Sen. John McCain is a good friend to Hawai'i. He frequently speaks of his warm Hawai'i memories, including meeting his wife, Cindy, their honeymoon and numerous vacations on Maui.

But his friendship is also based upon the reality of Hawai'i's strategic geographic position and its attendant vulnerability, the fragility of our economy and its dependence upon external energy sources, and the impact of further taxing the already fifth-highest taxed state in the nation (10.8 percent state and local).

McCain's historical advocacy of a strong national defense is well known and bodes well for Hawai'i from both a security and an economic standpoint. Our Pearl Harbor shipyard barely escaped the knife of the last BRAC (closure). McCain would never let that happen. He is committed to the success of our Kaua'i supported (Pacific Missile Range Facility) anti-missile defense system, Hawai'i's only hope for survival in the face of an intercontinental ballistic missile attack from the increasingly bellicose countries of Russia, China and North Korea.

McCain's call for immediate increases in domestic oil production, "drill here and drill now," embodies the urgency necessary for a rapid decrease in the price of jet fuel, lower airfares and Hawai'i's return to an affordable vacation option for tourists. Immediate oil production he sees as a certain bridge to alternative energy options, including the cleanest and most cost-effective, nuclear power.

McCain's tax plan raises taxes on no one; not even the "rich," which includes more than 22,000 small business owners in Hawai'i. He will extend the Bush tax cuts (and that affects everyone), lower taxes on investment income (our IRAs and 401(k)s), and lower taxes on small businesses (the primary source of job creation in Hawai'i), thereby keeping the prices for goods and services lower. He is committed to balancing tax decreases with the elimination of wasteful programs and agencies, and by vetoing pork-barrel spending.

And by the way, as we all deal with uncertainties of the current economic situation, it should be recalled that in 2005 it was Sen. John McCain who cosponsored S. 190, the "Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act," calling for greater oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He said at the time, "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that (FM and FM) pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole."

The bill died in the Senate Banking Committee thanks to the Democrats on the committee who were being enriched by donations from the crooked CEOs of FM and FM, Obama receiving the second-highest amount — more than $130,000 in just four years in the Senate.

Sen. John McCain's 24-year congressional voting record is completely consistent with his current campaign talk. He is an open book; what you see is what you get; nothing to hide. Clearly, the same cannot be said about Obama.

Hawai'i simply cannot afford Barack Obama, and neither can America. As Sen. McCain said in his last debate, "Never have Americans been asked to risk so much based upon so little." I ask you, why take that risk when the alternative is so obvious?

Jerry Coffee is campaign manger for the McCain campaign in Hawai'i. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.

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ECONOMY