United States Senator
Sen. John McCain, who is currently seeking the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, has represented Arizona in Congress for 25 years and is widely known as a critic of government waste, a proponent of campaign reform and a paragon of candor (at least for a politician.) More recently, he has become strongly identified as a fervent advocate for remaining in Iraq, arguing that the war can be won with the proper resources and strategy. This has been a highly controversial position, even among some Republicans. Sen. McCain, a hero in Vietnam for his courage in brutal conditions as a prisoner of war, also knows a good deal about government policy toward telecommunications, including some Internet issues, through his service on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees government policy in these areas. He served as chairman of the committee from 1997 to 2001 and 2003 to 2005. He is currently the ranking minority member of the panel.