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After casting himself as a "maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. As Utahns are asked to help McCain fill his coffers at fundraisers in Utah on May 28, this series exposes the man behind the myth. It takes a look at what that money will buy. • McCain's Top 10 Misstatements and Outright Deceptions THE VIDEO RECORD • A Keith Oberman rant: Reasons Bush administration policies are worthy of protest • Climb aboard "The Double-Talk Express" of John McCain • McCain's rhetoric will not help Americans caught in "An Economy in a Downward Spiral "
MYTH OF THE DAY • McCain and the nuclear non-proliferation (May 28) • McCain and negotiations with North Korea (May 27)• McCain and the Rev. John Hagee (May 23) • McCain and America's veterans (May 22) • McCain and his campaign staff of lobbyists (May 21) • "Transparency" in a McCain White House (May 20) • Will lobbyists run the McCain White House? (May 19) • A "political reformer" (May 16) • A "transparent leader" and a break from Bush (May 15) • McCain has a plan to balance the budget (May 14) • McCain the "popular populist" (May 14) • McCain the "environmentalist" (May 13) • McCain the party "maverick" (May 8) • McCain the "moderate" Republican (May 7) • McCain the "job creating " Republican (May 7) • "Supporting" our troops when they return (May 6) Keith Oberman offers a no-holds-barred rant on Bush policies in Iraq. "Bush Sacrifices His Golf for the Troops"
Maverick? Open, honest, straight-shooter? John McCain is not the presidential candidate you think he is. Climb aboard ... "The Double Talk Express" Open, honest, straight-shooter? John McCain is not the presidential candidate you think he is. His rhetoric will not help Americans caught in ... "An Economy in a Downward Spiral"
McCain has a "clear pro-environment record" Conservatives such as McCain have blocked "green" incentives John McCain's "record of protecting the environment" reduces to three bullet points -- a stance on global warming "that has not kept pace with what the scientists say is sufficient," opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and protection of the Grand Canyon. In the Senate, McCain has opposed environmental legislation over 75 percent of the time. Joe Romm, of the Center for American Progress, noted that conservatives like McCain who have blocked incentives for American renewable energy companies, "are the main reason McCain has to go to a Danish wind turbine manufacturer to give a climate speech." In fact, the United States was the market leader in wind technology -- following government investments decades ago under President Carter. In the past 26 years that McCain has been in Congress, conservatives "repeatedly gutted the wind budget, then opposed efforts by progressives to increase it, and repeatedly blocked efforts to extend the wind power tax credit." Now the United States is a "bit player" in the $36 billion global market. The same policies have stagnated the domestic solar industry, another high-technology sector innovated by the United States but now dominated by Europe and Japan. McCain justified his opposition to federal support for the renewable energy industry in an interview with Grist: "The wind industry is doing fine, the solar industry is doing fine." In contrast, McCain has opposed removal of oil industry subsidies and called for massive new loan guarantees for the nuclear industry. Rhetoric vs. McCain's far-right fiscal policies McCain's climate plan is inconsistent with his far-right fiscal policies, which include opposition to subsidies and hard-line stances on earmarks and discretionary spending. The campaign advertisement touting his global warming stance attacks an "extreme" that "thinks high taxes and crippling regulation is the solution," claiming McCain is offering "a better way." But McCain's cap-and-trade plan involves major new government regulation, spending, and subsidies --while also heavily favoring big business. He refuses to make polluters pay to receive their emissions permits, instead defending a system "equivalent to a government imposed tax that companies levy on their customers but then keep for themselves," a "highly regressive" system of corporate subsidies. McCain's cost-containment policy of unlimited use of domestic and international carbon offsets is, as Romm explains, "a fraud" that will likely drive billions of dollars to corporations without reducing emissions. In the words of progressive activist Bill Scher, McCain has moved from being an "independent maverick" to an "incoherent conservative." Combined with McCain's call for the federal government to support "the repair and construction of our roads, bridges, railways, seawalls and other infrastructure" needed for global warming adaptation, Romm ironically notes, "Sen. McCain believes in much bigger government than I do." A look at McCain's voting record McCain says that on environmental issues we must "act quickly." But a look at his record tells a very different story. In recent years when McCain had the chance to act to help the environment, he instead cast votes in the Senate against important environmental protections or skipped critical votes on important environmental initiatives and policies like stopping tax giveaways to big oil, increasing CAFE standards, or preventing waters off the U.S. coast from opening up for oil drilling. McCain's record has actually lead environmental watchdog groups to give him dismally low ratings. And just yesterday, an adviser reiterated McCain would not support key global warming legislation in the Senate that mirrors the very proposals he has made while campaigning. [http://www.johnmccain.com, accessed 5/12/08] McCain may call himself an environmentalist, but once again his record just doesn't match his rhetoric on the campaign trail. 2008: McCain received 24 percentl lifetime rating from LCV "This year, the League of Conservation Voters, with input from 18 other environmental-advocacy groups, gave Clinton, 60, a lifetime Senate rating of 87 percent and Obama, 46, an 86 percent rating. McCain got 24 percent." [Bloomberg, 3/21/2008] 2007: McCain missed all 15 key environmental votes, according to The League Of Conservation Voters Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) scored 0 percent in 2007 (24 percent lifetime) due to missing all 15 votes scored, including the key vote on repealing tax giveaways to big oil - a measure that failed by only one vote. [http://www.lcv.org/newsroom/press-releases/lcv-releases-2007-national-environmental-scorecard.html] 2007: McCain skipped vote on energy legislation that increased CAFE standards McCain missed a vote on passage of the energy bill that would overhaul national energy policies and increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. [2007 Senate Vote #226, 6/21/2007] 2006: McCain's vote to open up Gulf Of Mexico for drilling and his support for oil subsidies have put him at odds with environmentalists "McCain antagonized environmentalists by voting in 2006 to open 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling. In addition, they have clashed over McCain's support for multibillion-dollar subsidies to the nuclear industry." [Bloomberg, 3/21/2008]
John McCain has a "plan" to balance the budget McCain's number don't add up John McCain says he "will not leave office without balancing the federal budget." But an analysis by the non-partisan FactCheck.org reveals McCain's plan is "full of holes" and doesn't even add up. According to FactCheck.org, McCain's "pronouncement on cutting spending, and even the growth in size of the federal government, are dubious at best." His claims about cutting earmarks wouldn't produce the savings he intends, and he has been "vague" about the specific programs he would cut. On top of this, his campaign has backed off his no-earmarks pledge, the central aspect of his budget plan. [http://www.johnmccain.com, accessed 5/13/08; FactCheck.org; 5/13/08] A president whose plans are dubious -- sounds like more of the same we've seen from George Bush. And in these times of economic uncertainty, dubious plans on the budget are the last thing our country needs. FactCheck.org Analysis Shows McCain's Spending Plans Don't Add Up. According to the non-partisan FactCheck.org, "McCain's big promise is that he can balance the budget while extending Bush's tax cuts and adding a few of his own. He likes to leave the impression that this can be done painlessly, for example, by eliminating "wasteful" spending in the form of "earmarks" that lawmakers like to tuck into spending bills to finance home-state projects. We found that not only is this theory full of holes, it's not even McCain's actual plan." [FactCheck.org, 5/13/08]
A transparent leader and a break from President Bush The rules don't apply to McCain John McCain said today that his "administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability." Yet throughout his run for president, his own campaign has been anything but transparent and highlights just how hypocritical this promise is. His campaign's refusal to release Cindy McCain's tax returns, along with the news yesterday that her assets included investments in Sudan even as McCain was criticizing firms for doing business there, raises serious questions about what other information the McCains are trying to hide. His decision to unilaterally withdraw from the public financing system without permission from the FEC shows that McCain thinks that the rules apply to everyone but himself. And his claims to be a break from President Bush couldn't be farther from the truth considering he has promised a third Bush term on the economy, a health care system that leaves many families behind, and a long-term American troop presence in Iraq. [McCain Campaign Email, accessed 5/15/08] McCain may say he's going to be a different kind of leader, but if his campaign is any indication, it's clear that like Bush and Cheney he thinks he is above the law and that the rules don't apply to him. Sounds like instead of setting a new standard for transparency he'd be more of the same. McCain's rhetoric on transparency rings hollow Campaign Will "Never" Release Cindy McCain's Tax Returns, Not Even If He's Elected. McCain family investments had ties to Sudan According to the Associated Press, "Cindy McCain, whose husband has been a critic of the violence in Sudan, sold off more than $2 million in mutual funds whose holdings include companies that do business in the African nation" and "that are listed by the Sudan Divestment Task Force as targets for divestment." [Associated Press, 5/15/08] FEC Says McCain Cannot Withdraw From Public Financing System. According to the New York Times, the FEC release a letter in February that "said Mr. McCain could not withdraw from public financing until he had answered questions about a $4 million line of credit for borrowing that was secured, in part, in December by the promise of federal matching money." [New York Times, 2/22/08] McCain: A third Bush term McCain's Health Care Plan Does Little to Help America's Uninsured. McCain's plan does not focus on "reducing the ranks of the uninsured," of which there are about 47 million, or one in seven Americans. According to the New York Times, "The McCain campaign has no estimate of how many of America's 47 million uninsured would likely gain coverage under its plan." [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/2007; New York Times, 3/2/2008] McCain Said US May Stay In Iraq For 100 Years. At a New Hampshire town hall when McCain was asked "President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years." McCain responded: "Maybe 100" and "that would be fine with me." [McCain Town Hall, Derry NH Opera House 1/3/2008] McCain wants to make Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy permanent At a debate earlier this year McCain said "I'm disappointed because I think it's very important that we make the Bush tax cuts permanent. I voted to make them permanent twice already." [MSNBC Debate, Boca Raton Florida, 1/24/08]
Supporting our troops Platitudes instead of support for vets In today's New York Times, columnist Bob Herbert details how John McCain's talk about supporting our troops falls far short of the action needed to help ensure our brave troops are taken care of when they come home. McCain has refused to support bi-partisan, common-sense legislation that would help veterans and service members pay for college. Instead McCain has introduced a watered down version that would do far less for our troops. The following are excerpts from the column: "Doing the Troops Wrong"
"At the top of the list of no-brainers in Washington should be Senator Jim Webb's proposed expansion of education benefits for the men and women who have served in the armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001. It's awfully hard to make the case that these young people who have sacrificed so much don't deserve a shot at a better future once their wartime service has ended. Senator Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has been the guiding force behind this legislation, which has been dubbed the new G.I. bill. The measure is decidedly bipartisan. Mr. Webb's principal co-sponsors include Republican Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John Warner of Virginia, and Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey… "Who wouldn't support an effort to pay for college for G.I.'s who have willingly suited up and put their lives on the line, who in many cases have served multiple tours in combat zones and in some cases have been wounded? We did it for those who served in World War II. Why not now? Well, you might be surprised at who is not supporting this effort. The Bush administration opposes it, and so does Senator John McCain. "Senator McCain's office said on Monday that it was following the Pentagon's lead on this matter, getting guidance from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Under pressure because of his unwillingness to support Senator Webb's effort, Senator McCain introduced legislation with substantially fewer co-sponsors last week that expands some educational benefits for G.I.'s, but far less robustly than Senator Webb's bill. 'It's not even close to the Webb bill,' said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group. Politicians tend to talk very, very big about supporting our men and women in uniform. But time and again -- whether it's about providing armor for their safety or an education for their future -- we find that talk to be very, very cheap." To read the entire article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/opinion/06herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
McCain the moderate Michigan fundraiser highlights McCain's radical friends Last night, John McCain attended a fundraiser for his presidential campaign in Michigan. According to the invitation, he will be joined by the chair of his Michigan Victory 08 committee, John Rakolta, Jr., and McCain Michigan co-chairman Robert Liggett. What the invitation does not say, however, is that Rakolta and Liggett were two of the key backers of an organization that helped finance an ad that compared Democrats to Adolf Hitler in the 2006 election. Rakolta and his wife contributed $10,000 to a group called Voice the Vote, which used the money to buy a newspaper ad that compared Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and a procession of Democratic presidents to Hitler. [Associated Press, 3/21/07; McCain campaign invitation, via: http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/04/exclusive_who_i.html (accessed 5/5/08)] Rakolta is just one of a troubling circle of radical friends and cronies surrounding McCain. As the Chicago Tribune noted this week, McCain has praised G. Gordon Liddy and attended fundraisers in his home despite the fact that Liddy served a four-year prison term for his role in the Watergate break in. He spent a year seeking the endorsement of Rev. John Hagee, despite Hagee's history of anti-Catholic, anti-women, anti-LGBT, and anti-African American rhetoric. McCain's former campaign manager, Terry Nelson, was responsible for a racist ad against Harold Ford in 2006. McCain himself even campaigned for George Wallace, Jr., a known apologist for racist groups. "John McCain consistently says he will be a new kind of Republican, but time and time again he surrounds himself with some of the most radical and inflammatory voices in his Party," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "McCain's failure to distance himself from people who compare political opponents to Hitler, propose kidnapping war protesters, or defend radical organizations is one more reason John McCain is the wrong choice for America's future. If McCain is willing to stoop to this level, he truly will do anything to win." McCain's friends on the fringe HITLER AD FINANCIER JOHN RAKOLTA Voice the Vote Bankrolled by Rakolta, Liggett and Cummings Families. Michigan's Voice the Vote PAC, which was active during the 2006 mid-term elections, "placed a racially charged ad…in a weekly Detroit newspaper that compared Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other Democrats to Adolf Hitler.." According to campaign finance records, "state Republican fund-raising heavyweights Julie and Peter Cummings, John and Terry Rakolta and Robert Liggett contributed more than two-thirds of the cash the group raised." [Detroit Free Press, 3/15/07] Voice the Vote PAC Produced Ad Comparing Democrats to Adolf Hitler. In 2006, the Detroit-based political action committee Voice the Vote ran ads in the Michigan Chronicle that "featured photographs of Hitler, Granholm and former Democratic presidents, claiming Granholm was the latest in a long line of Democrats to take black voters for granted." [Detroit Free Press, 3/15/07] WATERGATE CONSPIRATOR G. GORDON LIDDY McCain Praises Liddy's Values, Says He's "Proud" of Him. "In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns--including $1,000 this year. Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as 'an old friend,' and McCain sounded like one. 'I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family,' he gushed. 'It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great.'" [Chicago Tribune, 5/4/08] Liddy Plotted Murder, Plotted to Kidnap War Protesters, Has No Regrets Over Watergate Role. "Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn't disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist? Liddy was in the thick of the biggest political scandal in American history--and one of the greatest threats to the rule of law. He has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as 'a prisoner of war.'" [Chicago Tribune, 5/4/08] RADICAL REVEREND JOHN HAGEE McCain Spent One Year Courting Hagee Endorsement. "In an interview that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, controversial televangelist Rev. John Hagee declares, 'It's true that [John] McCain's campaign sought my endorsement.' McCain has attempted to distance himself from some of Hagee's views, much as Barack Obama is doing in relation to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But unlike McCain, Obama has not stood on stage with Wright and accepted his accolades this year." Editor and Publisher, 3/20/08] • Rev. John Hagee on Hurricane Katrina: "All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that." [NPR Fresh Air, 9/18/06] • Hagee Repeated Claim: "The topic of that day was cursing and blessing… What happened in New Orleans looked like the curse of God, in time if New Orleans recovers and becomes the pristine city it can become it may in time be called a blessing. But at this time it's called a curse… In the case of New Orleans, their plan to have that homosexual rally was sin. But it never happened. The rally never happened." [Dennis Prager Radio show, 4/22/08] • Hagee on African Americans: The San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to "meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a 'slave sale,' an East Side minister said Wednesday." The Express-News reported: "Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a 'slave sale' to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, 'The Cluster.' "The item was introduced with the sentence 'Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." [San Antonio Express-News, 3/7/96] • Hagee on Catholicism: "Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." [Jerusalem Countdown by John Hagee] • Hagee on Women: "Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist." [God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, Sarah Posner] • More Hagee on Women: "[T]he feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family." ["Bible Positions on Political Issues," John Hagee] RACIST AD CREATOR TERRY NELSON Racist Ad Against Harold Ford Approved By Terry Nelson, Former Senior McCain Strategist. Terry Nelson, who served as McCain's campaign manager in 2006 and part of 2007, was the head of the independent expenditures operation for the RNC responsible for the content of the advertisements run against African American Senate candidate Harold Ford that experts said played on racial fears of voters. "John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and a specialist in political advertising, said that it 'is playing to a lot of fears' and 'frankly makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play.'" Despite Nelson's role in approving the ad, McCain strategist John Weaver said that the campaign had no intention of firing him. [New York Times, 10/27/06; Washington Post, 7/11/2007; New York Times, 10/26/2006] • Washington Head of NAACP Said Ad Plays To Racial Fears. Hilary Shelton, Washington director of the NAACP, said the ad plays off racial fears of some voters. "In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist…There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that." [AP, 10/26/2006] MLK HOLIDAY OPPONENT RICHARD QUINN • Richard Quinn, McCain's South Carolina Spokesman, Criticized the MLK Holiday as "Vitriolic and Profane." Richard Quinn, identified as "McCain's South Carolina strategist" in 2008, also worked for the Senator in the 2000 campaign. In 1983, Quinn wrote a column "arguing against the recognition of Martin Luther King Day," saying, "King Day should have been rejected because its purpose is vitriolic and profane. The Black leaders who lobbied so furiously for King Day confirmed another unpleasant reality. By celebrating King as the incarnation of all they admire, they have chosen to glorify the histrionic rather than by heroic and by inference they spurned the brightest and best among their own race." [Greenville News, 3/16/2008; Spartanburg Herald-Journal, 1/6/2006; Philadelphia Tribune, 2/22/2000] • Quinn Served As Editor Of Magazine Described As "Rabidly Devoted To The South's Confederate Heritage." In its November 2004 issue, Vanity Fair described Southern Partisan, the magazine of which Richard Quinn served as editor, as "rabidly devoted to the South's Confederate heritage." [Vanity Fair, 11/2004]
HATE GROUP DEFENDER GEORGE WALLACE, JR. McCain Endorsed George Wallace Jr., Called Him A "Committed Conservative Reformer," Despite Speeches to Hate Group. In November 2005, McCain visited three Alabama cities to endorse George Wallace Jr. for lieutenant governor. McCain said, "I'm proud to offer my support to this committed conservative reformer. George will bring great leadership and integrity to the lieutenant governor's office." [AP, 11/17/2005] • Wallace Spoke Repeatedly To White Supremacist Group. Wallace had spoken on numerous occasions to the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), a white supremacist hate group; once in 1998, twice during 1999, and gave the opening remarks to their national meeting in June of 2005. The audience for his speech included "Don Black, proprietor of Stormfront.org, the most influential hate site on the Internet, and former Alabama grand dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan; Jamie Kelso, right-hand man and Louisiana roommate of former Klan leader David Duke; Jared Taylor, editor of the neo-eugenicist American Renaissance magazine; Alabama CCC leader Leonard "Flagpole" Wilson, who got his nickname shouting "Keep Bama white!" from atop a flagpole during the University of Alabama race riots in 1956." [Southern Poverty Law Center, Intelligence Report, "Into the Mainstream," Summer 2005, http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=541 ]
McCain the "party maverick" When it matters the most, he seldom bucks his own party According to an Arizona Republic analysis of McCain's voting record since 1999, despite his carefully cultivated "maverick" image, in the close votes where it mattered most, John McCain rarely ever bucked his own party. As one expert noted, McCain "is a conservative who votes conservative on most issues" who "by no means" is a "a liberal or even a moderate." In fact, McCain's voting record is only slightly less conservative than most Republicans throughout his career, and "near the far edge of the right while running for president." The following are excerpts of the report: "In tight Senate votes, McCain not a maverick" By Ronald J. Hansen "Over the years, Sen. John McCain has publicly condemned Republican Party leaders and occasionally voted against the GOP on selected issues. But an Arizona Republic analysis of his Senate votes on the most divided issues in the past decade shows that McCain almost never thwarted his party's objectives… "The voting pattern seems at odds with the popular narrative that McCain's maverick tendencies make him an unreliable conservative." He is a conservative who votes conservative on most issues," said Keith Poole, a political scientist at the University of California-San Diego. "By no means is he a liberal or even a moderate." Poole, who compiles a widely respected analysis of all Senate votes, ranks McCain as slightly less conservative than most Republicans throughout his career and near the far edge of the right while running for president. "During the 10 years The Republic examined, McCain crossed over to vote with Democrats 19 times in 82 close votes. He did so just once in the four years he was running for president: 1999, 2000, 2007 and 2008. All 12 of the close votes he missed happened in those years, too. "A Washington Post analysis notes McCain voted with the GOP this term 88.3 percent of the time, the same as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., whose conservative credentials are seldom questioned. McCain ranked ahead of 29 other Republicans, including Arizona's Jon Kyl, who holds the No. 2 spot in party leadership. Congressional Quarterly gave McCain a 90 percent score for "party unity" voting last year and said he supported the president's position on legislation 95 percent of the time. During the Bush years, McCain's poorest totals from CQ were 67 percent party-unity voting in 2001 and 77 percent support for the Bush agenda in 2005. For the full story, click here: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0507mccainvotes0507.html
McCain the "popular populist " An uphill climb Despite having wrapped up the Republican nomination nearly three months ago, John McCain has failed to reap the benefit of extra time and has failed to connect with the American people. As a measure of how much of an uphill climb McCain faces this November, the GOP standard-bearer has actually lost ground against his potential Democratic opponents and Republican voters have actually come out to vote against him since he became the presumptive nominee. McCain has failed to shore up the Republican base, trails in poll numbers, has tied himself to unpopular positions and an unpopular President, and continues to post fundraising numbers nowhere near the level of the two remaining Democratic candidates. And while Democratic turnout and enthusiasm this election are reaching all-time highs, McCain is coming up against an "environment so toxic" for Republicans that Politico.com asked the question, "does McCain have even a chance of winning in November?" [Politico.com, 5/11/08] Below are key facts showing the insurmountable challenges John McCain faces as he tries to win the White House: Even in Republican Circles, McCain Is Still Having Trouble
McCain the "political reformer" John McCain will not the way business is done in Washington Yesterday John McCain said Americans are sick of politicians "consumed by a hyper-partisanship that treats every serious challenge facing us as an opportunity to trade insults" and that as president he will change the way business is done in Washington. Then, instead of denouncing President Bush's cheap political attacks against Democrats he defended them and then made some of his own. [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/15/08] McCain's failure to denounce Bush's attacks shows his insincerity about changing the tone in Washington. Instead of setting a new standard, McCain made it clear that his presidency would not only further Bush's failed policies but would also be more of the same Bush-Cheney smear politics our country is tired of. Bush Makes Political Attack on Democrats While in Israel. "The president, at Israel's 60th anniversary celebration in Jerusalem, suggested that some Democrats were acting in the same way some Western leaders did when they appeased Hitler in the runup to World War II," and White House aides admitted to CNN that the attacks referred to Democrats. [CNN.com, 5/15/08] McCain Stands With Bush. The Associated Press reported that when asked about the remarks McCain said he took the White House at its word and reiterated Bush's false charges. [Associated Press, 5/15/08]
McCain and the lobbyists In a McCain administration, the lobbyists running his campaign would be running the White House John McCain says he wants to "[s]top the revolving door" of lobbyists in Washington. But if his campaign is any indication, lobbyists would play a central role in a McCain Administration. McCain's campaign is being run by lobbyists, many of whom lobbied for industries or foreign governments McCain has talked about on the campaign trail. In recent days, revelations about just how significant a role lobbyists are playing and their links to certain entities have led to the resignation of a number of campaign aides in an effort to save face for the candidate. But as Newsweek reported yesterday, "the fallout may not be over." [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/18/08; Newsweek, 5/26/08] John McCain may talk about reforming Washington, but his campaign shows he is just more of the same. And his lobbying doubletalk is further proof that McCain thinks the rules apply to everyone but himself and his campaign. McCain Officials Resign Because of Lobbying Backgrounds. Many McCain campaign advisers have resigned in the course of a week after it was revealed they were lobbyists, including "Doug Goodyear, who was McCain's top liaison to the Republican National Convention; Doug Davenport, regional campaign manager for mid-Atlantic states; Eric Burgeson, an energy policy adviser; and Craig Shirley, a prominent Republican consultant who was a member of McCain's Virginia Leadership Team." [politico.com, 5/18/08] Campaign Official Lies About Lobbying McCain... "Loeffler last month told a reporter 'at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain.' But lobbying disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to 'discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations.'" [Newsweek, 5/26/08] …But Resigns Only After Media Reports "Lobbying Entanglements." "Former Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, a Texan who is among the McCain campaign's most important advisers and fundraisers, has resigned as a national co-chair over lobbying entanglements, a Republican source told Politico on Sunday. It's at least the fifth lobbying-related departure from the campaign in a week. The McCain campaign, already facing the prospect of being badly outgunned in the general election, now also must cope with the disruption of the lobbying shakeout." [politico.com, 5/18/08] Lobbying Firm Paid Campaign Worker In Apparent Violation of Federal Election Law. "Loeffler's firm started paying $15,000 a month last summer to one of its lobbyists, Susan Nelson, after she left to become McCain's full-time finance director, said a source familiar with the arrangement (who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters)….Federal election law prohibits any outside entity from subsidizing the income of campaign workers." [Newsweek, 5/26/08]
McCain and job creation John McCain would undercut job security in America John McCain says that "[j]ob security may well be the most pressing problem confronting Americans." But when he had the chance to fight for jobs here at home, McCain instead helped ship tens of thousands of defense jobs overseas. Reports show that McCain helped steer a $35 billion Air Force tanker deal to Airbus and EADS--a European defense contractor that three of the lobbyists in his inner circle lobbied for. On top of this, McCain sponsored an amendment in the Senate to end the Defense Department's buy American requirement and mocked buy America provisions. [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/6/08] It's no surprise then that McCain told Michigan voters earlier this year, "I've got to give you some straight talk: Some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back." How's this for some straight talk: McCain offers more of the same failed Bush economy that has led to the loss of 269,000 manufacturing jobs in Michigan. [Boston Globe, 1/10/08; Bureau of Labor Statistics 1/2001 - 3/2008] McCain Was "Disappointed" that the Secret Service Was Required to Purchase American-Made Motorcycles. "Lastly, I am also disappointed that the bill once again this year contains a Department-wide 'Buy America' requirement, and specific language directing the Secret Service to purchase American-made motorcycles. I firmly object to all 'Buy America' restrictions, as they represent gross examples of protectionist trade policy. From a philosophical point of view, I oppose such policies because free trade is an important element in improving relations among all nations, which then improves the security of our Nation. Furthermore, as a fiscal conservative, I want to ensure our Government gets the best deal for taxpayers and with a 'Buy American' restriction that cannot be guaranteed." [Congressional Record, 7/14/05] McCain Mocked "Buy America" Provisions, Saying, "I'll Sleep Better At Night Knowing That All Our Carbon Plates Are Manufactured in the U.S." "This year's bill also includes a number of 'Buy America' provisions. For example, it prevents the foreign purchase of welded shipboard anchor and mooring chain four inches in diameter and under. Another provision ensures that all carbon, alloy or steel plates are produced in the United States. Whew. I know we'll sleep better at night knowing that all of our carbon plates are manufactured in the U.S." [Congressional Record, 10/7/05] McCain Described "Buy America" Provisions As "Ludicrous." "Every year, Buy America restrictions cost the Department of Defense and the American taxpayers $5.5 billion. From a philosophical point of view, I oppose these types of protectionist policies, and from an economic point of view they are ludicrous. Free trade is both an important element in improving relations among nations and essential to economic growth." [Congressional Record, 10/7/05] McCain Sponsored Amendment that Ended Defense Department's Buy American Requirement. In May 2003, Senate Republicans voted for a McCain amendment that would allow the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands or Spain. [Senate Vote 191, 5/21/03] McCain Voted Against An Amendment To Provide Assistance, Including Training, To Service And High-Tech Workers Whose Jobs Move Overseas. McCain voted against an amendment that provides that existing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits be made available to service and high-tech workers; clarifies that TAA benefits are available to workers whose company moves overseas to any other country; increases training funds to match anticipated enrollment; increases health care subsidy available to TAA beneficiaries from 65 percent to 75 percent; and provides economic adjustment plan assistance to communities that have significant trade-related layoffs. Clinton: Y [2004 Senate Vote #80, 5/4/2004] McCain Tells Michigan Voters Jobs Aren't Coming Back. While campaigning during the primary, McCain told Michigan voters 'I've got to give you some straight talk: Some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back…They are not. And I am sorry to tell you that.'" [Boston Globe, 1/10/08] Air Force Tanker Deal to Outsource Tens of Thousands of Defense Jobs. According to reports, McCain consistently weighed in against a Boeing contract that would have resulted in the immediate creation of 44,000 new manufacturing jobs in at least 40 states. Under best case scenarios, the European tanker deal will create 20,000 fewer U.S. jobs, and most that are created will not be in the United States until 2010 when assembly is scheduled to move from France to Alabama. [AP, 3/8/2008: Michigan Has Lost Jobs Under Bush. Recent federal statistics show that Michigan has lost 269,000 manufacturing jobs during the time President Bush has been in office. [Bureau of Labor Statistics 1/2001 - 3/2008]
McCain and transparency in lobbying John McCain does not understand that Americans want to clean up the culture of corruption. John McCain says "[e]thics and transparency are not election year buzz words; they are the obligations of democracy and the duties of honorable public service." Yet his top campaign advisors have no problem lying about their lobbying records. Their excuse? Americans don't care--something McCain has yet to say if he agrees with. [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/19/08] In fact just yesterday senior adviser Charlie Black told reporters, according to the Wall Street Journal, that he complied with the new campaign ethics rules "before there even was a rule" even though he lobbied from the back of the Straight Talk Express last year. Black's opinion on if any of this matters to America's voters? "Hell no. This is complete inside-the-beltway nonsense." When asked if he agreed with Black's assessment, McCain refused to directly answer the question and instead spouted rhetoric, saying "we wanted to make sure there was an effective and comprehensive and transparent policy towards lobbyist…" [Wall Street Journal, 5/19/08; foxnews.com, 5/19/08] After all of John McCain's talk about corruption in Washington, now he isn't practicing what he preached. Ethics and transparency seem to be just buzz words for McCain, who clearly will do or say anything to win. Black Claims to Have Adhered to No-Lobbying Rule Before There Even Was One. "Black said he complied with the policy "before there even was a rule." Black said he has no income from either his firm or the campaign but joked about an allowance from his wife, Judy Black, who is a lobbyist." http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/19/top-mccain-adviser-defends-his-lobbyist-past/
…But Resigns Only After Media Reports "Lobbying Entanglements." "Former Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, a Texan who is among the McCain campaign's most important advisers and fundraisers, has resigned as a national co-chair over lobbying entanglements, a Republican source told Politico on Sunday. It's at least the fifth lobbying-related departure from the campaign in a week. The McCain campaign, already facing the prospect of being badly outgunned in the general election, now also must cope with the disruption of the lobbying shakeout." [politico.com, 5/18/08]
McCain and his staff of lobbyists McCain is not sincere about cleaning up the influence of lobbyists in his campaign John McCain says he wants to have the most transparent campaign in history and stop the revolving door of lobbyists in Washington. Yet instead of cleaning up the influence of lobbyists in his campaign, he continues to cover up just how significant of a role they have played and continue to play in his political career. Senator McCain currently has 115 lobbyists helping his campaign by either working or raising money for him. He has 70 registered lobbyists serving as bundlers for his campaign, and lobbyists have given him $610,000 in donations directly. Some have served as lobbyists and campaign officials at the same time, like Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top advisor and spokesman on foreign policy issues, who lobbied McCain's Senate staff on behalf of the Republic of Georgia while working on the campaign. [foxnews.com, 5/19/08; johmccain.com, accessed 5/21/08; Huffington Post, 5/20/08; USA Today, 5/21/08] While McCain says one thing on the campaign trail, a closer look at the numbers reveals that McCain has given lobbyists prime roles in his campaign. McCain Has Over One Hundred Lobbyists Working Or Raising Money For Him. According to the Huffington Post, "Now the GOP standard barer, McCain has 115 lobbyists either working or raising money on his behalf. Many of these individuals have taken a leave of absence from these positions in order to help with the campaign. But others have held, simultaneously, fundraising and lobbyists positions. In addition, the Senator has 70 registered lobbyists who have bundled money on his behalf…On top of this, the Center for Responsive Politics reports that the Arizona Republican has received more than $610,000 in direct donations - not bundled cash - from lobbyists." [Huffington Post, 5/20/08] Outside Watchdog Groups Criticize McCain's Ethics Stance. The executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Melanie Sloan, was quoted as saying "'I think because Mr. McCain believes himself to be an ethical man he believes you can't question his ethics. But the fact of the matter is, he has talked a good game but he isn't walking it. And you can't be the guy who positions himself as a reformer and then plays fast a loose with the rules…'" [Huffington Post, 5/20/08]
McCain and America's Veterans John McCain will not support America's veterans and military families John McCain claims he "believes that meeting the needs of our service members who defend us is our obligation and is essential to our national security." But his record in Congress tells a different story. As Time reported this week, according to a nonpartisan group, McCain has only voted for veterans funding 30 percent of the time. [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/21/08; time.com; 5/20/08] The latest issue pitting McCain against our nation's veterans? His refusal to support Senator Webb's 21st Century G.I. bill to help America's service members and veterans pay for college. McCain cites retention issues as the reason he offered a much weaker bill that would provide far less educational benefits, an argument echoed by the Bush Administration but disproved by a Congressional Budget Office study. It's no surprise then that veterans groups support Webb's bill, not McCain's. [time.com; 5/20/08] John McCain talks about supporting the troops, but if he's going to talk the talk, he better walk the walk. Americans don't want another president who will mislead them on his record just to score some votes. McCain Gets Score of 30 Percent On Veterans Issues. According to Time, "This is not the first time McCain, who has a proud history of opposing what he views as excessive government spending, has found himself at odds with his fellow veterans on legislation. He's voted for veterans funding bills only 30% of the time, according to a scorecard of roll-call votes put out by the nonpartisan Disabled Americans for America." [time.com; 5/20/08] McCain Refused To Support Bipartisan Legislation To Reform GI Bill. "On his campaign plane this afternoon, McCain said he and allies in the Senate are working on an alternative to the bill, but would only support something that included incentives to stay in the military. 'We are working on proposals of our own. I'm a consistent supporter of educational benefits for the men and women of the military,' McCain said. 'I want to make sure that we have incentives for people to remain in the military as well as for people to join the military.'" [ABC News, 4/14/2008] McCain Admits His Plan Is Designed To Keep Troops Serving Longer. "My proposal and others, Senator Graham, Senator Burn, is we'll place incentives for people to stay in the military." When O'Reilly said, "So the longer you stay, the more you get" McCain responded, "Yes, the more you get, because we want people to stay in…. We have to increase the benefits for the men and women who are serving and motivate those to serve." [Fox News Transcript, "The O'Reilly Factor," 5/8/08]
McCain and the Rev. John Hagee John McCain had to know about John Hagee's controversial comments before McCain actively sought Hagee's endorsement. When rejecting John Hagee's endorsement yesterday, John McCain said he found certain remarks made by Hagee "deeply offensive and indefensible" and that he did not know of them before actively pursuing Reverend Hagee's endorsement. Yet the comments that finally spurred McCain's rejection of Hagee, where Hagee "suggested that Hitler as a hunter, and as a result of the Holocaust, Jews had been brought back to the land God gave unto their fathers," were readily available on the Internet. And once the controversy over Hagee's endorsement heated up this year, The Jewish Week, a well-read Jewish publication, reported months ago that Hagee had made statements "that seem to blame the Jews for their own persecution over the centuries." [New York Times, 5/23/08; ABC News Blog, 5/22/08; The Jewish Week, 3/12/08] John McCain's disregard for Hagee's controversial and offensive comments even when actively seeking his endorsement shows that McCain is willing do or say anything to win, no matter who it offends. McCain Rejects Hagee Endorsement, Claiming He Had No Idea About Hagee's Comments… "'Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well.'" [New York Times, 5/23/08] …But These Comments Had Been Reported As Early As November of 2006 on Huffington Post. In November of 2006, about 6 months after the book was published, Huffington Post blogger Michelle Goldberg wrote about Hagee's statement in Jerusalem Countdown that the Holocaust resulted from Jews' refusal to move to Israel when bidden by Theodor Herzl: "God then sent the hunters. The hunter is one who pursues his target with force and fear. No one could see the horror of the Holocaust coming, but the force and fear of Hitler's Nazis drove the Jewish people back to the only home God ever intended for the Jews to have -- Israel. I stand amazed at the accuracy of God's Word and its relevance for our time." [HuffingtonPost, 11/15/06 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-goldberg/we-might-be-chosen-but-w_b_34220.html)] Other Websites Reported the Quote As Well. Several other popular Web sites reported the quotes as well. The Daily Kos had a March 2007 article on the topic. So did Talk2Action.org and Alternet [Daily Kos, 3/5/07 (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/5/1170/24629); http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/3/5/105015/2167; http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/48821/]
McCain and nuclear nonproliferation
John McCain claims to be an expert on foreign policy. Yet in the course of his presidential campaign he has taken two very different stances on the same issue--nuclear nonproliferation. Last December, Senator McCain wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine that the idea that "nuclear technology can spread without nuclear weapons eventually following" is a "mistaken assumption" that undermines the nuclear nonproliferation regime. Yet just months later, in McCain's major foreign policy speech yesterday, he said he would provide nuclear power to countries under international supervision to promote nonproliferation. [Foreign Affairs, December 2007] These are two very different sides of the same issue, so how does John McCain explain a major shift in policy over just six months? And how can the American people trust anything John McCain says when he's willing to switch positions on just about any issue? McCain in 2007: Nuclear Technology Leads to Nuclear Weapons. "The nuclear nonproliferation regime is broken for one clear reason: the mistaken assumption behind the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) that nuclear technology can spread without nuclear weapons eventually following. … The next U.S. president must convene a summit of the world's leading powers -- none of which have an interest in seeing a world full of nuclear-armed states -- with three agenda items. First, the notion that non-nuclear-weapons states have a right to nuclear technology must be revisited." [Foreign Affairs, December 2007] McCain Now Believes Civilian Nuclear Energy Can Remain Civilian. "But in order to take advantage of civilian nuclear energy, we must do a better job of ensuring it remains civilian. Some nations use the pretense of civilian nuclear programs as cover for nuclear weapons programs. We need to build an international consensus that exposes this deception, and holds nations accountable for it. … I would support international guarantees of nuclear fuel supply to countries that renounce enrichment and reprocessing, as well as the establishment of multinational nuclear enrichment centers in which they can participate. Nations that seek nuclear fuel for legitimate civilian purposes will be able to acquire what they need under international supervision. " [JohnMcCain.com, Accessed 5/28/08]
McCain and North Korea John McCain would not produce results with North Korea. Today in the Wall Street Journal Asia, John McCain writes that "American leadership is also needed on North Korea." Yet he goes on to describe a method for action that would bring us back to Bush Administration policies that didn't work with North Korea for six years and made America less safe. As the Washington Post described it, McCain's "language concerning North Korea in the article…is remarkably similar to President Bush's first-term rhetoric, which the White House has largely dropped in recent months." [Wall Street Journal Asia, 5/27/08; The Trail Blog, Washingtonpost.com, 5/26/2008] John McCain says he understands the threats facing America, but if he's willing to go back to the disastrous policies of President Bush that failed to produce the desired results how can Americans trust him to do what's in the best interest of America? McCain's North Korea Policy "Remarkably Similar" To Bush's First-Term Rhetoric. "Sen. John McCain broke today with President Bush's new policy on North Korea, co-authoring an opinion article with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in which he called for a return to Bush's original demand of a complete, verifiable, irreversible disarmament of North Korea's nuclear programs. With the prodding of secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bush -- who once labeled North Korea part of an 'axis of evil' -- has greatly softened his position on North Korea in the past year in an effort to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. But the shifts have greatly angered conservatives in the Republican Party. McCain's new stance, which is outlined in an opinion article in Tuesday's editions of the Asian Wall Street Journal, calls for a return to sanctions and other levers to prod North Korea….The language concerning North Korea in the article -- which overall sketches out a vision for engagement with Asia -- is remarkably similar to President Bush's first-term rhetoric, which the White House has largely dropped in recent months." [The Trail Blog, Washingtonpost.com, 5/26/2008] Bush Changes Approach To North Korea Amid Failures. Amid North Korea's missile tests and other international crises, the Bush "administration has undergone a sea change in foreign policy: The tough-talking superpower willing to use unilateral force is now a quieter player that urges moderation and restraint and is more willing to let allies take the lead." [Boston Globe, 7/14/06] Bush Adopts New Policy When Old Methods Proved Ineffective. "Commendably, the Bush administration is working to undo one of its worst blunders - the abandonment of a 1994 Clinton administration deal that kept North Korea from producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. In a clear step back from its past confrontational rhetoric, the administration agreed to a February 2007 deal that could lead to the dismantling of all of North Korea's nuclear weapons and programs. That deal stalled, but recent talks with Pyongyang promise to put it back on track." [Editorial, Boston Globe, 4/26/08]
McCain's Top 10 Misstatements and Outright Deceptions For a candidate who regularly brags about his experience as a Washington insider, John McCain has a troubling pattern of flubbing key facts and echoing obviously false statements about his own record. To help voters keep track of all the gaffes and distortions, the Democratic National Committee has released a list of John McCain's top 10 misstatements and outright deceptions. 1. MCCAIN DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHO IS IN CHARGE IN IRAN McCain Gets Basic Facts on Iran Wrong. The CIA's World Factbook States that "Ultimate Political Authority" in Iran is Vested in the Supreme Leader. "Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts." [CIA - The World Factbook, accessed 5/19/08; (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html#Govt] Ultimate Authority in Iran Rests With Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. "[Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei heads a theocratic Shiite Muslim state with elements of a democratic republic, including regular elections for parliament and the presidency. . . . Iran's constitution does not recognize political parties. But authorities regulate political groups and even fund some organizations loyal to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. These groups battle one another for power and influence through the parliament, although ultimate authority rests with Khamenei, a high-ranking cleric." [Los Angeles Times, 1/25/08] 2. IRAQ/IRAN, SUNNI/SHIA: MCCAIN DOESN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
March 17, 2008: McCain said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show "As you know, there are al-Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they're moving back into Iraq." [New York Times, 3/19/08; Entire Transcript at: http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=ae522a49-6c82-4791-a76e-44ebb718bf32] 3. MCCAIN STILL THINKS CZECHOSLOVAKIA (WHICH SPLIT INTO TWO COUNTRIES IN 1993) EXISTS Czechoslovakia Separated in Czech Republic & Slovakia on January 1, 1993. On January 1, 1993 the nation of Czechoslovakia separated into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Alluding to Czechoslovakia's peaceful "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the break-up was known as the "Velvet Divorce," because it was, "hassle-free, peaceful and as amicable a breakup can be." [Associated Press, 9/11/07; International Herald Tribune, 9/11/07] 2008: McCain Says "I Would Work Closely With Czechoslovakia and Poland" on European Missile Shield. During a conversation with Don Imus on his "Imus in the Morning" radio program, John McCain voiced support for installing the European Missile Defense System in Poland and the Czech Republic: "Yes. Yes," he said on installing the shield despite Russia's opposition, "And I would work closely with Czechoslovakia and Poland and other countries." [WABC Radio "Imus in the Morning," 4/2/08] (emphasis added) 2007: McCain Says He'd make Sure "We Have a Missile Defense System in Place in Czechoslovakia & Poland." During an October 2007 Republican presidential primary debate, McCain sharply criticized Vladamir Putin's bullying and attempts "to get a control of the energy supply of Western Europe," telling the audience: "The first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it." [Fox Orlando (FL) Debate, 10/21/07] (emphasis added) 1999: At IRI Dinner, McCain "Twice Thanked the Ambassador From 'Czechoslovakia' For His Efforts." During McCain's 2000 campaign against George Bush for the Republican nomination, the Washington Post reported McCain "sometimes has trouble keeping things straight. McCain, chairman of the International Republican Institute, speaking at the group's gala awards dinner last week, twice thanked the ambassador from 'Czechoslovakia' for his efforts. The country split in 1993 into the Czech Republic and Slovakia." [Washington Post, 10/25/99] 4. MCCAIN WRONGLY CLAIMED THAT BAGHDAD WAS MOSTLY NORMAL McCain: Iraqis are "Going About Their Normal Lives." During his March 2008 trip, "McCain said he thought that the situation in Iraq was improving. 'People are going about their normal lives,' he said." [The Guardian (London, UK), 3/20/08] REALITY: March Actually Saw Rise In Baghdad Attacks. Soon after McCain's visit, a military report conclude that "After an overall decline in attacks against civilians and American and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad over the past several months, the number more than doubled in March from the previous month, according to statistics compiled by the American military in Baghdad." There were 631 attacks in March 2008, up from 239 in February [New York Times, 4/8/08] 5. MCCAIN MADE FALSE CLAIM ABOUT BAGHDAD MARKET SAFETY First, McCain Claimed He Could Safely Walk Around Certain Baghdad Neighborhoods. "McCain's latest problem began before he left for the region, when he told Bill Bennett on the radio that 'there are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk today.' After Michael Ware of CNN's Baghdad bureau accused the senator of living in 'Neverland,' McCain charged that it's reporters who are living in a 'time warp of three months ago.'" [Newsweek, 4/16/2007] Then McCain Was Forced to Admit He "Misspoke" When He Failed to Mention His Massive Security During Baghdad Market Trip. "Wearing a bulletproof vest and surrounded by 100 soldiers in Baghdad's central market, McCain said: 'Never have I been able to go out into the city as I was today.' Headlines soon after called his statements 'propaganda' and a 'magic-carpet ride.'" Chastened, McCain issued a half-hearted apology a few days later, saying he 'mis-spoke" [Washington Post, 4/7/2007] 6. MCCAIN CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW LITTLE HE KNOWS ABOUT THE ECONOMY McCain Claimed That He Never Acknowledged He Wasn't Well Versed In Economics. [Tim Russert]: You have said repeatedly, quote, I know a lot less about economics than I do about military or foreign policy issues. I need to be educated. is it a problem for the campaign that the economy is the most important issue, one by your own acknowledgment you're not well versed on. [John McCain]: I don't know where you got that quote from. I'm very well versed in economics. I was there at the Reagan revolution. [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 1/25/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/01/the_gop_debate_in_florida.html] McCain Has Acknowledged That He Doesn't Understand Economics Well. "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," McCain said. "I've got Greenspan's book."--Boston Globe, Dec. 12, 2007. [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 1/25/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/01/the_gop_debate_in_florida.html] 7. MCCAIN FALSELY CLAIMED HE NEVER REQUESTED PORK RHETORIC: McCain said, "In 24 years as a member of Congress, I have never asked for nor received a single earmark or pork barrel project for my state." [PolitiFact.com /St. Petersburg Times (Florida), 1/26/08] REALITY: "We find three examples of McCain seeking pork-barrel projects for Arizona, which puts a few blemishes on an otherwise stellar record against pork" [PolitiFact.com/St. Petersburg Times (Florida), 1/26/08] 8. MCCAIN FALSELY CLAIMED THAT TAX CUTS INCREASED GOVERNMENT REVENUES McCain: Tax Cuts "Dramatically" Increase Revenue. McCain said, "And the fact is that tax cuts have dramatically increased revenues." [GOP Debate In SC, 5/15/07] CBPP: Bush Tax Cuts Have Contributed To Dropping Federal Revenues. "According to analysis conducted by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the Bush tax cuts have actually "contributed to revenues dropping in 2004 to the lowest level as a share of the economy since 1950 and have been a major contributor to the dramatic shift from large projected budget surpluses to projected deficits as far as the eye can see." In an updated analysis, the CBPP asserts that recent increased revenues in 2005 and 2006 has not made up for the lack of growth in recent years. Furthermore, "while the Administration has credited the tax cuts with the drop in projected fiscal year 2006 to 'only' $248 billion, this year's budget would be essentially balanced were it not for the tax cuts." [CBPP Report, 4/23/04; CBPP, Tax Cuts: Myths and Realities, 3/20/07] Fact Check: McCain's Claim That Tax Cuts Increase Revenue Is "Highly Misleading." Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has said that the major tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 have "increased revenues." He also said that tax cuts in general increase revenues. That's highly misleading. In fact, the last half-dozen years have shown us that we can't have both lower taxes and fatter government coffers. The Congressional Budget Office, the Treasury Department, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the White House's Council of Economic Advisers and a former Bush administration economist all say that tax cuts lead to revenues that are lower than they otherwise would have been - even if they spur some economic growth. And federal revenues actually declined at the beginning of this decade before rebounding. The growth in the past three years that McCain refers to brings revenues back in line with the 40-year historical average as a percentage of gross domestic product." [Fact Check.Org, 6/11/2008] 9. MCCAIN'S CLAIM TO BE UNTAINTED BY SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY IS FALSE McCain: The Special Interests Haven't Given Me "Any Money." McCain said, "Everybody says they're against the special interests, but I'm the only one the special interests don't give any money to." [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 2/29/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.html] McCain Has Collected $453,000 Self-Identified Lobbyists. "According to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, the Arizona senator has collected more than $3,000,000 from lawyers and employees of law firms, and $453,000 from self-identified lobbyists. Companies whose employees have contributed most to his campaign include big financial houses like Citigroup and Merrill Lynch and telecommunications companies like IDT and Univision. His top contributor is the Philadelphia-based law firm Blank Rome LLC." [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 2/29/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.htmlhttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.html] McCain Has The Most Lobbyist-Bundlers. "According to Public Citizen, McCain has more lobbyist-bundlers than any other candidate in the race, past or present. The list includes:
McCain Has Lobbyists Working For Him Who Have Business Before His Senate Committee. "There are abundant facts to contradict McCain's claim, both in the present election and the last time he ran for president, in 2000. Public Citizen, a non-profit group researching campaign finance, has identified 59 lobbyists or former lobbyists who serve as major fund-raisers or 'bundlers' for McCain. Many of the lobbyists who are raising money for McCain or working for him on his campaign have had business before the Senate Commerce Committee that he chaired between 1997 and 2001 and 2003 and 2005." [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 2/29/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.htmlhttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.html] Claim is "Patently False." "His claim that he is the only presidential candidate not to receive money from 'special interests' is patently false. I was tempted to award four Pinocchios, but I am subtracting one because it is an old quote. Let me know if McCain has repeated the claim recently." [Fact Checker, Washington Post, 2/29/08, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/pinocchios_for_john_mccain.html] 10. MCCAIN WRONGLY CLAIMED HE NEVER SUPPORTED AMNESTY RHETORIC: Sen. McCain said, "Now as far as "amnesty" is concerned, I have never, ever…Joe Lieberman, one of the really great experiences of my life, just a few nights ago, he and I did a town hall meeting here together; me and an independent Democrat, one of the great Americans. And this allegation of amnesty came up. Joe Lieberman said I worked with John McCain on this bill and anybody who says that he's ever supported amnesty is a lie. My friends, I do not support amnesty." [John McCain for President New Hampshire Town Hall, 1/5/08] REALITY: In 2003, McCain Said "Amnesty Has To Be A Component" Of Immigration Reform. The Politico reported that "McCain himself embraced the term ["amnesty"] during a news conference a few years ago in his office in Tucson, Arizona. "McCain Pushes Amnesty, Guest-Worker Program," reported the Tucson Citizen of May 29, 2003. The senator is quoted as saying: 'Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens. That has to be a component of it.' The newspaper also quoted McCain as saying: 'I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people who are eligible and at the same time make sure that we have some control over people who come in and out of this country.'" [The Politico, 6/4/07] The Democratic Party of Utah 455 S. 300 East, Suite 301 | Salt Lake City, UT 84111 | 801-328-1212 www.utdemocrats.org Support your Utah Democratic Party through ACT BLUE www.actblue.com/page/utdemocrats THE MESSAGE is published and compiled by the staff of the Utah Democratic Party as a way to build a community of Democrats committed to political reform and common sense solutions to public policy. Submissions related to events, facts, figures, trivia, and idle chit-chat are welcome. Please contact Bill Keshlear, communications director, at bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org. Call (801) 328-1212, ext. 206 or (801) 699-7773. Paid for by the Utah Democratic Party, www.utdemocrats.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidates' party. TO SUBSCRIBE TO E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE UTAH DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CONTACT BILL KESHLEAR AT BKESHLEAR@UTDEMOCRATS.ORG |
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