When friends used to suggest that McCain was a stealth moderate, I urged them to look at his voting record, which was about as moderate as Strom Thurmond's.
But now even his record has become irrelevant, since to become the front runner McCain has jettisoned many of his past positions. The Bush tax cuts: McCain voted against them as a senator, but now says he would make them permanent as president. Immigration: he cosponsored a bill in 2005 to make it easier for those in the country illegally to become citizens, but now says that if his own bill—his own bill!—came to a vote on the Senate floor, he would vote against it. After Columbine, he called for more gun control; after Virginia Tech, he said more gun control was unnecessary.
Sen. James Webb has been trying to nail McCain down on a revamped GI Bill that would fund education for veterans. But the closest McCain has come to a position is to say he needs to examine it more closely. Both Obama and Clinton support the bill, and it's fair to assume that neither senator has any more leisure time than McCain. If the point is that the Republican candidate is incapable of multitasking, that's something he might want to lick before he becomes president, a job in which, to paraphrase the White Queen from "Alice in Wonderland," a person is often asked to tackle six impossible things before breakfast. Or maybe it's just safer not to take a position than to take one, to try to be all things to all people by being nothing at all.
This is completely at odds with the patented McCain persona, the alleged guy who speaks his mind without fear or favor. His notorious irascibility is often mistaken for principled candor, but experience teaches that McCain's principles remain consistent now only when they appear to lead to the West Wing. Sadly, no one understands better the personal cost of such pandering. In 2000 he was asked about the Confederate battle flag, which flew from the capitol dome in South Carolina. McCain first called it a "symbol of racism and slavery," then backed off with a "clarification" that described it as a "symbol of heritage." Later he admitted, "I feared that if I answered honestly, I could not win the South Carolina primary. So I chose to compromise my principles."
[Newsweek excerpt, April 2008]
Monday, September 1, 2008
MCCAIN'S RECORD ON WOMEN'S ISSUES
McCain has voted consistently against women's health, and he supports overturning the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade. Following is a summary of his positions on women's issues.
ABORTION
What John McCain really stands for came up most recently in light of his position on abortion. Planned Parenthood commissioned a survey showing that more than half of those women polled don't know much about McCain's stance, and a quarter of those who are in favor of keeping abortion legal mistakenly think the senator agrees.
That confusion may be because McCain has sometimes seemed confused as well. In 1999, during a campaign swing through California, he challenged conservative orthodoxy and said he did not support overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that found a constitutional right to abortion. He explained that a reversal could lead some women to undergo illegal and dangerous operations.
This is just the sort of nuanced position that has led to the widespread notion of McCain as maverick. But it didn't last long. After the right went nuts, McCain backtracked and said he did favor the repeal of Roe, adding, however, that it might lead to dangerous illegal abortions. A day later, his campaign issued a "clarification," and by that time McCain was saying that if elected president he would actually work to overturn the court's decision. Any concern over the effects of illegal abortions disappeared overnight in the cold clear light of must-win.
McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ‘Need Education and Training’ Instead.
McCain skipped a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would ensure women have the opportunity to recover back pay for discrimination once they discover it. If he had been there to vote, he said he would have voted against it and that women “need education and training” rather than an equal pay bill. The bill addressed a recent Supreme Court decision that said Steelworker Lilly Ledbetter could not recover back pay for 19 years of discrimination at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. because she had not discovered the unequal pay until she retired. The bill would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employees to file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of the last received paycheck affected by the discrimination. [Source: aflcio.org; H.R. 2831, Vote 110, 4/23/08; Associated Press, 4/28/08]
McCain Voted to Gut the Family and Medical Leave Act.
In 1993, before finally voting for the Family and Medical Leave Act, McCain voted to jeopardize leave for millions of workers by gutting the bill. He voted to suspend the Family and Medical Leave Act unless the federal government certified that compliance would not increase business expenses or provide financial assistance to businesses to cover any related costs. [Source: aflcio.org S.Amdt. 16, S. 5, Vote 7, 2/4/93; H.R. 1, Vote 11, 2/4/93]
McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.
In 2005, McCain voted NO to allocate $100 million to expand access to preventive health care services that reduce the numbers of unintended and teen pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions.
McCain opposed legislation requiring that abstinence-only programs be medically accurate and scientifically based.
McCain voted NO on legislation that would help reduce the number of teen pregnancies by providing funding for programs to teach comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education and other programs to prevent unintended teen pregnancies.
McCain opposed Title X, the nation's family planning program.
In 1990, McCain voted NO on legislation to extend the Title X federal family planning program, which provides low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from b.reast and cervical cancer screening to birth control.
McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
In 2003, McCain voted NO on legislation to improve the availability of contraceptives for women and to require insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
McCain opposes comprehensive sex education.
In an interview aboard the "Straight Talk Express," McCain struggled to answer questions about comprehensive sex education and HIV prevention. He also stated that he supported "the president's policy" on sex education.
McCain unsure where he stands on government funding for contraception.
"Whether I support government funding for them or not, I don't know," McCain said about contraceptives.
ABORTION
What John McCain really stands for came up most recently in light of his position on abortion. Planned Parenthood commissioned a survey showing that more than half of those women polled don't know much about McCain's stance, and a quarter of those who are in favor of keeping abortion legal mistakenly think the senator agrees.
That confusion may be because McCain has sometimes seemed confused as well. In 1999, during a campaign swing through California, he challenged conservative orthodoxy and said he did not support overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that found a constitutional right to abortion. He explained that a reversal could lead some women to undergo illegal and dangerous operations.
This is just the sort of nuanced position that has led to the widespread notion of McCain as maverick. But it didn't last long. After the right went nuts, McCain backtracked and said he did favor the repeal of Roe, adding, however, that it might lead to dangerous illegal abortions. A day later, his campaign issued a "clarification," and by that time McCain was saying that if elected president he would actually work to overturn the court's decision. Any concern over the effects of illegal abortions disappeared overnight in the cold clear light of must-win.
McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ‘Need Education and Training’ Instead.
McCain skipped a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would ensure women have the opportunity to recover back pay for discrimination once they discover it. If he had been there to vote, he said he would have voted against it and that women “need education and training” rather than an equal pay bill. The bill addressed a recent Supreme Court decision that said Steelworker Lilly Ledbetter could not recover back pay for 19 years of discrimination at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. because she had not discovered the unequal pay until she retired. The bill would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employees to file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of the last received paycheck affected by the discrimination. [Source: aflcio.org; H.R. 2831, Vote 110, 4/23/08; Associated Press, 4/28/08]
McCain Voted to Gut the Family and Medical Leave Act.
In 1993, before finally voting for the Family and Medical Leave Act, McCain voted to jeopardize leave for millions of workers by gutting the bill. He voted to suspend the Family and Medical Leave Act unless the federal government certified that compliance would not increase business expenses or provide financial assistance to businesses to cover any related costs. [Source: aflcio.org S.Amdt. 16, S. 5, Vote 7, 2/4/93; H.R. 1, Vote 11, 2/4/93]
McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.
In 2005, McCain voted NO to allocate $100 million to expand access to preventive health care services that reduce the numbers of unintended and teen pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions.
McCain opposed legislation requiring that abstinence-only programs be medically accurate and scientifically based.
McCain voted NO on legislation that would help reduce the number of teen pregnancies by providing funding for programs to teach comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education and other programs to prevent unintended teen pregnancies.
McCain opposed Title X, the nation's family planning program.
In 1990, McCain voted NO on legislation to extend the Title X federal family planning program, which provides low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from b.reast and cervical cancer screening to birth control.
McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
In 2003, McCain voted NO on legislation to improve the availability of contraceptives for women and to require insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
McCain opposes comprehensive sex education.
In an interview aboard the "Straight Talk Express," McCain struggled to answer questions about comprehensive sex education and HIV prevention. He also stated that he supported "the president's policy" on sex education.
McCain unsure where he stands on government funding for contraception.
"Whether I support government funding for them or not, I don't know," McCain said about contraceptives.
MCCAIN'S HEALTHCARE
Will Increase Health Care Costs and Reduce Access.
McCain’s plan undermines existing employer-based health care and pushes workers into the private market to fight big insurance companies on their own. He will make health care premiums part of taxable income, creating a new tax for working families. His plan will reduce benefits, increase costs and leave many with no health care at all. (CBPP, 4/5/06; Health08.org, Forum, 10/31/07; Los Angeles Times, 11/20/07; Commonwealth Fund, 6/2005)
Children’s Health
McCain Voted To Cut, Eliminate, Restrict Health Insurance Coverage for Low Income Children and Pregnant Mothers At Least SIX Times.
[SCR 27, Vote #76, 5/21/97; S 949, Vote #149, 6/27/97; HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00; H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; S 3, Vote #45, 3/11/03; H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children.
On October 31, 2007, after President Bush vetoed the first SCHIP reauthorization, McCain again opposed expanding SCHIP to millions of additional children. He voted against a motion to invoke cloture and bring the reauthorization forward for a vote before the Senate. The motion passed 62-33. [H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
McCain Opposed Reauthorizing SCHIP And Providing Insurance For Millions Of Uninsured Children.
In August 2007, McCain voted against passage of H.R. 976, which would have reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). According to Knight Ridder, “The Senate proposal would provide coverage to 3.2 million” uninsured children and renew coverage for the 6 million children already covered by the program. The legislation passed 68-31. [H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; Knight Ridder, 8/2/07]
McCain Voted Against Allowing Uninsured Parents To Enroll In The Same Plans As Their Children.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment would allow states to expand coverage under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The amendment failed 51-47. [HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00]
Uninsured and Access to Care
McCain Opposed Expanding Health Care Coverage And Containing Rising Costs.
In 2004, McCain voted against an amendment that provided an additional $60 billion over five years to expand health care coverage. The amendment failed 43-53. [SCR 95, Vote #47, 3/11/04]
McCain Voted To Allow Medical Savings Accounts.
In 1996, McCain voted in support of an amendment that established medical savings accounts, which allow individuals to make tax deductible contributions to special accounts set up to pay medical expenses. The Washington Post reported critics’ attacks of MSA’s: “Opponents call them a lavish tax break for the rich and a bad idea for the country as the healthy and wealthy choose them and leave the poor and sick in the traditional insurance pool.” The amendment was defeated 52-46. [S 1028, Vote #72, 4/18/96; Washington Post, 4/19/96]
McCain Opposed Expanding COBRA Coverage to Retirees.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would have expanded COBRA coverage to include retirees whose employer-sponsored health care coverage was terminated and to provide a 25-percent tax credit for COBRA coverage. The amendment failed 30-68. [HR 4810, Vote #202, 7/17/00]
McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees.
In 2000, McCain voted against considering an amendment that would have provided a tax credit to small businesses that offered health insurance coverage to their employees. The amendment failed 49-49. [HR 4810, Vote #205, 7/17/00]
McCain Opposed Requiring Health Plans To Pay For Post-Stabilization Services At Hospitals Under Certain Circumstances.
In 1999, McCain voted to require all group health plans to allow their participants to go to emergency rooms for treatment without prior authorization under the “prudent layperson” standard. McCain voted against requiring a health plan to pay for any post-stabilization services if a health plan could not be reached for instructions on further care within 1 hour after stabilization of a patient and if the care given met the regulatory definition for covered post-stabilization care currently used by Medicare and Medicaid for their health maintenance organization (HMO) participants (that definition is “medically necessary, non-emergency services furnished to an enrollee after he or she is stabilized following an emergency medical condition”). The amendment failed 47-53. [S 1344, Vote #201, 7/13/99]
McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act.
In 1997, McCain voted to table an amendment that would revise the Social Security Act to include additional benefits for children with special needs, including physical, speech and language therapy, and mental health services. The motion to table passed 57-43. [S 947, Vote #128, 6/25/97]
McCain Voted Against A $3,000 Tax Credit To Help Seniors Or Their Families Pay For Long-Term Care.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase the general estate tax exemption and provide seniors with long term care needs or their caregivers a $3000 tax credit phased beginning in 2001. The credit would be $1000 the first year and increase in $500 increments each year. Taxpayers with long term care needs, or with spouses or dependents with long term care need would be eligible for the tax credit. The amendment failed 46-51. [HR 8, Vote #193, 7/14/00]
McCain Opposed Providing $20 Billion Over 10 Years To Home Health Care Providers.
In 1999, McCain voted against an amendment to reserve $20 billion over 10 years for relief from the unintended consequences of the Balanced Budget Act on teaching hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care providers, rural and other community hospitals, and other health care providers, by reducing or deferring certain new tax breaks in the bill. The motion was rejected 50-50. [S 1429, Vote #234, 7/30/99]
McCain Opposed a Measure to Create a New Program for Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care.
McCain voted against an amendment that would have created a new program to provide States with funds for home and community-based long-term care services for people with disabilities. [Vote #533, Motion Rejected 45-54, 104th Congress, 1st Session, 10/27/95]
McCain’s plan undermines existing employer-based health care and pushes workers into the private market to fight big insurance companies on their own. He will make health care premiums part of taxable income, creating a new tax for working families. His plan will reduce benefits, increase costs and leave many with no health care at all. (CBPP, 4/5/06; Health08.org, Forum, 10/31/07; Los Angeles Times, 11/20/07; Commonwealth Fund, 6/2005)
Children’s Health
McCain Voted To Cut, Eliminate, Restrict Health Insurance Coverage for Low Income Children and Pregnant Mothers At Least SIX Times.
[SCR 27, Vote #76, 5/21/97; S 949, Vote #149, 6/27/97; HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00; H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; S 3, Vote #45, 3/11/03; H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children.
On October 31, 2007, after President Bush vetoed the first SCHIP reauthorization, McCain again opposed expanding SCHIP to millions of additional children. He voted against a motion to invoke cloture and bring the reauthorization forward for a vote before the Senate. The motion passed 62-33. [H.R. 3963, Vote #401, 10/31/07]
McCain Opposed Reauthorizing SCHIP And Providing Insurance For Millions Of Uninsured Children.
In August 2007, McCain voted against passage of H.R. 976, which would have reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). According to Knight Ridder, “The Senate proposal would provide coverage to 3.2 million” uninsured children and renew coverage for the 6 million children already covered by the program. The legislation passed 68-31. [H.R. 976, Vote #307, 8/2/07; Knight Ridder, 8/2/07]
McCain Voted Against Allowing Uninsured Parents To Enroll In The Same Plans As Their Children.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment would allow states to expand coverage under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The amendment failed 51-47. [HR 4810, Vote #204, 7/17/00]
Uninsured and Access to Care
McCain Opposed Expanding Health Care Coverage And Containing Rising Costs.
In 2004, McCain voted against an amendment that provided an additional $60 billion over five years to expand health care coverage. The amendment failed 43-53. [SCR 95, Vote #47, 3/11/04]
McCain Voted To Allow Medical Savings Accounts.
In 1996, McCain voted in support of an amendment that established medical savings accounts, which allow individuals to make tax deductible contributions to special accounts set up to pay medical expenses. The Washington Post reported critics’ attacks of MSA’s: “Opponents call them a lavish tax break for the rich and a bad idea for the country as the healthy and wealthy choose them and leave the poor and sick in the traditional insurance pool.” The amendment was defeated 52-46. [S 1028, Vote #72, 4/18/96; Washington Post, 4/19/96]
McCain Opposed Expanding COBRA Coverage to Retirees.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would have expanded COBRA coverage to include retirees whose employer-sponsored health care coverage was terminated and to provide a 25-percent tax credit for COBRA coverage. The amendment failed 30-68. [HR 4810, Vote #202, 7/17/00]
McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees.
In 2000, McCain voted against considering an amendment that would have provided a tax credit to small businesses that offered health insurance coverage to their employees. The amendment failed 49-49. [HR 4810, Vote #205, 7/17/00]
McCain Opposed Requiring Health Plans To Pay For Post-Stabilization Services At Hospitals Under Certain Circumstances.
In 1999, McCain voted to require all group health plans to allow their participants to go to emergency rooms for treatment without prior authorization under the “prudent layperson” standard. McCain voted against requiring a health plan to pay for any post-stabilization services if a health plan could not be reached for instructions on further care within 1 hour after stabilization of a patient and if the care given met the regulatory definition for covered post-stabilization care currently used by Medicare and Medicaid for their health maintenance organization (HMO) participants (that definition is “medically necessary, non-emergency services furnished to an enrollee after he or she is stabilized following an emergency medical condition”). The amendment failed 47-53. [S 1344, Vote #201, 7/13/99]
McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act.
In 1997, McCain voted to table an amendment that would revise the Social Security Act to include additional benefits for children with special needs, including physical, speech and language therapy, and mental health services. The motion to table passed 57-43. [S 947, Vote #128, 6/25/97]
McCain Voted Against A $3,000 Tax Credit To Help Seniors Or Their Families Pay For Long-Term Care.
In 2000, McCain voted against an amendment that would increase the general estate tax exemption and provide seniors with long term care needs or their caregivers a $3000 tax credit phased beginning in 2001. The credit would be $1000 the first year and increase in $500 increments each year. Taxpayers with long term care needs, or with spouses or dependents with long term care need would be eligible for the tax credit. The amendment failed 46-51. [HR 8, Vote #193, 7/14/00]
McCain Opposed Providing $20 Billion Over 10 Years To Home Health Care Providers.
In 1999, McCain voted against an amendment to reserve $20 billion over 10 years for relief from the unintended consequences of the Balanced Budget Act on teaching hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care providers, rural and other community hospitals, and other health care providers, by reducing or deferring certain new tax breaks in the bill. The motion was rejected 50-50. [S 1429, Vote #234, 7/30/99]
McCain Opposed a Measure to Create a New Program for Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care.
McCain voted against an amendment that would have created a new program to provide States with funds for home and community-based long-term care services for people with disabilities. [Vote #533, Motion Rejected 45-54, 104th Congress, 1st Session, 10/27/95]
MCCAIN ON DEFENSE & HOMELAND SECURITY
Voted NO on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months.
Vote on an amendment, SA2032, which amends HR1585, the Defense Authorization bill: To limit the deployment of a unit or individual of the Armed Forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom to no more than 12 consecutive months; and to limit Marine Corps deployment to no more than 7 consecutive months; except in time of national emergency. [Hagel Amendment to Defense Authorization Bill; Bill SA2032 to HR1585 ; vote number 2007-243 on Jul 11, 2007]
Voted NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
Amendment would retain the constitutional right of habeas corpus for people detained at Guantanamo. This amendment would strike that provision and make certain that the constitutional right of habeas corpus is maintained. The US Constitution states that "Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." [Specter Amdendment; Bill S.AMDT.5087 to S.3930 ; vote number 2006-255 on Sep 28, 2006]
Voted NO on restoring $565M for states' and ports' first responders.
Amendment intended to protect the American people from terrorist attacks by restoring $565 million in cuts to vital first-responder programs in the Department of Homeland Security, including the State Homeland Security Grant program, by providing $150 million for port security grants and by providing $140 million for 1,000 new border patrol agents. [State Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment; Bill S.AMDT 220 to S Con Res 18; vote number 2005-64 on Mar 17, 2005]
Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism.
Vote to adopt an amendment that makes US businesses and their subsidiaries liable to prosecution for dealing with foreign businesses which have links to terrorism or whose parent country supports terrorism. Reference: Stop Business with Terrorists Act of 2005; Bill S AMDT 1351 to S 1042 ; vote number 2005-203 on Jul 26, 2005]
Vote on an amendment, SA2032, which amends HR1585, the Defense Authorization bill: To limit the deployment of a unit or individual of the Armed Forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom to no more than 12 consecutive months; and to limit Marine Corps deployment to no more than 7 consecutive months; except in time of national emergency. [Hagel Amendment to Defense Authorization Bill; Bill SA2032 to HR1585 ; vote number 2007-243 on Jul 11, 2007]
Voted NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
Amendment would retain the constitutional right of habeas corpus for people detained at Guantanamo. This amendment would strike that provision and make certain that the constitutional right of habeas corpus is maintained. The US Constitution states that "Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." [Specter Amdendment; Bill S.AMDT.5087 to S.3930 ; vote number 2006-255 on Sep 28, 2006]
Voted NO on restoring $565M for states' and ports' first responders.
Amendment intended to protect the American people from terrorist attacks by restoring $565 million in cuts to vital first-responder programs in the Department of Homeland Security, including the State Homeland Security Grant program, by providing $150 million for port security grants and by providing $140 million for 1,000 new border patrol agents. [State Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment; Bill S.AMDT 220 to S Con Res 18; vote number 2005-64 on Mar 17, 2005]
Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism.
Vote to adopt an amendment that makes US businesses and their subsidiaries liable to prosecution for dealing with foreign businesses which have links to terrorism or whose parent country supports terrorism. Reference: Stop Business with Terrorists Act of 2005; Bill S AMDT 1351 to S 1042 ; vote number 2005-203 on Jul 26, 2005]
MCCAIN ON VETERAN'S AFFAIRS
Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) was formed in August 2002 by war veterans who believe that we, the people of the United States of America, are most secure when our country is free, strong, and responsibly engaged with the world. Our mission, based on the pragmatic ideals of the American patriot Thomas Paine, is to raise the unique and powerful voices of veterans so that our military, veterans, freedom, and national security are protected and enhanced, for ourselves and for future generations.
Senator McCain's respectful rhetoric isn't matched by his votes.
May 30, 2008
More than a few people have been puzzled by Sen. John McCain's dogged opposition to the updated GI Bill of Rights now before Congress. The dissonance between McCain's military-man image and his actions on this issue have introduced a jarring note to his presidential aspirations -- and have highlighted the shoddy treatment many Iraq war veterans have received.
Why would a Vietnam War veteran and former prisoner of war, a man who is personally acquainted with the difficulties vets can face in returning to civilian life, join President Bush in opposing a popular bipartisan bill to support the troops? Isn't fixing the education benefit in the bill -- one that has shortchanged far too many veterans for years -- a political no-brainer in an election year? The 75 senators who recently voted for it certainly thought so. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Sen. Barack Obama expressed some well-timed astonishment at McCain’s opposition, and the two have been feuding about it ever since. The media and pundits seem perplexed, collectively suggesting: That's not the John McCain we know.
Which is true: It is the John McCain they don't know. If the media weren't so mesmerized by the McCain image they have long promoted and instead got to know the McCain record, they would realize that there is nothing surprising or inconsistent about his position on the GI Bill. For years he has opposed legislation that veterans and their advocates deem vital. In doing so, he is simply being true to the contemporary conservative wing of the GOP and its leader, George W. Bush, in opposing social programs and benefits for individuals, even if those individuals happen to be veterans. The only surprise is that anyone finds this surprising.
This time, though, McCain is swimming against the tide of history. The original GI Bill -- signed into law in 1944 -- was one of the most important laws every adopted by Congress. It transformed the nation after World War II in epic fashion, with generous college benefits, stipends, subsidized mortgages, business loans and job training and placement.
Veterans got free rides to any college that would accept them. Tuition, books, housing and living expenses were all covered, giving rise to a new generation of scientists, inventors, teachers, doctors, civic leaders and artists. Low-interest, no-money-down home loans backed by the government made it cheaper to buy than to rent. Suburbia, widespread homeownership, college as a majority aspiration, the middle class -- all were built on the back of the GI Bill.
It reinvented the American dream. Bob Dole and George McGovern went to school on the GI Bill. So did Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman. So did 14 Nobel Prize winners. So did 7 million other World War II veterans.
Today's GI Bill, however, is a pale shadow of the original, particularly when it comes to college, as Congress has not kept the benefits in line with the rising cost of higher education. The World War II-era living stipend is gone; in its place, members of the military must agree to a $100 monthly payroll deduction to receive the college aid. An education benefit that sent WWII vets to Yale now won't cover four years at the average public university, though many recruits don't understand this when they sign up.
Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), a former Marine who served in Vietnam and who was President Reagan's Navy secretary, has made restoring the GI Bill education benefits one of his signature issues; it was his bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), that cleared the Senate over McCain's and Bush's opposition [the vote was 75 to 22, with Sen. McCain not voting].
McCain argues that making the education benefits too generous will hurt retention, as enlistees will leave for college after three years rather than reenlist. McCain's position makes sense only by overlooking the fact that the main retention (and recruiting) problems facing the military are the Iraq war and the scandals plaguing military and veterans healthcare. (The most recent outrage: In a Memorial Day speech, Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake downplayed the seriousness of brain trauma suffered by tens of thousands of servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, calling many of their diagnoses "overblown" and likening them to youth football injuries.)
The inadequacy of the military's prime recruiting tool -- subsidized college educations -- is hurting recruitment too, and Webb argues this can be fixed only by fixing the GI Bill. He says McCain, a friend, "is missing the boat" by siding with the Bush Pentagon rather than veterans groups. Webb points to a Congressional Budget Office analysis that found any possible losses in retention caused by his bill would be balanced by the increases in recruitment it would generate.
McCain's rationalization for opposing the bill may not hold water, but his stance makes perfect sense in light of his record. From 2004 to 2006, the Disabled Veterans of America gave him annual scores ranging from 50% to the most recent 20% when it comes to supporting the group's legislative priorities. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a grade of "D" in its most recent analysis of voting records. The American Legion says he is dead wrong on the GI Bill, as does the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
When Obama (who has averaged an 86% rating from the Disabled Veterans of America) criticized McCain on the GI Bill, the Arizona senator angrily suggested that Obama's status as a non-veteran rendered his opinions on military matters worthless (an odd stance, as this standard would also discount the opinions of 85% of American men, 98.8% of American women and two-thirds of Congress). Then he invited a look at his own record by asserting, "I take a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans."
So let's take McCain up on his invitation. Here is how he has stood on recent legislation supported by major veterans organizations:
Compare McCain's stingy standards with the original GI Bill: Any veteran who served 90 days during World War II, in combat or not, earned full benefits. It is Webb's bill that represents the reasonable compromise between the gold standard set for the "greatest generation's" original GI benefits and what is doable in today's economy: a GI Bill that will truly pay for a college education after three years of service, without the onerous payroll deduction.
So here is where the McCain image and reality part company. It is certainly true that his affectionate and respectful rhetoric for America's servicemen and women takes a back seat to no one. But when it comes to improving the health and education of our veterans, McCain's record leaves them stranded by the side of the road.
Edward Humes is the author of "Over Here: How the GI Bill Transformed the American Dream" and, most recently, "Monkey Girl."
Senator McCain's respectful rhetoric isn't matched by his votes.
May 30, 2008
More than a few people have been puzzled by Sen. John McCain's dogged opposition to the updated GI Bill of Rights now before Congress. The dissonance between McCain's military-man image and his actions on this issue have introduced a jarring note to his presidential aspirations -- and have highlighted the shoddy treatment many Iraq war veterans have received.
Why would a Vietnam War veteran and former prisoner of war, a man who is personally acquainted with the difficulties vets can face in returning to civilian life, join President Bush in opposing a popular bipartisan bill to support the troops? Isn't fixing the education benefit in the bill -- one that has shortchanged far too many veterans for years -- a political no-brainer in an election year? The 75 senators who recently voted for it certainly thought so. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Sen. Barack Obama expressed some well-timed astonishment at McCain’s opposition, and the two have been feuding about it ever since. The media and pundits seem perplexed, collectively suggesting: That's not the John McCain we know.
Which is true: It is the John McCain they don't know. If the media weren't so mesmerized by the McCain image they have long promoted and instead got to know the McCain record, they would realize that there is nothing surprising or inconsistent about his position on the GI Bill. For years he has opposed legislation that veterans and their advocates deem vital. In doing so, he is simply being true to the contemporary conservative wing of the GOP and its leader, George W. Bush, in opposing social programs and benefits for individuals, even if those individuals happen to be veterans. The only surprise is that anyone finds this surprising.
This time, though, McCain is swimming against the tide of history. The original GI Bill -- signed into law in 1944 -- was one of the most important laws every adopted by Congress. It transformed the nation after World War II in epic fashion, with generous college benefits, stipends, subsidized mortgages, business loans and job training and placement.
Veterans got free rides to any college that would accept them. Tuition, books, housing and living expenses were all covered, giving rise to a new generation of scientists, inventors, teachers, doctors, civic leaders and artists. Low-interest, no-money-down home loans backed by the government made it cheaper to buy than to rent. Suburbia, widespread homeownership, college as a majority aspiration, the middle class -- all were built on the back of the GI Bill.
It reinvented the American dream. Bob Dole and George McGovern went to school on the GI Bill. So did Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman. So did 14 Nobel Prize winners. So did 7 million other World War II veterans.
Today's GI Bill, however, is a pale shadow of the original, particularly when it comes to college, as Congress has not kept the benefits in line with the rising cost of higher education. The World War II-era living stipend is gone; in its place, members of the military must agree to a $100 monthly payroll deduction to receive the college aid. An education benefit that sent WWII vets to Yale now won't cover four years at the average public university, though many recruits don't understand this when they sign up.
Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), a former Marine who served in Vietnam and who was President Reagan's Navy secretary, has made restoring the GI Bill education benefits one of his signature issues; it was his bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), that cleared the Senate over McCain's and Bush's opposition [the vote was 75 to 22, with Sen. McCain not voting].
McCain argues that making the education benefits too generous will hurt retention, as enlistees will leave for college after three years rather than reenlist. McCain's position makes sense only by overlooking the fact that the main retention (and recruiting) problems facing the military are the Iraq war and the scandals plaguing military and veterans healthcare. (The most recent outrage: In a Memorial Day speech, Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake downplayed the seriousness of brain trauma suffered by tens of thousands of servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, calling many of their diagnoses "overblown" and likening them to youth football injuries.)
The inadequacy of the military's prime recruiting tool -- subsidized college educations -- is hurting recruitment too, and Webb argues this can be fixed only by fixing the GI Bill. He says McCain, a friend, "is missing the boat" by siding with the Bush Pentagon rather than veterans groups. Webb points to a Congressional Budget Office analysis that found any possible losses in retention caused by his bill would be balanced by the increases in recruitment it would generate.
McCain's rationalization for opposing the bill may not hold water, but his stance makes perfect sense in light of his record. From 2004 to 2006, the Disabled Veterans of America gave him annual scores ranging from 50% to the most recent 20% when it comes to supporting the group's legislative priorities. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a grade of "D" in its most recent analysis of voting records. The American Legion says he is dead wrong on the GI Bill, as does the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
When Obama (who has averaged an 86% rating from the Disabled Veterans of America) criticized McCain on the GI Bill, the Arizona senator angrily suggested that Obama's status as a non-veteran rendered his opinions on military matters worthless (an odd stance, as this standard would also discount the opinions of 85% of American men, 98.8% of American women and two-thirds of Congress). Then he invited a look at his own record by asserting, "I take a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans."
So let's take McCain up on his invitation. Here is how he has stood on recent legislation supported by major veterans organizations:
- On Webb's GI Bill, he expressed opposition, and he was AWOL when it was time to vote on May 22.
- Last September, he voted against another Webb bill that would have mandated adequate rest for troops between combat deployments.
- On a badly needed $1.5-billion increase for veterans medical services for fiscal year 2007 -- to be funded through closing corporate tax loopholes -- he voted no. He also voted against establishing a trust fund to bolster under-budgeted veterans hospitals.
- In May 2006, he voted against a $20-billion allotment for expanding swamped veterans medical facilities.
- In April 2006, he was one of 13 Senate Republicans who voted against an amendment to provide $430 million for veterans outpatient care.
- In March 2004, he voted against and helped defeat on a party-line vote a $1.8-billion reserve for veterans medical care, also funded by closing tax loopholes.
Compare McCain's stingy standards with the original GI Bill: Any veteran who served 90 days during World War II, in combat or not, earned full benefits. It is Webb's bill that represents the reasonable compromise between the gold standard set for the "greatest generation's" original GI benefits and what is doable in today's economy: a GI Bill that will truly pay for a college education after three years of service, without the onerous payroll deduction.
So here is where the McCain image and reality part company. It is certainly true that his affectionate and respectful rhetoric for America's servicemen and women takes a back seat to no one. But when it comes to improving the health and education of our veterans, McCain's record leaves them stranded by the side of the road.
Edward Humes is the author of "Over Here: How the GI Bill Transformed the American Dream" and, most recently, "Monkey Girl."
MCCAIN'S HYPOCRITICAL ATTACK ON OBAMA
One example that perfectly illustrates John McCain's failure at honesty are the recent attacks by him on Barack Obama for harboring ambitions to be president, as McCain describes it.
Here's what McCain said during his remarks before the VFW yesterday:
“Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president."
Here's what McCain wrote in his memoir "Worth the Fighting For" (page 373):
"I didn't decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president. . . . In truth, I'd had the ambition for a long time."
Of course, McCain's self-confessed "ambition to be president" isn't part of any analysis when it comes to his own attacks against Obama on the same issue.
Here's what McCain said during his remarks before the VFW yesterday:
“Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president."
Here's what McCain wrote in his memoir "Worth the Fighting For" (page 373):
"I didn't decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president. . . . In truth, I'd had the ambition for a long time."
Of course, McCain's self-confessed "ambition to be president" isn't part of any analysis when it comes to his own attacks against Obama on the same issue.
MCCAIN ON JOBS & FREE TRADE
McCain Called 63,000 Jobs Lost in a Month ‘Not Terrible.’
When 63,000 jobs were slashed from payrolls in February, McCain said the “unemployment figures are…not terrible.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States lost 260,000 jobs in 2008 as of April. (McCain Town Hall, Atlanta, 3/7/08; The Employment Situation: April 2008, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/2/08)
McCain Thinks We Are Better Off Than Eight Years Ago.
While President Bush has been in office, “there’s been great progress economically,” McCain said. (“Money & Politics,” Bloomberg, 4/17/08)
Voted NO to protect workers’ overtime rights.
[S. 1637, Vote #79, 5/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to protect against unfair privatization rules favoring contractors.
Bill would create a level playing field between private contractors seeking government work and the agencies and workers performing the work. The amendment would have blocked implementation of the new pro-contractor privatization process. [H.R. 2989, Vote 408, 9/23/03; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to protect overseas outsourcing of government contracts.
Bill would prohibit the overseas outsourcing of government contracts. [S. 1637, Vote 32, 3/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to prevent outsourcing veterans affairs jobs.
Amendment would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from outsourcing jobs, many held by blue-collar veterans, without first giving the workers a chance to compete. [S.Amdt. 2673 to H.R. 2642, Vote 315, 9/6/07; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted YES to bill waiving "Buy American” laws.
Bill allowed the Secretary of Defense to waive Buy American laws for defense systems and place our defense manufacturing industry in jeopardy. Additional bill exempted defense goods from six European countries from Buy American requirements that traditionally have required most military equipment and defense systems to be manufactured in the United States. [S. 2400, Vote #135, 6/22/04; S. 1050, Vote #191, 5/21/03; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on protecting U.S. roads from unsafe foreign trucks.
Amendment would prohibit Mexican trucks from operating beyond a limited border zone because they are not held to the same safety standards as U.S. trucks. [H.R. 2299, Vote #252, 7/26/01; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on collective bargaining rights for state and local police and firefighters.
[H.R. 3061, Vote #323, 11/6/01; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market.
Resolution supporting sanctions on Japanese products if car parts markets don't open up; and seeking sharp reductions in the trade imbalances in car sales and parts through elimination of restrictive Japanese market-closing practices. [Reference: Bill S Res 118 ; vote number 1995-158 on May 9, 1995; Source: ontheissues.org]
When 63,000 jobs were slashed from payrolls in February, McCain said the “unemployment figures are…not terrible.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States lost 260,000 jobs in 2008 as of April. (McCain Town Hall, Atlanta, 3/7/08; The Employment Situation: April 2008, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/2/08)
McCain Thinks We Are Better Off Than Eight Years Ago.
While President Bush has been in office, “there’s been great progress economically,” McCain said. (“Money & Politics,” Bloomberg, 4/17/08)
Voted NO to protect workers’ overtime rights.
[S. 1637, Vote #79, 5/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to protect against unfair privatization rules favoring contractors.
Bill would create a level playing field between private contractors seeking government work and the agencies and workers performing the work. The amendment would have blocked implementation of the new pro-contractor privatization process. [H.R. 2989, Vote 408, 9/23/03; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to protect overseas outsourcing of government contracts.
Bill would prohibit the overseas outsourcing of government contracts. [S. 1637, Vote 32, 3/4/04; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to prevent outsourcing veterans affairs jobs.
Amendment would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from outsourcing jobs, many held by blue-collar veterans, without first giving the workers a chance to compete. [S.Amdt. 2673 to H.R. 2642, Vote 315, 9/6/07; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted YES to bill waiving "Buy American” laws.
Bill allowed the Secretary of Defense to waive Buy American laws for defense systems and place our defense manufacturing industry in jeopardy. Additional bill exempted defense goods from six European countries from Buy American requirements that traditionally have required most military equipment and defense systems to be manufactured in the United States. [S. 2400, Vote #135, 6/22/04; S. 1050, Vote #191, 5/21/03; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on protecting U.S. roads from unsafe foreign trucks.
Amendment would prohibit Mexican trucks from operating beyond a limited border zone because they are not held to the same safety standards as U.S. trucks. [H.R. 2299, Vote #252, 7/26/01; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on collective bargaining rights for state and local police and firefighters.
[H.R. 3061, Vote #323, 11/6/01; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market.
Resolution supporting sanctions on Japanese products if car parts markets don't open up; and seeking sharp reductions in the trade imbalances in car sales and parts through elimination of restrictive Japanese market-closing practices. [Reference: Bill S Res 118 ; vote number 1995-158 on May 9, 1995; Source: ontheissues.org]
MCCAIN'S ENERGY & OIL STANCE
McCain has rejected even the weakest renewable energy programs.
Sen. McCain voted against giving increased funding to solar and renewable energy programs in 1994 and 1999. In 2005, he voted against a national renewable electricity standard (RES) that would have required utilities to get 10 percent of their electricity from alternative energy. Last year, he missed all of the renewable electricity votes. Sen. McCain supports giving billions of dollars in subsidies to the nuclear industry while actively opposing similar support for wind and solar energy. Renewable energy must be an essential part of any global warming plan, yet Sen. McCain has stood in the way of such progress throughout his career.
McCain has blown many opportunities to improve fuel efficiency standards.
Although increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles would decrease our dependence on foreign oil and help consumers save money at the pump, Sen. McCain has repeatedly voted against raising efficiency standards. Even today, with record oil and gas prices, Sen. McCain still opposes setting a specific target for an increase in fuel efficiency standards. Further, Sen. McCain has proposed extending the Bush administration’s policy of rewarding Big Oil, even at a time when they are enjoying record profits, by proposing $3.8 billion in new tax breaks to oil companies.
Sen. McCain, like President Bush, supports measures that fall far short of where the science says we need to be.
Despite early leadership on global warming, McCain’s policies fall short of what science shows is necessary. The international scientific consensus indicates that the U.S., along with other developed nations, must reduce emissions at least 80 percent by 2050 to have any chance of averting the worst impacts of climate change.
McCain and Bush do oil company bidding.
Even though in May, Sen. McCain said drilling off our coasts and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will do nothing to lower gas prices, just six weeks later he decided to pander to oil companies and called for drilling off our protected coasts. Fellow Republican, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said: “Anyone who tells you that this will bring down our gas prices immediately or any time soon is blowing smoke. America is so addicted to oil it will take us years to wean ourselves from it and to look for new ways to feed our addiction is not the answer.”
McCain insists nuclear energy is a safe form of clean energy—as a long as it’s not in his backyard.
Sen. McCain has adamantly expressed his support for storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. However, when asked in an interview if he would be comfortable with nuclear waste traveling through Arizona to get to Yucca Mountain, he responded, “No, I would not.”
McCain’s support for tax breaks to Big Oil and nuclear show disdain for renewables.
Sen. McCain has failed to vote for opportunities to repeal at least $13 billion in subsidies for Big Oil implemented by Bush-Cheney, including a 2007 version to create a clean energy fund that failed by just one vote. His tax plan would generate an additional $3.8 billion in tax breaks for the five largest oil companies. He supports increasing massive subsidies for the nuclear power industry. He opposes any tax breaks for wind, solar and other forms of clean energy.
McCain opposes major efforts to protect clean water.
In Congress, Sen. McCain cast 10 votes against clean water, including against drinking water protection and enforcement, controlling microbes in water, and funds for water pollution control, and in favor of delaying funds for leaking underground storage tanks and allowing municipalities to set their own standards for toxic waste.
Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%).
Amendment to improve the energy security of the United States and reduce United States dependence on foreign oil imports by 40% by 2025. The amendment seeks to reduce usage by 7.6 million barrels of oil a day, out of a total usage of 20 million barrels of oil a day. [Energy Policy Act of 2005; Bill S.Amdt. 784 to H.R. 6 ; vote number 2005-140 on Jun 16, 2005; Source: ontheissues.org]
MISSED vote repealing tax breaks for oil companies.
In 2007, McCain was the ONLY senator to miss a vote on the energy bill repealing tax subsidies for oil companies. [H.R. 6, Vote #425, 12/13/07; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to impose a windfall profits tax for oil companies and a tax rebate for working families.
Amendment would impose a temporary windfall profits tax on oil companies and use the proceeds to provide nonrefundable tax credits to working families. [S.Amdt. 2635, Vote# 341, 11/17/05; S.Amdt. 2587, Vote #331, 11/17/05; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to elminate tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies.
Amendment would eliminate tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies related to depletion and drilling costs. [S.Amdt. 2782/HR. 776, Vote #159, 7/29/92; Source: aflcio.org]
Sen. McCain voted against giving increased funding to solar and renewable energy programs in 1994 and 1999. In 2005, he voted against a national renewable electricity standard (RES) that would have required utilities to get 10 percent of their electricity from alternative energy. Last year, he missed all of the renewable electricity votes. Sen. McCain supports giving billions of dollars in subsidies to the nuclear industry while actively opposing similar support for wind and solar energy. Renewable energy must be an essential part of any global warming plan, yet Sen. McCain has stood in the way of such progress throughout his career.
McCain has blown many opportunities to improve fuel efficiency standards.
Although increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles would decrease our dependence on foreign oil and help consumers save money at the pump, Sen. McCain has repeatedly voted against raising efficiency standards. Even today, with record oil and gas prices, Sen. McCain still opposes setting a specific target for an increase in fuel efficiency standards. Further, Sen. McCain has proposed extending the Bush administration’s policy of rewarding Big Oil, even at a time when they are enjoying record profits, by proposing $3.8 billion in new tax breaks to oil companies.
Sen. McCain, like President Bush, supports measures that fall far short of where the science says we need to be.
Despite early leadership on global warming, McCain’s policies fall short of what science shows is necessary. The international scientific consensus indicates that the U.S., along with other developed nations, must reduce emissions at least 80 percent by 2050 to have any chance of averting the worst impacts of climate change.
McCain and Bush do oil company bidding.
Even though in May, Sen. McCain said drilling off our coasts and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will do nothing to lower gas prices, just six weeks later he decided to pander to oil companies and called for drilling off our protected coasts. Fellow Republican, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said: “Anyone who tells you that this will bring down our gas prices immediately or any time soon is blowing smoke. America is so addicted to oil it will take us years to wean ourselves from it and to look for new ways to feed our addiction is not the answer.”
McCain insists nuclear energy is a safe form of clean energy—as a long as it’s not in his backyard.
Sen. McCain has adamantly expressed his support for storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. However, when asked in an interview if he would be comfortable with nuclear waste traveling through Arizona to get to Yucca Mountain, he responded, “No, I would not.”
McCain’s support for tax breaks to Big Oil and nuclear show disdain for renewables.
Sen. McCain has failed to vote for opportunities to repeal at least $13 billion in subsidies for Big Oil implemented by Bush-Cheney, including a 2007 version to create a clean energy fund that failed by just one vote. His tax plan would generate an additional $3.8 billion in tax breaks for the five largest oil companies. He supports increasing massive subsidies for the nuclear power industry. He opposes any tax breaks for wind, solar and other forms of clean energy.
McCain opposes major efforts to protect clean water.
In Congress, Sen. McCain cast 10 votes against clean water, including against drinking water protection and enforcement, controlling microbes in water, and funds for water pollution control, and in favor of delaying funds for leaking underground storage tanks and allowing municipalities to set their own standards for toxic waste.
Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%).
Amendment to improve the energy security of the United States and reduce United States dependence on foreign oil imports by 40% by 2025. The amendment seeks to reduce usage by 7.6 million barrels of oil a day, out of a total usage of 20 million barrels of oil a day. [Energy Policy Act of 2005; Bill S.Amdt. 784 to H.R. 6 ; vote number 2005-140 on Jun 16, 2005; Source: ontheissues.org]
MISSED vote repealing tax breaks for oil companies.
In 2007, McCain was the ONLY senator to miss a vote on the energy bill repealing tax subsidies for oil companies. [H.R. 6, Vote #425, 12/13/07; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to impose a windfall profits tax for oil companies and a tax rebate for working families.
Amendment would impose a temporary windfall profits tax on oil companies and use the proceeds to provide nonrefundable tax credits to working families. [S.Amdt. 2635, Vote# 341, 11/17/05; S.Amdt. 2587, Vote #331, 11/17/05; Source: aflcio.org]
Voted NO to elminate tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies.
Amendment would eliminate tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies related to depletion and drilling costs. [S.Amdt. 2782/HR. 776, Vote #159, 7/29/92; Source: aflcio.org]
FLIP FLOPS ANYONE?
- TV preacher Jerry Falwell was “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, when he said America “deserved” the attacks on 9/11. Now, he’s cool, and McCain has even hired Falwell’s debate coach.
- McCain used to oppose Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.
- In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
- McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.
- McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.
- McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved in.
- McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and won’t support the very legislation he sponsored just a couple of years ago.
- McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
- McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
- McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
- McCain is both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.
SARAH PALIN: PALIN EMAILS OFF PUBLIC RECORD
It remains to be seen what the ethics investigation will uncover and no doubt this will be closely followed by McCain's supporters and his opponents alike.
Palin E-mails Off Public Record
by Rebecca Palsha
Palin E-mails Off Public Record
by Rebecca Palsha
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - E-mails from the Palin administration are being withheld from the public and the governor is citing executive privilege.
With subject lines like "Fagan," "Andrew Halcro" and even "Alaska Ear," it makes some wonder how those topics could possibly be policy related; especially since those same e-mails were copied to the governor's husband.
The administration says public employees need to know they can debate openly amongst themselves.
Andree McLeod, who tried repeatedly to get a job with the Palin administration, obtained the e-mails through a public records request.
The Department of Law says the e-mails are privileged. Officials say the private e-mails within the Palin administration won't be released.
"Part of the reason for not releasing e-mail messages is that there is a privileged recognized by the Alaska Supreme Court and courts across the country that is designed to encourage advisers to the governor to be frank and candid," Assistant Attorney General Dave Jones said.
Radio talk show host Dan Fagan is a Palin critic.
He says this isn't about policy. It's about not letting the public see what people in the administration have to say about Palin critics.
"If this is about executive privilege and confidential information then Todd should not be privy to them," Fagan said. "He's a regular citizen he does not get to be co-governor. We did not slash Todd on the ballot box."
Fagan is referring to Todd Palin, the governor's husband who also got copies of many of the e-mails.
Jones says the privilege applies in this case.
"That privilege applies to internal memoranda within state government but also to communications that are solicited from people outside state government," he said. "Sometimes the governor will want to solicit advice from people who are not state employees or federal Of course one of the closest advisers to a governor is likely to be that governor's spouse."
The governor says it's a non-issue.
"I feel like this is kind of a sport right now and that the haters and critics are really jumping," Gov. Palin said. "It's much ado about nothing in my opinion."
Palin says her husband is copied on the e-mails simply to make sure she gets a message.
She says her husband has no interest in being a politician.
"That's my job and that's respected by Todd," Palin said. "He's a great Alaskan whom I can bounce ideas off and he's wonderful. But, no Todd's not running the state."
Palin says that previous governor's spouses were much more involved in politics than her husband has been. Former Gov. Frank Murkowski's spouse, Nancy, was considered a senior adviser and attended all meetings.
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