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I think McCain's "pro-life" credentials were pretty much demonstrated to be a farce during the 2000 primary season thanks to Alan Keyes.

To me the key issue is what kind of judges would a president McCain nominate. Would need only look at his choice for Attorney General, Warren Rudman (the man who gave us Justice
Souter):

On January 15, McCain said that if elected president, he might appoint former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) — his close advisor and the co- chairman of the national McCain campaign — as U.S. attorney general. As a senator, Rudman voted to preserve Roe v. Wade, and was an active opponent of other pro-life efforts legislative efforts.

The attorney general is the cabinet officer who most often serves as a president's key advisor on Supreme Court appointments, and who oversees the positions taken by an administration on issues before the Supreme Court.

Rudman voted to confirm anti-Roe v. Wade Justice Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, but later wrote in his 1996 memoirs, "If my vote had been the deciding one, I would have voted against Thomas, no matter what the consequences."

Rudman has been harshly critical of the pro-life movement and of Christian conservatives. He wrote, "If someone had told me in the 1960s that one day I would serve in a Republican Party that opposed abortion rights — which the Supreme Court had endorsed — advocated prayer in the schools, and talked about government-inspired 'family values,' I would have thought he was crazy."

Also, "Politically speaking, the Republican Party is making a terrible mistake if it appears to ally itself with the Christian right" — a group that he identified as rife with "antiabortion zealots" and "bigots," among other undesirables.

In a February 15 debate in South Carolina, Bush confronted McCain regarding Rudman, noting that Rudman had described the Christian Coalition as "bigots." Bush asked McCain, "I know you don't believe that, do you?" But McCain refused the invitation to repudiate Rudman's words, responding instead, "George, he's entitled to his opinion on that issue."

Moderator Larry King also invited McCain to "disclaim what Rudman said," but McCain did not respond.

Subsequently, Rudman told Manchester Union-Leader reporter John DiStaso that "he most certainly did call the Christian Coalition bigots," and "he included leaders of other conservative groups in the description, to boot." (Union-Leader, Sept. 17)

When, in the February 15 debate, Bush said that "every child, born and unborn, should be protected in law," McCain immediately attacked Bush for his opposition to adding exceptions for rape and incest to the pro-life plank in the Republican platform.

NRLC is hardly alone in recognizing that Bush and McCain would handle the abortion issue very differently as president. Bush has been endorsed by the most prominent pro-life leaders in Congress, including Congressman Henry Hyde, Congressman Chris Smith, and Congressman Charles Canady. "I'm convinced of Gov. Bush's commitment to the pro-life cause," said Hyde, who has criticized McCain for advocating weakening of the Republican Party's pro-life platform plank.

Pro-abortion leaders also see a big difference. Following McCain's win in the New Hampshire primary, the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition said that based on exit polls, "pro-choice Republicans overwhelmingly preferred McCain above all the other candidates."

Moreover, the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) funded TV ads in New Hampshire attacking Bush for nearly a year before the New Hampshire primary, but never a single ad criticizing McCain.

A revealing observation was made on February 8 by Steven Brill, editor of the magazine Brill's Content, which covers the news media.

Speaking on the Fox News Channel program "The Edge", Brill said two reporters covering the McCain campaign told him, 'You know, he really doesn't feel that strongly about abortion and about — he isn't really as pro-gun as he lets on in the campaign. He has to do that because it's a Republican primary, but he's kind of let us know that he's not that hard-edged on those subjects.'"

Brill went on, "The point I'm making is that he was given permission, at least by these two guys [journalists], to pander. One of them actually said, 'At least when McCain panders he sort of lets us know he's doing it, and he kind of winks and kind of enjoys it, so he's a good guy.' Well, he's not letting the rest of the country know he's pandering."

In the same vein, liberal Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen wrote on December 15, "McCain's people whisper, Don't worry. He's not really so anti-abortion."

In an interview last Tuesday with Wolf Blitzer, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona was asked this question: "Senator, could you pick a vice-presidential running mate who was a supporter of a woman's right to have an abortion, a Governor Pataki, a Governor Wilson, a Governor Whitman, a Rudy Giuliani? Could you pick one of those, or any Republican who supports abortion rights, to be your running mate?"

"I believe that I could. I obviously have not thought that much about it. But I think you have to judge your running mate [on] their overall credentials and records, whom you think would be most qualified actually to be president of the United States. So clearly their position on abortion would be a factor, but I don't think it would be the overriding factor in any decision that I might make."
Source:Archive from Keyes World Net Daily column

Some news accounts of Bauer's endorsement of McCain erroneously reported that the pro-life/pro-family Focus on the Family organization had also endorsed McCain. In a sharply worded response, Dr. James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, explained that Focus does not endorse candidates. Speaking for himself, Dobson then went on to express disagreement with Bauer's endorsement of McCain.

Citing his concerns about McCain's candidacy and his commitment to protecting the lives of unborn children, Dobson stated that "it is difficult to understand how Gary Bauer can support him with 'great pride and with absolutely no reservation.' "

Abortion became a major issue in South Carolina. NRL PAC and South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL) PAC worked to educate pro-life voters about contradictory statements on abortion made by John McCain during his presidential campaign and to urge pro-life voters to support George W. Bush. (See "NRLC Endorses George W. Bush For President, page 1 and "How John McCain Threatens The Pro-Life Cause," page 6.)

For example, John McCain had told the San Francisco Chronicle that he did not support the repeal of Roe v. Wade "in the short term or even the long term." A similar statement by McCain made at a campaign event, was reprinted in World magazine.

On “Meet the Press,” McCain said he had “come to the conclusion that the exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother are legitimate exceptions” to an outright ban on abortions. “I don’t claim to be a theologian, but I have my moral beliefs.” If Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion outlawed, McCain said he believes doctors who performed abortions would be prosecuted. “But I would not prosecute a woman” who obtained an abortion.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A9 Jan 31, 2000

McCain said, adding that he opposed abortion except in cases of rape and incest. He was then asked how he would determine whether someone had in fact been raped. McCain responded, “I think that I would give the benefit of the doubt to the person who alleges that.”
Source: New York Times, p. A17 Jan 25, 2000

McCain was asked how he could be anti-abortion and still vote to support fetal tissue research. He supports fetal-tissue research, McCain said, because it has helped make progress against Parkinson’s disease.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A11 Jan 22, 2000

McCain said, “I’d love to see a point where Roe vs. Wade is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade, which would then force women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.” A spokesman said that McCain “has a 17-year voting record of supporting efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He does that currently, and will continue to do that as president.”
Source: Ron Fournier, Associated Press Aug 24, 1999