John McCain Conservative?

This is the question being asked by many Republicans as it appears to be a McCain-Romney race. While many conseratives are reluctant to support Romney, who's economic record is dismal, stances on social issues change often and who has no military experience, they are somehow convinced that McCain is no conservative and thus must back Romney. However this is simply false. I frankly don't know where it comes from. While Americans, conservatives especially, recognize that he is an Amerian hero, has extensive foreign policy and military experience, has immense legislative experience and is probably the most electable Republican, they somehow fear that he is "not really one of them." They are wrong. I will go over the three main, overlapping, coalitions that make up the conservative movement in America.

Social Conservativism

In America social conservatism's main issues consist of a hard position on crime, traditional values, a limited government approach to education, and Second Amendment rights.

John McCain's strong position on criminals, calling for tougher punishments against those who threaten society, earned him a low 29% rating from the liberal group CURE[1], who call criminals "errants" as if they only accidentially erred against society. He voted for the 2004 Crime Bill which would mandate longer prison terms for serious violent crimes committed with firearms and various drug offenses[2]. He supports the use of the death penalty for serious violent crimes and supports mandatory prison terms for narcotics violations[3].

On the issue of the sanctity of life, John McCain was rated 0% by the pro-abortion group NARAL[4] and hasone of the strongest pro-life records of anyone in the Senate. In 1984, before it was politically convenient for him, McCain voted for H.AMDT.942, the Siljander Amendment, to H.R.5490[5], all of them pro-life measures in the Senate. The last one, H.R.5490 would define an infant as an unborn child, a human being from the moment of conception, thus qualifying them for 14th Amendment protections of their lives. McCain is also against birth control and sex education which includes a vote of no on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education and contraceptives[6].

Some try to cite his opposition for the Defense of Marriage Act as proof that he is not a social conservative and is for the "homosexual agenda." However this lacks context. He voted against it for reasons of state's rights, which is a limited government conservative approach to issues. He did however support the Arizona intiative to define marriage as between a man and a woman[7], defending the traditional definition of marriage.

He received a conservative rating from the liberal NEA union, showing his opposition to the liberal, entenched teacher's union that is harming the education of our children[8]. John McCain voted yes on school vouchers in DC, yes on education savings accounts, yes on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules, and voted to slim down the size of the federal education behemoth[9]. He also supports including the Theory of Intelligent Design being taught in public schools. In 2005 he told the Arizona Daily Star that "all points of view" should be taught to students, allowing for more academic freedom and disussion of ideas in school[10].

Some have tried to cite his support for reasonable gun laws as evidence that he opposes the Second Amendment rights of Americans. Unlike Romney or Giuiliani, he has the Second Amendment as a specific issue on his campaign site[11] and he voted against the Federal Weapons Assault Ban and efforts to renew it, along with the Brady Bill, which would have restricted our Constitutional rights as Americans. He said in a speech before the NRA, that he would uphold our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms[12].

To charge that John McCain isn't a social conservative, despite a twenty year long, proud, consistent socially conservative record, lacks any basis in reality.

Economic Conservatism

One of the long held Republican, conservative beliefs is the ideal of economic liberty, one that John McCain has upheld since the beginning.
John McCain has never voted for an increase in tax rates in 25 years in Congress—never – and clearly and consistently supports cutting and simplifying taxes[13]. He supported private Social Security Accounts, allowing us more freedom in our SS options[14].

Some have tried to black McCain's record by citing his opposition to the Bush tax cuts (2001, 2003) and his refusal to sign the "No New Taxes" pledge put out by Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. However what they fail to realize is that his main reason for opposing those cuts was a failure to back it up with conservative spending policies[15]. What some fail to realize is that in 2006, he supported those cuts, in addition to his incessant campaigning against big government spending[16]. Even Greg Norquist of the ATR has admitted that John McCain has backed up Norquist's pledge with his consistent record[17]. Unlike Huckabee and Romney, signers of the pledge, he is not a new ally in the fight against oppressive taxes from our federal government.

Unlike his rival Huckabee, who increased the size of state government by 20%, McCain has been the strongest, and sometimes the only conservative fighting against rampant pork barrel spending[18].

John McCain also opposes socialized healthcare that would bankrupt the country, cause more taxation, would restrict our economic liberty and would fail dismally, instead supports cutting the taxes of working Americans[19]. He supports free market, conservative solutions to the American health care crisis, allowing more competition[20]. McCain stood for lowering taxes on business (the second highest in the world, lower than Europe even) by 15%. He also supports new rules that would require a supramajority to tax hard working American people.

He also received a full, astonishing 100% from the Cato Institute, a foundation for protecting economic liberty, on the issue of free trade[22]. John McCain said at a Republican debate in 2007, "Free trade should be the continuing principle that guides this nation's economy."[23]

Once again the critics are wrong. John McCain is a friend of the American business owner, the American taxpayer, the American consumer, the economic conservative and above all, the American people.

Foreign Policy/National Security Conservatism

Here is where the Romneys and the Huckabees of the party cannot simply compete. It is common knowledge that John McCain's major strength, among everything else, is his military experience and foreign policy knowledge. He served his country during the Cuban Missle Crisis, on hazard duty. He served his country by leading men on bombing raids against North Vietnamese Communists, over 20 times. He served as a POW, being tortured and held in solitary confinement. He led the Navy's largest attack squadron, turning a mediocre unit into an impressive, well-oiled unit. He has served on the MIA/POW affairs, dealt with American relations with Viet Nam, Russia, Iran, Israel, and Pakistan. He co-authored the bill that led to the 9-11 Commission and the Transportation Security Administration, protecting Americans. He stood up to the destructive policies of Rumsfeld, and stood for the surge and General Petreaus when Republicans in the Congress looked the other way. No one can question his credentials when it comes to this arena. Even the anti-McCain people admit that.

Yet despite the consensus, some will try. They cite his opposition to the use of waterboarding and torture as some kind of twisted evidence of his disloyalty to the security of America. What they forget is that waterboarding was a war crime that Japanese war criminals were tried and convicted for after the Second World War[24]. Torture itself has been long noted as an unreliable way to gather information, which harms America's security and does not help it[25][26].

Once again the critics have been proven wrong. John McCain is exactly what the Republicans and this country needs when it comes to the dangerous and confusing world of geo-political affairs. If you want to keep America safe, don't vote for a former businessman or preacher. While they are respectable professions and while Romney and Huckabee seem like nice guys, like the old British saying goes, "Nice men don't win wars." Vote for someone with military experience and who has fought before. Not for someone who needs on the job training.

So as I conclude, we can see that McCain is the complete conservative candidate, not the "liberal" one. McCain scored a lifetime rating of 83% from the American Conservative Union, who rated Fred Thompson 86%, and no one questioned Thompson's conservative credentials. He's been a life-long Republican, campaigning only for Republican candidates, except Joe Lieberman's bid for the Senate as an Indpendent, which weakned the Democrats hold on Congress. While some of his attackers talk of leaving the party, essentially aiding the election of Hillary Clinton (like it did in 1992), John McCain has stuck to this party.

John McCain represents the essence of the Reagan Coalition, this is why he is supported by those who helped Ron build it. People like Jack Kemp, Phil Gramm, George Schultz, General Al Haig, Dan Coats and many others. Not to mention Dr. Henry Kissinger, Senator Sam Brownback, Senator Joe Lieberman, Charles Schwab, and over 100 retired admirals and generals. This is the year to vote for consistent and experienced conservatism. Unlike John McCain, his critics are none of these things.

Sources
1: CURE's ratings. http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=20&go.x=11&go.y=12
2. Library of Congress. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d103:HR03355:@@@L&summ2=m&
3. VoteSmart.org. http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=53270623
4. NARAL's ratings. http://www.ontheissues.org/
5. House Amendment 942. http://www.nchla.org/keyvoteabt.asp?vote=307
6. On-The-Issues. http://www.ontheissues.org/John_McCain.htm
7. Arizona Republic. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0826initiatives26.html
8. NEA's ratings. http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_McCain.htm
9. On-The-Issues. http://www.ontheissues.org/John_McCain.htm
10. Arizona Daily Star. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/90069
11. On the Issues: Protecting Second Amendment Rights. http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/77636553-6337-4ecd-b170-49e1c07d2fbd.htm
12. NRA. http://www.nraila.org/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Set.aspx?ID=83
13. Michael Medved. http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/817ee854-0a2e-4a71-bb6e-38e1b2b48388
14. NY Times.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EFDA1F3BF932A25752C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
15. NBC's "Meet The Press," 4/11/04
16. Donald Limbro, "GOP 'darlings' slow to sign tax-cut pledge", Washington Times, February 22, 2007
17. Michael Medved. http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/817ee854-0a2e-4a71-bb6e-38e1b2b48388
18. Howard Kurtz, "McCain, Rising Up Against 'Spartacus'", Washington Post, May 13, 2002.
19. Washington Post. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/10/post_132.html
20. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21243223/
21. Michael Medved.
22. John McCain on Free Trade. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/John_McCain_Free_Trade.htm
23. Ibid.
24. St. Petersburg Times. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/235/
25. Brigadier General David R. Irvine. http://www.alternet.org/rights/28585/
26. Boise State University. http://truth.boisestate.edu/jcaawp/9901/9901.pdf