started talking about voting for someone other than a Republican in 2008.   Even among the candidates standing on the stage in Dearborn, Michigan, this week, there were those who said, hey, I may not support the nominee of the GOP.   How do you fix that?
McCain: You noticed I had a clever line.   I said of course I would support myself.   Pretty funny?   Pretty corny. 
I believe in the process.  That was, I believe, our fifth debate.   Maybe voters are satisfied with the selection.   Maybe they're not.   We'll know in the next few months as more and more people focus -- 
Henderson: So you think its much ado about nothing?
McCain: No.   I understand why some people who view some of the socialist issues as their top priority.  I just support the process, and I am a loyal Republican.   Now, would I be happy if we chose a nominee who doesn't have -- doesn't have the pillars?   And, frankly, one of the pillars of our Republican Party philosophy is the rights of the unborn.   No.   But I would respect the process, and I think it's important that we do so.
Henderson: The other interesting thing when you listen to Republican candidates is how often they mention Hillary Clinton.   Is it healthy for your party to be the anti-Hillary Clinton party in 2008?
McCain: I think it's important for us to draw the distinctions.   I really do.   I think that, for example, I'm a free trader, and I tried to make that very clear the other night in Dearborn.   And Senator Clinton just came out, in contradiction to her husband's policies, against free trade.  I think that's a legitimate area of deep concern that we should have about the future of this country.   Those issues are fine.   But gratuitous bashing of anybody, I'm not sure that contributes much to the debate and I don't do it.

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