10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't)

[Grimmlok]

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."

3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.


Sources:
1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
Political Punch

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
ColorOfChange.org

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
Bloomberg.com: U.S.

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
Think Progress » Blog Archive » Buchanan: John McCain ‘Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi’

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill,"
ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
Think Progress » Blog Archive » McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned,"
MSNBC, February 18, 2007
McCain says Roe should be overturned - John McCain News - MSNBC.com

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard,"
February 2008
CDF Action Council: Learn :: CDF Action Council

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion,"
CNN, October 3, 2007
McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion - CNN.com

6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady,"
Associated Press, April 3, 2008
The Associated Press: Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'"
Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?,"
Associated Press, February 16, 2008
ABC News: Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?

"Famed McCain temper is tamed,"
Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
Famed McCain temper takes a break on campaign trail - The Boston Globe

8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'"
ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
Think Progress » Blog Archive » Black Claims McCain’s Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: ‘I Don’t Know What The Criticism Is’

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man,"
ABC News, January 29, 2008
ABC News: McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man

9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam,"
Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?,"
ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
Think Progress » Blog Archive » Will McCain Specifically ‘Repudiate’ Hagee’s Anti-Gay Comments?

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'"
ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
Think Progress » Blog Archive » McCain ‘Very Honored’ By Support Of Pastor Preaching ‘End-Time Confrontation With Iran’

10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record,"
Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record | PEEK | AlterNet

Nice.

[msdeb]

opposes Roe vs Wade LOL that'll win him votes. NOT

[Mr. Authority]

Clinton and Obama need to make this known to the public and stop attacking each other. Unless McCain blows up and makes himself look stupid (which I think he will).

Anyway I don't know anyone that's voting for McCain. Even the very few Repuke "friends" I have are'nt going to vote for him because they say he's too senile and old. The only way I see McCain winning is if the votes are rigged once again (which is still possible if the Repukes get desperate).

[Laurent]

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."

Shit.

Everyone please take a moment to consider what that would mean.

[ana-mish-ana]

Originally Posted by Laurent

Shit.

Everyone please take a moment to consider what that would mean.

WWIII

Here we come

[witchcurlgirl]

Originally Posted by msdebagain

opposes Roe vs Wade LOL that'll win him votes. NOT

didn't seem to hurt the Bush men, or Reagan, I think only some of us care about this issue.

On this point I do agree though:
6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.

The current foreclosure crisis has been caused by people who were not really qualified for mortgages getting them. People who didn't really have a good chance of keeping the payments up long term. In NY the papers have published stories about people that have a $50,000 a year income having mortgages with $3000 per month payments. There is no way they could have expected to maintain this. I don't see why they shouldn't have to pull themselves out of it. Lots of people save for years to make a decent size down payment, and then work two jobs to keep the payments up.

[msdeb]

Originally Posted by witchcurlgirl

didn't seem to hurt the Bush men, or Reagan, I think only some of us care about this issue.

.

actually, the voters NOW are more informed and more knowledgeable than they were when those people were elected.

[celeb_2006]

I love number one. Why just a few days ago he was pratically bragging to the media about how wrong he was about his stance on MLK Jr.'s holiday.

This guy's a loose cannon.

[kingcap72]

None of this surprises me about McCain. I would send this to some of the conservatives I work with but they'd still vote for McCain, anyway. One of the guys would see his stance against Roe vs. Wade as even MORE of a reason to vote for McCain, since he's against abortion, too.

[NicoleWasHere]

I think his time as a P.O.W. made him nuts.

Come voting time, I'm voting for a write in candidate...

[Just Kill Me]

Anyone who is not aware the man is batshit is a complete tard. My mother just forwarded the same list to me. #7 made me laugh out loud.

[Chilly Willy]

If he gets elected, it's the fault of the Democrats.

[buttmunch]

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.

What a dick. I have a dream of making all those in politics, who have the power to make or break families and lives, to take a year--not a week or a month--and see if they can support themselves and their families on minimum wage. I'd like to see fucking McCain, with his gimpy hand, try to work at what would most likely be a service job, probably flipping burgers with his gimpy hand, and manage to keep his head above water. Something tells me he continually votes against raising the minimum wage as well. Dick.

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by Chilly Willy

If he gets elected, it's the fault of the Democrats.

Couldn't agree more. Only the Dems could screw this up.

[mamaste]

John Hagee is one of his spiritual advisors? Wow. This guy not only denouces Islam, he says Catholicism is a fake religion, too. Despite Catholicism being way older than Baptism (Hagee's religion). Hagee is like the white version of Rev. Wright.

Chilly, I totally agree.

Butt, it'll never happen. That's one of the things I hate about this country.