www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502801.html
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John McCain, who faced hometown reporters yesterday in his first news conference since losing the presidential election, pledged to return to the regular work of a senator and defended his decision to pick Alaska Gov.
"I'm very happy to be back and looking -- already spending several days at work here, and looking forward to a very active agenda, and looking forward to resuming my duties in the Senate and with the significant challenges that we face," McCain said in Phoenix. The Republican from Arizona said he looks forward to returning to the Indian Affairs Committee and to making another visit to Iraq and Afghanistan. Asked why he chose Palin, McCain said the main reason was "her qualifications," adding that he knew she would be an "energizing factor" in the race. "Well, primarily, it was her qualifications, her reform agenda," McCain told reporters. "She took on and defeated an incumbent governor of her own party. She had attacked corruption that she saw there in Alaska. McCain said that he remains "honored" to have served Arizona and that he plans to run for reelection in 2010. He dismissed ideas that he might run for president again, saying that if he wins in 2010, he will pledge to serve a full six-year term. He said he will continue pressing for immigration reform in the Senate, despite the issue's political pitfalls. "Running for reelection has never been a concern of mine as far as issues like that are concerned. I intend to discuss that with the president-elect," he said of immigration.
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