John McCain -- 61 Flip-Flops and Counting

John McCain -- 61 Flip-Flops and Counting

www.alternet.org

Editor's Note: Writer Steve Benen has graciously compiled a comprehensive tally of John McCain's flip-flops on issues ranging from national security to energy. The following is Benen's list of 61 clear 180-degree switches by McCain on the biggest issues of the day.

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush's warrantless wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even "terrible killers," "the worst kind of scum of humanity," and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, "deserve to have some adjudication of their cases," even if that means "releasing some of them." McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."

4. In February, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain favored closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with Predators, McCain criticized him for it. He's since come to the opposite conclusion.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Flippity flp flippity flop after awhile one john looks just like another john.

Why does anyone think that a politican is incapable of changing their mind and that to do so somehow disqualifies them to be president is beyond me... we have already had one inflexible idiot and we're trying to get rid of him.

Nonetheless Mr. McCain tauts his consistancy as one of his qualifications and that really in just asking for it... especially given his tendency of ballfaced lying about it.

Anyway there are 55 more flippity flops here for your weekend enjoyment.

www.alternet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

i can't believe we have 800 threads on how terrible obama is and yet people tend to just overlook mcCain. this man is a raving lunatic. and granted i'm a republican----granted a ron paul republican. i absolutely loath and can't stand mcCain-------am i the only one that can see what a fraud and liar he is-----and that he doesn't even know the issues or what he believes-----he gets so thgoroughly lost on questions--it's pathetic.

i can see him being just as evil and terrible as bush


also---i can see why obama isn't pro-nuclear----there's still all the nuclear waste----why consider nuclear when we have wind, solar and hydroelectric, which looks real promising and few drawbacks

i saw a statement-----there is enuff wind power in north and south dakota alone to power almost half our energy needs------well what our we waiting for---lets but 1 billion into wind power----it will obviously be cheaper in the long run and supposedly renewable so why not---what's the hold up----we are certainly gonna spend another billion on oil right??????let's go,,take a chance ,,,,dare to succeed and maybe fail to---but at least try


of course the fact all we do,,,(politicians) is talk and never action----shows me how corrupt and in bed with big corporate our gov't is

thanks for letting me rant!!!!!!


also thanks for the link and thread i'm adding it to my favorites entitled McQuack

This thread isnt about Obama so it wont get much attention...McCain has serously lost it. Hopefully the masses will realize McCains true colors.

reply to post by grover

Sorry, but this list is not factually correct and frankly, the author is intentionally being disingenuous.

For example, let's take item four regarding waterboarding since I was reading about this yesterday. The author of this list is incorrect or purposefully being disingenuous. The article the author had a link to actually came to a different conclusion than the author of the list.
Here are a few quotes from the linked story:

A review of the record shows that McCain has neither changed his position on torture nor taken sides with President Bush on the substance of the issue.

Despite the claims of some partisans, McCain's decision was not a flip-flop, but rather the continuation of a position he took in 2005 when he first championed a bill to restrict the Bush Administration's ability to mistreat detainees.

Those were quotes directly from the linked article the author of the list provided. This is crazy, because it proves McCain did NOT flip-flop yet the author of the list ignored it and just made up his own findings.

Instead of again spewing liberal propaganda, perhaps try doing a little research on your own instead of relying on the opinion of some liberal political hack.

If this first item I looked at on the list is false and purposefully disingenuous, I have no doubt that the entire list is dubious at best. Because of this I'm fairly confident the entire list is bogus and is nothing more than liberal propaganda being spewed by a liberal political hack. The sad and pathetic thing is that some here on ATS will take it as truth and actually believe this garbage. Double Thumbs down for intentionally being disingenuous and attempting to mislead the readers.

reply to post by grover

Sorry, but this list is not factually correct and frankly, the author is intentionally being disingenuous.

For example, let's take item four regarding waterboarding since I was reading about this yesterday. The author of this list is incorrect or purposefully being disingenuous. The article the author had a link to actually came to a different conclusion than the author of the list.
Here are a few quotes from the linked story:

A review of the record shows that McCain has neither changed his position on torture nor taken sides with President Bush on the substance of the issue.

Despite the claims of some partisans, McCain's decision was not a flip-flop, but rather the continuation of a position he took in 2005 when he first championed a bill to restrict the Bush Administration's ability to mistreat detainees.

Those were quotes directly from the linked article the author of the list provided. This is crazy, because it proves McCain did NOT flip-flop yet the author of the list ignored it and just made up his own findings.

Instead of again spewing liberal propaganda, perhaps try doing a little research on your own instead of relying on the opinion of some liberal political hack.

If this first item I looked at on the list is false and purposefully disingenuous, I have no doubt that the entire list is dubious at best. Because of this I'm fairly confident the entire list is bogus and is nothing more than liberal propaganda being spewed by a liberal political hack. The sad and pathetic thing is that some here on ATS will take it as truth and actually believe this garbage. Double Thumbs down for intentionally being disingenuous and attempting to mislead the readers.

Why is it many Obama supporters have a Dog for an Avitar?

The list is meant to project Obama's criticisms onto McCain. It won't divert the fact that Obama recently voted for wire-tapping, changed stance on Iraq war, backed out of public funding etc.

Obama talks the talk but
McCain HAS walked the walk

reply to post by WhatTheory

Why is it you only complain about possible inconsistencies when it benefits your candidate? Why don't we see you complaining about the obvious "disingenuous" anti-Obama threads?

Your words carry the weight of your transparency.

There is no question that McCain has changed his views. For what reason, even escapes me. I used to like him before the 2000 election, but he is not the same. Maybe none of us are.

Originally posted by TheInformer
This thread isnt about Obama so it wont get much attention...McCain has serously lost it. Hopefully the masses will realize McCains true colors.

Of course, the PTB behind the Throne are going to get McCain levered in, even though he could be the poster child for Alzheimer's...The kind of President they want to have in Office is one who doesn't even remember what he does from week to week.

I also notice that WhatTheory only mentions one point in the list...Got the research & evidence to also back up the other 60 points that you seem to disagree with? After all, Einstein didn't give up after only figuring out "E=MC." He also figured out that the C needed squaring...

[edit on 13-7-2008 by MidnightDStroyer]

Originally posted by jetxnet
Why is it many Obama supporters have a Dog for an Avitar?

The list is meant to project Obama's criticisms onto McCain. It won't divert the fact that Obama recently voted for wire-tapping, changed stance on Iraq war, backed out of public funding etc.

Why is it so many McCain supporters have no Avatars?

The list is what it is... 61 flip-flops to the 3 you mention. McCain wins in a landslide!

Hooray!

You are right, FISA is a bitch for Obama, as it is for every other Congressperson and Senator. Of course McCain doesn't have a dog in that fight right? What are his policies and thoughts in regard to FISA.

In regard to Obama backing out of Public Funding, are the McCainiacs like yourself so upset about that because John McCain cannot break out himself because he would be committing fraud? When his campaign was scraping by, he took out a loan to keep going, with his commitment to public funding as collateral. He can't exit Public Funding.

I would like you to post links to the examples of how he changed his position on the Iraq War. I honestly haven't seen it, at least in the sweeping example you stated.

DocMoreau

(edit to add: I find it amazing that people will fight with me for hours about John McCain's perceived lie about the Green Bay Packers/Pittsburg Steelers, but a thread like this sinks like dead weight. I guess the truth is heavy sometimes.... )

[edit on 13/7/2008 by DocMoreau]

Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
Of course, the PTB behind the Throne are going to get McCain levered in, even though he could be the poster child for Alzheimer's...The kind of President they want to have in Office is one who doesn't even remember what he does from week to week.

I think that maybe McCain was promised the nomination this election, if he supported George Bush throughout the last several years and change position on a few things, which would explain some of the changes. I don't think that in a legitimate election he would stand a chance now, because he is too old.

If the PTB do want him to be the next POTUS, they will have to risk rigging the election. It won't be as easy as some of the manipulation that occurred in the last two presidential elections.

I have always said that an election can be stolen only if it is close. So far Obama has a huge lead and if he didn't win, that would draw too much suspicion and would be investigated. I think they will have to accept that Obama is going to win, but I also fear they may take more drastic measures.

It depends on who they are.One persons flip-flop is another persons "I re-adjusted my thinking after further review of the facts" So Obama flip-flops an McCain adjust.See what I mean.

[edit on 13-7-2008 by Tricky63]

[edit on 13-7-2008 by Tricky63]

reply to post by grover


Good points -- If America really feels that reversing stances is important then both candidates should be scrutinized...

Politicians calling eachother "flip-floppers" is like children calling eachother "immature".

They are both flip floppers time and time again and will continue to be so. They had no answers to our problems while in the Senate and now you expect them to save us. If they couldn't persuade people in the Senate to introduce and pass their agenda, how do you expect them to do it as President. They promise every race a different thing and try to keep the promise as low profile as possible. Once the other races find out about the promise they try to lessen the pressure with their flip flopping,

reply to post by jetxnet


Well first off I am a Obama supporter by default... I liked Richardson and Edwards personally. I am not exactly doing handstands for Obama but I am not about to vote for McCain and I couldn't bring myself to vote for Hillary.

Second my dog is grover maxwell underfoot the great and since I use his name as my screen name it only made since to use his portrait as my avatar.

Third I have been on ATSNN long before Obama came along.