To woo conservatives, McCain pledges war on 'evil'
Adding to Bush 'axis,' McCain singles out China, Myanmar, Sudan and Saudi Arabia for religious freedom
Sen. John McCain has evil on his mind.
On Wednesday, he vowed to take the fight to religious persecution, human trafficking, child pornography and other "evil" if elected. Speaking at Oakland University in Rochester, Minnesota, CNN said the event was part of the Arizona' senators efforts to reach out to conservative voters.
A war for values? McCain rebuked "a tendency in our age to accede to the spurious excuse of moral relativism and turn away from the harshest examples of man's inhumanity to man, to ignore the darker side of human nature that encroaches upon our decency by subtle degree."
Adding to President George W. Bush's list of rogue nations -- or his infamous axis of evil (Iran, North Korea and Iraq) -- the presumptive Republican nominee "singled out" China, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, North Korea and Saudi Arabia for restricting religious freedom -- "a subject of great importance."
McCain also declared he would crack down on human trafficking, "this evil form of 21st-century slavery," and hinted at an attempt to ban an international practice of genital mutilation: "the United States are predicated on a shared respect for the basic right of women and children not to suffer atrocities to their physical and emotional health to protect traditions that should have been ended long ago."
“Most of the victims of human trafficking in the United States and in most other places in the world are the most vulnerable among us, destitute women and children who are sold into bondage as sex slaves,” McCain said. He added, “We must view this evil form of 21st-century slavery every bit as important as drug trafficking.”
Candidate asked about temper, war for oil
After his speech, McCain was peppered with tough questions, including one about his temper and another about a recent comment many took as an admission that the war in Iraq was about oil.
“The next question is about this issue that has become something of a concern to some of your colleagues in the Senate, and is concerning many Republicans as well, and that is the question of your temper,” a member of the audience began, according to the New York Times.
“How dare you ask that question!” McCain parried humorously.
“I wouldn’t ask it if I wasn’t concerned, sir,” the man continued. “I have a quote from a colleague of yours, Senator Thad Cochran, Republican of Mississippi, somebody you may be familiar with, and with regards to you, he said, and I quote——— ”
“I’m familiar with the quote,” McCain said. The man began reading verbatim: “the thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine,” and the audience began to boo.
“Look, I will confess to you, my friend, that I get angry,” Mr. McCain finally replied, listing things he said made him irate: the lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pork-barrel spending projects [and] corruption."
Another participant, a Democrat, asked whether the war in Iraq had been sparked by oil.
“No, ma’am,” McCain declared, adding he'd always maintained the reason was “the issue of weapons of mass destruction, primarily.”
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