Let’s Be Reasonable About John McCain:
Why
Conservatives Should Support the Republican Nominee
Michael T. Griffith
April 18, 2008
No, John McCain was not my first pick among the Republican candidates. However, I believe his
voting record shows that all Republican and independent conservatives and moderates should support
him. As we read this, let's ask ourselves if Obama or Hillary would even come close to McCain’s voting
record and positions. Again, McCain was not my first pick, and I agree there are some black marks on
his record. But, his voting record also proves he'd be a substantial improvement over Obama or Hillary.
After we’ve looked at McCain’s voting record, we’ll consider what leading conservatives who know McCain
well have said about him. First, McCain’s record.
McCAIN’S CONSERVATIVE VOTING
RECORD
Gun Control
Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
Voted YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
Voted YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Voted YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Tax Reform
Voted YES on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax. (Mar 2007)
Voted YES on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million. (Mar 2007)
Voted YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts. (Aug 2006)
Voted YES on permanently repealing the death tax. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends. (Feb 2006)
Voted YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates. (May 2001)
Voted NO on increasing tax deductions for college tuition. (May 2001)
Voted YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty'. (Jul 2000)
Voted YES on phasing out the death tax. (Jul 2000)
Voted YES on Taxpayer Refund Act of 1999 to provide $800 billion in tax cuts (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes. (Apr 1998)
Rated 72% by National Taxpayers Union, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes. (Dec 2003)
Consistently high ratings, ranging from 80% to 94%, from Citizens Against Government Waste
Pledges to make the Bush tax cuts permanent
Favors limiting the capital gains tax and the death tax to 15%
Pledges to oppose all tax increases
Abortion
Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)
Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
Rated 0% by pro-abortion groups NARAL and Planned Parenthood
Rated 75% by pro-life group National Right to Life Committee
Budget and Economy
Voted YES on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)
Voted YES on Pay As You Go Amendment to prohibit deficit spending (Nov 2005)
Voted NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts. (Apr 2000)
Voted YES on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)
Voted YES on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment. (Mar 1997)
Civil Rights
Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
Voted YES on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted YES on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. (Jul 1995)
Supports amendment to protect American flag from desecration. (Mar 2001)
Crime
Voted YES on limiting death penalty appeals. (Apr 1996)
Voted YES on limiting product liability punitive damage awards. (Mar 1996)
Voted YES on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms. (May 1994)
Voted YES on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals. (May 1994)
Pro-death penalty; more prisons; increased penalties. (Jul 1998)
Education
Voted YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools. (May 1999)
Voted YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted NO on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Teaching creationism should be decided by school districts. (Jun 2007)
Opposes nationally imposed standards & funding strings. (Feb 2000)
Teach virtues in all schools. (Dec 1999)
Enlist retirees for tutoring. (Nov 1999)
Good teachers should earn more than bad lawyers. (Oct 1999)
Consistently low ratings from the liberal National Education Association.
Energy and Oil
Voted NO on $3.1 billion for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
Voted YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
Voted YES on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)
Voted YES on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
Families and Children
Voted YES on Defense of Marriage Act. (Sep 1996)
Unfiltered Internet robs our children of their innocence. (Dec 1999)
Parents should be active in media kids are exposed to. (Jul 1999)
Label violent media products like we label cigarettes. (Jun 1999)
Media Responsibility Act requires video & music labeling. (Jun 1999)
Violence in media caused
Rated 83% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Government Reform
Voted NO on
granting the
Voted YES on requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections. (Jul 2007)
Voted YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on require photo ID (not just signature) for voter registration. (Feb 2002)
Voted YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations. (Apr 2001)
Voted NO on funding for National Endowment for the Arts. (Aug 1999)
Voted YES on Approving the presidential line-item veto. (Mar 1996)
Voted YES on Social Security Earnings Cap. (Mar 2000)
Health Care
Voted NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D. (Feb 2006)
Voted YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on
allowing reimportation of Rx drugs from
Voted NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare. (Jun 2000)
Voted NO on blocking medical savings acounts. (Apr 1996)
Tax credits for those without employee health insurance. (May 2002)
Tax deduction for long-term care insurance. (May 2002)
Opposes nationalized health care and socialized medicine.
Defense
Voted NO on
preserving habeus corpus for
Voted NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)
Voted NO on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP. (Mar 1999)
Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty. (Jun 1996)
Long history of supporting military pay raises.
Long history of voting for veterans funding.
High ratings from the American Security Council, a conservative national security policy group.
Immigration
Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
Voted YES on limit for welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)
Jobs
Voted NO on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on
repealing
Voted YES on allowing workers to choose between overtime & comp-time. (May 1997)
Voted YES on replacing farm price supports. (Feb 1996)
Judges
Voted YES on confirming Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice. (Jan 2006)
Voted YES on confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (Sep 2005)
Pledges to appoint judges like Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court.
Social Security
Voted YES on Social Security Lockbox & limiting national debt. (Apr 1999)
Voted YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees. (May 1998)
Voted YES on allowing personal retirement accounts. (Apr 1998)
Voted YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes. (May 1996)
Welfare and Poverty
Voted YES on welfare block grants. (Aug 1996)
Voted YES on welfare reform. (Sep 1995)
Now, by any objective measurement, this is not the voting record of a liberal or even of a moderate.
It's a voting record of someone who is fairly conservative on most issues.
STATEMENTS BY CONSERVATIVES WHO
KNOW McCAIN WELL
Now let’s consider what conservatives who know McCain well have said about him.
Sen. Sam Brownback:
I am convinced that John McCain is our best hope to advance the cause of human dignity
on a broad spectrum of life issues. He is a true American hero, a consistent social and fiscal
conservative, and most ready to be commander-in-chief. Perhaps most important, however,
John McCain is the best pro-life candidate to win in 2008.
Sen. McCain has a long, consistent 24-year pro-life voting record. Long before he decided
to run for president, John McCain opposed abortion, fought to restrict it and supported
overturning Roe v. Wade. He is no Johnny-come-lately to the cause.
(http://ncregister.com/site/article/7967/; see also http://www.catholicdigest.com/article/brownback)
Jack Kemp:
I am proud to support John McCain for president. John McCain is the only candidate
who can be trusted to cut taxes, eliminate wasteful spending and enact conservative pro-growth
policies
to expand the economy. John McCain is
the best choice to lead
more prosperous and secure future.
(http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/news/PressReleases/7e02e206-05be-4760-a2b1-e89dd73e32eb.htm)
Sen. Jon Kyl:
At a time when our country is facing significant challenges across the globe, it is imperative that
our nation is led by a tested, experienced, and principled leader.
(http://blog.4president.org/2008/2007/02/jon_kyl_to_chai.html)
Other conservative endorsements:
Congressman Chip Pickering:
In reality, John McCain is a true conservative and his words, votes, actions, and record in the Senate
reflect that conservatism. He built a legacy of fiscal restraint by gutting pork barrel spending, cutting
government waste, and opposing excessive spending. He is a budget hawk and balanced budget advocate.
He opposes raising taxes. He will return our party to the smaller government, lower spending policies
advocated by leaders like former President Ronald Reagan that were lacking in the previous election.
John McCain has a 24-year pro-life record; he supports a reversal of Roe v. Wade. He believes in the
traditional meaning of marriage: a union of one man and one woman. He opposes gay marriage and believes
no state should be required to recognize another state’s definition of marriage. He supports school choice;
he supports our Second Amendment rights; he believes faith has a public role in our nation.
As Democrats filibustered President George W. Bush's judicial nominees, John McCain brought leadership
to the Senate. His strategy with the Gang of 14 paved the way for the approval of John Roberts and
Sam Alito to the
Supreme Court of the
State Representative Maureen Mooney
(
Whether it is his 25 year voting record in support of life, his strong support for the Second Amendment,
or his commitment to the preservation of the traditional family, John McCain has always stood firm for the
causes
most important to
No, John McCain is not the perfect conservative, but he is conservative on most issues, and he would be far, far
better than Obama or Hillary on key issues like taxes, spending, pork-barrel waste, judges, national defense,
socialized medicine, gun control, and nuclear power.