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[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]] [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]] formally announced his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States]] in Portsmouth, [[New Hampshire]] on April 25, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior. If elected in 2008, McCain would become the oldest person elected President at 72 years old. He has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns ([[malignant melanoma]] in 2000), stating in 2005 that his health was "excellent." McCain would also become the first President of the United States to be born in a U.S. territory (the Panama Canal Zone) outside of the current 50 states. Although McCain was not born within a state of the United States, his US citizenship (and future eligibility to be elected to the presidency) was assured at birth both by jus sanguinis, since both of his parents were U.S. citizens, and jus soli, as the Canal Zone was at that time a United States possession. While his campaign's success was once considered unlikely, McCain won several early primaries and went on to win enough delegates to secure the nomination. McCain gained national prominence during his surprisingly strong presidential campaign in 2000. However, he eventually lost the Republican primaries to now-President [[George W. Bush]].  

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]] [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]] formally announced his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States]] in Portsmouth, [[New Hampshire]] on April 25, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior. If elected in 2008, McCain would become the oldest person elected President at 72 years old. He has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns ([[malignant melanoma]] in 2000), stating in 2005 that his health was "excellent." McCain would also become the first President of the United States to be born in a U.S. territory (the Panama Canal Zone) outside of the current 50 states. Although McCain was not born within a state of the United States, his US citizenship (and future eligibility to be elected to the presidency) was assured at birth both by jus sanguinis, since both of his parents were U.S. citizens, and jus soli, as the Canal Zone was at that time a United States possession. While his campaign's success was once considered unlikely, McCain won several early primaries and went on to win enough delegates to secure the nomination. McCain had gained national prominence during his surprisingly strong presidential campaign in 2000. However, he eventually lost the Republican primaries to now-President [[George W. Bush]].  

==Campaign development==

==Campaign development==

McCain began the race as the presumptive front runner and the most formidable of either party, based on his longevity in the Senate and his previous race in 2000. McCain informally stated he would be a candidate for the [[2008 Presidential Election]] on the ''Late Show with [[David Letterman]]'' on February 28, 2007, and officially announced his candidacy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, two months later. By a few weeks prior to making his announcement on ''Letterman'', he was beginning to trail behind former Mayor of [[New York City]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] in the polls. McCain supported the 2007 proposal by President George W. Bush for a "surge", an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed in the [[Iraq War]]. He started a series of campaign events entitled the "No Surrender Tour."  His campaign became far more prominent with his wins in the [[New Hampshire primary]] and on [[Super Tuesday]], and since [[Mitt Romney]] endorsed him is considered a virtual certainty to win the nomination.

McCain began the race as the presumptive front runner and the most formidable of either party, based on his longevity in the Senate and his previous race in 2000. McCain informally stated he would be a candidate for the [[2008 Presidential Election]] on the ''Late Show with [[David Letterman]]'' on February 28, 2007, and officially announced his candidacy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, two months later. By a few weeks prior to making his announcement on ''Letterman'', he was beginning to trail behind former Mayor of [[New York City]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] in the polls. McCain supported the 2007 proposal by President George W. Bush for a "surge", an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed in the [[Iraq War]]. He started a series of campaign events entitled the "No Surrender Tour."  His campaign became far more prominent with his wins in the [[New Hampshire primary]] and on [[Super Tuesday]], and since [[Mitt Romney]] endorsed him was considered a virtual certainty to win the nomination. He finally reached the 1,191 delegates to win the nomination on the [[Super Tuesday II]] contests on March 4th. 

==Missed votes in Senate==

==Missed votes in Senate==

* Sen. [[Gordon Smith]] (R-OR), Ranking Member of Senate Aging Committee

* Sen. [[Gordon Smith]] (R-OR), Ranking Member of Senate Aging Committee

* Sen. [[Olympia Snowe]] (R-ME), Ranking Member of Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

* Sen. [[Olympia Snowe]] (R-ME), Ranking Member of Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

* Sen. [[John Thune]] (R-SD)

* Sen. [[John Thune]] (R-SD)

* Sen. [[John Warner]] (R-VA), Former Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee

* Sen. [[John Warner]] (R-VA), Former Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee

* Former Gov. [[Bill Clements]] (R-TX)

* Former Gov. [[Bill Clements]] (R-TX)

* Gov. [[Mitch Daniels]] (R-IN)

* Gov. [[Mitch Daniels]] (R-IN)

* Gov. [[Jon Huntsman, Jr.]] (R-UT)

* Gov. [[Jon Huntsman, Jr.]] (R-UT)

* Former Gov. [[Frank Keating]] (R-OK)

* Former Gov. [[Frank Keating]] (R-OK)