Senator John McCain Surprises U.S. Constitutional Development Class at Annapolis, as Part of mtvU's Stand in Series

Senator John McCain Surprises U.S. Constitutional Development Class at Annapolis, as Part of mtvU's Stand in Series

Senator McCain discusses immigration reform, next steps for Iraq, and steroids in baseball

mtvU 'Stand In' with John McCain to Premiere on mtvU On May 2 at 12 pm ET/ 9 am PT

NEW YORK, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- mtvU, the 24-hour college network, brought its acclaimed "Stand In" series today to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, where Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) surprised students in a U.S. Government & Constitutional Development class. With mtvU cameras following, McCain took over the hour-long class at his alma mater to discuss the state of American politics and hot-button issues facing the country. mtvU's "Stand In" with John McCain will premiere at 12 noon ET/9am PT on Monday, May 2.

"We are honored to have Senator McCain participate as our next 'guest professor,' and at such a pivotal time in U.S. history," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "These students, in particular, have such a vested interest in matters of American policy. Bringing this incredibly important and well-respected voice to them really goes to what our "Stand In" series is all about."

"It is an honor to be a part of mtvU's 'Stand In,'" commented Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). "The Naval Academy is the college home to some of the finest young people in the country and I am proud to call it my alma mater. When I graduated in '58, I could not have imagined that I would be back at the Academy in the same rooms where I once sat as a student, teaching the future leaders of this country. Thank you for including me in this unique experience."

After Professor Rebecca Chavez made the surprise announcement that a guest lecturer would be standing in to teach the class, Senator McCain made his entrance, much to the cadets' shock. McCain opened by congratulating the midshipmen on Navy's football victory over Army last fall, then launched into a one-hour lecture for the approximately 40 students. Among the most notable quotes:

* On immigration reform: "As long as there are jobs to be had and they're a lot better than the jobs in Mexico, Guatemala or El Salvador, and there are jobs that won't be done by Americans ... [illegal immigrants] are going to come and fill those jobs." Senator McCain went on to talk about the work he has done with Senator Kennedy on a proposed immigration bill, which would, among other things, allow illegal immigrants to eventually apply for citizenship - but not reward them for moving to the U.S. illegally.

* On the war in Iraq: "They were incredibly slow in forming a government. They now need to have a constitution written, and they have this incredibly difficult situation with ethnic Kurds as well as different religious sects - Sunnis versus Shiia. They've got to include Sunnis in the government ... There is going to be a delicate balance that will have to be maintained within their government."

* On when the U.S. is going to get out of Iraq: "The proper question is not when [the U.S.] is going to get out; the proper question is when we're going to get the casualties reduced to the point where we're not reading about it every day ... Things are slowly getting better ... We made a lot of serious mistakes after the great initial victory ... and paid a very heavy price in American blood and treasure."

* On whether he is considering a presidential run in 2008, quoting his friend Representative Morris Udall: "He once said if you are a United States senator unless you're under indictment or detoxification, you automatically consider yourself a candidate for president ... But no, I'm not seriously considering it; I'm going to wait a couple of years and then give it some thought at that time. There's no point in [considering it] now."

* When asked by a midshipman why Congress would spend time on, among other things, the Terri Schiavo case and steroids in baseball, in light of recent issues like the Enron scandal: "On the steroids issue, I'm not concerned about what Mr. [Jason] Giambi [of the New York Yankees] may or may not have put into his rear-end. As a sports fan, I'm concerned about the legitimacy of any records that may have been made by people who were using performance-enhancing drugs. What I am worried about is high school athletes who believe that the only way they can make it into the major leagues is to use [drugs]. The most gripping aspect about the Congressional hearing was the parents of the kids who had committed suicide while using steroids. That's why I want them banned."

* Senator McCain went on to express his strong dismay at having been deceived by Donald Fehr (head of the MLB players' union) and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, on potential penalties for players' steroid use: "I was outraged, because they lied to me to my face. I'm not accustomed to that. You know what a $10,000 fine is to one of these [players]? Peanuts. And of course a '5 strike and maybe you're out' policy is obviously very inappropriate. Now we're finding out that maybe steroid use is much more widespread in the NFL. There is NO testing in the NHL ... We probably need now in professional sports some kind of standard of testing and not only is the testing important, it's how the test is administered."

The Senator concluded his lecture by congratulating the midshipmen on their hard work so far, and offering them insights as to what their future Naval careers may hold: "I guarantee that you'll be thinking and talking a lot about Asia, one hell of a lot more than you were in a previous time at the United States Naval Academy." McCain had earlier referred to China as an emerging economic superpower, and cautioned that some of their recent actions have been "very disturbing." McCain ended on a light note by thanking the Academy for having him back at "the old school where he did so well," in an apparent reference to his less-than-stellar performance as a midshipman in the 1950s - inspiring a laugh from the appreciative midshipmen.

The U.S. Government and Constitutional Development class is a required class for fourth-class midshipmen during their first year at Annapolis.

U.S. Senator John McCain has a long career of public service.

After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1958, John McCain began his career as a Naval aviator. In 1982, he was elected to Congress representing what was then the first congressional district of Arizona. In 1986, he was elected to the United States Senate to take the place of Arizona's great Senator Barry Goldwater. Senator McCain is currently the senior senator from Arizona. In 2000, McCain ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and serves on the Armed Services, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees.

McCain is the latest national public figure to participate as a guest in mtvU's "Stand In" event series. Each stepping in as guest professor and teaching a class unique to their experience and background, previous participants include Elie Wiesel, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Russell Simmons and Reverend Run, author Tom Wolfe, rapper Nas and his father, Olu Dara, Marilyn Manson, Snoop Dogg, Senator John Kerry, Jesse Jackson, Ashley Judd, and Sting, who taught a class on Monday at the University of Illinois at Chicago on music composition.

mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. 24hrs a day, 7days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they hang out, through a three pronged approach -- on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music programming, news, student life features, events, pro-social initiatives and more.

For more information about mtvU and to watch Senator McCain's appearance on "Stand-In," visit http://www.mtvu.com/.

Broadcasting to over 700 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of 6 million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. 24hrs a day, 7days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. For more information about mtvU, and for a complete programming schedule, visit http://www.mtvu.com/.

mtvU is part of the Viacom International Inc. family which also owns the MTV Networks programming services MTV, MTV2, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, Spike TV, CMT and others.

Source: mtvU

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