John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, announced his formal candidacy for the presidency of the United States and in turn, his intention to seek the nomination of the Republican Party for the 2008 presidential election in Prescott Park on the waterfront of Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. He had earlier announced his candidacy on the Wednesday, February 28, 2007, telecast of the Late Show With David Letterman. [1]

Should McCain win in 2008, he would be the oldest person to assume the Presidency in history at initial ascension to office, being 72 years old and surpassing Ronald Reagan, who was 69 years old at his inauguration following the 1980 election. He has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns (malignant melanoma in 2000), stating in 2005 that his health was “excellent.”[2][3] In the event of his victory in 2008, he would also become the first President of the United States to be born in a U.S. territory (the Panama Canal Zone) outside of the current 50 states.[3]

McCain began the campaign as the nominal frontrunner among Republicans, but soon fell behind and polls and fundraising; by July 2007 his campaign was forced to restructure its size and operations.

(Source: wikipedia.com)

To learn more about John McCain, visit his website.

John McCain’s Issues:

• Government Spending, Lower Taxes and Economic Prosperity
• Human Dignity & the Sanctity of Life
• Lobbying & Ethics Reform
• The Consequences of Failure in Iraq
• Border Security & Immigration Reform
• Commitment To America’s Service Members: Past And Present
• National Security
• Stewards of Our Nation’s Rich Natural Heritage
• Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Video of John talking about Iraq

(Source: YouTube)

In February 2007, standing before the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois, Obama announced his candidacy for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Describing his working life in Illinois, and symbolically linking his presidential campaign to Abraham Lincoln’s 1858 House Divided speech, Obama said: “That is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.”

Obama’s campaign reported raising US$25.8 million between January 1 and March 31 of 2007. The donations came from 104,000 individual donors, with US$6.9 million raised through the Internet from 50,000 of the donors. US$24.8 million of Obama’s first quarter funds can be used in the primaries, the highest of any 2008 presidential candidate. Obama’s fundraising prowess was affirmed again in the second quarter of 2007, when his campaign raised an additional $32.5 million, the most ever raised by a Democratic Presidential candidate in a single quarter. Through the first two quarters of fundraising, Obama’s campaign has received donations from a grand total of about 258,000 contributors, the most of any 2008 candidate.

(source: Wikipedia)

On the issues:

• Plans on ending the war in Iraq.
• Supports healthcare reform.
• Supports improved energy policy aimed at reducing America’s energy dependence.

To learn more about Barack Obama, visit his website.

Here is a video of Barack Obama talking about Iraq: