Legal Commentary

McCain Means More of the Same

By TChris

The similarities in policy positions between John McCain and President Bush overwhelm the differences. The New York Times has a handy comparison showing a confluence of their beliefs regarding abortion, judicial appointments, continuing the war in Iraq, opposition to habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees, the expansion of executive power, warrantless wiretapping, and the privatization of social security, among other issues.

Some of McCain's positions are politically opportunistic flip-flops, most notably his newfound respect for the Bush tax cuts he once opposed. And there's this:

Mr. McCain says Roe v. Wade "should be overturned," an idea he spoke out against in 1999 ...

As this article observes, "McCain appears to have ceded some of his carefully cultivated reputation as a maverick." No kidding. [more ...]

On health insurance, a signature issue for Democrats in this election:

“In general, they’re much more similar than different,” said Drew Altman, the president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health research group. “In terms of their goals, they’re more focused on making the market more efficient than in expanding coverage.”

On courts, an issue that should be of great concern to all:

Mr. McCain has strongly embraced the judicial philosophy of Mr. Bush and vowed to appoint conservative judges in the mold of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

McCain is marginally better than Bush on the environment (including global warming), although he "missed votes on toughening fuel economy standards and has opposed tax breaks meant to encourage alternative energy." McCain claims to be "angry at the oil companies" because they've failed to invest in alternative energy, but that position is difficult to square with his opposition to a tax policy that would encourage alternative energy development.

McCain is no maverick. The election of McCain in 2008 would condemn the country to four more years of the failed policies that Bush has pursued for the last eight.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 17, 2008 (boomark / email).