Our Path to Victory by John McCain

My Friends,

During Tuesday's town hall debate in Nashville, I told a retired Navy chief in the audience that everything I ever learned about leadership I learned from a chief petty officer in the Navy. My career in the United States Navy has had a lasting impact on my life and the lessons I learned continue to guide me today.

The naval term "steady strain" has become a constant mantra throughout my life. It references the need to keep lines between ships steady to avoid a sudden jerk or movement that could easily snap the line. We're facing great challenges as a nation and we must keep a "steady strain," because it is not only essential at sea, but in life and in politics.

I strongly believe a "steady strain," made possible by the grassroots organization we've built across the country, is the path to our victory on November 4th.

And with you on board as a member of our team, I know we will win.

Tomorrow marks 25 days until Election Day. The final weeks of this campaign will present new challenges and new opportunities for our team and we will take advantage of this. The next 25 days of the campaign are critical if we want to win.

That's why I'm asking you to make an immediate contribution of $25 or more to fund our efforts to win important races across the country on Election Day.

While we may be weeks away from Election Day, voters have already begun casting early votes and are receiving their absentee ballots in the mail. This is our opportunity to get our message out to the undecided voters.

Our ticket has a plan to strengthen the economy, keep homeowners in their homes, lighten your tax burden and reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The Obama-Biden Democrats will raise your taxes, increase our dependency on foreign oil and take our country down a dangerous path.

Our grassroots team is already hard at work and will only grow. But we need funds for our get-out-the-vote effort. We must raise millions and that's why I'm asking you to give whatever you can give - whether it's $50 or $500 - every dollar is put to work to elect our ticket from top to bottom on Election Day.

Make no mistake; our ticket is the one who will bring reform to Washington. We are the ones with the record of reform and we are the ones with the leadership necessary to guide our country in these uncertain times.

Politics is certainly not a business of calm seas, but rather of rough storms. There are many of us who have weathered these storms before and we know how critical it is to keep a "steady strain" to win on November 4th.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. Tomorrow marks 25 days until Election Day. Our grassroots team of supporters is out in every state in the country working on get-out-the-vote efforts. Your immediate support is needed to fund these efforts. Will you make a generous donation of $25 or more right now?

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Because the McCain-Palin Campaign is participating in the presidential public funding system, it may not receive contributions for any candidate's election. However, federal law allows the McCain-Palin Campaign's Compliance Fund to defray legal and accounting compliance costs and preserve the Campaign's public grant for media, mail, phones, and get-out-the-vote programs. Contributions to McCain-Palin Victory 2008 will go to the Compliance Fund, and to participating party committees for Victory 2008 programs.