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 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain was for 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.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it.
Now, he’s for it again.

8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with
Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now
he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now
he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus
of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even
volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate
committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of
Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same
strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m
confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said,
“Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of
progress if we stay the course.”

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence
in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a
Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.

16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he
was for it.

17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We
will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along
that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the
“enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced
that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even
blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP
primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy,
McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”

Domestic Policy

21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s
against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any
circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase
in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”

23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect
abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.

24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in
Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s
policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to
cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and
provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a
$0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation
bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as
his senior campaign adviser.

27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that
homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting
“irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite
position.

29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying
gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.

30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he
supported it.

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

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

33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year
later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for
and against creationism at the same time.

34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans
go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after,
McCain reversed back.

35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for
women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July,
however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal
pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”

36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before
he was for it.

37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.

Economic Policy

38. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he
was for them.

39. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of
expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less
about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I
still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something
I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having
made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding
of economics.

40. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end
of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to
reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second
position and went back to his first.

41. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were
“too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this,
and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased
government spending.

42. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes
the opposite.

43. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any
circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a
“‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to
George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two
weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in
that I will not raise taxes.”

44. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

45. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically
than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

46. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s
against it.

47. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on
oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable
with the idea.

48. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions
cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.

49. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the
federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly
thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

50. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global
warming. Now he doesn’t.

51. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was
against them.

Immigration Policy

52. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal
status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In
2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched
back.

53. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008
that he would vote against his own bill.

54. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders
“before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he
abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise
in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform
policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

55. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He
used to promise the opposite.

56. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain
their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a
condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

57. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade
to saying the exact opposite.

58 In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and
thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month
later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

59. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now
he doesn’t.

60. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying
coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving
“feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that
he opposes his own measure.

61. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on
strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned
his own legislation.

62. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his
campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists
could work for his campaign.

Politics and Associations

63. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John
Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was
both a good and bad idea.)

64. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod
Parsley. Now he doesn’t.

65. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s
Democratic ticket in 2004.

66. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his
former pastor at his former church.

67. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of
intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said
Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.

68. 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.

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

70. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with
former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the
image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary
Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

71. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover
Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of
sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key
political ally.

72. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign
countries before he was against it.


And the latest, of course...McCain now thinks it is a good idea to keep
your car's tires properly inflated.

----- Original Message -----
From: "hk"
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:28 AM
Subject: The Geezer's Flip-Flop List




( 13KB of regurgitated liberal hype snipped )


Just goes to show what a little maturity does for one's outlook.

Eisboch

This is crappola. Much changes in the world scene between oppinions
formed several years ago, and present. Only a simple-minded lib would
give credence to this slop as applied to either condidate.
JR


hk wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

On Aug 7, 2:25*pm, JR North wrote:
This is crappola. Much changes in the world scene between oppinions
formed several years ago, and present. Only a simple-minded lib would
give credence to this slop as applied to either condidate.
JR

hk wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * Home Page:http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

That's odd, when John Kerry did exactly the same thing, that was
TERRIBLE!

JR North wrote:
This is crappola. Much changes in the world scene between oppinions
formed several years ago, and present. Only a simple-minded lib would
give credence to this slop as applied to either condidate.
JR


hk wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth


"Flip-flop" was the major false charge laid against John Kerry in the
2004 elections. So, it's okay for the Old Geezer to change his mind at
will, right? But it isn't okay when a Democrat does it, right?

hk wrote:
JR North wrote:
This is crappola. Much changes in the world scene between oppinions
formed several years ago, and present. Only a simple-minded lib would
give credence to this slop as applied to either condidate.
JR


hk wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth


"Flip-flop" was the major false charge laid against John Kerry in the
2004 elections. So, it's okay for the Old Geezer to change his mind at
will, right? But it isn't okay when a Democrat does it, right?

All is fair in politics, war and love.

You are just ****ed that the righties were able to make the Kerry is a
flip-flopper stick.

wrote:
On Aug 7, 2:25 pm, JR North wrote:
This is crappola. Much changes in the world scene between oppinions
formed several years ago, and present. Only a simple-minded lib would
give credence to this slop as applied to either condidate.
JR

hk wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page:http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

That's odd, when John Kerry did exactly the same thing, that was
TERRIBLE!

He had a *plan*!