McCAIN MORE CONSERVATIVE Than His Image

AP ^ | 4.14.08 | LIBBY QUAID

[rface]

The independent label sticks to John McCain because he antagonizes fellow Republicans and likes to work with Democrats.

But a different label applies to his actual record: conservative.

The likely Republican presidential nominee is much more conservative than voters appear to realize. McCain leans to the right on issue after issue, not just on the Iraq war but also on abortion, gay rights, gun control and other issues that matter to his party's social conservatives.

The four-term Arizona senator, a longtime member of the Armed Services Committee, criticized the earlier handling of the war but has been a crucial ally in President Bush's effort to increase and maintain U.S. forces in Iraq.

Besides the war, McCain agrees broadly with Bush and other conservatives on:

Abortion. McCain promises to appoint judges who, in the mold of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia......

Gay rights. McCain opposes gay marriage. True, he does not support a federal ban on gay marriage on grounds the issue traditionally has been decided by states. But McCain worked to ban gay marriage in Arizona.....

Gun control. McCain voted against a ban on assault-style weapons and for shielding gun-makers and dealers from civil suits.....

Nearly a third of Clinton supporters said they would back McCain if Obama becomes the Democratic nominee, and more than a quarter of Obama supporters said they would back McCain over Clinton......

[Grunthor]

“I am really worried that he may ask Rudy Giuliani to be his running mate.”

I hope that he does.

[Grunthor]

“Could be worse.”

How so?

[EternalVigilance]

Even though I have "bad mouthed" McCain [in order to conform to FR peer pressure] .... deep down inside I love this man..... and I always have.

I love John McCain.

I love John McCain

I think maybe we need a new political label: Stepford Republicans.

The once-normal townspeople have been replaced...

[penowa]

"However with McCain at least he will appoint originalist judges to the Supreme Court."

If I were able to conceive of any way that McCain might appoint some flake like Kennedy or O'Connor, unpredictable swing votes who get it right once in awhile, I would probably be able to hold my nose and vote for him. Unfortunately, the GOP is VERY concerned with having 40 votes in the next Senate to be able to even filibuster some yoyo way to the left of Ginsburg since the Democrats will just keep turning down anyone a Republican president sends until they get someone to their liking who will make Souter look like a conservative.

That's absolutely the easiest promise McCain could make to conservatives because he knows well that even if he tried to nominate someone as conservative as we'd like, they have NO CHANCE of getting through the Democrat Judiciary committee.