John McCain

it is a pleasur to appear befor you thi morn __PUNCT__

i see a lot of old friend here __PUNCT__ friend like jim baker whom i work with as long_ago as the 1980 in the struggl to preserv firearm freedom __PUNCT__

hi hair wa not so grai back then __PUNCT__ and i had a lot more of it __PUNCT__

thi is a sophist crowd __PUNCT__

you know polit __PUNCT__ and you know politician __PUNCT__

you ar pretti us to hear aspir for public_offic come befor you and pledg fealti to the caus of the second amend __PUNCT__

you know you need to dig into a politician record to find out where thei realli stand __PUNCT__

you know some will chang their posit or have littl record for you to judg __PUNCT__

that is not the case with me __PUNCT__

when i first ran for congress in __NUM__ i wa proud to have the support of gun_owner and the nation_rifl associ __PUNCT__

for more than two decad __PUNCT__ i oppos the effort of the anti __PUNCT__ gun crowd to ban gun __PUNCT__ ban ammunit __PUNCT__ ban magazin __PUNCT__ and paint gun_owner as some kind of fring group __PUNCT__ danger in __PUNCT__ modern __PUNCT__ america __PUNCT__

some even call you __PUNCT__ extremist __PUNCT__

my friend __PUNCT__ gun owner ar not extremist __PUNCT__ you ar the core of modern_america __PUNCT__

the second amend is uniqu in the world and at the core of our constitut freedom __PUNCT__

it guarante an individu right to keep and bear_arm __PUNCT__

to argu anyth els is to reject the clear mean of our found_father __PUNCT__

but the clear mean of the second amend ha not stop those who want to punish firearm owner __PUNCT__ and those who make and sell firearm __PUNCT__ for the action of crimin __PUNCT__

it seem like everi time there is a particularli violent_crime __PUNCT__ the anti __PUNCT__ gun crowd come up with a plan to capit on tragedi and limit second amend right for all american __PUNCT__

i oppos the ban on so __PUNCT__ call __PUNCT__ assault_weapon __PUNCT__ which wa first propos after a california schoolyard shoot __PUNCT__

i thought it made no sens to ban a class of firearm base on cosmet featur __PUNCT__

i oppos wait period for gun purchas __PUNCT__

we lost on both of those in the short_run __PUNCT__ but it ha work out better in the long __PUNCT__ run __PUNCT__

fortun __PUNCT__ that gun ban sunset after __NUM__ long year __PUNCT__

and __PUNCT__ i wa proud to vote against those who tri to extend it in __NUM__ __PUNCT__

i also oppos effort to crippl our firearm manufactur by make them liabl for the act of violent_crimin __PUNCT__

thi wa a particularli deviou effort to us lawsuit to bankrupt our great gun manufactur __PUNCT__

a number of big __PUNCT__ citi mayor decid it wa more import to blame the manufactur of a legal product than it wa to control crime in their own citi __PUNCT__

fortun __PUNCT__ we ar abl to protect manufactur from these frivol lawsuit __PUNCT__

in my year in washington __PUNCT__ i have seen what i will call three myth us by politician to excus their support for gun_control __PUNCT__

first __PUNCT__ is the big_citi myth __PUNCT__ that it is accept __PUNCT__ even necessari __PUNCT__ to fight crime in big citi __PUNCT__

if you have a crime problem __PUNCT__ thei sai it realli a gun problem __PUNCT__

so instead of increas polic patrol __PUNCT__ institut tough sentenc for lawbreak and other measur that would actual address crime __PUNCT__ we restrict ownership of gun and limit the right of law abid_citizen __PUNCT__

we ar meet todai in a citi that repres the worst of thi myth __PUNCT__

the citizen of the nation_capit do not enjoi the right to keep and bear_arm __PUNCT__

that is why i have co __PUNCT__ sponsor legisl repeal the ban on firearm possess for law abid_citizen in the district of colombia __PUNCT__

the second amend is not just for rural arizona __PUNCT__ it is for all of america __PUNCT__

the second myth is that of the __PUNCT__ bad gun __PUNCT__

thi wa at the core of the debat over so __PUNCT__ call __PUNCT__ assault_weapon __PUNCT__

propon of thi myth argu that some kind of gun ar accept __PUNCT__ for now __PUNCT__ but other ar not if thei have certain featur __PUNCT__ like a pistol grip or an extend magazin __PUNCT__

i will continu to oppos those who want to ration the second amend base on their view of what gun it appli to __PUNCT__

final __PUNCT__ there is the hunt myth __PUNCT__ if you show your bona_fide by hunt duck or varmint or quail __PUNCT__ it make up for support for gun_control __PUNCT__

thi myth overlook a fundament truth __PUNCT__ the second amend is not about hunt __PUNCT__ it is about freedom __PUNCT__

over the year __PUNCT__ we have not agre on everi issu __PUNCT__

we had differ over my effort to standard the sale procedur at gun show and to clean up our campaign_financ financ_system __PUNCT__

i understand and respect your posit __PUNCT__

but while we mai disagre on the mean we do agre on the need to keep gun out of the hand of crimin and __PUNCT__ in light of the number of my colleagu who have been disgrac __PUNCT__ ar under investig and ar worri about indict __PUNCT__ agre that washington need clean up __PUNCT__

american have lost trust in their govern and that trust must be restor __PUNCT__

but these minor differ pale in comparison to our share vision of a second amend_protect from polit vagari __PUNCT__

and we have real differ with mani of those run for presid __PUNCT__

democrat_presidenti presidenti_candid have learn someth sinc __NUM__ __PUNCT__

thei don't talk about their plan for gun_control __PUNCT__

thei pose for the camera in camouflag __PUNCT__

but that is all thei ar do __PUNCT__ pose __PUNCT__

just becaus thei don't talk about gun control doesn't mean thei don't want gun control __PUNCT__

let be clear __PUNCT__

if hillari_clinton __PUNCT__ barack_obama or john_edward ar elect_presid __PUNCT__ thei will go after the right of law abid gun_owner __PUNCT__ just as bill_clinton did when he wa presid __PUNCT__

__URL__ which seem to be call the shot in the democrat_parti these dai __PUNCT__ will have more influenc on gun_control in the oval_offic __PUNCT__ not john dingel __PUNCT__

these democrat_candid vote to ban gun or ban ammunit or to allow gun maker to be su out of existen ce as senat __PUNCT__

think how much wors it would be if thei had the power to appoint suprem_court_justic __PUNCT__ name attornei_gener and us the full power of the feder_govern __PUNCT__

and just as the democrat_candid ar fundament wrong about the second amend __PUNCT__ thei ar fundament wrong about the kei threat face america in the __NUM___centuri __PUNCT__

as we meet __PUNCT__ in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__ american_soldier __PUNCT__ marin __PUNCT__ sailor and airmen ar fight brave and tenaci in battl that ar as danger __PUNCT__ difficult and consequenti as the great battl of our arm_forc __PUNCT__ stori past __PUNCT__

as we all know __PUNCT__ the war in iraq ha not gone well __PUNCT__ and the american_peopl have grown sick and tire of it __PUNCT__

i understand that __PUNCT__ of cours __PUNCT__

i __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ have been made sick at heart by the mani mistak made by civilian and militari_command and the terribl price we have paid for them __PUNCT__

but we cannot react to these mistak by embrac a cours of action that will be an even greater mistak __PUNCT__ a mistak of coloss histor proport __PUNCT__ which will __PUNCT__ and i am as sure of thi as i am of anyth __PUNCT__ serious endang the countri i have serv all my adult_life __PUNCT__

in the come month we will face a fork in the road __PUNCT__

we can pursu our opportun for victori in iraq __PUNCT__ strengthen our hand in the larger war against isl amic extremist __PUNCT__ and make our nation more secur __PUNCT__

or we can fold our tent __PUNCT__ embolden our enemi __PUNCT__ throw a region into instabl __PUNCT__ and increas the risk face on our home soil __PUNCT__

which wai requir greater leadership __PUNCT__ i am lead the fight on the floor of the unit_state state_senat to support our troop and in support of victori and against a plan for surrend __PUNCT__

we have new command in iraq __PUNCT__ and thei ar follow a counterinsurg_strategi that i have advoc from the begin of thi war __PUNCT__ which make the most effect us of our strength and doesn't strengthen the tactic of our enemi __PUNCT__

thi new battl plan is succeed where our previou tactic fail __PUNCT__

although the outcom remain uncertain __PUNCT__ we must give gener_petraeu and the american he ha the honor to command adequ time to salvag from the wreckag of our past mistak a measur of stabil for iraq and the middl_east __PUNCT__ and a more secur futur for the american_peopl __PUNCT__

to conced defeat now would strengthen al_qaeda __PUNCT__ empow iran and other hostil power in the middl_east __PUNCT__ unleash a full scale civil_war in iraq that could quit possibl provok genocid there __PUNCT__ and destabil the entir region as neighbor power come to the aid of their favor faction __PUNCT__

the consequ would threaten us for year __PUNCT__ and i am certain would eventu draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would impos even greater sacrific on us __PUNCT__

our defeat in iraq would be catastroph __PUNCT__ not just for iraq __PUNCT__ but for us __PUNCT__ and i cannot be complicit in it __PUNCT__

i will do whatev i can to help avert it __PUNCT__

that is all i can offer my countri __PUNCT__

it is not much compar to the sacrific made by american who have volunt to shoulder a rifl and fight thi war for us __PUNCT__

i know that and am humbl by it __PUNCT__

but though my duti is neither danger nor oner __PUNCT__ it compel me nonetheless to sai to my fellow_american __PUNCT__ as long as we have a chanc to succe we must try to succe __PUNCT__

i have mani respons to the american_peopl __PUNCT__ and i try to take them all serious __PUNCT__

but i have on respons that outweigh all the other __PUNCT__ and that is to us whatev meager talent i possess __PUNCT__ and everi resourc god ha grant me to protect the secur of thi great and good nation from all enemi foreign and domest __PUNCT__

and that i intend to do __PUNCT__ even if i must stand athwart popular opinion __PUNCT__

i will attempt to convinc as mani of my countrymen as i can that we must show even greater patienc __PUNCT__ though our patienc is nearli exhaust so we can defeat our enemi __PUNCT__

that is how i constru my respons to my countri __PUNCT__

that is how i constru it yesterdai __PUNCT__

it is how i constru it todai __PUNCT__

it is how i will constru it tomorrow __PUNCT__

i do not know how i could choos ani other cours __PUNCT__

thank you for your attent __PUNCT__