McCain's Legislative Record

When considering who to vote for, it is necessary to consider not only a candidate's positions, but his record. While believing something in theory is fine, just as important is what a candidate would actually do about it. The best indication that we have of this is what he has done in the past.

Senator John McCain has been a legislator for many years, and has a long record. He has sponsored a number of bills that deserve close examination. McCain's bills are always cosponsored with a liberal Democrat such as Ted Kennedy, John Edwards, Russ Feingold, and Joe Lieberman. Also, McCain's name is always listed first.

There is McCain-Feingold, the campaign finance reform act. This bill significantly restricted political speech, specifically the ability of people to lobby their government. Advertisements that ask people to contact their representatives near an election were banned.

There was McCain-Kennedy, the massive amnesty proposal that was defeated in 2006 and 2007. This bill would have given amnesty to almost all illegal aliens, massively increased government welfare spending, increased national disunity, increased the threat of terrorism, increased crime, and more.

There was McCain-Kennedy-Edwards, the so-called Patients Bill of Rights, which would increase government regulation of health care and make lawsuits against hospitals and doctors much easier (not surprising given the involvement of trial lawyer John Edwards).

There was McCain-Lieberman, a bill that would have imposed so many regulations on gun shows that it would have effectively banned them, according to the NRA.

There was the other McCain-Lieberman, which would have imposed global warming regulations that would have cost America $76 billion annually.

In addition, there is the recent revelation from Senator Rick Santorum that McCain actively opposed allowing social conservative measures to have votes in the Senate.

"And then on the issue of, on social conservative issues, you point to me one time John McCain every took the floor of the United States Senate to talk about a social conservative issue. It never happened. I mean, this is a guy who says he believes in these things, but I can tell you, inside the room, when we were in these meetings, there was nobody who fought harder not to have these votes before the United States Senate on some of the most important social conservative issues, whether it’s marriage or abortion or the like. He always fought against us to even bring them up, because he was uncomfortable voting for them. So I mean, this is just not a guy I think in the end that washes with the mainstream of the Republican Party."

While McCain is one of a hundred senators, as President he would have a lot of power to thwart such legislation behind the scenes provided that Republicans ever retake Congress.

There's nothing wrong with working with Democrats if the legislation is beneficial. But McCain's legislative efforts have consistently aided liberalism.