The Workermonkey

Sunday, April 06, 2008

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't): 

# posted by Brancibeer @ 4/06/2008 11:02:00 AM

From Moveon....

1. 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.

2. 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."

3. 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.

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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."

8. 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.

9. 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."

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.

3 comments

General Election Matchups
Head-to-Head Polls
McCain vs. Clinton
45.0% 45.7%

McCain vs. Obama
44.2% 44.8%
(Y!News 06APR08)

Is it possible Americans will do the "right" thing this year?

By  Anonymous, at Sunday, April 06, 2008 11:54:00 AM  

I wouldn't hold my breath for sweeping changes if either party is elected.

The problems in the US run much deeper than any single candidate. Its the culture that has to change, not the regime.

By  ron, at Sunday, April 06, 2008 12:02:00 PM  

i definitely agree with ron. plus, he's pretty old. everyone knows that old people shouldn't be given much responsibility, especially on issues that matter. at least as president he'd have a personal driver, which would mean 1 less old person off the road.

i take every piece of media with a grain of salt. that's not to say i'm nihilistic when it comes to news, but i'm as skeptical of moveon as i would be of fox news.

1. voting histories are legit. unfortunately, there are lots of racist people in this country.

2. i dont think much of anything pat buchanan says, regardless of whether it supports or opposes my point/opinion. that's a real judgment call from someone who hasn't shown a lot of judgment.

6. eh. there's no simple solution here. but i do agree that while everyone needs/deserves some down time/vacation, people should still be responsible about how/when they take that time. however, i do not see a direct correlation b/w someone taking vacation time and getting a second job and the housing crisis.

7. kind of general. also, see #2.

8. lobbyists are all over in our system. moreso than we even know i bet. it takes a certain type of person to become a prominent politician, and i would never be surprised by any of them having ties to many lobbyists.

9. just scary. i dont care what religion they are, no one who is so devout should be leading a country founded on separation of church and state.


overall, i havent gotten too into the election yet. part of it is intentional. i feel like many of the same issues are rehashed over and over again and not much new comes about until the last months leading up to the election. i used to be really into politics, but it's not hard to become jaded by it if you follow closely enough. i voted in the primary, and i will vote in november. i will pay attention enough to make an informed vote. but right now my response to politics is just plain "meh".

By  josh, at Sunday, April 06, 2008 5:10:00 PM  

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