Transcript of CNN Interview with McCain

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Senator, thank you for sitting

down with us.

First question is about the issue that Americans do seem to care

about the most, and that's the economy. You've been very clear that

because of your principle and because of your Republican philosophy that

you think that the government really should be limited and really should

stay out, for the most part, of bailing out both homeowners and what you

call irresponsible lenders.

But my question is in this time of uncertainty, when there's so many

people hurting, are you concerned that there are voters out there who

hear that who say, John McCain is heartless when it comes to this issue?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, actually I

think the government should facilitate a lot of things. There have been

numerous proposals, many of which I have supported and some that I will

be coming forward with. What we really need to do is, fundamentally, is

make sure that we take every action to have the lender and the borrower

sit down together so that the millions of Americans who are facing

terrible challenges will be able to keep their home.

We don't want the greedy speculators, obviously, to profit. We

don't want unscrupulous lenders to gain for this and spend taxpayer

dollars on that but we should devote all of our efforts and I will be,

as I say, encouraging and trying to find ways of incentivizing that

process to happen and if necessary give the homeowners who are sitting

around the kitchen table today saying, do I have to get another job or

will we stay in our home, be able to do that?

That does mean government helps out. What I worry about of course

is a massive bailout that would then reward people who didn't behave

well (ph) but my efforts and my proposals will be to help that homeowner

who is now experiencing the great trauma of losing the American dream.

BASH: As you look into how you propose to fix this.

MCCAIN: Mm-hmm.

BASH: How important - actually, let me just ask you. Have you made

it your business to try to reach out to some of those homeowners who

have had the experiences perhaps with mortgage loans that they simply

were unclear about?

MCCAIN: We see them all the time at the town hall meetings, in

counters (ph), I was at an air show in Meridian, Mississippi just the

last couple of days and had conversations with people there, of course.

The issue is too large for it not to be a prime topic of conversation

amongst at least 4 million Americans who are in danger of losing their home.

BASH: On the issue of Iraq you said to CNN a couple of weeks ago in

Iraq that you think at least back then that the influence of Muqtada al

Sadr was waning but now just a couple of weeks later, the U.S. military,

the Iraqi government, they are blaming al Sadr for the violence in

Baghdad and also obviously in Basra. Were you wrong about al Sadr?

MCCAIN: I said for a long time this is very long and very tough and

very hard and there would be ups and downs, two steps forward, one step

back. There is no doubt that Sadr has remained a factor. The fact that

he declared a ceasefire was helpful, was very helpful in my view in

regaining control of areas of the country.

Sadr is the guy who called the ceasefire. Not the Maliki

government. The Maliki government took action because they felt that

that was the best action they could take. It was not the success,

apparently so far, that we hoped it would be. Sadr remains a very big

factor.

And I'll tell you who is a bigger factor and that in many respects

is the Iranians. The Iranians have enormous influence in the southern

part of the country, something that I also talked about. Basra was not

under the government's control, which is something I've been talking

about for a long time.

So the fact is that I said there would be ups and downs, I said that

Sadr is still a major player and his influence is going to have to be

reduced and gradually eliminated.

BASH: But do you still think his importance is waning?

MCCAIN: That's why I have not called for a withdrawal of troops on

a timetable because there is a lot of unpredictability associated with war.

BASH: Do you still think his influence is waning or have you

changed your mind on that?

MCCAIN: I think his influence is waning of course. But I never

said he wasn't a major actor in the affairs of Iraq and problems we

face. No, I don't think he is as strong as he once was nor do most

experts think that he was. But I never said that I thought that he was

not a significant factor.

But the problem in southern Iraq is largely militias, Shiite

militias, Iranian influence, Iranian army of these militias and

mafia-like organizations including the influence of Sadr within Baghdad

and other parts of the country.

BASH: If the headlines that are on the front page of the newspapers

today are the same headlines on the front pages in late October, early

November, does John McCain lose?

MCCAIN: I have no idea. I think that John McCain's experience,

knowledge, background and judgment on both national security and

economic issues - I've been involved in economic issues for the last 20

some years. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee with oversights,

all sectors, practically, of our economy. So I'm strong on the

economy. I am strong on national security and the important thing would

be my vision for the country, of this country.

BASH: On this bio tour, this service tour that you're on, you're

talking a lot about your past and your service and your experience but

by talking about the fact that you remember vividly, at least your first

vivid memory was the beginning of World War II, you're also maybe subtly

reminding voters of your age and I want to just read you some numbers

from a recent "Wall Street Journal" poll. Sixty one percent said that

they would elect somebody over 70 but 71 percent said they would elect a

woman and 72 percent said a black.

So it looks like voters are much more eager or at least able to

elect a black or a woman than somebody of your age.

MCCAIN: Well, that's interesting because we are either tied or

slightly ahead of both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton so overall in

the polls I'm very satisfied where were are, particularly since the

generic ballot has Republicans trailing Democrats rather badly.

So I am very happy with where we are.

BASH: But specifically on the age issue.

MCCAIN: I'm very happy to talk about my past and my values but all

of that is a prelude to the future. If you have experience and

knowledge and background and judgment, that's what - and vision for the

future. That's what the American people will, I believe, the factor

that will decide, will they support me, will they not, and I am very

confident.

BASH: One more question on this. You - when you're asked about who

your vice president would be, you say that there are two real roles for

the vice president and one is to check on the health of the president

and you joked a couple of weeks ago in Pennsylvania that that would be

especially important in your case.

MCCAIN: Sure.

BASH: What did you mean by that and I know you don't want to talk

about the process of picking a vice president, but in terms of your

approach, do you, in all candor, straight talk, think about your age

when you - and the fact that you are 71, will be 72 when you are

deciding who would be a potential president?

MCCAIN: No, and in all candor I will continue to use humor and if

any commentator chooses to take a humorous remark and turn it into

something serious they are free to do that. But I will continue to use

humor and I think the American people like to have a little humor from

time to time.

BASH: Absolutely.

MCCAIN: And that was what that whole line was about.

BASH: Absolutely. Understanding that completely, in all

seriousness, when you are approaching who you are picking for the vice

president, do you think about your age as a factor?

MCCAIN: Not particularly, no. I think about whether that person

who I selected would be most prepared to take my place and that would be

the key criteria.

BASH: OK. One last thing because you're talking about it here at

Episcopal. You are making light, we're talking about humor, of your

storied and the - the temper that you say you have and in rereading some

of your books to prepare for this bio tour, I noticed that it's a

constant them that you yourself talk about even from the time you were a

toddler that you had a temper and that it's maybe been a lifelong

struggle to try to figure out how to contain that.

A voter out there reads your books, listen to you, humor or not,

about talking about your temper and they say, do I want this guy with

his finger on the button? What do you say?

MCCAIN: Well, I say that everyone's life is a work in progress. I

have a better and more impressive record of bipartisanship and working

across the aisle and legislative solutions and leadership than anybody

that's running against me by far.

And those leadership qualities required an even temper. And those

abilities to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats for the good

of my constituents and the country are clear indications that that's a

very, very minor thing when it's compared to my record of accomplishment.

My record of accomplishment required even, mature and experienced

judgment in order to achieve what I've achieved and I'm confident the

American people will judge that as well and I am confident that they'll

look at my record and my vision and that's - and if they don't expect me

to get angry when I see corruption in Washington, when I see wasting

needlessly of their tax dollars, when I see people behaving badly, they

expect me to get angry and I will get angry because I won't stand for

corruption and I won't stand for waste of your tax dollars and I will

demand that people serve their country first and the special interests

second.

BASH: Senator, thank you very much.

MCCAIN: Thank you.

BASH: Appreciate your time. Thank you.