McCain's Remarks in Riviera Beach, Florida

All: Embargoed until delivery, please see John McCain's remarks as prepared for delivery today in Riviera Beach, FL:

“I just finished meeting with a group of small business owners here.  They know what I know: our economy is in trouble and people are hurting.  I have laid out my plan:  One, I will protect savings and retirement accounts and get this stock market rising again.  Two, I will keep people in their homes and fix our housing market.  Three, I will create millions of high-paying jobs through tax cuts that spur economic growth – particularly for the small businesses which create 70 percent of all new jobs in this country.

“Now, tonight, we can all look forward to my opponent's performance in a television infomercial.  It used to be that only rain or some other act of God could delay the World Series, but I guess the network execs figured an Obama infomercial was close enough.  As with other infomercials, he's got a few things he wants to sell you: He's offering government-run health care … an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling … and an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits under any bed.

“When you're watching this gauzy, feel-good commercial, just remember that it was paid for with broken promises.  Senator Obama signed a piece of paper committing to public financing of his campaign. Twice he looked the American people in the eye and said he would sit down with me before he abandoned public financing.  He didn't mean a word of it.  When it was in his interest to break his promise, he tossed it aside like it didn't mean a thing.  He is the first candidate since Watergate to abandon the public financing system, and his campaign is now being flooded with hundreds of millions of dollars in undisclosed and questionable donations.  His campaign has directly profited from his broken promise and because of that, the American people have to ask: what does the broken promise behind tonight's infomercial say about the value of his other commitments?

“That is what concerns small business owners and people all over this country.  Senator Obama's word doesn't appear to mean that much.  When he tells America tonight that's he's going to cut taxes for the middle class, people wonder if he'll keep his word because his record is supporting higher taxes on working families.  He voted 94 times for tax increases or against tax cuts.  When he tells America tonight he's going to cut spending, people wonder if he'll keep his word because his record is one of supporting higher spending.

“Whether it's Joe the Plumber in Ohio, or Andrew the Plumber and Sandra the sign-maker here in Florida, we can't even afford the tax hikes Senator Obama admits to.  His tax increases are exactly the wrong approach in an economic slowdown.”