Let’s Closely Examine McCain’s Record

Human Events | Chris Field | Feb. 1, 2008

Following his wins in the South Carolina and Florida Republican primaries, Sen. John McCain has become the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination. He has spent the last year attempting to convince the conservative base of the Republican Party that he is one of them — but his record in the Senate shows otherwise.

Most voters know about his anti-free speech McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. His temper is legendary, and his mistreatment of conservatives and fellow Republicans has earned him accolades from the liberal media who lovingly refer to him as a “maverick.” And he suffered a blow to his campaign last summer after his second failed attempt to pass the McCain-Kennedy guest-worker/amnesty bill. But his apostasies go far beyond that into taxes, judges, life concerns, same-sex marriage, energy and other issues important to conservatives.

Here are some issues that many conservatives may have forgotten — or never known — about John McCain’s far-from-conservative record:

Taxes
Though McCain wants voters to view him as a strong, Reaganesque conservative on taxes, his conduct has not been so positive.

He has established a record of not simply opposing tax cuts — including the Bush cuts of 2001 and 2003 and the attempt to eliminate the death tax in 2002 — but of opposing them using class-warfare rhetoric (See “John McCain’s Top 10 Class-Warfare Arguments Against Tax Cuts,” HUMAN EVENTS, January 14.). He even went so far as to be to the left of former NBC “Today” host Katie Couric. […]

Right to Life
Though McCain campaigns on a strong pro-life record, he has caused many in the right-to-life camp to wonder about his credentials. When asked at the May 3, 2007, GOP debate whether he would expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, McCain answered:
“I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It’s a tough issue. I support federal funding.”

He also voted for the “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007” (S 5) on April 11, 2007. The bill allowed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, regardless of the date when the cells were taken from the destroyed embryo. (President Bush limited federal funding to only stem cells that were derived by Aug. 9, 2001.) […]

Energy & Environment
John McCain has repeatedly said that America must reduce its dependence on foreign oil, but he has frequently cast votes against measures to increase our domestic oil supply, specifically in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). McCain has cast several votes against drilling in ANWR, including on April 18, 2002 (S Amdt. 31323), March 19, 2003 (S Amdt. 272), March 16, 2005 (S Amdt. 168), and Nov. 3, 2005 (S Amdt. 2358).

McCain, like many Republicans, has bought into the man-made global-warming rhetoric perpetuated by liberal fear-mongers such as Al Gore. McCain’s gullibility on climate change led him to co-sponsor with Democratic Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act of 2003. The bill, which lost 43 to 55 on Oct. 30, 2003, was typical leftist legislation, complete with Kyoto-style goals and a cap-and-trade scheme. […]

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1 thought on “Let’s Closely Examine McCain’s Record”

  1. The people running the Republican party must really be eager to see Hillary or Obama in the White House. Get ready for another Bob Dole moment.

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