Monday, May 5, 2008

A History of Pandering

This doesn't include the last 3 weeks, so add at least another half dozen...

The master of his flip-flopping domain

Here’s the updated list:
* McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later,
McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”
* McCain claims to have
considered and not considered joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.
* In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now,
McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
* McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the
opposite position.
* McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would
no longer even try to reach that goal.
* McCain’s campaign unveiled a Social Security policy that the senator would implement if elected, which did not include a Bush-like privatization scheme. In March 2008, McCain
denounced his own campaign’s policy.
* In February 2008, McCain
reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
* In November 2007, McCain reversed his previous position on a
long-term presence for U.S. troops in Iraq, arguing that the “nature of the society in Iraq” and the “religious aspects” of the country make it inevitable that the United States “eventually withdraws.” Two months later, McCain reversed back, saying he’s prepared to leave U.S. troops in Iraq for 100 years.
* McCain used to champion the
Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
* McCain was a co-sponsor of
the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. Now he’s against it.
* On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would
vote against his own legislation.
* In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he
opposes his own measure.
* McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he
knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
* McCain said he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident
we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
* McCain went from saying he
would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.
* McCain went from saying gay marriage should be
allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.
* McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to
cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
* McCain used to oppose Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he
reversed course in February.
* On a related note, he said 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “
too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and insisted he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
* 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 2007, he
abandoned his own legislation.
* McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.,
before he supported it.
* 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
decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

And:

McCain in DNC Ad: I think we’re better off overall.
Viera: So, Senator, you do not believe we’re better off by any means than we were eight years ago?
McCain: Oh, no. No.

4 comments:

k-mad said...

What I like about him is that he is a straight-talker. He is also a kind of a maverick. I like that. And he seems like a nice man.

Smiff said...

But would you like to have a beer with him?

k-mad said...

Yes I would. I bet he's a cheerful drunk. And you have to admit, that's some ballsy, creative pandering.

Sarge said...

You forgot the most important thing. The man served our country. I'm not talking about any bullshit working for an impoverished inner-city community - I'm talking balls as big as Cadillacs style serving the country. If I allow he's a war hero though, then they've got to give back Kerry. The assholes.

Not only that - he tells a great joke.