According to FactCheck.org McCain did vote in line with President Bush 95% of the time** and with the Republican Party 90% of the time in 2007. However this was his highest number since Bush took office. In 2005 he supported the Presidents position 77% of the time. In 2001 he agreed with the Republican Party's position only 67%.
A closer look at Senator McCain's record reveals a long history of working with Democrats as well as Republicans and as a Senator who is often at odds with President Bush and the current batch of Keystone Cops who have hijacked the Republican Party.
In 1997, working with Democrats, Senator McCain introduced the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform bill.
In 2001, Senator McCain joined Democrats and defied his own party on at least three major peices of legislation.
- Senator McCain supported a ban on soft money which passed the Senate largely on a party line vote.
- Senator McCain, along with 12 Democratic Senators, cosponsored Senate Bill 812 which " Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit pharmacists and wholesalers to import (reimport) U.S. made prescription drugs into the United States from Canada."
- Senator McCain introduced Senate Bill 1052 along with three Democratic cosponsors (John Edwards, Edward Kennedy and Patty Murray), to provide federal protections, such as access to specialty and emergency room care, and allow patients to sue health insurers in state and federal courts.
Although Senator McCain supported the invasion of Iraq and continues to support the occupation, where his son has served, he has been a longstanding and vocal critic of the administration's execution of the war.
- In 2004 he blasted Donald Rumsfeld's mismanagement.
- In 2005 the ACLU praised McCain's opposition to toture.
- Since early 2007 Senator McCain has advocated closing Guantanamo Bay.
In 2005 Senator McCain, along with one Republican and nine Democrats, including Senator Obama, cosponsored amendment 214 "that provides the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to participate in the negotiation of contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs to achieve the best possible prices for such drugs". The amendment lost 49 to 50 on a basically party line vote.
In 2006 Senator McCain was a leader of the "gang of 14", seven Republican and seven Democratic senators who defied both parties and averted a potentially disastrous showdown over the confirmation of Samuel Alito. At the time NPR said of McCain "McCain's determined effort to work with Democrats in forging compromises may be one of the reasons he is not especially popular with GOP leaders".
In 2007, Senator McCain supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill (Senate Bill 1639) introduced by Senator Kennedy. The bill was defeated largely by Republican opposition.
*Senator Obama voted in line with fellow Senate Democrats 97 percent of the time in 2007 and 2005, and 96 percent of the time in 2006.
**Apparently, President Bush is not always wrong. In 2006 Obama supported the President's position 49% of the time.
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Comments: 17
Obama is too new, unqualified and he is a big question mark. The good thingabout him is that it does not take long to study his voting record.
Also remember Lyndon Johnson. He could get things done because he knew Washington.
The White House is not on-the-job training.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9111.html
and later:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/16/mccain-sets-a-new-record-10-flip-flops-in-tw
He's been running to the right as fast as he can, to gain their support, and the guy you talk about is DEAD, in all practicality. I used to respect the man, somewhat, but that's all over, he's embraced (literally, check out the photo spread where he and Bush are falling all over each other, and need to get a room) Bush Administration policy, including torture, permanence in Iraq, and of course, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. He's four more years of war, oil companies with their things in our arses, and tax cuts for the rich and elite. Four more years of Bush, in essence. The old jerk has earned the name McSame, and no discussion of his former glory will change that.
Making the tax cuts for the rich permanent.
Continuation of the War in Iraq, and a real possibility of making war on Iran.
Giving the rights to our remaining oil and gas reserves to multinational corporations.
No National Health Care Plan.
No paying down on the national debt.
He's the same as Bush, just older and angrier.
'Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.'
From 'Won't Get Fooled Again' by The Who