Reason #40
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May 15, 2008
May 14, 2008
Reason #38
What was John McCain doing the day Katrina hit? Why, having a birthday party with his very best friend, of course.
More here:
Reason #37
I missed this in the rush of finals, and I think it’s important enough to backtrack.
On April 23rd, McCain skipped the vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would ensure that people like Lily Ledbetter, who experience pay discrimination but are not able to file a charge within 180 days (Ledbetter could not do so because she didn’t find out about the pay discrimination until she had been working with Goodyear for 20 years) would still have legal recourse. McCain’s rationale? Women need more “education and training.”
Education and training would not have helped Lily Ledbetter, who was doing exactly the same job as her male counterparts, and who won awards for her job performance. She was payed less only because she was a woman.
In part because of McCain’s opposition, the Fair Pay Act did not move forward.
To give an idea of the real-world impact this will have, here’s Lily Ledbetter’s story:
Expect more conservative Supreme Court justices like the ones who ruled against Ledbetter (and more opposition to fair pay) if McCain gets into the White House.
May 11, 2008
Reason #36
Whether you’re on the right or the left, this should piss you off.
McCain is running an ad about immigration that appears to oppose comprehensive immigration reform in English, while appearing to promote it in the Spanish. If you happen to speak Spanish, watch his language on “innovation” in immigration reform. In the English, he says that he supports “pro-innovation” immigration policies, implying that he wants only “hard-working” immigrants to be rewarded with American citizenship (i.e. those who go through the official channels currently set up). In Spanish, he claims to support “innovation in immigration policy,” which sounds like support for comprehensive immigration reform. At best, it’s a sign of a very murky immigration policy. At worst, it’s deliberate dishonesty.
Via Think Progress.
Reason #35
Looks like McCain’s questionable ethics have fallen even further.
After John McCain nailed down the Republican nomination in March, his campaign began wrestling with a sensitive personnel issue: who would manage this summer’s GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.? The campaign recently tapped Doug Goodyear for the job, a veteran operative and Arizonan who was chosen for his “management experience and expertise,” according to McCain press secretary Jill Hazelbaker. But some allies worry that Goodyear’s selection could fuel perceptions that McCain—who has portrayed himself as a crusader against special interests—is surrounded by lobbyists. Goodyear is CEO of DCI Groupa consulting firm that earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients.
Potentially more problematic: the firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma’s military junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to “begin a dialogue of political reconciliation” with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta’s image, drafting releases praising Burma’s efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing “falsehoods” by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses. “It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure, and it was six years ago,” Goodyear told NEWSWEEK, adding the junta’s record in the current cyclone crisis is “reprehensible.”
Another issue: DCI has been a pioneer in running “independent” expenditure campaigns by so–called 527 groups, precisely the kind of operations that McCain, in his battle for campaign-finance reform, has denounced. In 2004, the DCI Group led a pro-Bush 527 called Progress for America, which was later fined (along with several other 527s on both sides of the political divide) for violating federal election laws. Goodyear, however, says that DCI is “not in the 527 business anymore.”
There’s a very clear pattern emerging of McCain being willing to do anything, and associate himself with anyone, in order to win. A guy with this little in the way of ethical standards is simply not to be trusted, least of all with one of the most powerful positions on earth.
May 9, 2008
Reason #34
The Children’s Defense Fund Action Council has listed John McCain as the worst Senator for children. Why?
Here’s what he voted against (or didn’t bother to show up for):
1. Increase funding for children with disabilities (S. Con. Res. 21)
2. Protect children from unsafe medications (S. 1082)
3. 2008 Budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 21)
4. SCHIP Reauthorization (H.R. 976)
5. College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669)
6. SCHIP (H.R. 976 - motion to concur)
7. DREAM Act (S. 2205)
8. Funding child health and education (H.R. 3043)
9. Improving Head Start programs (H.R. 1429)
He also missed 80% of votes pertaining to children.
If there’s one issue we should all be able to agree on, it’s children. They don’t deserve to suffer for the mistakes us grown-ups make, and they deserve to have access to every opportunity we can give them. Votes like this show just how out of touch with the mainstream of America John McCain really is.
Why I would vote for dirty underwear before I’d vote for John McCain
Contrary to popular belief, dirty underwear have many possible uses. For one thing, in purely utilitarian terms, they can always be washed and worn again, saving the trouble of buying a new pair or flying commando. For another, while I have never researched the subject myself, I am positively certain that an entire community of fetishists could find multiple uses for dirty underwear. I am equally certain that there are very few fetishists who could make use of John McCain.
And I’ve never heard of a pair of dirty underwear trying to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Reason #33
Via Veterans for Common Sense.
Let’s take a look at McCain’s voting record on veterans’ issues, shall we?
September, 2007, McCain voted against the Webb amendment that would have provided all troops in Iraq have at least as much time home and in training as in theater. (S.Amdt 2909, 2910, 2910; 9/19/2007, 5:30 pm)
May, 2006, voted against an amendment that would have provided the VA with an additional $20 million for healthcare facilities. (S.Amdt 3704; 5/4/2006, 11:34 am)
April, 2006, McCain was one of 13 Republicans to vote against $430 million for VA outpatient care and facilities. (S.Amdt 3642; 4/26/2006, 5:55 pm) April, 2006, McCain was one of 13 Republicans to vote against $430 million for VA outpatient care and facilities. (S.Amdt 3642; 4/26/2006, 5:55 pm)
March, 2006, McCain voted against increasing VA medical services funding. (S.Amdt 3007 to S.Con.Res 83; 3/14/2006, 4:22 pm)
March, 2004, McCain voted against establishing a VA reserve fund to treat veterans. (S.Amdt 2745 to S.Con.Res 95; 3/10/2004, 9:34 pm)
October, 2003, McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd (D-CN) that called for an additional $322 million in safety equipment for soldiers in Iraq. (S.Amdt. 1817 to S. 1689; 10/2/2003, 7:36 pm)
April, 2003, McCain voted to table a senate vote to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq. (S.Amdt 452 to S. 762; 4/2/2003, 5:35 pm)
August, 2001, McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650 million. (S.Amdt. 1218 to S.Amdt. 1214; 8/1/2001, 6:02 pm)
You would think that McCain’s experience as a veteran would give him a little more empathy for our veterans now. I guess staying in with the Republican party was more important to him than providing our troops with body armor and decent medical care.
