I don't like to post things straight from blogs without comment, but this has to be posted. The right was all over John Kerry for "being for something before he was against it". Let's see if the press (other than Keith Olbermann) picks up on these changes. In his eternal quest for the Republican presidential nomination, the supposed maverick John McCain has repeatedly reversed long-held positions and compromised purportedly core principles. From the Bush tax cuts, the religious right and immigration reform to overturning Roe v. Wade, proclaiming Samuel Alito a model Supreme Court Justice and bashing France (just to name a few), McCain changed sides as changing political conditions dictated. But over the past two weeks, McCain’s rapid fire, acrobatic flip-flops have produced whiplash, at least for voters. 10 times since the beginning of June, McCain has retreated from, upended or just forgotten positions he once claimed as his own. On Social Security, balancing the budget, defense spending, domestic surveillance and a host of other issues so far this month, McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” did a U-turn on the road to the White House. [NOTE: See the link for complete explanations on each position change.] 1. Social Security Privatization. 2. Raising - and Slashing - Defense Spending. 3. First Term Balanced Budget Pledge. 4. The Media’s Treatment of Hillary Clinton. 5. The Estate Tax. 6. FISA, Domestic Surveillance and Telecom Immunity. 7. Restoring the Everglades. 8. Divestment from South Africa. 9. Fighting Job Losses in Michigan. 10. Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations. And so it goes. As surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west each day, so too will John McCain change positions. (Like that other law of nature, McCain’s flip-flops are literally becoming a daily occurrence. Since this piece was originally drafted on Saturday, McCain added two new policy turnabouts - on phasing out rather than repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax and on requiring a litmus test for his judicial appointees - to his litany of reversals.) As the Pew Research Center recently found, the word Americans now most frequently use to describe John McCain is not “maverick,” but “old.” Given the dizzying pace of his reversals, “opportunist” may soon top that list. link
Sorry Mulder, prepare for your thread to be ignored. There is no logical defense for McCain or any reason for him to be seriously considered for the job of president. As I have said before, this election is all about either voting for or against Obama. No serious person is actually voting for McCain. John McCain is merely an after-thought in this election
Seriously, this is tantamount to linking to realgm in the GARM. Just a low quality effort, Mulder. Intellectually dishonest. Lazy. Boring. Juvenile. Pewp.
Don't bother to try and refute the INSURMOUNTABLE evidence. Just insult me. You are getting tossed around like a rag doll lately, George. All too easy.
Let's go to the video record: McCain v. McCain <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ioy90nF2anI&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ioy90nF2anI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Everything else <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVWh5jO2Dxo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVWh5jO2Dxo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
June 5: June 16: If "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", then someone appears to be a big fan of McCain.
A handy dandy guide to the McCain flipflop express. -- Comparing Bush and McCain Democrats say that electing John McCain would bring the equivalent of a third Bush term, while Republicans say these charges are just political spin. Here is where Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush stand on key issues. (Related Article) Where They Mostly Agree Abortion and judges Both men oppose use of federal money for abortions, including aid to groups that help women obtain them. Both support the ban on Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003 and parental notification for minors. Mr. McCain says Roe v. Wade "should be overturned," an idea he spoke out against in 1999, and says he would appoint Supreme Court justices who "strictly interpret the Constitution." He voted for both of Mr. Bush's picks to the court. Mr. Bush has not publicly called for repealing Roe. Education Mr. McCain generally supports No Child Left Behind, Mr. Bush's signature education policy. Calling it a "good beginning," he has said, "there's a lot of things that need to be fixed" about it. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a McCain adviser, has said "the law needs to start addressing the underlying cultural problems in our education system." Diplomacy with Iran and Syria Like the president, Mr. McCain has ruled out direct talks with Iran and Syria for now. Mr. McCain supported Mr. Bush when he likened those who would negotiate with "terrorists and radicals" to appeasers of the Nazis, a remark widely interpreted as a rebuke to Senator Barack Obama. Immigration Mr. McCain supported a 2007 bill, strongly backed by Mr. Bush, that called for establishing a guest-worker program and setting up a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. He sponsored a similar bill in 2006 but this year he said he would not vote for his own proposal now. "Only after we achieved widespread consensus that our borders are secure, would we address other aspects of the problem in a way that defends the rule of law," he said in February. Iraq Mr. McCain supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003 but strongly criticized the Bush administration's handling of the war in the first four years. He was a vocal advocate of the troop increase strategy, eventually adopted by the president, and has supported Mr. Bush in resisting calls for a withdrawal timetable. Last month, Mr. McCain said he believed the war could be won by 2013; but this month he said a timetable was "not too important," in comparison with the level of casualties in Iraq. Guantanamo detainees Mr. McCain was a key backer of the 2006 legislation that allowed detainees to be tried in military courts and abolished habeas corpus rights for detainees labeled "enemy combatants" by the administration. He would close the Guant'anamo prison and move prisoners to a maximum-security military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Health care Mr. McCain's proposal to eliminate tax breaks that encourage employers to provide health insurance for their workers is very similar to one that Mr. Bush pushed last year, to little effect. The Bush plan offered a $1,5000 tax deduction for families buying their own insurance, while the McCain plan would give a refundable tax credit of $5,000 to families for insurance whether or not they pay taxes. Both men opposed a 2007 bill to expand a children's health insurance program for lower- and middle-income families. Medicare Both support having wealthier Medicare recipients pay higher premiums for prescription drug cove- rage. In 2003, Mr. McCain voted against the bill that added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. Social Security "I'm totally in favor of personal savings accounts," he told The Wall Street Journal in March, "along the lines that President Bush proposed." Mr. Bush did not find enough support in Congress for his proposal to allow workers to divert a portion of Social Security payroll taxes into personal investment accounts in exchange for reduced guaranteed benefits. Same-sex marriage Mr. Bush supported a constitutional amendment to ban such marriages, but Mr. McCain voted against it, saying states should enact such bans. He said he would consider a constitutional ban if "a higher court says that my state or another state has to recognize" same-sex marriages. Civil unions Both would leave the matter to the states. Mr. Bush said in 2004 that he would not "deny people rights to a civil union" if a state chose to legalize it. Mr. McCain supported a 2005 initiative in his own state, Arizona, that would have blocked civil unions and domestic partnerships. Last month he said that "people should be able to enter into legal agreements" for things like insurance and power of attorney. Taxes Mr. McCain would make permanent the large Bush tax cuts he opposed in 2001 and 2003. He has also proposed four new tax cuts of his own: a reduction in the corporate tax rate, immediate tax breaks for corporate investment, a repeal of the alternative minimum tax and doubling the value of exemptions for dependents to $7,000 from $3,500. Trade Both are proponents of free trade and support opening up markets with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. They also support education programs to help displaced workers. Wiretapping and executive power Mr. Holtz-Eakin, a top adviser to Mr. McCain, said last week that Mr. McCain believes that the Constitution gave Mr. Bush the power to authorize the National Security Agency to monitor Americans' international phone calls and e-mail without warrants, despite a federal statute that required court oversight. When Mr. McCain was asked about the same issue in January, he had said: "I don't think the president has the right to disobey any law." Where They Mostly Disagree Climate change Unlike Mr. Bush, Mr. McCain supports a cap-and- trade program that would set a national ceiling on carbon emissions. Although critical of the Bush administration's lack of initiatives on the climate, Mr. McCain has said that "America did the right thing by not joining the Kyoto Treaty" and that any such global accord should include China and India, an argument used by Mr. Bush. Energy and oil Mr. McCain has called for a "great national campaign to put us on a course to energy independence," adding that the next president must be willing to "break completely" with the energy policies of previous administrations. Drilling Mr. McCain opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, once a top goal for Mr. Bush. On Monday, Mr. McCain said the federal ban on offshore drilling should be lifted, allowing states to pursue energy exploration off their coasts. The Bush administration has proposed drilling off the coasts in several states. Tax breaks Mr. Bush opposes a windfall profits tax on oil companies. Mr. McCain has voted against similar taxes in the past, but this month he said he was "angry at the oil companies not only because of the obscene profits they've made but at their failure to invest in alternate energy." Renewable energy Both support development of more nuclear power. Last month, Mr. McCain urged the Bush administration to waive requirements for high ethanol production, blaming the alternative fuel for driving up food prices. Federal spending Mr. McCain has sought to emphasize his differences with Mr. Bush by portraying himself as a stronger opponent of pork-barrel projects and other wasteful spending. He says he would not sign any earmarked projects into law and would cut financing for ineffective programs, including Amtrak. Mr. Bush has so far allowed earmarks in spending bills, but signed an executive order this year directing federal agencies to ignore earmarks that Congress did not vote on. Mr. McCain would also put a one-year freeze on discretionary spending, except veterans benefits and the military. Mr. Bush has had a similar freeze in place. Interrogation tactics Mr. McCain has battled the Bush administration on a number of bills to end torture by the U.S. But this year he voted against a bill to force the Central Intelligence Agency to abide by the rules set out in the Army field Manual on interrogation. He said that a 2005 law he helped pass already prohibits the C.I.A. from "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment." But the same law gives the president the last word in establishing specific permissible interrogation techniques. The Bush administration has not ruled out waterboarding, considered illegal by Mr. McCain, as impermissible. Arms control Mr. McCain, distancing himself from Mr. Bush, said he would pursue a new arms control accord with Russia. His proposal to eliminate tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and his calls for nuclear talks with China set him apart from the president as well. Last month, Mr. McCain urged Mr. Bush to return to his demand for a complete and irreversible disarmament of North Korea's nuclear programs. The Bush administration recently began relying on diplomacy to persuade North Korea to begin dismantling its nuclear program. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/06/17/us/politics/20080617_POLICY_GRAPHIC.html
Told you Mulder -- Jack Cafferty goes off on McCain today -- CAFFERTY: If John McCain doesn't stop changing his position on the issues, he threatens to make John Kerry look like an amateur. In order for McCain to win in November, he has to appeal to both the traditional Republican base and to independents. Dana Milbank in the Washington Post says that's a delicate dance, and if McCain's not careful, "he's liable to break a hip." Of course, any doctor will tell you a broken hip can be very difficult to recover from. On Iraq, the economy, guns, and God, McCain is to the right. On immigration, campaign finance reform, and global warming, McCain is to the left. Sort of reminiscent of John Kerry back in 2004. McCain went after Barack Obama yesterday for proposing a windfall tax on the oil companies. A month ago McCain said he was willing to consider a windfall tax on the oil companies. What about offshore drilling? During his run for president in 2000, McCain was against it. Now he's for it, saying the state should decide if they want to drill for oil off their coastlines. This could cost him big-time in states like California and Florida which are very environmentally conscious. Then there are the Bush tax cuts, McCain was against them - twice - now he's for them. McCain has also called for the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay to be closed down, and torture banned. But last week he criticized the Supreme Court's ruling that detainees there should have access to U.S. courts, calling the Supreme Court decision one of the worst decisions in the history of this country. So here's the question. How clear is it where John McCain stands on the issues?
The funny thing about Flip flops is that when facts change, then so should people's position. For instance, when Gas was at $20 a barrel, it wasn't a good idea to start drilling in ANWR. Now that it's at $140 a barrel, the facts are a little different. So why not look at drilling? With any politician, if the facts have not changed but their positions have then one can say you have a Flip flop. However, when they do change, then I think it's safe to assume you have to absolutely change your mind. We may have not liked the policies of Bush over the past 8 years and that is why we are making those changes now. I don't think it makes one a Flip Flopper whether its Obama or McCain if you look at all the facts first. Issues from 4 years ago is way different from today. Who cares what these politicians said back then. What are they saying NOW? What are they DOING now? That's what is important. If Obama or McCain changes their tune between now and November, then I think you got a Flip Flop! To rehash all the stuff they said over the past 10 years is all unnecessary spin. It's just politics!
Waterboarding is no longer waterboarding? No facts have changed regarding that, or half the other stuff McCain has flip flopped on. The changes have been to McCain and not to the situations around the subject matter he's flipping and flopping on.
I agree. On the one hand, Dems b**** about Bush being stubborn and never wanting to change his mind on anything. Well now McCain is changing his mind and he's labeled a flip-flopper. Let's get past the flip-flopping accusations and look at the issue of energy prices. What exactly is Obama proposing to deal with the cost of oil? He says drilling here isn't the answer. Ok, then what is? Alternative sources? Those are decades away at best. What will our cars run on in the meantime? Conservation? Tell that to people who have to drive 50 miles to work every day. Tell that to truckers who drive for a living. Tell that to the airline industry. The only thing I've heard from Obama recently is a windfall profit tax. That won't lower the price of gasoline a single cent. It'll only make it go up even higher.
I'm fed up with McCain's campaign. He better pull it together soon and choose a veep I can live with. If all he's going to do is puddle around in circles until August and wait for 3rd party attack ads to chop Obama down, his share of independent votes will plummet. I'm not saying this is reality, but here is my perception: Since clinching the nomination, Obama's campaign has been focused, disciplined and knows where it wants to go. I betcha they have a week by week plan of what they want to roll out until the Dem convention in late August. The change in tone and aggressiveness since the last vote is startling to me. McCain's campaign seems disorganized and is still trying to figure out how to present it's candidate. It's like his handlers haven't thought things through despite having plenty of time. I still have no earthly idea how they will smooch the "core" while reaching out to non-Republicans. IMO, they should have spent the last 2 months making up with the "core" so they could spend the rest of the campaign focusing on moderates and independents. It's starting to creep into my mind that McCain is in over his head. It's way too early to conclude anything, but McCain's people need to show some snap.
Dough-Ku: It's one thing to change your position based on evidence or facts that alter the data set. It's another thing entirely to just float about different positions with no stated or apparent rationale or reason. In McCain's case it's especially disconcerting because he often denies having stated the original position to begin with.
Well then he needs to be more coherent in explaining his change of heart(or "flip-flop" if you prefer that term). The voters generally don't mind politicians switching their positions on an issue if they don't feel it's for political reasons or pandering.
The problem is with the candidate himself. The GOP selected as its nominee a man who does not see eye-to-eye with the "core". The campaign finance reform bill, the amnesty bill, the cap-and-trade bill. These are all issues that the conservative bloc of the Republican party is vehemently opposed to(as are many independents), but McCain supports them. Hell, his name is on the first two bills.
Where did he ever say he was for Waterboarding? You must be reffering to that bill in the Senate written by Democrats to apply the standards of the Army Field Manual to the CIA. The funny thing is where was Obama that vote came? He didn't VOTE! So does that make Obama FOR waterboarding since he didn't vote against it either? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503318.html The two leading Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), have said waterboarding is clearly illegal and should be banned, but neither voted on the Senate legislation because they were campaigning elsewhere. Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top national security adviser, said McCain was concerned about the Senate legislation's requirement that the CIA abide by Army rules. "It's not a vote for torture," Scheunemann said. "This wasn't a vote on waterboarding. This was a vote on applying the standards of the field manual to CIA personnel."
