McCain’s flourishing flip-flop list

November 20, 2006

Update: This post has been updated, expanded, and broken down by category.

Just to follow-up briefly on Michael’s guest-post from yesterday, Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) new-found opposition to Roe v. Wade is rather remarkable, even for him.

In 1999, McCain was in New Hampshire, campaigning for the GOP nomination as a moderate. He proclaimed himself a pro-life candidate, but told reporters that “in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade.” He explained that overturning Roe would force “women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.” Yesterday, campaigning for the GOP nomination as a conservative, McCain said the opposite.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask one question about abortion. Then I want to turn to Iraq. You’re for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with some exceptions for life and rape and incest.

MCCAIN: Rape, incest and the life of the mother. Yes.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So is President Bush, yet that hasn’t advanced in the six years he’s been in office. What are you going to do to advance a constitutional amendment that President Bush hasn’t done?

MCCAIN: I don’t think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take place, but I do believe that it’s very likely or possible that the Supreme Court should — could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support…. Just as I believe that the issue of gay marriage should be decided by the states, so do I believe that we would be better off by having Roe v. Wade return to the states.

The old McCain didn’t want an amendment and didn’t want Roe overturned. The new McCain completely disagrees with the old McCain.

It’s worth noting that politicians’ opinions on abortion can, and often do, “evolve” over time. Dick Gephardt and Al Gore, for example, both opposed abortion rights before eventually becoming pro-choice. With this in mind, McCain’s unexpected shift may simply reflect yet another pol whose thinking has changed over time.

Or, far more likely, McCain is once again abandoning any pretense of consistency and integrity, and is now willing to say literally anything to win.

Let’s return, once again, to McCain’s flourishing flip-flop list, which is now a Top 11 list.

* McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but has since decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks. (Indeed, McCain has now hired Falwell’s debate coach.)

* McCain used to oppose Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.

* In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

* McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.

* McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.

* McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White House demands.

* McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and won’t back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.

* McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

* McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.

* McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

* And now he’s both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.

It’s not exactly a newsflash that McCain is veering ridiculously to the right in a rather shameless attempt to reinvent himself, but Dems should take advantage of the situation and help establish the narrative now. Despite his rather embarrassing record of late, we still have major media figures telling the public that “no one would accuse McCain of equivocating on anything.”

Now is the time to begin characterizing McCain — accurately — as a man with no principle beliefs. Dems should not only criticize McCain’s constantly evolving opinions on nearly everything, they should openly mock him for it now, so that the storyline becomes second nature (like the GOP did with “serial exaggerator” Al Gore).

The nation is seeing McCain 2.0, and we like the old one better.

If I ever wake up on a Sunday morning, turn on the TV, and not see John McCain, then I shall safely declare half the battle won.

  • 100% correct. Maybe Carville can use his big fat pie hole to do some good instead of harming the Dems. Others as well need to speak up and work something in every time they are on the teevee. Begalia, the idiot who led Gore’s mucked-up 2000 campaign (I think I have erased her name from my memory), and Schecter (who has been spot on recently). Say things like “McCain flips more than the pancakes at IHOP (or hashbrowns at Waffle House, or one of the notorious crashers in NASCAR, or all of the above)” and spit out 3 or 4 different issues each time.

  • Add another filp flop, aweek or so ago McCain was for sending 20000 more troops to Iraq as a final push to suceed and now he states just the opposite. It is not just saying anything to appeal to voters it appears that he is at best confused and at the worst displaying mental unfitness.

  • I really find myself increasingly offended when any male politician discusses abortion without addressing health issues that affect the mother. There ARE valid health-related reasons and anyone who calls for prohibitions on abortion that do not address these issues needs to be called on it.

  • What is with these ex-military men turned politicians? Is it congenital for them to flip-flop?

    And didn’t McCain take questionable campaign contributions from banking crook Charles Keating, and then he “flipped” to vigorously support campaign finance reform. Grover Norquist is against limits on campaign contributions; where does Mr. “Straight-Talk-Express” stand now?

  • I liked McCain (or at least what I saw of him during the run up to the 2000 election.) He wasn’t the typical Repub oaf and had some of the uncommon common sense.

    Now? Not so much.

    Did the 80’s John borrow Marty McFly’s Delorean and move forward some 20 years? The reason I ask is that this John McCain reminds me of the guy who got burned by defending noted scumbag/cheat/liar/hypocrit Charles Keating as a member of the Keating Five.

    If the time machine explanation isn’t there then there is only conclusion that comes out of this.

    The only principle John McCain has is whatever’s good for John McCain.

    Perhaps Karl Rove did America a favor when they questioned his fitness to lead (I sure am these days.)

  • Aren’t #4 and #7 the same thing (backing off of McCain-Feingold)? It sounds better as a Top 10 list anyway.

  • I really find myself increasingly offended when any male politician discusses abortion without addressing health issues that affect the mother.

    Agreed, although I’d take it a bit further and want to hear (from any “pro-lifer” regardless of gender) what steps they have taken to ensure not just the safety of the fetus but the health and quality of life when it stops being an abstract notion and starts crying: Have they advocated for more public funding for childrens’ health care progams? What about health insurance for all – a sick parent can’t care for their child. What about training/education programs for parents so they can get a better job and put food on the table? Stricter child support enforcement laws? The list is endless and of course no one ever has much to say about all of that stuff. Just express opposition to R v W, mouth a few platitudes about how precious life is and away they go.

  • McCain is proof that selling your soul to the devil is not a one-time transaction but a lengthy, on-going negotiation to pawn away things you have for the object of greatest desire. He wants to power of the presidency so bad you can see him mortgaging away everything he has to get it. This nation should be very distrustful of such a man.

  • McCain only sounds halfway sane when he’s compared to the lunatics he stands next to on the Republican side, and that relative differential is the only thing the average American can perceive. But Mr “straight talk” has so many things about him that the wingnuts will hate, it’s hard to picture them getting behind him 100%, and unless the Dems run someone like Hillary, the center will not swing to the Republicans. Two years from now they will still remember that it was a Republican who started the Iraq war, and all the investigations in the meantime will show how he did it, and how the Republican party used the war as a political weapon.

    But hear me now and believe me later, if Pelosi succeeds in promoting corrupt-looking people like Alcee Hastings, we will lose in 2008, maybe to John “flip-flop” McCain.

  • He has a principle belief alright…that he should do anything and everything he can to get elected. I agree 100 % with petorado’s post. He’d probably be willing to sell his kids at this point.

  • I don’t really anticipate to many conservatives challenging McCain’s “flip-flop” on abortion; rather they will characterize it as he has “seen the light.”

  • I am surprise that this article in the NYTimes last Friday didn’t get more attention. It concerns the lesson which McCain learned from the GOP’s mid-term defeat. Here is the lede.

    Senator John McCain said Thursday that Republicans had lost the midterm elections because “we abandoned our principles” on fiscal policy and government restraint, inviting a backlash from Americans over what they saw as widespread hypocrisy.

    You know it doesn’t get more ironic than that. Here are some choice quotes

    “Hypocrisy, my friends, is the most obvious of political sins — and the people will punish it,” said Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona.

    Mr. McCain, speaking here to the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, said the outcome did not represent a rejection of “our values and governing philosophy.”

    “On the contrary, I think they rejected us because they felt we had come to value our incumbency over our principle,” he said. “And partisanship, from both parties, was no longer a contest of ideas, but an ever cruder and uncivil brawl over the spoils of power.

    “Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us,” he said. “We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest.”

  • Terrific post!! I am getting weary of McCain constantly re-positioning himself to appeal to the conservative Republican base, and getting tired of him trying to sound like a military expert where Iraq is concerned. He is in lock-step with the administration no matter how hard he tries to paint himself as an independent thinker. Not to mention his support of the Military Commissions Act; the man (and I credit him for his service to our nation in Vietnam) is a traitor to the Constitution and has no business occupying the White House.

  • This is a conspiricy by Rove and the elite Repubs (read wealthy) to help McCain shot himself in he foot. He is not reaching out to them 1st – but they to him. Trust me, this is meant for Jeb Bush or some other chosen son of the ruling class to make sure that McCain will not be a hinderence in ’08. If I’m right then CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Faux etal will be reporting these ‘changes in position’ just like this post does – if I’m wrong you’ll see the MSM bury or spin these flip-flops.

    Right now he’s being given enough rope to hang himself. He is such a willing idiot though, isn’t he.

    Rudy will be an easy take down too. Newt, no problem. That leaves who for the power hungry goopers to turn to …. Reasonable, good looking, evironmentally friendly, Teri Schiavo purified, tax cut proven, spanish speaking (hispanic freindly), good old boy safe, one of Mel Martines’ BFFs, not stupid (like you know who), brother JEB.

    This has Carl Rove/Barbara Bush written all over it.

    I could be wrong, we’ll see.

  • Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock,
    I’m a little McCain FlipFlop,
    First I’m here, and next I’m there,
    Don’t be confused by my vote getting cares.

    On lobby money I have taken my share,
    Keating 5 was my first foray there,
    Then when outted I changed my stance,
    Now I stand firmly against campaign finance.

    Next on votes I may stand here or there,
    I have a record of voting with Democrats cares,
    In fact you find that I’m quite a rouge,
    You never know where I’ll be when the wind blows.

    Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock,
    I’m a little McCain FlipFlop,
    First I’m here, and next I’m there,
    Don’t be confused by my smoke screen smears.

    And should we disagree, I’ll dig my feet in and put up a fuss,
    I am an angry man with Machiavellian gloves,
    I hit my opponents from the front, then slice them from the rear,
    All the time saying, My Friend, its just politics, not to fear.

    On the Bush Tax Cuts I was against them for years,
    Only 2 republicans voted against them to be clear,
    But now I need votes and I see the error of my ways,
    I am for the Tax Cuts as long as it pays.

    On immigration I stood firmly with the left,
    Free pass to immigration for tax paying illegals seemed to me best,
    But now that Republican votes are my aim,
    I can see more clearly the politics of border control game.
    It may not appear that I have changed my position to support the wall,
    As long as a vote never occurs for my senate immigration proposal.

    Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock,
    I’m a little McCain FlipFlop,
    First I’m here, and next I’m there,
    So don’t be disappointed when you find me courting democrat cares.

  • Expect to see either ticket

    McCain/Leiberman
    or
    MccCain/Bush (Jeb)

    We are being set up again! Beware! McCain has sold his soul. Do not fall for this once again. Rove resigned his position because he’s been working behind the scenes to get this idiot in office. Another puppet just like Georgie Porgie.

  • This should be McCain’s slogan:

    MCCAIN, MCCAIN…MORE OF THE SAME!!
    You’d think that the country would have had enough of George W. Bush. But it looks like the Republicans are going to shoot themselves in the foot again! Better get all of your money out of the banks and hide it under your mattress!

  • With all his flips-flops, McCain probably just figures…
    “If you can’t beat em, join em.”

    He probably finally realized the truth: Honest, forthright people who stick to their convictions do not get elected President.

  • McCain / Rice – that’s why Rice is in Africa with Bush.
    And that’s how they will snag both the african american and female vote.
    eeeek…scary thought….
    what’d he say, he wouldn’t mind 10,000 more years in Iraq !?!

  • This is terrible, Viet Nam Vets against Sen. McCane. What the hell is this all about? Are we playing politics here…I’m appalled and take offense to this bs web site as I’m a D.A.V., Nam 1969-1970. McCane was A COMBAT FIGHTER PIOLT THAT WA SHOT DOWN AND LANDED RIGHT IN THE HANIO RIVER. He was POW for years.

    Forget politics and give due to a great American as McCane was, and continues to be.

  • Sure, he is a great American. He served with honor and should be commended for it. No one in their right minds would fault McCain for anything about ‘Nam. Just like YOUR people would never disparage Mr. Kerry. Right!? Does “Swift Boats for Truth” ring a bell, mister!? – Honestly. I guess Kerry’s problem was that he wasn’t an aviator and was not shot down. What’s with you people anyway? Instead, Kerry was shot at numerous times on a paper thin tim metal boat on the most dangerous river in the world at that time! , but later had the BALLS to actually petition the congress and the public to hopefully bring an end to that war. Probably saving hundreds more lives! — And history, (well; the one that you guys fail to believe) proves that Kerry was spot on in his criticisms of the way the war was headed. Thank you McCain for your service. Now; the rest of the issues we’ll attack you on. And frankly, you deserve it.

  • I am a 50 year old women. I hope I am getting wiser as I see more, read more, and research more as the years pass by. The same can be said for me as you are trying to say about Sen. McCain -I am a FLIP FLOPPER AND PROUD OF IT. When any one does the research on Sen. McCain,they can tell we are looking at a lot of years not just one month or two weeks.

    A proud flip-flopper’s change on some issues:I.E.

    I use to believe in “women’s lib”. I then notice the effect on our nation. Women’s lib was good at first but then it went to far.

    1.When I was in my early twenty’s -I used to think that a career for all women was out of the house, in a nice office and driving a nice car and I had all that. When I was in my early thirty’s -I gave it all up to stay at home and raise my own children. I came to the conclusion that mothers need to go back to raising their children and fathers need to make enough to support their families.

    2.I use to believe that I was a strict democrat. That was when I thought that the democratic party was the only one that cared for the hard working class and family life. As I got wiser I now could be called an independent. I vote for the best person for the job now not the best democrat for the job.

    The list could go on and on just like Sen. McCain’s list does. You do not have a bone here to chew on Sen. Obama!

  • You didn’t flip-flop. You didn’t get wiser.

    You just got old. Just like McCain.

  • McCain is like a box of Cracker Jacks: you just don’t know whats in there.
    Which John McCain would we get if he is elected?
    I guess you have to buy the box to find out.
    As for me, seeing him standing next to Carl Rove was the last straw.

  • wisdom is being able to see that a poliitician who is running for office is just pandering for votes when they flip flop on past issues

  • And now a MAJOR flip flop on the telco immunity scandal – this week he supports upholding the law against the criminals at AT&T, et al . this is in opposition to the administration line that “if we don’t grant them immunity, they won’t break the law next time we ask them to”.

  • John McCain has shown what we all know when someone tells anyone exactly what they want to hear even if that person takes opposite views…He has no morals and can’t be trusted…

    All horrible leaders in history did this from Alexander the Great to the current President who is the worst we’ve ever had…Lying doesn’t do anything, but show self-interest and in McCains case it’s to be President and screw the country…

    Why is he a hero again? Bombing civilians in Vietnam? Or did he save fellow soldiers? Or was it because he was captured and kept a prisoner?

  • (Thomas Bisignani), I am so sorry you are offended that people dare speak against the great war hero and vet Senator McCain

  • TODAY JOHN MCCAIN MADE A 180 DEGREES TURNAROUND ON OFF SHORE DRILLING.HE ALSO CRITICIZE OBAMA ON WINDFALL PROFIT TAX, SOMETHING JUST MONTHS AGO HE STATED IT IS WORTH CONSIDERING. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHICH JOHN MCCAIN IS RUNNING. NEVER SEEN SUCH MANY FLIP FLOPPING!

  • McCain is embarrassing himself in his shameless pandering and flip-flopping. What happened to “The Maverick”
    Is he REALLY that ill-advised that he doesn’t realize that only 20% or so of the American public (the 20% who have been sleeping the last 8 years!) agree with the President? Who is telling him that he needs to play the diametric opposite of any Democratic opponent? What a spectacular train wreck of a campaign—AND I LOVE IT!!!!
    GO OBAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

  • McCain was “against tax cuts for 1% of the population before he was for it.”

    That dog has a familiar howl!

    He should let John Kerry if it’ll hunt for him.

    Oh, and, good luck with that!

  • McCain was “against tax cuts for 1% of the population before he was for it.”

    That dog has a familiar howl!

    He should let John Kerry know if it’ll hunt for him.

    Oh, and, good luck with that!

  • Although John Mccain was a Vietnam Vet, and Pow, I feel for him and all the other men who had to go to vietnam, again for an unjust war, but he is not the only one who was in vietnam and was a prisoner of war, and even today, we have had guys taken by prisoner as well, where is their story, and why are we not talking about them?? John Mccain should not use this to gain votes, as he is “NOT”the only one who has had this happen to him, but I guess because he is a senator, this gives him the right to try to have everyone feel sorry for him. Remember America, John Mccain may be a war hero, but we also have guys comming back from Iraq, who have been prisoner, and also have come back with no limbs as well!
    John Mccain story, is just ONE OF MANY,from ww2, to vietnam,iraq..lets not forget them!

  • I respect the fact that he was a prisoner of war who managed to come back alive instead of being brought back in a box. Having said that, however, his military experience in no way qualifies him to be a president. In addition, he was in the military at a time when most–if not all–men who fought were drafted.

    One would think he had learned something about the fact that national security involves diplomacy as well as military might. Might alone didn’t help us much in Vietnam. His flip flops, particularly on the issues of diplomacy (which he has
    labeled as appeasement) and the approval of torturing the detainees, are profoundly disturbing.

    Despite the media’s willingness to give him a pass on things that neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama would get, he is anything but a “maverick.” These flip flops–as well as denying things he said 2 or 3 days earlier (captured on You Tube and in print)–speak volumes about the type of leadeship he has to offer. Just like
    GW Bush, he offers what someone once referred to as “chest-thumping self-righteousness” as a way to deal with countries the U.S. doesn’t like.

    One thing about him IS consistent. He has a record of having voted with the
    incompetent GW Bush on the issues at least 95% of the time. And we know
    how 8 years of that has been.

  • I like this except for the closing remark. WE should all be up in arms about McCain’s inconsitancy. Because even as a conservative (not republican), I cannot allow myself to vote for McCain and I don’t want to vote for Obama.

    I really don’t feel like I, or anyone else in this country for that matter, has a real choice this year. The American people need to realize that their being played.

  • How about Obama FlipFlopping also?

    He flipped on FISA, the second amendment, gay marriage, Iran, Iraq, welfare reform, NAFTA, and the list goes on.

    Obama has a list of flip-flops that would destroy most candidates. The media would be all over this if it were a Republican. However, since Obama is their golden boy they paint the picture as “re-calibrating” his thoughts, and simply tacking to the center. Hopefully America can see through the media’s spin to the truth that Obama is just another politician. There is nothing new about his politics, except perhaps the audacity of their transparency.

    You people are retarded and need to learn to think for yourselves, use multiple sources to get information ect. It’s just like the majority of stupid Americans to believe what teachers, the government, and/or misguided parents.

    The only way to a better America is to have someone that thinks for themselves and doesn’t give in to the pressure (rethinking/reanalyzing is one thing) or to change views because someone/group wants you to (jump on the bandwagon).

    You all here seem to hate Bush and McCain and love Obama. Bush at least stood by his choices as President (right or wrong give his ass credit for that). Clinton was even an evil bastard that manipulated the system (hired people to do his dirty work for him) but he to stood by his beliefs. McCain has been known to change positions (but he’s a politician and has been doing it for numerous years and can be expected to become corrupted sooner or later). Obama has been in for a short time (unknown to most until the Democratic race started) and has already become corrupted and changed his views drastically.

    I just hope everyone wises up and stops complaining about this and that and actually STANDS UP to fight against the corruption that holds onto the Government (even worse is that private organization the Central Bank also called the Federal Reserve who get to pass off most there wrong doings to the government ie, GAS PRICES, do reasearch on whos actually trading oil on wall street and how much oil is in reserve in Kuwait and Saudi). Realize you are being PLAYED hardcore like pawns. The presidency, congress, is nothing but a personal agenda to make connections and money nothing more anymore it seems.

    So who’s the right choice in my opinion out of anyone ELIGABLE for President (even wrote in). No one. Every president has become corrupted and manipulated. The people don’t have a voice, only the rich. Realize this please. We do need change, a change in how our Government is run.

    Quick sidenote, global warming is super bs believed by to many. Second hand smoke causing cancer has a flipflop sound even on the American Lung Association website.

    As always,
    I’m proud to serve and protect every Americans right of freedom (or are we free?)

  • Another site that preceded my ’08 Sen. McF-Flop site. I never wanted to believe he was so well-known (i just couldnt say, “popular”) beyond AZ & VietNam.
    Walt

  • In response to BO13 I have drawn the conclusion that you just don’t like Obama because of who he is not for what he stands for. You just can’t see yourself voting for him because of that. Then on the other hand you are so desparately disappointed in the Republican alternative that you have become entirely disenchanted with the whole process. You don’t even want to give Obama an opportunity to fullfill his promises, and I think for obvious reasons.

    You know in your heart of hearts that John ‘the expedient’ McCain is so out of touch even with his own beliefs, e.g., his stance on gay marriages which he postulated one position then eleven minutes later changed his position right in front of our eyes on national T.V., or the McCain/Feingold initative that he co-sponserd but will not sign. What kind of madness is that? Don’t think that because you stay away from your polling place that will affect the outcome of this election because it won’t.

    I, for the first time in thirty years, am going to register to vote this year. Not because Obama is running and Oh Boy finally a black man because actually I would have voted for Hillary. I just wanted to get these untrustwhorty republicans out of the White House My reason is simple, we as citizens cannot afford another out-of-touch republican in office for another four more years. Look at the lack of leadership GW Bush has provided, who by the way I believe had a lot do with 911. That C/D student has embroiled the nation into a war based on lies and distortions, and we all bought into them like blind-ass sheep. Now, we are so psychologically conditioned we won’t even examine the truth which is staring us right in the face. We just follow along like mindless idiots with hapless stupified silly grins on our faces. So puting someone like John ‘the expedient’ McCain into office is like asking for a double fudge ass whipping. I just can’t see it.

    So go ahead, let this old senile double-mined, flip floppin, I’m in I’m out, I’m for this I’m not for this John ‘the expedient’ McCain win the election. But, don’t complain about our sorry state of affairs economically or internationally when this senile priate is finished, because this guy doesn’t know his ass from his front.

    Don’t be a coward, do something that is completely out of character and vote for someone you normally wouldn’t. What really do you have to lose? Get involved in another war of greater magnitude or sink the economy into a worse condition than GW has or as McCain who admittedly doesn’t know much about the economy would? If you don’t believe me just ask his chief financial advisor Sen Grimm who thinks we are a bunch of whinners. A real sensitive guy. Hell if he doesn’t fullfill his promises just vote him out but don’t just sit there on your bigoted ass and let us go through another four years of an out of touch republican who really doesn’t give a damn about us as evidenced by Katrina.

  • Get your facts straight on the tax vote. McCain has publicly stated he would be for the tax cut only if there is a similar cut in government spending. I commend him for looking at the economic big picture despite the people who want to bash him on his comment “I know less about economic issues than I know about the military”. They twist it to say “I don’t know anything about economics”. He is in favor of it today because you can’t raise taxes in a recessionary period. Again, good economic strategy. What is Obama’s tax strategy, raise taxes of which Forbes Magazine has calculated will drive the deficit over $1 trillion dollars. I don’t know Obama and have to make my opinions based on voting record, bills authored, and who do you associate with. My feeling of Obama is this, “do as I say, not as I do”. He touts to be a unifier and has done nothing in his extremely short legislative career to reach across the aisle. Conservatives are critical of McCain because he did. Why didn’t he suggest faith based in the Democratic primary? He is driven to do what is neccessary to get elected. He is no different than many other politicians but he is the one promoting change. Why didn’t he implement this great idea of change while he was a senator and state congressman? Obama: give me your strategies and not sound bites.

  • McCain’s flip-flops pale in comparison to the Flip-flop-flip-flop sounds Obama is making all over the country and the world. His opinion changes for every different group he speaks to. That isn’t evolving into NEW thinking over time, that is saying whatever he thinks each group wants to hear….will the REAL Barrack Obama please stand up!

  • McCain is outraged that Obama would dare imply he would use race against him…
    so he spends the next 5 days of news using race against Obama!!!!

    And half the damn country still doesn’t realize their being f****d by the GOP!

    The movie Idiocracy is totally true and those morons deserve the government they get.

    Exactly how bad does it have to get before people get it through their skulls that they’re being played???

  • Interesting to note that “Google suggest” automatically lists “McCain” as one of the next words after “flip flop”. Perhaps it’s a new nickname for Mr. McCain: “Flip Flop McCain?”

  • McCain’s opportunism shows in the timing of his changes in political position. He began with an over 80% conservative rating but by the time he ran against Bush as a moderate he was down to 51% in 2004. Now he’s back to having one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate and has sucked up to Bush as much as he could to get the nomination. He has flipped on tax breaks for the rich, abortion, gun control, immigration, campaign finance reform and other issues too numerous to keep track of. The men he once castigated as villains for their dirty campaign tactics against him (who he once said deserved a special place in hell) ) are now welcome as advisors and aides. Karl Rove is now praised for his wisdom. Men he called agents of intolerance such as Jerry Falwell are now worth the courting. And he would rather try to win on phony issues like Obama’s supposed elitism than discuss real issues. One thing he’s consistent about: voting with big business and industry and against the interests of the working class

  • One more!

    McCain proposed a cigarette tax in the late 90’s.

    In 2007 he voted against SCHIP because it contained a cigarette tax. He even feigned confusion on the idea.

    Can someone schedule a debate between John McCain 1998 vs John McCain 2008 ?

  • You have listed 11 flip-flops on McCain – I have found over 40 for Obama. This last one on the cigarette tax is ridiculous. You are citing bills that were 10 years apart! Don’t you think it’s possible those 2 bills were different and included lots of other things in them that he may have objected to? Bills are NEVER just one topic, they have lots of little tag-ons included in them. And if we’re truly talking about flip-flops- let’s be fair here. Obama wins the prize in this category – he says whatever his audience wants to hear. He has proclaimed one thing, just to exactly reverse it within weeks, sometimes even within days. So, do your homework before you call McCain a flip-flopper because you’ll get people looking up all of Obama’s flip-flops and Obama has definitely been the worst offender.

    Also, the next time you listen to one of Obama’s skillful speeches, really LISTEN to what he’s saying, not just HOW he’s saying it. I think you’ll be mighty surprised. He is sounding ALOT like George Bush…supporting most of Bush’s policies. Isn’t that a far cry from the policies he used to support in the Primaries?

    http://election2008bank.blogspot.com

  • And, if we want to look at “bad associations” let’s look at the people Obama has chosen to surround himself with, terrorists Bill Ayers and friends, Pastor Wright, who clearly thinks the US is the most evil country in the world (and that means all of us – we ARE the country), Tony Rezko who helped Obama with campaign donations to get him into the Senate and who has since been convicted for his wrongdoings in paying money to politicians to have an “in” in government contracts – and we probably haven’t heard this end of this story of corruption yet since he and Obama were budy-buddy over a 15 year period of time. And the list goes on, take a look around, you’ll find lots more.

    Voting should be an educated decision on who would be the strongest leader for America, not “I like this person or that person, he makes me FEEL better.” or he gives a great speech. Let’s THINK here and take our emotions out of the equation.
    We don’t have the best choices this time around, but there really is NO choice, Barack Obama shouldn’t even an option – he’s too inexperienced which shows by his flip flops on Gun Control, the Iraq War, Immigration, Abortion, NAFTA, Welfare, Iran, Off-shore drilling, public finance reform, the Cuban embargo, an undivided Jerusalem, taking money from PACS and special interest groups, Missile defense, the PAYGO law, FISA, the Patriot Act, decriminalizing marijuana, school vouchers, death penalty for Osama Bin Laden, Town Hall Meetings, cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, I can keep going….Obama has NO core beliefs or principals that he will stick to…he’s a feather in the wind. That is dangerous for America and dangerous for us, we need a strong leader who has an opinion he won’t change tomorrow.

  • I always find it interesting that supporters of the Bush-McCain-Cheney triumvirate can’t resist calling non-supporters names. Let’s talk about a flip flop that is far more serious…Just this week. McCain acknowledged to a citizen questioner at a town hall type meeting that he could not disagree that the draft would have to be reinstated in order to supply all of the troops needed in Iraq (at last until 2011 when Bush’s negotiated timeline, which Obama was so excoriated by McCain as unpatriotic), Afghanistan and lord only what other hot-tempered McCain might get us into. Look gain at his facial and vocal expressions as he threatened Russia in relation to its invasion of Georgia.

    Incidentally, has anyone taken note of what plans the Shia controlled Iraq has for the Sunni Awakening troops that have provided so much assistance to US troops? To wipe them out…now ask yourselves about the worth the “democracy” we have lost 4,400 lives and billions of dollars over.

    Oh and continue to enjoy $4.00 gas and serious economic difficulties resulting from that fiasco…during which time Iraq has accumulated $80Billion in surpluses. And even though we know this,we have made no effort to stop hemhoraging dollars to their rebuilding. Any one want to take bets on how long after we leave that Iraq aligns itself with Iran and begins not only more ethnic cleansing but threats against Israel.

    I am not a believer in sticking to decisions and beliefs when you have seen that you are wrong. That is what is the matter with lots of the Bush policies supported by McCain. Frankly I am getting increasingly concerned that the slips of memory are examples of dementia so visible in Reagans last term. As a psychologist, I can show you the similarities. And having graduated 894 out of 899, he isn’t starting with a full deck anyway. If you doubt the Reagan remark, (1) check on the date they ackowledged his illness (2) Google Reagan and dementia and compare to recent gaffs.

    Lastly, there is absolutely no support for the statement that Obama gave ny favors to Rezco or that he was in any way aware of his illegal activities. This contrasts quite sharply with McCains seeking the support of ministers blaming non evangelical’s with 9-11 and worse. And how about the money donated to Bush by the Enron crew and being used as part of the development team hosted by Cheney AFTER they had been acknowledged as part of of the worst cases of corporate greed and illegal activities. I’m not an apologist for Rezco but he was t.he conduit for donation of perfectly legal donations of other people and ta huge amount at that. Besides, Obama returned it.

    As for taxation. McCain stated only yesterday that to make way for the billions needed for the wars, he was supporting the principle that the tax deduction for interest we now have…who but the middle class will suffer with that one. Hey don’t get mad at me…I didn’t say it…he did.

    I think that rather just accepting the slander in the McCain ad’s you need to spend some time really reading McCain’s record. It is not hard to find on line.

    Oh I know, I know..,.,he’s a hero. Well. while I’m happy he survived the Vietnam war, heroism suggests a personal sacrifice for the sake of others.
    He was shot down in what was the most unprecedentedly bloody and disputed war in our history…he didn’t help any one to escape at cost to himself and in fact was openly hostile and critical of many of his fellow captives. Besides that is 40 years ago and has nothing to do with what it takes to make good judgements today.

    The facts simply don.t support a vote for any who its part of this administration or the Republican majority (for most of the last 8 years anyway) so it is time to confront your own motivations. Obama is biracial and it is scary to have to admit there is still a vestige of racial uncertainty or even bigotry. But we’ll never lose it if we continue to fool ourselves by trumping up what in many cases are outright lies about Obama.

  • Wow 40 Obama flip-flops? And you list not a single one? Some people here
    believe political attack ads without any critical thought what so ever.

    To the 50 year old lady who wants to see a father earn enough to support a family with a stay-at-home mom, that used to be possible before Reagan/Bush/Bush destroyed the middle class. When we had a progressive tax system and (ghasp) Democrats in the White House we got out of the Republican Great Depression, beat the Nazis and had decades of peace and prosperity.

    Now we have war-by-choice, record outsourcing, record deficits, and a record gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country. We have much larger government and our rights have been eroded. If you want more of that, vote McCain.

    If anyone is about “feeling better” it’s conservatives. All the lapel pins in the world aren’t going to get us out of the recession we’ve been in or solve the housing crisis that McCain’s top adviser got us in.

    Obama is the better choice, not because he’s black or he’s “the messiah” or anything like that– it’s because policies make sense and McCiain’s (if you can figure out what they are at a given moment) don’t.

    And besides getting shot down and captured, what leadership experience does McCain have over Obama?

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