Is McCain a RINO? The ADA doesn’t think so.
It is quite likely that, by the end of the day, John McCain will be our party’s nominee for President whether he is our first choice or not. Even if Romney and Huckabee concede, their names are likely to be on the ballot in states like Pennsylvania, and it might be worth voting for one of them just to nudge McCain a bit further to the right, especially on issues like Al Gore’s self-serving greenhouse gas scam. Nonetheless, if McCain is our nominee, we must get solidly behind him to keep either the sick practical joke from Illinois or Hillary I, Regina Dei Gratia et Imperatrix Mundi, out of the White House.
Is McCain really a RINO (Republican In Name Only), though? Let’s take a look at what the left-wing Americans for Democratic Action have to say about him. A higher ADA rating means that the legislator has voted with the ADA on selected issues (i.e. left-wing) while a low rating means he or she has voted against the ADA’s position. Here are McCain’s ADA ratings. (The 2007 ratings have apparently not been issued)
2004: 35% versus Clinton (95%)
2005: 10% versus Clinton (100%) and Obama (100%)
2006: 15% versus Clinton (95%) and Obama (95%)
In addition, several issues on which McCain sided with the ADA are not really that objectionable, and we even agree with a couple of them.
2004:
S 1805. Protection of Lawful Commerce In Arms Act - Gun Liability - Gun Safety Devices Boxer (D-CA) amendment prohibiting the sale or transfer of handguns by a licensed manufacturer, importer or dealer unless a secure gun storage or safety device is provided for each handgun, with penalties of up to $2,500 and license suspension or revocation. It exempts gun transfers to U.S. or state government agencies and law enforcement officials. It also provides civil liability exemptions for individuals who legally possess a handgun and use a secure gun storage or safety device. Adopted 70-27. February 26, 2004.
We don’t see this as a problem. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, played a central role in the disgraced Million Mom March, which we destroyed personally by exposing its apparent misuse of tax-exempt money to run a political campaign.
HR 4. Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Protection Act - Child Care Funding Snowe (R-ME) amendment increasing funds for childcare by $6 billion over five years. The spending would be offset by extending expiring Customs user fees. Adopted 78-20. March 30, 2004
S 1637. Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act -Unemployment Insurance Cantwell (D-WA) motion extending to Nov. 30, 2004 the federal program providing an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits for people who have exhausted their state jobless benefits. Rejected 59-40. May 11, 2004.
S 2400. FY05 National Defense Authorization Act - Nuclear Waste Cleanup Cantwell (D-WA) amendment blocking reclassification of nuclear waste that would allow the Defense Department to leave the waste in place. The amendment requires the Energy Department to continue activities for the storage, retrieval, treatment and separation of high-level radioactive waste from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, in accordance with state-approved treatment and closure plans. It authorizes $350 million for cleanup of sites in Idaho, South Carolina and Washington. Rejected 48-48. June 03, 2004. (Y = +).
We don’t see any of these as problems. We don’t see what is “conservative” about leaving nuclear waste lying around, either.
16. S 2400. FY05 National Defense Authorization Act - Iraq Reports. Kennedy (D-MA) amendment requiring the President to submit an unclassified report to Congress within 30 days on the strategy of the U.S. to stabilize and rebuild Iraq, an estimate on the number of U.S. troops to be serving in Iraq as of December 31, 2005, and what ratio of them will be of the National Guard and Army Reserves. Rejected 48-50. June 23, 2004. (Y = +).
18. S J RES 40. Federal Marriage Constitutional Amendment-Cloture Motion to limit debate on a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment
defining marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. It provides that the Constitution or any state’s constitution could not be
construed to require that marriage or any other constructs of marriage be conferred to any other union. Rejected 48-50. July 14, 2004. (N = +).20. S 2845. National Intelligence Reform Act A bill reorganizing 15 U.S. intelligence agencies and creating a national intelligence director with
power to freely transfer money among the CIA, National Security Agency and other defense and civilian agencies. It also creates a counterterrorism
center with operational planning capabilities and a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to investigate use of intelligence powers
and act as a watchdog for civil liberties concerns. The bill requires the Homeland Security secretary to develop and implement a comprehensive
national transportation security plan and exempt certain “joint military programs” from the authority of the new director. Passed 96-2. Oct. 06, 2004.
(Y = +).
In other words, even where McCain voted with the ADA, he did not support anything (other than gay marriage) that might be considered left-wing. Furthermore, ADA does not even recognize McCain as a Senate “Moderate,” let alone a “Hero.” If one is interested in knowing who the ultra-leftists are, however, here is the ADA’s list:
“Speedy Jon” Corzine (D-NJ)
Dodd (D-CT)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Ted “Hic!” Kennedy, E. (D-MA) aka The Fat Drunk from Massachusetts
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ) Elected illegitimately, noting that he filed after the New Jersey deadline
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin, C. (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD) of the disgraced Million Mom March
Reed, J. (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY) Alfonse D’Amato was right about “Putzhead”
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)
Clinton (D-NY) has a 95% ADA rating, as does Dick “Turbin” Durban (D-IL)
2005:
5. S Con Res 18. Fiscal 06 Budget/ Prescription Drug Snowe (R-ME) amendment to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with drug manufacturers for lower drug prices under Medicare. Rejected 49-50. A yes vote is a +.
We agree with this.
HR 2863. Fiscal 2006 Defense Appropriations/Detainee Standards. McCain (R-AZ) amendment to establish the U.S. Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation as the uniform standard for interrogating persons detained by the Department of Defense, and prohibit cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of any prisoner detained by the U.S. government. Adopted 90-9. October 5, 2005. A yes vote is a +
We disagree but, noting that McCain was abused by war criminals, we understand his position. He needs to understand though that, unlike himself, terrorists are not uniformed combatants who are entitled to treatment as prisoners of war.
Obama bin Ladin (D-IL) gets a 100% ADA rating, along with his fellow Senator Dick “Turban” Durbin. Clinton (D-NY) gets a 100% ADA rating, along with Schumer.
2006:
10. S J Res. 1. Constitutional Amendment to Ban Same-Sex Marriage Motion to limit debate on a proposed Constitutional amendment defining marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. The Constitutional amendment would prevent any court from construing the U.S. Constitution or any state’s constitution to require that marriage or any other constructs of marriage be conferred on any other union. Motion rejected 49-48. June7, 2006. A no vote is a +.
Do we agree with same-sex marriage? No. Do we consider it important enough to oppose McCain in the presence of the real enemy? No again.
S 403. Parental Notification Passage of a bill to make it a federal crime for anyone other than a parent to take a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion. An exception would be provided when an abortion is necessary to save the life of the minor. Passed 65-34. July 25, 2006. A no vote is a +.
We don’t have a dog in this fight, although Osama’s sabotage of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act is important enough for us to oppose his election.
11. S 2766. Fiscal 2007 Defense Authorization/Iran Sanctions Santorum (R-PA) amendment setting conditions for continued sanctions against foreign governments and companies that invest more than $20 million in Iran’s energy sector. Sanctions would remain in effect until the President certified to Congress that Iran had dismantled its weapons of mass destruction. Would give the President authority to waive sanctions under certain circumstances and authorize spending $100 million to promote democracy in Iran, offsetting that increased spending on Iran by decreasing funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by the same amount. Rejected 45-54. June 15, 2006. A no vote is a +.
Clinton (D-NY) gets a 95% ADA rating while Barack Hussein (D-IL) gets 95% as well.
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In summary, we disagree with McCain about gay marriage, and especially on the global warming scam. His recent endorsement by the RINO Governator of California is hardly cause for confidence either. Nonetheless, someone whose maximum ADA rating was 35% is obviously preferable to individuals who score 95-100% (noting that lower is usually better from our perspective). We therefore encourage our readers to show support for conservative positions by voting for Romney or Huckabee even if they concede the nomination after Super Tuesday, but to get squarely behind McCain in the general election. If anyone has trouble with this, just imagine She Who Must Not Be Named or the phony smile on top of the empty suit in front of the Great Seal of the United States, and then you will be enthusiastic McCain supporters.
McCain suddenly doesn’t look so bad after all!
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