The Real McCain Record (Obstacles in the way of conservative support.)

National Review Online ^ | January 11, 2008 | Mark Levin

[Delacon]

There’s a reason some conservatives who support John McCain are rarely willing to discuss the bulk of his record. They want to discuss his personal story, his position on the surge, and his supposed electability. And when questions are raised about McCain’s broader record, the knee-jerk reply is to characterize the inquiries as negative attacks.

The McCain domestic record is a disaster. To say that he fought spending, most particularly earmarks, is to nibble around the edges and miss the heart of the matter. McCain’s record on a host of major domestic issues is among the most anti-conservative in the Senate. And I would encourage conservatives to examine it. For starters, consider:

McCain-Feingold — the most brazen frontal assault on political speech since Buckley v. Valeo.

McCain-Kennedy — the most far-reaching amnesty program in American history.

McCain-Lieberman — the most onerous and intrusive attack on American industry — through reporting, regulating, and taxing authority of greenhouse gases — in American history.

McCain-Kennedy-Edwards — the biggest boon to the trial bar, under the rubric of a patients’ bill of rights, since the tobacco settlement.

McCain-Reimportantion of Drugs — a significant blow to pharmaceutical research and development, not to mention consumer safety (hey Rudy, pay attention, see link).

And McCain’s stated opposition to the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was largely based on socialist, class-warfare rhetoric — tax cuts for the rich, not for the middle class. The public record is full of these statements. Today, he recalls only his insistence on accompanying spending cuts.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, McCain was consistently hostile to American enterprise, from media and pharmaceutical companies to technology and energy companies.

McCain also lead the Gang of 14, which prevented the Republican leadership in the Senate from mounting a rule’s change that would have ended the systematic use or threatened use of the filibuster to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.

And there’s the McCain defense record.

His supporters point to essentially one policy strength, i.e., McCain’s early support for a surge and counterinsurgency. It has now evolved into McCain taking credit for forcing the president to adopt General David Petreaus’s strategy. Where’s the evidence to support such a claim?

Moreover, Iraq is an important battle in our war against the Islamo-fascist threat. But the war is a global war, and it most certainly includes the continental United States, which, after all, was struck on 9/11. How does McCain fare in that regard?

McCain-ACLU — the unprecedented granting of due-process rights to unlawful enemy combatants (terrorists).

McCain has repeatedly called for the immediate closing of Guantanamo Bay and the introduction of al-Qaeda terrorists into our own prison population — despite both the legal rights that would immediately inure to the enemy and the burdens of managing such a dangerous prison population.

And while McCain proudly and repeatedly points to his battles with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who was placed in the difficult circumstance of having to rebuild the United States military and fight a complex war, where was McCain in the lead up to the war — when the military was being dangerously downsized by the Clinton administration and his friend, former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen? Where was McCain’s voice when the CIA was in desperate need of attention? And McCain was apparently in the dark about al-Qaeda like most of the rest of Washington, despite a decade of warnings.

My fingers are crossed that at the next debate either Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney will find a way to address McCain’s record. (Mike Huckabee won’t as he is apparently in the tank for him.)

— Mark R. Levin is author of the bestselling Men In Black, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, and a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Was Thompson even there for some of those bills? He may be getting credit where he hasn’t earned it.

[PrairieRoot]

I wonder about a Thompson/McCain ticket.

[BluH2o]

ooops ...

RHINO = RINO

[Badeye]

‘The McCain domestic record is a disaster.’

I will not vote for this man for President under any circumstances.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Fred supported Mc Cain on Mc Cain Feingold. He wasn’t there on immigration reform.

[Plutarch]

Come of Fred, take the gloves off!

Not gonna happen. They've been thick from the start, and will be to the end, when McCain might have something for Fred.

[Maelstorm]

McCain is really the most venerable. Do you remember how the steam went out of his campaign before? He was Amnesty all the way and he now says “HE NEVER EVER supported Amnesty”.

[Maelstorm]

I think you are wrong. You saw last night a preview of what is to come. People need only to be reminded of the Gang of 14 and Amnesty and McCain deflates like the liberal kissass he is. He is conservative mostly but he is still a liberal kissass. Who has authored more bills with Teddy Kennedy than any other? McCain! McCain! McCain!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Fred supported Mc Cain on Mc Cain Feingold. He wasn’t there on immigration reform.

Right. What I find strange is that so many are willing to ignore his blame on McCain-Feingold and yet give him credit for things he never earned credit for.

[what's up]

First one on the list could be called McCain-Feingold-Thompson

Correct...Fred was just as hot to trot on CFR as the other 2.

And then he was one of the four in Congress to back McCain for President!

[the_conscience]

A good amount of cognitive dissonance going around these days.

[Plutarch]

I think you are wrong. You saw last night a preview of what is to come.

When those attacks come like you say, please post them, ping me and vaunt. I don't think its likely.

Fred is gonna keep dancing with the one that brung him, McCain.

It could be that the whole reason Fred is running has been to cover McCain's right flank. If you figure this, it is hard to see anything Fred's done that goes against that theory.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Correct...Fred was just as hot to trot on CFR as the other 2. And then he was one of the four in Congress to back McCain for President!

Oh yeah that's right. No one seems to remember that. It is funny how people see only what they want to see.

[Prokopton]

I would like Fred too, but it might be too late

Have you voted already?

[bereanway]

McCain has gotten real squirrley on global warming. Some of the things Huckabee has said on GW I don’t like either such as referring to it as a spiritual issue, which sounds very much like Gore. Obviously those two feel there’s some traction to be gained on GW with voters right now.

The only conservative I trust up and down the line is Hunter but ‘08 doesn’t appear to be his year. My fall-back position then becomes Thompson.

[dirtboy]

Fred is gonna keep dancing with the one that brung him, McCain.

You Romneyites keep claiming that, with absolutely nothing to back it up.

But, then again, you're just emulating your candidate...

[Delacon]

I heard Thompson address McCain-Feingold yesterday on the radio. He said the bill was an attempt to reign in soft money that Clinton was spreading around back then perhaps illegally but definitely through loopholes. Clinton was gaming the system. Thompson said he backed the bill to address this corruption. He also said he was WRONG. Way better than any position McCain has taken on the bill.

[Petronski]

I think the whole reason Willard is running is to cover McCain’s right flank. If you figure this, it is hard to see anything Myth’s done that goes against that theory. Certainly squandering $50 million to get two second place finishes (in spite of his stated strategy) is nothing to crow about.

He conceded awfully early in NH Tuesday night. I think Myth and McCain have some kind of corrupt bargain.

[Petronski]

It’s an effort to run cover for the real story: Mitt is the one running interference for McCain. He conceded so quickly in NH! Now trailing McCain in Michigan, Willard has NO anti-McCain ads running.

I bet McCain’s agreed to set something nice aside for Willard if he helps McCain get the nomination by trying to eclipse the actual conservative in the race.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

RHINO MCLAME....Not in our White House!!