10 Things you should know about John McCain
Recently there’s been several articles about various supporters of both Obama and Clinton plan to vote for McCain should their candidate fail to cinch the nomination for the Democratic party. So, I’d like to share a list of things that *you* should know about John McCain that I picked up from Moveon.Org (the sources are after the jump):
- John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has “evolved,” yet he’s continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1
- According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain “will make Cheney look like Gandhi.”2
- His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3
- McCain opposes a woman’s right to choose. He said, “I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned.”4
- The Children’s Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children’s health care bill last year, then defended Bush’s veto of the bill.5
- He’s one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a “second job” and skip their vacations.6
- Many of McCain’s fellow Republican senators say he’s too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He’s erratic. He’s hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”7
- McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8
- McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his “spiritual guide,” Rod Parsley, believes America’s founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a “false religion.” McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church “the Antichrist” and a “false cult.”9
- He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10
SOURCES:
1. “The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day,” ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html
“McCain Facts,” ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/
2. “McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq,” Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us
“Buchanan: John McCain ‘Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,‘” ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/
3. “McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill,” ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/
4. “McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned,” MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/
5. “2007 Children’s Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard,” February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007
“McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion,” CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/
6. “Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady,” Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80
“McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,’” Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home
7. “Will McCain’s Temper Be a Liability?,” Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022
“Famed McCain temper is tamed,” Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/
8. “Black Claims McCain’s Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: ‘I Don’t Know What The Criticism Is,‘” ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/
“McCain’s Lobbyist Friends Rally ‘Round Their Man,” ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251
9. “McCain’s Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam,” Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3519
“Will McCain Specifically ‘Repudiate’ Hagee’s Anti-Gay Comments?,” ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/
“McCain ‘Very Honored’ By Support Of Pastor Preaching ‘End-Time Confrontation With Iran,’” ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/
10. “John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record,” Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/
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Comments
Thank you for posting this. The more I hear about McCain, the more worried I get about him being elected.
Opposing Roe vs. Wade does not imply opposition to a woman’s right to choose. For example, Ron Paul would leave the matter to the states. The Roe vs. Wade decision was a dishonest one, a point acknowledge even by supporters who like the result.
I’m sorry, but “giving it back to the states” is the same thing as opposing a woman’s right to choose. Abortion access needs to be a federal right, otherwise you’re saying women in New York may get an abortion, but women in Alabama may not. What are the women in the “no abortion” states supposed to do? Magic up the money to travel to one of the states that does allow it?
Roe v. Wade was a questionable decision with shaky constitutional support, but I will defend it to death until we have a stronger federal right to abortion. A woman’s bodily autonomy is not something for a state legislature to determine or, even worse, for voters to determine. Some of our state legislatures are still convinced we should have warning stickers on biology textbooks, and you want to give them control over women’s bodies? Ugh. No, thanks.
A true libertarian would balk at the idea of the state - regardless of the level of government - having the final say over what you do with your own body. And as such, would recognise that risking that personal freedom by “leaving it to the states” is a terrible idea.
Ahhh, the truth starts to trickle out about Maverick McCain. Should make for an interesting general campaign.
What You Should Know About John McCain…
Bligbi has a great post titled “10 things you should know about John McCain.” See how many of the facts you knew and how many were new to you….
[...] Vladimir Putin, you’re better qualified to be president than John McCain (via “m” in the comments“): addthis_url = [...]
What do we know about this guy? We have gotten to know the other candidates pretty well. The republican party’s decision to never talk bad about another republican is non American and almost makes them a cult. The first comment of this post is simply following the heard. “Wimpy President” If all republicans want to have a beer with the president and cut down some brush and not talk about what they are all about and their plans to do with our country then we are all screwed. Lets choose the best candidate for prosperity of America and freedom. We chose Bush 2 times in a row. We cant afford to choose another Bush. Who is this guy?
There is no way you can tell me that McCain isn’t the lesser of 3 evils. Obama and Hillary will destroy our economy, health care, and national security.
Kathryn Brunner I have to agree with every point you made except #9. about Hagee. Hagee is solid and very knowledgeable man. Though I disagree with his comment about Hurricane Katrina being linked to the gays. It really has to do with the Bush Admin. pressuring Israel to giving over the Gaza Strip. The same exact square mileage as the impact zone of Katrina. Ariel Sharon the P.M. who submitted to the U.S. demands went into a coma soon after, and he is still in it today for his betrayal of Israel.
Our economy, healthcare and national security are already destroyed. As are a lot of our personal liberties and human rights. One way or another, the United States will fall.
I correct my reference about Hagee’s quote he never said that comment about the gay’s and Katrina. It was Pat Robertson. Hagee’s quote was the one that I mentioned above about the tie in with Israel and the giving up of the Gaza strip, which is Israel’s God given birthright.
Josh, have we been attacked since 9-11?(national security) You are entitled to nothing but a fair wage. If you unhappy with your job and your benefits, reeducate yourself or find a better job.(health care)The economy is like music is comes and goes in 10 year cycles(that would explain the Heavy Metal resurgence, Thank God)(Our economy)The United States will never fall. Just stumble once and a while. Negativity breeds Negativity!
11. You might not know that McCain “collaborated with the enemy” while a POW by signing a statement saying that he had committed “black crimes” against the Vietnamese. He was also interviewed by a French TV journalist while a POW and apparently the footage was useful to the Vietnamese for propaganda purposes. On the other hand, McCain did not accept early release when offered by the Vietnamese, and was not disciplined after release for providing cooperation beyond name rank and serial number.
12. McCain tried to commit suicide by hanging while he was a POW but was prevented by his guard from accomplishing this.
Personally, I consider dropping bombs on a country that had not attacked the US and posed no threat to the US a crime and would be willing to give him a pass on the “collaborating with the enemy” charge, although it speaks to the flexibility of his ethics and whether his first and only allegiance is to himself and what he thinks are his best interests. It also speaks to the difference in treatment that a George Bush or a John McCain gets in the military hierarchy over someone whose father isn’t a politician or an admiral.
On the suicide issue, the official story goes that it was because it was because he was distraught after having signed the confession in order to get medical treatment from his captors. He reached his breaking point and caved. Then felt bad and tried to do the honorable thing, but having no sword to fall on, tried to hang himself with his shirt.
McCain denies that he has PTSD.
I would like a reporter to ask him these questions at every opportunity throughout the remainder of the campaign.
To what extent did you collaborate with the Vietnamese while you were a POW?
Did you receive any favors in exchange, such as medical treatment?
Were you ever disciplined by the Navy for collaborating with the enemy?
Do you think you should have been?
Have you discussed this whole collaboration with the enemy issue with your father, and would you care to share that with us?
Why did you try to hang yourself when you were a POW?
Were you ever diagnosed with Post Trauma Stress Disorder?
Do you know what the symptoms of PTSD are?
You have been described as having a short temper and prone to violent outbursts of rage. Were you like this before you became a POW or has it always been part of your personality?
Please clarify: Do you deny that you have PTSD, or are you just in denial that you have PTSD?
On a lighter note, you have been seen on YouTube video joking and singing to the Beach Boys tune “Barbara Ann”, the lyrics “Bomb, Bomb. Bomb Iran”. Did you also use the tune in the 1960s with the lyrics “Bomb Bomb Bomb, North Vietnam?”
I think we all get the point that John McCain is a “flip-flopper,” to put it that way, and that not many people here really like him.
Excuse me. “Hypocrite.” There’s the word.
McCain a flip-flopper? What about Obama? He has changed every single stance on all issues since getting the Dem. nomination! Obama should worry you more than McCain. What record does Obama have. Community organizer and two year senator (in which he has missed more votes than he has voted on). Yeah, that makes him qualified!
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1. Not voting in favor of establishing the holiday does not imply advocacy of discrimination against blacks.
2. People in this country are so fearful of confronting our enemies due to the enormous costs of the Iraq war that the greater risk is having a wimpy president.
3. McCain voted against the bill for reason other than approval of waterboarding. He is vehemently against waterboarding.
4. Opposing Roe vs. Wade does not imply opposition to a woman’s right to choose. For example, Ron Paul would leave the matter to the states. The Roe vs. Wade decision was a dishonest one, a point acknowledge even by supporters who like the result.
5. Maybe he loves children but thinks that socialized medicine will exacerbate rather than cure problems with our health care system.
6. At least his wealth (other than his salary) does not come from money forcibly taken from taxpapers pockets. Many of those taxpayers who would be paying for the default of others have met their contractual obligations in spite of hardships.
7. This is an opinion. I have heard about McCain’s hotheadedness but never seen evidence of it. Sometimes anger is a symptom of sincerity. He has not become jade and cynical as some more “accepting” politicians.
8. The number and variety of parties supporting him is a benefit, rather than a detriment. Dependence on a narrow group of supporters would be more problematic.
9. I was troubled by Hagee’s endorsement, but I do recall McCain stating that the endorsement does not imply agreemtn with Hagee on important issues.
10. Perhaps he is concerned about conservation but considers the League’s approach misguided.