Eagle in Peril: A 2004 Election Game (Gameplay)

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain’s Statement on the Passing of President George W. Bush

“When this nation was rocked by the terrible attacks of September 11th, when all our eyes were glued to our televisions and we watched the destruction and the horror live, it was hard to believe what we were seeing. So many people were paralyzed by fear, but thankfully we had a President in that dark hour ready to lead us. Out of that terrible day, out of all that terror, a true American leader shone through. George W. Bush rose above the rubble of that day and helped this nation dust itself off and get us back on our feet. l. He put us on the path to recovery, he helped us find our swagger again, and in uncertain times he provided a steady hand and an unflinching vision that, like Ronald Reagan’s, reminded us of what is best about America. He belongs now to the ages. His entire family is in our Prayers.”

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain's June 2003 Schedule

Msc 2006-Saturday, 16.00 - 18.00-IMG 0472
Sebastian Zwez, CC BY 3.0 DE <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons

June 1st- Speak at Memorial for President Bush in Phoenix

“We have lost a President who has seen the world at its worst and America at its best, a President who, with unflinching resolve rose to meet the challenges of a new world, never uncertain of the values and the commitments that our nation has always held dear. Our nation is now united in remembering a man who led us through dark times with a sunny optimism that came so easy to him. Whatever our future may hold, we owe George W. Bush a debt of gratitude for his leadership in one of our nation's darkest hours.”

June 2nd- Return to Washington DC.

June 3rd- Meet with President Cheney with the Armed Services Committee. Brief press conference afterward.

Q: Senator McCain, how has the transition impacted the United States military preparedness?

A: Our armed forces stand alert and ready as always. This is the sort of thing we always have to be ready for. President Bush’s passing was a shock to us all, but the US military was ready, as it should be, to ensure that the United States was able to project strength when and where it was needed in a time of crisis. 

Q: Any discussion with President Cheney about the continued search for Saddam Hussein?

A: We discussed it briefly. I have no doubt that we will bring Hussein to justice, it is only a matter of time. Our men and women in uniform have worked diligently to find him, and he can only hide for so long. I have no doubt we will find him if we take the right steps.

June 4th- Meeting with Sen. John Kyl to discuss his nomination to be Vice President.

June 5th-6th- Senate duties, speech on the floor on the situation in Iraq

“Our efforts in Iraq must be concerted if we hope to finish the job that President Bush started. The end of major combat operations is just a start. We must be prepared to work with the new Iraqi government to rebuild a nation that has been left behind through the backward and cruel tactics of a dictator. It is in our interests to ensure an Iraq whole and free.”

June 7th- Attend the funeral of President George W. Bush

June 8th- Appear on NBC’s Meet the Press to discuss President Bush’s legacy and the situation in Iraq

Q: Has the situation in Iraq been impacted at all by the passing of President Bush, did this create any sort of turmoil in Iraq or the region more broadly?

A: No, thankfully broadly speaking it hasn’t. The usual actors made their noise, but for the most part, our military over there has been able to keep the ship steady. I’ve heard from many of our men and women over there that it hasn’t been easy, but it does seem things have been stable through all of this.

Q: Have you discussed the nomination of your fellow Senator from Arizona Joh Kyl to be Vice President with President Cheney yet?

A: I have discussed it and will continue to meet with the President and Senator Kyl. I am proud to say that my good friend is President Cheney’s choice to help us through these times, and I will be leading the fight for his confirmation in the Senate.

June 9th- Meet with Senators John Warner, Hagel, Gregg, Graham, and Lugar to discuss major foreign policy issues and Presidential politics.

June 10th- Meeting with President Cheney and the Republican leadership to discuss the nomination of Jon Kyl to be Vice President, and to discuss the situation in Iraq

June 11th-15th- Senate duties

June 16th- Interview with New York Times reporter Richard A. Oppel Jr.

Q: Senator McCain, I wanted to ask you about Pork Barrel spending. You are one of the fiercest critics of the practice in Washington today. What exactly is it you are so against?

A: Well I’m against this “business as usual” approach to appropriations in Washington that generates unrequested funding for projects that are designed, first and foremost, to benefit politicians. I mean when you have naval projects getting built-in landlock states, buried in thousands of pages of dense appropriations bills, you know you have a real problem.

Q: This has been the norm for quite a while though, hasn’t it?

A: That’s the problem, that’s why balancing a budget is like pulling teeth, because everyone has been allowed to get these little pet projects everywhere. There is a real problem here with thinking that projects which are cooked up in the offices of politicians and thrown in at the midnight hour are legitimate and worthwhile expenditures that are somehow part of the greatness of our American government. This just is not how it is supposed to work. I have a lot of respect for all of my colleagues here, but as an institution, we need to own up to the shortcomings in our appropriations system. 

Q: I am sure you have heard the rumors, Senator, that you are considering another run for President. Is there any truth to these?

A: I would be lying if I said I was not seriously considering it. I think we have a lot of problems that I am well suited to address. We are facing an uncertain world and the road ahead is difficult, but I believe in the destiny of America and her people. I truly believe our best days are ahead of us, and I know I want to play my part in helping us move forward. That being said, I am not yet sure what shape that will take. But I have seriously considered the Presidency, yes.

June 17th-23rd Senate duties

June 24th- Speak to the press on the confirmation of Senator Jon Kyl as Vice President

“I am proud to say that my good friend, and a great Senator, has been confirmed to be the next Vice President. Our nation faces great challenges ahead, but I know that Jon Kyl will help lead our nation through them with the same skills that have made him a leader here on Capitol Hill. I am proud to say that I, from the first, have fought hard for his confirmation, and I have no doubt that he will do both our home state and our country proud.”

June 26th- Fly to New Hampshire for an NH GOP fundraiser

June 27th- Fly to Arizona for constituent work

June 28th-30th- Work out of Pheonix office on local issues

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain's July 2003 Schedule

JohnMcCainSmileKennerJune2008
Flicker photographer dsb nola, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

July 1st- Press conference in Phoenix on protests in Hong Kong

“We must stand with the people of Hong Kong in opposing legislation that is targeted against those who are fighting for free and open government in Hong Kong. The rights of the people of Hong Kong must be defended, and I will be working with my colleagues in the Senate to draft legislation designed to support and defend Hong Kong’s democracy from Chinese subversion.”

July 2nd-3rd- Continued work in Phoenix office, spoke with Senator Graham by phone

July 4th- Participate in Pheonix 4th of July parade, speak at celebration afterward

“The promise of democracy rings as true today as when the founders of this nation took up their mantle nearly 230 years ago. We must take up that mantle ourselves, and defend the dream of our founders. My friends, we must not hesitate to take the side of liberty, even when it is easier to take the side of despotism and destruction.”

July 5th- Announce Presidential Campaign at a speech in Phoenix
Excerpts from announcement speech:

“After weeks of consideration and soul searching, speaking with family, friends, voters, and leaders across the country, I am proud today to announce that I will be seeking the Republican nomination and the Presidency…

My friends, we all know that we live in a dangerous world, but we live too in a world of promise and hope. I never for a moment doubted the resolve of the American people after the terrible attacks of September 11th, and I do not doubt now that we are prepared as ever to fulfill John F. Kennedy’s pledge “to bear any burden, support any friend, and oppose any foe to ensure the survival and the success of liberty.” These have been the watchwords of our nation, of our shining city on the hill, since its founding, and we have neither flagged nor failed in honoring them even in these difficult times…

We must, moving forward, once again recommit ourselves to the values and the mission that have made our country the envy of the world. We must, as we always have been, be ready to stand up against those who hate us for our liberties, the very values that make us great.”

July 6th- Fly to New Hampshire, meet with Senator Gregg and hold a rally in Portsmouth

July 7th- Townhall in Manchester, New Hampshire

“This is the part of the campaign I have been looking forward to (laughter and applause)”

Q: Do you have any plans to change our strategy in Iraq?

A: I think it is clear that we need changes in our policy in Iraq. I think, if we are serious about victory in Iraq and about creating democracy there, we need to be willing to send more troops. Our men and women in uniform know that the job isn’t an easy one, but they are capable and confident that with the right tools, including sufficient troops, we can truly help to create a free, democratic Iraq that is an ally of the United States.

Q: Why did you oppose President Bush’s tax cuts, and what would your tax plan look like?

A: I opposed President Bush’s tax cuts for two reasons. One, I thought they gave too many benefits to the top earners and not enough to middle-class Americans. When we cut taxes we should be focusing on the middle class and Mainstreet. That’s point one. Second, I did not think it was the time, and I do not support an extension of the cuts now.  We are facing growing deficits in a time of conflict abroad. We have to recognize that it is not responsible to keep these tax cuts going. Now, I do support tax reform, I want to simplify the tax code and reduce rates for middle-class Americans, but I think we ought to end the cuts that are helping out the highest-earners to a disproportionate extent. 

July 8th- Fly to Washington, meet with Senators Graham and Warner

July 9th- Senate duties, including meeting with Senators Gregg and Sununu to discuss New Hampshire issues

July 10th-12th- Senate duties

July 13th- Meeting with Senator Hagel

July 14th- Senate duties, meeting with former Secretary of Defense William Cohen

July 15th- Series of meetings with former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Lawrence Eagleburger, George Schultz, and James Baker to discuss foreign policy issues and possible direction of foreign policy in a McCain presidency

July 16th- Discuss troop commitments in Iraq with Armed Services committee colleagues

July 17th- Senate duties

July 18th- Meeting with Senate leadership, speech on the floor in support of defense appropriations bill

July 19th- Meeting with Rep. Charlie Bass (NH 2nd) to discuss budgetary issues

July 20th- Press conference on the status of the Iraqi governing council

“We are facing a crisis in Iraq, and we cannot afford to be AWOL now. I call on the administration to fire Paul Bremer, who has failed to unify Iraq or to produce a functioning coalition of pro-democratic forces there. We need to be serious about democracy in Iraq, and right now the Iraqi governing council is flagging without needed American support. We are here to support Iraq, not to lord over it, but it is clear that we need more troops and stronger leadership in-country if we are going to create a free and democratic Iraq.”

July 21st- Meetings with Senate colleagues on the situation in Iraq

July 22nd-24th- Senate duties

July 25th- Fly to New Hampshire, townhall in Manchester

July 26th- Townhall in Concord, meeting with state leaders to discuss local issues

July 27th- Townhalls in Bedford and Salem

July 28th- Meeting with Representative Jeb Bradley in Portsmouth, fundraiser that evening

July 29th- Fly to Washington, meeting with Senate colleagues

July 30th-31st- Senate duties

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain’s August Schedule

JohnMcCain01a
Chitrapa at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

August 1st-3rd- Senate duties

August 4th-Meeting with Armed Services Committee Colleagues to discuss the situation in Iraq

August 5th-7th- Senate duties

August 8th- Fly to Charleston, South Carolina

August 9th- Town hall in Charleston

Q: How would you, as President, be handling the situation in Iraq differently?

A: My friends, look, I believe and have always believed that American success in Iraq is vital to the peace and security of the entire world. Saddam Hussien was not someone you could box in, whatever the Clinton administration thought. We saw that clearly. What we have to focus on now is what to do to ensure that the gains we have made are not lost, and that means committing to a short-term increase in troop numbers to give our people in country the tools they need to really get the job done. When we stabilize the security situation, then we can get the provisional authority on its feet, and we can create a real functioning democracy in Iraq.

Q: How will you promote small business growth as President?

A: A McCain administration will start, first and foremost, with a commitment to reducing taxes for main street. When we finish the work of getting money out of politics through campaign finance reform, get rid of the wasteful pork-barrel spending that dominates business as usual in Washington, then we can start focusing on the issues impacting main streets and downtowns all over America. My friends, it all starts with making sure that Washington is listening, and then we can start reducing and simplifying tax rates for middle-class Americans.

August 10th- Meeting with Senator Lindsey Graham to discuss foreign policy and defense issues

August 11th- Meetings with Republican leadership to discuss the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan

August 12th- Fly to Arizona, meeting with local staff

August 13th- Work out of Phoenix office on local issues

August 14th- Meeting with local community leaders in Mesa

August 15th- Phone conference with former Secretaries of State George Schultz on foreign policy and security issues

August 16th- Work on local issues out of Mesa office, call with Senator Richard Lugar to discuss foreign and defense policy

August 17th- Fly to New Hampshire, meet with Senators Gregg and Sununu to discuss economic issues and the situation in Iraq

August 18th- Town halls in Concord and Berlin

August 19th- Town hall for state legislators in Concord, meeting with Republican leadership

August 20th- Breakfast at the Red Arrow Diner, tour of Merrimack, Milford, and southwestern Hillsborough county.

August 21st- Town hall in Durham, meet with UNH College Republicans

August 22nd- Meeting with Congressman Charlie Bass in his Concrod Office, Town hall in Bow

August 23rd- Town hall in Lebanon, meeting with Dartmouth College Republicans

August 24th- Speech to the NH Business and Industry Association, meeting with Concord Monitor Editorial staff

August 25th- Meeting with Union Leader Editorial staff, town hall at Manchester Memorial High School

August 26th- Fundraiser in Portsmouth, meeting with local elected officials

August 27th- Fly to Washington DC

August 28th- Lunch with Senator Warner in Virginia, meetings with office staff

August 29th- Meeting with refugee groups in Washington office, meet Arizona High School groups

August 30th- Phone conversation with New Hampshire staff, meeting with Senator Graham

August 31st- Appear on Meet the Press to discuss the situation in Iraq

“Q: Senator McCain, you have been very vocal in stating your view that our policy in Iraq must change. What, specifically do you want the Administration to do, and why haven’t they done it?

A: Simply put, I would like to see more troops in Iraq, where they are desperately needed to help stabilize the security situation. We all want a stable and democratic Iraq, and that will only be possible when our Iraqi allies have the help they need to combat what remains of Saddam Hussien’s brutal regime. I think some are worried that this is an unpopular solution or one that is not politically convenient but to be frank those are not considerations that need to come first on this issue. Our security is at stake, and the fate of fledgling free peoples is at stake. We can’t afford to play politics and optics on this one, we just have to do what’s right.

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain Debate Answers

1. An Opening Statement (asked to include President Reagan somehow in your remarks)

Thank you Chris, and thank you to the Reagan Library for hosting us today. I remember meeting President Reagan for the first time when I was working for his campaign in 1976. We lost that one, but we won in 1980 when this country truly needed leadership. My friends that’s what we need now, leadership. The situation in Iraq, our ongoing war against global terrorism, all require real and committed leadership to see through. I was proud to work with and learn from President Reagan, and I want to take his values to the White House once again, leading by example and pushing for tax cuts for middle-class Americans, standing up for our friends and against our enemies the world over, and always remembering the promise of America.

2. Gentlemen. It has been a scary three years for most Americans. Terrorists attacked us on 9/11, shocking the nation and leading us into a global war on terrorism. Only a few months ago, the President of the United States suddenly died. Americans want to know more than anything, how will you keep them safe, and what makes you the candidate best prepared to do so?

These past few years have been an unprecedented shock to our nation. The complacency of the Clinton years had allowed our enemies to grow strong, and now we must work hard to keep the gains we made under President Bush. I have the experience needed to help keep this country safe, and I have dedicated my career to it, first as a navy pilot, then as a Congressman, and now as a Senator on the Armed Services Committee. As President, I will continue to take the fight to the terrorists, I will send more troops into Iraq and give them the resources we know they need to combat the growing insurgency, and I will make sure that we continue to attack terrorists and the regimes that harbor them. Our nation is much safer now than it was only three years ago, but there is much work left to be done, and I will see it through.

3. We have around 150,000 soldiers stationed in Iraq. Combat with Ba'athist forces is ending, but an insurgency is developing, especially in the Sunni Triangle, where groups like Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna are thriving. What will you do to bring the situation in Iraq under control, and establish a functioning democracy? When can we expect our soldiers to return home if you are President?

My friends, we can start by giving the troops on the ground what they have told us they need. We should have committed more troops from the start, we should have had a full-time leader for the transition authority, we should have been ready to deal with the situation after Saddam Hussein was overthrown. I am thankful that President Cheney is willing to commit more resources, I only wish we were willing to do it when our Generals were telling us we needed more boots on the ground.  We need to build up a diverse Iraqi force to help our troops, we need to start working towards elections, and we have to be clear that we are committed to making Iraq a democracy. All that starts with stabilizing the situation and putting more troops in to stabilize the situation and treating this like a military action and not political theater.

4. (Please keep your answer to a few sentences). Do you believe in the theory of evolution?

The simple answer is yes, and I see no reason that makes me or anyone else a bad Christian.

To Senator McCain: You voted against the Bush tax cuts, which were highly popular among Republicans. Why did you oppose these tax cuts?

I opposed those cuts because they were not helping out the middle-class and were giving handouts to the wealthiest Americans. I support tax reform, I helped President Reagan pass several major tax reforms, but the tax cuts we passed in 2001 were just reverse pork barrel spending, giving handouts and padding to special interests and leaving the middle-class to pick up the bill down the road. We ought to be putting main street and the middle class first, and that’s what my tax plan will do.

[Brother Jonathan]

Senator McCain's September and October Schedules

McCain25April2007Portsmouth
Credit line shall read: "Photo by: River Bissonnette".  Courtesy email to riverbissonnette@yahoo.com requested, but not required, for reuse., Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

September 1st- Fly to South Carolina with Senator Graham, rally in Charleston

Sen. Graham: In times like these, there is no one I trust more than John. We’ve been together through thick and thin. He’s my best friend in Washington, but more than that he is the conscience of the town. It’s easy to get lost up there in Washington, but John has never stopped fighting the good fight. In times like these, we need leaders like John McCain, men of character and conviction. I’m proud to support my friend for President.

September 2nd- Town hall in Charleston

Q: Senator McCain, will you support the Marriage Amendment now being proposed?

A: I firmly believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman, and I have advocated for that at the state level for years, but I have always maintained that this is not a place for the federal government. My friends, we can’t talk about the need for small government when at the same time trying to expand federal power into fields which it has never before exercised its authority. This amendment simply goes too far.

September 3rd- Tour of Columbia with Senator Graham

September 4th- Return to Washington DC for Senate duties

September 5th-7th- Senate duties

September 8th- Talk by phone with the Union Leader editorial board in New Hampshire

September 9th-10th- Senate duties

September 11th- Speech at memorial service commemorating the attacks of September 11th

“For my father’s generation, it was Pearl Harbor that cut a deep scar across their memory. They all, for the rest of their lives, will recall the horror, the heroism, the contrasts of that day, where the best and worst of humanity were on display, where the world was reminded of the unbreakable spirit of the American people. I have no doubt that the attacks of September 11th shall in the same waymark all of us. While we can never replace those who were lost, while we shall always be forced to live in a nation less rich and vibrant for their absence, we today remember them and that day and echo our parents in saying that it is a day which shall live in infamy, but never in vain.”

September 12th- Travel to New York, meeting with families of first responders and those who died on 9/11

September 13th- Travel to New Hampshire, town hall at Salem High School

“Q: Senator, what specifically would you change about our tax code? You have spoken often about your frustration with the current system, but what do you intend, specifically, to do?

A: The way I see it, there are several key issues to consider on taxes. In the first place, we have to recognize that we are now at war with international terrorism, and so if we are going to actively pursue our mission abroad, we will need to ensure that our military is well funded. That means you can be giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, people who will often tell you they simply don’t need tax breaks. So first, you let the most recent round of tax cuts expire for those in the top income tax brackets. Beyond that, you increase the taxable minimum and the standard deduction, two big breaks for lower and middle-income Americans, and at the same time start curtailing reductions that are often only claimed by those who are well off. I’m not going to raise taxes on middle-income Americans, I am going to cut your taxes, and I am going to do it while making sure we have a fair and even tax system.

September 14th- Town halls in Amherst and Milford

September 15th- Town hall in Concord, town hall for state legislators in the evening

September 16th- Town hall in Franklin, return to Washington for Senate duties

September 17th- Interview for Fox New’s The O'Reilly Factor

Excerpt

“O’Reilly: Senator McCain, you have broken from your party on a couple of pretty significant issues, wouldn’t you say? I mean on the new marriage amendment, on taxes, you’ve even been critical about how Iraq is being handled. I mean why even run as a Republican if you have so many disagreements with the party?

McCain: Well, simply put I am and always have been a Republican and am proud to be a member of the party of Abraham Lincoln. We started out as an anti-slavery party, we stood by President Lincoln as he fought what was for some time an unpopular war to unite this country and free the slaves. I believe, like the rest of my party, that we need to fight for balanced budgets and sensible regulation, and believe firmly, as President Reagan did, in the doctrine of peace through strength. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more Republican than me on those issues.

OR: But what about these other issues? I mean let's talk about the new marriage amendment. You have come out against it when most of your party, or at least most of the conservatives in your party, seem for it. Why?

M: It’s just too much, that’s why I oppose it. In the same way that I would oppose an Amendment to give the federal government unfettered control over our schools or our state police, I don’t think we should be trying to insert the federal government into issues it has not traditionally regulated. This would be a massive expansion of federal power over the states, and last I checked we were supposed to be against that sort of thing. Now at the state level, it is a different matter, there I support amending state constitutions to defend the sanctity of marriage, but I won’t support this extension of federal power.”

September 18th- Senate duties

September 19th- Fly to New Hampshire with Senator Graham, rally in Manchester

September 20th- Town halls in Conway and Berlin

September 21st- Town halls in Littleton and Haverhill

September 22nd- Town hall in Charlestown, fly back to Washington

September 23rd- Meeting with Senator Gregg and Sununu in office

September 24th- Meet with Armed Services Committee colleagues to discuss President Cheney’s proposed funding increase

September 25th-27th- Senate duties

September 28th- Appear on Meet the Press to discuss President Cheney’s funding request

“Q: Senator McCain, you have been a critic of the way the situation in Iraq has been handled. Do you support this funding request, and if so why do you think it will be better used than past funding?

A: Well we won’t be able to do anything in Iraq without the resources that President Cheney has requested. We need to be sure that our troops over there have our full backing, and so I applaud the President for bringing this proposal forward to set us on the right path. I hope that with additional funding will come additional troops and resources need to head off this insurgency and give democracy a fighting chance in Iraq.”

September 29th-30th- Senate duties

October 1st- Fly to Arizona for constituent work

October 2nd-4th- Work out of Phoenix office

October 4th-6th- Work out of Mesa office

October 7th- Fly to Washington, Senate duties

October 8th-10th- Senate duties

October 11th- Fly to New Hampshire, Town hall in Bedford

October 12th- Town halls in Laconia and Plymouth

October 13th- Interview with the Union Leader, and speech to the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire

October 14th- Meeting with Concord Monitor editorial board

October 15th- Town halls in Henniker and Peterborough

October 16th- Fly to Washington

October 17th-19th- Senate duties

October 20th- Announce tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, departing on the 22nd

October 21st- Briefings for trip, Senate duties

October 22nd- Fly to Afghanistan, meet with US and allied leadership in Kabul

October 23rd- Meeting with troops at Bagram Air Base about the situation in Afghanistan, tour of barracks

October 24th- Drive through rural areas around Kabul with US troops, discussions with officers about the situation in the countryside

October 25th- Fly to Iraq, visit those hospitalized after an attack on the Al-Rashid Hotel

October 26th- Meet with US service members in Baghdad, discuss the situation in Iraq

October 27th- Visit those injured in coordinated bombings in Baghdad. 

October 28th- Interview with CNN from Baghdad

“Being here, I am more convinced than ever that our strategy needs to change in Iraq. Since I have arrived in Baghdad, we have seen several coordinated attacks not just on our brave soldiers, but against humanitarian centers which play no role in military operations. We are facing a deadly and committed insurgency, and we need to be willing to commit the necessary resources to combat it. The Coalition Provisional Authority needs to be seriously overhauled and given stable, strong leadership if we are going to move beyond the crisis situation here. I have no doubt in the ability of our troops here in Iraq, but we need to give them the resources and the leadership that they need to get the job done, and right now it seems pretty clear they aren’t getting it. In light of this, I am asking that Paul Bremer either step up and take charge, and stop playing politics back in Washington, or resign and let President Cheney appoint someone who will actually fight for and use needed resources.”

October 29th- Return to Washington DC

October 30th- Flight to Arizona

October 31st- Attend Halloween festivities in Phoenix