STATEMENT BY SENATOR SAM BROWNBACK ON MITT ROMNEY'S ATTACK ON JOHN MCCAIN'S LEADERSHIP CREDENTIALS

U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) today issued the following statement on Mitt Romney's attack on John McCain's leadership credentials:

"Mitt Romney has said for months that he is a good manager, and while we were all pleased to see the success of the 2002 Winter Olympics, our country needs a leader. Events like the assassination of Benazir Bhutto stand as stark reminders that the world is a dangerous place, presenting grave challenges to our nation and demanding experienced, courageous leadership.

"As a soldier and a statesman, John McCain has been involved in every national security crisis for over two decades. He commanded the largest squadron in the United States Navy. He didn't manage for profit, he led for patriotism. Nowhere is John McCain's tough, enlightened and principled leadership more clear than on the issue of Iraq. While Mitt Romney and others passed the buck, John McCain was a lonely voice for change, calling for the surge and counterinsurgency strategy succeeding in Iraq today.

"America needs a Commander in Chief who knows his core values and will not waver in the face of the prevailing political winds. America needs John McCain."