Dealing with the issues: McCain

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain gave his acceptance speech as the Republican presidential nominee Thursday night. Here is a look at what McCain said he would do, if elected, about a variety of topics:

Sen. John McCain says he'll reduce government spending and get rid of failed programs.

Taxes

McCain said he would:

• Keep taxes low and cut them where he could.
• Double the child tax exemption from $3,500 to $7,000.
• Cut the business tax rate to help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas.

Foreign trade

McCain said he would:

• Open new markets to American goods and services.
• Prepare workers to compete in the world economy.

Unemployment assistance

McCain said he would:

• Help workers who've lost a job that won't come back and find a new one that won't go away.
• Use community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities.
• Retrain workers in industries that have been hard hit and cover the pay difference during retraining.

Economy

McCain said he would:
• Create millions of new jobs, "jobs that will be there when your children enter the work force."

Energy

McCain said he would have the United States:

• Produce more energy at home.
• Drill new wells offshore.
• Build more nuclear power plants.
• Develop clean coal technology.
• Increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas.
• Encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.

Education

McCain said he would:

• Make schools answer to parents and students.

Health care

McCain said he would:
• Make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance.

Federal spending

McCain said he would:

• Reduce government spending and get rid of failed programs to "let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit."

Foreign relations

McCain said:

• A serious blow has been dealt to al Qaeda, but the terror network has not been defeated and will strike again if able.
• Iran is the chief state sponsor of terrorism and on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons.
• Russia's leaders have rejected democratic ideals, invaded a small, democratic neighbor, Georgia, to gain more control over the world's oil supply, intimidated other neighbors and have ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire.

The clock is ticking....