Thursday, October 9, 2008

McCain on Issues

This is where John McCain stands on the issues.

*Abortion: McCain opposes abortion with exceptions for incest and rape, but doesn’t feel that a constitutional amendment will happen.

*Civil Rights: McCain generally supports civil rights and supports affirmative action for specific programs, but without quotas. He is also a long-time advocate Native American rights.

*Corporations/Regulation: McCain opposes “corporate welfare” and feels we should close corporate loopholes and veto pork-barrel spending.

*Crime & Punishment: McCain believes there should be more community policing, that there should be stricter sentencing and more prisons. He also feels that judges have limited scope under the Constitution and that we have enough hate crime legislation.

*Drug Policy: McCain supports stricter enforcement of stricter penalties for drug crimes. He advocates prevention and education and public/private partnerships for treatment. “I can’t support the legalization of marijuana. … It is a gateway drug.

*Education: McCain supports rewarding good schools and advocates charter schools, as well s allowing the states to decide on school vouchers programs. He’s against nationally imposed standards for funding and feels that such programs penalize students.

*Energy Policy: McCain believes that oil profits should be reinvested in nuclear power. He feels we should develop alternative fuels and strengthen emission controls, but does not support the Kyoto Protocol. He has changed his position on ethanol, feeling it now “makes sense”. (Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol is the International Framework on which the reduction of greenhouse gases is used in an effort to prevent anthropogenic climate change.)

*Family Values: Supports housing for low-income families, flex-time and family leave, tax incentives for college savings, and parental involvement in children’s media consumption.

*Foreign Policy: McCain advocates overthrowing “rogue governments” and “assertive multilateralism”. He believes in engaging with China, urging political reform, but no diplomatic or trade relations with Cuba. He feels it is naïve to exclude nuclear weapons as a tool of diplomacy .

*Gun Control: McCain feels we should prosecute criminals “rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens”. He opposes holding firearm manufacturers liable for gun violence as well as opposing restrictions on assault weapons. He supports safety lock mandates.

*Immigration: McCain believes in giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship, arguing that 14 million illegal aliens is “de facto amnesty”. He advocates fines, waiting periods, and deportation depending on circumstances. He feels that comprehensive reform starts with border security.

*Jobs & Unemployment: McCain is not a strong advocate for unionization, but feels we must protect small farmers. (More)

*LGBT Rights (Gay & Lesbian): McCain feels that gay marriage should be left to the states and that the “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” policy is working and should be kept in place.

*National Security: McCain strongly opposes the use of torture and rendition. He argues that the military’s political leaders should have a military background and that a Commander in Chief needs experience more than briefing books. (Rendition (law), a legal term meaning "handing over")

*Oversight & Reform: McCain has been a leading proponent of campaign finance reform and advocates restricting PACs, lobbyists, and special interest groups and banning corporate and union contributions to end the “influence-peddling scheme”.

More on the next post...

sources:
http://www.issue2008.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
Website: www.JohnMcCain.com
http://www.issue2008.com/campaign/candidates/john-mccain-candidates/

1 comment:

PoliticsJarginToday said...

*Social Security: McCain feels that there should be the individual option to invest Social Security funds and seems flexible on raising the cap on payroll tax. He believes that the trust fund should not be used for any “emergency spending”.

*Stem Cell research: McCain supports federal funding of stem cell research. “This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering.”

*Tax Policy: McCain opposed the Bush administration tax cuts, but now feels they must be extended. He feels that the tax system should be simplified, closing special interest loopholes, and that the child tax credit should be doubled. He also advocates removing the charitable deduction.

*Technology/Infrastructure: McCain believes that the “digital divide” requires tax credits for teacher training and equipment. He opposes a sales tax on the internet and believes that more government documents should be available.

*“War on Terror” & Iraq: The “McCain Principle” is that committing troops means completing the mission. He believes that the “war on terror” is the overriding, transcendent issue of the campaign - and that it is a war we must fight and win. “It’s a fight between a just regard for human dignity.

*Budget & Spending: McCain believes we should drastically cut government spending and eliminate all pork-barrel bills. He supports a Balanced Budget Amendment.

*Environment: McCain believes in the preservation of our natural resources and the development of our national Parks. In terms of pollutants, he feels we should focus on results, not regulation. “America’s economic and environmental interests are not mutually exclusive."

*Trade & Globalization: McCain endorses free trade and supports NAFTA, the GATT agreement, and US membership in the WTO and favors trade treaties over protectionism. “I would negotiate a free trade agreement with almost any country willing to negotiate fairly with us."

*Welfare & Poverty: McCain supports block grants and welfare-to-work programs. He also supports poverty programs being shared between government and faith-based organizations.

Source:
http://www.issue2008.com/campaign/candidates/john-mccain-candidates/