From My Research...Will McCain Be Different?

I asked some questions in my last post. Here are some things that I found. But this will be my last post for the day.

1. How did McCain vote on the transportation bill, the prescription drug benefit, and the energy bill? He was one of four Senators to vote against the pork-laden transportation bill. He said, "Here's my favorite so far: $2,320,000 to add landscaping enhancements along--get this--the Ronald Reagan Freeway. I wonder what Ronald Reagan would say" (see here).

On the prescription drug benefit, I'm not entirely sure. According to John McCain on the Issues, in April 2001 he "[v]oted YES on funding [the] GOP version of [the] Medicare prescription drug benefit." But in June 2003 he "[v]oted NO on $40 billion per year for [a] limited Medicare prescription drug benefit." In February 2006 he "[v]oted NO on expanding [the] enrollment period for Medicare Part D." He has also tried to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for seniors by allowing the "reimportation of Rx drugs from Canada." Overall, he's for helping seniors, but without a dramatic increase in government spending.

McCain also voted against Bush's energy bill (see here).

And McCain has a decent record on other spending projects. The Club for Growth does not grade easily, but it documents that he's voted against all sorts of pork and subsidies, including for agriculture (see here).

But I don't think he's cold, since he voted in July 1999 to allow people to appeal HMO decisions in court. He's obviously not afraid of the special interests, at least not in that case!

So, on spending, he may be a refreshing change from the current administration.

2. On taxes, he supports keeping the status quo in some areas, while also changing certain things. His web site states: "John McCain will keep the top tax rate at 35 percent, maintain the 15 percent rates on dividends and capital gains, and phase-out the Alternative Minimum Tax" (see here). He wants to reduce the corporate tax burden from 35 per cent to 25 per cent. As far as his voting record goes, the The Club For Growth and John McCain on the Issues point out good and bad aspects.

3. The article on how Bush stomped on states' rights in terms of lending regulations is: Eliot Spitzer, "Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime: How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers" (see here). I know, Spitzer made some bad choices in life, but his article is worth a look. It's why I have a love/hate reaction to President Bush.

It would have been nice if Palin had gone into some of these specifics. But, then again, maybe that would have made her look more like a professor or a spin-artist than an outside-the-beltway hockey-mom.