Reject McCain-Palin
John McCain is unquestionably a man of patriotism and personal courage. However, his political record and current positions indicate that he should not be the next President of the United States. Here is why:
Court Appointments: The next President will appoint many federal judges, probably including at least one Justice of the US Supreme Court. On his campaign website, John McCain asserts that the Roe v Wade decision should be overturned, and promised to appoint judges who share his view. (1) To me, abortion is like idol-worship: I would not do it, don't like others to do it, but still believe that it should be legal in America.
Justices (and judges) who do not support the right of a pregnant woman to choose abortion are also most likely to hold other authoritarian, Christian-Right views. I would not trust such jurists to protect the civil liberties of Americans against the efforts of government to control them. In particular, the executive branch of the federal government has grown more powerful during the past eight years, and I would prefer judges more concerned about the rights of the people than about the powers of government. Moreover, judges with Christian-Right viewpoints cannot be trusted to defend the separation of Church and State .
Tax Policy: As noted in September 21 Glazerbeam ("Deeper in Debt"), McCain proposes a huge tax-cut for all Americans that would guarantee big deficits for the foreseeable future. A policy of always borrowing and never reducing the National Debt is not sustainable over the long run. The deficit is over $400 billion right now, without the McCain tax-cuts.
Social Security: John McCain has proposed the partial privatization of Social Security for younger workers. (2) This would reduce the revenues needed to pay benefits to current and future retirees.
Immigration: Senator McCain co-sponsored a bill (with Senator Edward M Kennedy) to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the US while applying for citizenship. (2)
Vice-President: Governor Sarah Palin loves Israel, has a perky personality, has some uncommon skills, and has achieved remarkable success. However, her responses to questions in interviews and in the Vice Presidential Debate indicate that she often did not even understand the questions, let alone provide cogent answers. I do not believe she is smart enough to be Vice President, let alone President.
She also has been dishonest about her past support for the notorious Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere" and about $400 billion in earmarks for other projects in her state. (She favored these projects before she opposed them, but gives the false impression in her speeches that she was always against them.)
The fact that McCain chose her as his successor in the presidency shows his own poor judgment of the suitability of people for high-level positions in government.
Dishonest Campaign: The McCain campaign has claimed that Barack Obama is responsible for high gasoline prices, favors raising the taxes of most Americans, favors sex-education for kindergarten children and opposes nuclear power. None of this is true. (3)
Obama is not an ideal alternative candidate: some of his past associations are troubling, and some of his campaign ads have also contained distortions. (3) Yet, he is an intelligent and thoughtful young man with a strong grasp of the issues facing America and the world. A former Lecturer in Constitutional Law at the prestigious University of Chicago, Obama is seriously committed to the civil liberties of ordinary Americans, and his court appointees will be too.
He had the wisdom to choose Joseph Biden, a respected senior member of the Senate, as his running-mate; unlike Gov. Palin, Biden will be ready to assume the presidency at any time, should the occasion arise. As Vice President, Joe Biden will provide valuable advice and assistance, particularly in dealing with Congress.
On balance, the Obama-Biden team is the one that offers the best prospects of dealing successfully with the many problems that now confront our country.
===============================================================
(1) The New Republic, Aug. 27, 2008, page 19.
(2) McCain may no longer hold this position. He switches without much notice.
(3) "War of Half Truths" by Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, page 1A.
Court Appointments: The next President will appoint many federal judges, probably including at least one Justice of the US Supreme Court. On his campaign website, John McCain asserts that the Roe v Wade decision should be overturned, and promised to appoint judges who share his view. (1) To me, abortion is like idol-worship: I would not do it, don't like others to do it, but still believe that it should be legal in America.
Justices (and judges) who do not support the right of a pregnant woman to choose abortion are also most likely to hold other authoritarian, Christian-Right views. I would not trust such jurists to protect the civil liberties of Americans against the efforts of government to control them. In particular, the executive branch of the federal government has grown more powerful during the past eight years, and I would prefer judges more concerned about the rights of the people than about the powers of government. Moreover, judges with Christian-Right viewpoints cannot be trusted to defend the separation of Church and State .
Tax Policy: As noted in September 21 Glazerbeam ("Deeper in Debt"), McCain proposes a huge tax-cut for all Americans that would guarantee big deficits for the foreseeable future. A policy of always borrowing and never reducing the National Debt is not sustainable over the long run. The deficit is over $400 billion right now, without the McCain tax-cuts.
Social Security: John McCain has proposed the partial privatization of Social Security for younger workers. (2) This would reduce the revenues needed to pay benefits to current and future retirees.
Immigration: Senator McCain co-sponsored a bill (with Senator Edward M Kennedy) to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the US while applying for citizenship. (2)
Vice-President: Governor Sarah Palin loves Israel, has a perky personality, has some uncommon skills, and has achieved remarkable success. However, her responses to questions in interviews and in the Vice Presidential Debate indicate that she often did not even understand the questions, let alone provide cogent answers. I do not believe she is smart enough to be Vice President, let alone President.
She also has been dishonest about her past support for the notorious Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere" and about $400 billion in earmarks for other projects in her state. (She favored these projects before she opposed them, but gives the false impression in her speeches that she was always against them.)
The fact that McCain chose her as his successor in the presidency shows his own poor judgment of the suitability of people for high-level positions in government.
Dishonest Campaign: The McCain campaign has claimed that Barack Obama is responsible for high gasoline prices, favors raising the taxes of most Americans, favors sex-education for kindergarten children and opposes nuclear power. None of this is true. (3)
Obama is not an ideal alternative candidate: some of his past associations are troubling, and some of his campaign ads have also contained distortions. (3) Yet, he is an intelligent and thoughtful young man with a strong grasp of the issues facing America and the world. A former Lecturer in Constitutional Law at the prestigious University of Chicago, Obama is seriously committed to the civil liberties of ordinary Americans, and his court appointees will be too.
He had the wisdom to choose Joseph Biden, a respected senior member of the Senate, as his running-mate; unlike Gov. Palin, Biden will be ready to assume the presidency at any time, should the occasion arise. As Vice President, Joe Biden will provide valuable advice and assistance, particularly in dealing with Congress.
On balance, the Obama-Biden team is the one that offers the best prospects of dealing successfully with the many problems that now confront our country.
===============================================================
(1) The New Republic, Aug. 27, 2008, page 19.
(2) McCain may no longer hold this position. He switches without much notice.
(3) "War of Half Truths" by Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, page 1A.
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