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McCain Backs Away from Abortion Pledge
August 20, 2008 8:46 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Rigel Anderson Report: John McCain's campaign signaled on Wednesday that the Arizona senator is backing away from his previously stated goal of changing the GOP’s platform on abortion.
"There's a process in place for the delegates to work on the platform and we are going to let that process work itself out," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers told ABC News.
McCain’s plan to take a hands-off approach with the abortion platform stands in stark contrast with the position he took during his first presidential run.
Back in 2000, McCain clashed with then-Gov. George W. Bush over his unwillingness to change platform language that called for a human life amendment banning all abortions.
McCain implored Bush to join him in wanting to add exceptions for rape, incest, and danger to the life of the mother.
Watch the McCain-Bush sparring here.
McCain's desire to change the platform did not end in 2000.
During an April 14, 2007 media availability which followed the Iowa GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, McCain reaffirmed his support for changing the platform.
But now that he is the presumptive Republican nominee, the McCain camp is making it clear that he has no plans to push for changes to the platform.
McCain's decision to leave the platform untouched follows a warning from a prominent social conservative.
"If he were to change the party platform," to account for exceptions such as rape, incest or risk to the mother's life, "I think that would be political suicide," Tony Perkins, the president of the conservative Family Research Council, told ABC News in May. "I think he would be aborting his own campaign because that is such a critical issue to so many Republican voters and the Republican brand is already in trouble."
While leaving the platform untouched would please many in the GOP's socially conservative base, it could alienate some of the more moderate voters that McCain is hoping to attract.
"If he doesn't change the platform, then he's being the same kind of hypocrite that he accused Bush of being in 2000," Jennifer Blei Stockman, the co-chairwoman of Republican Majority for Choice, told ABC News in May.
"Many people think of him as a moderate," she added. "But when it comes out that he doesn't want to change this extreme, right-wing Republican platform, the word 'moderate' is going to disappear from any description of McCain."
August 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (188)
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Experts agree McCain is already showing signs of early stage dementia.
Cindy McCain stole another woman's husband and their children's father. But hey, she was younger,prettier, had tons of money and 'the war here, was HOT for the stealing.
Posted by: charles almon | Aug 20, 2008 9:46:25 PM
war hero
Posted by: charles almon | Aug 20, 2008 9:47:24 PM
Zealibs desperate for anything to reverse Obama's decline in the polls, I recommend that you make a big deal out of this and really energize the evangelicals and conservatives.
Posted by: HawkTheSlayer | Aug 20, 2008 9:47:55 PM
Of course McCain has flipped on this. He's backed away so many time from everything he claims to believe in...there's no "there" there. He's a liar who'll do anything for political advantage.
Posted by: anotherpatricia | Aug 20, 2008 9:48:24 PM
That’s nothing compared to changing your religion from Episcopalian to Baptist and embracing the same criminals (Rove & Co) who spread false rumors about your fathering an illegitimate black child, in order to curry the favor of the Judeo-Christian fascists.
Posted by: Bill | Aug 20, 2008 9:48:47 PM
Where is the news about Obama's views on abortion??? There is a huge controversy going on RIGHT NOW and you blog about McCain changing positions from 8 years ago???
ABC is a shill for Obama
Posted by: JA | Aug 20, 2008 9:49:05 PM
For those who support OLD McSAME. McSAME has fed at the public trough all his life. What has he done in over 20 years in Congress??? NOTHING. If he is so great, why is Washington D.C. "broken" as he proclaims in his political ads???
Posted by: m | Aug 20, 2008 9:50:01 PM
Actually, ABC is letting 'Still in Saigon John' off light.
Posted by: Bill | Aug 20, 2008 9:51:13 PM
hmmm who's flip flopping here?http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2008/08/17/obamessiah-has-nowhere-to-hide-on-this-one-the-walls-are-closing-in/
Posted by: Kim | Aug 20, 2008 9:51:45 PM
Now that he is for the DRAFT, McCain needs all the body's he can get to fight his many WARS.
Posted by: doug | Aug 20, 2008 9:52:01 PM
What about a birth certificate?
Obama doesnt have a birth certificate?
How did he get into the Senate then?
Why doesnt he just show it to stop this talk about it?
Posted by: Hope | Aug 20, 2008 9:53:22 PM
McCain is one of his word?
HA!
National Security Policy
1. McCain thought Bush's warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.
2. McCain insisted that everyone, even "terrible killers," "the worst kind of scum of humanity," and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, "deserve to have some adjudication of their cases," even if that means "releasing some of them." McCain now believes the opposite.
3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."
4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.
6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He's since come to the opposite conclusion.
Foreign Policy
7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he's for it again.
8. McCain supported moving "towards normalization of relations" with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.
9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.
10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.
11. McCain is both for and against a "rogue state rollback" as a focus of his foreign policy vision.
12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty's behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.
Military Policy
14. McCain recently claimed that he was the "greatest critic" of Rumsfeld's failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as "a mission accomplished." In March 2004, he said, "I'm confident we're on the right course." In December 2005, he said, "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course."
15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.
16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.
17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily." Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was "probably going to be long and hard and tough."
18. McCain has repeatedly said it's a dangerous mistake to tell the "enemy" when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.
19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.
20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama's Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama's policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like "a pretty good timetable."
Domestic Policy
21. McCain defended "privatizing" Social Security. Now he says he's against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)
22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there's "nothing that's off the table."
23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn't.
24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.
25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party's policy making. Now he believes the opposite.
26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won't commit to supporting a regulation bill he's co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris' former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.
28. McCain's first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn't be "rewarded" for acting "irresponsibly." His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.
29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn't be allowed.
30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.
32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.
34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he'd rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.
35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court's Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, "I'm committed to making sure that there's equal pay for equal work. That ... is my record and you can count on it."
36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.
37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.
Economic Policy
38. McCain was against Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.
39. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated," and "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a "very strong" understanding of economics.
40. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.
41. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were "too tilted to the wealthy." By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
42. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.
43. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a "'read my lips' candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?" referring to George H.W. Bush's 1988 pledge. "No new taxes," McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, "I'm not making a 'read my lips' statement, in that I will not raise taxes."
44. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.
45. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.
Energy Policy
46. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he's against it.
47. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.
48. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.
49. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.
50. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn't.
51. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.
Immigration Policy
52. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants' kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.
53. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.
54. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders "before proceeding to other reform measures." Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he'd never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his "top priority."
Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law
55. McCain said he would "not impose a litmus test on any nominee." He used to promise the opposite.
56. McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration's warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.
57. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.
58 In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama's reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.
Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform
59. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn't.
60. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving "feedback" on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.
61. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.
Politics and Associations
62. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn't. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)
63. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn't.
64. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry's Democratic ticket in 2004.
65. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.
66. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans "deserved" the 9/11 attacks.
67. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
68. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
69. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn't want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he "would taint the image of the 'Straight Talk Express.'" Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.
70. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was "corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff's gay lover." McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.
71. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.
Posted by: William | Aug 20, 2008 9:54:48 PM
The rest of the world has moved waaaay past the abortion issue. The repubs. keep it going for votes. Do you think they will ever overturn Roe v. Wade? No. It's guarenteed votes from the Bible thumpers. Let's move on and try to prevent unwanted pregnancy and leave it up to the woman. I feel sorry for the Repub. candidates who have to suck up to a minority of Americans who are so archaic it's pathetic. If you don't like abortion, don't have one. I personally think religion should be abolished but I'm not going to spend my life trying to make it happen. Believe what you want. It's legal and I respect that. Let's move on.
Posted by: md | Aug 20, 2008 9:57:50 PM
Open polling...I'm so confused.
I'm white,50+, male,got gassed by Daley senior in Grant Park, chicago/68. I live 7 1/2 miles from town on a dirt road. A lot of my buds were on the nam, many died there. I've paid soc. sec taxes for 39 years. My current retirement plan is die soon. I haven't gotten a raise in 3 years, drive well over 100 miles a day for work so 40% of my take home goes in the tank.
This primary season I've been called "bitter, clingy, delusional and a whiner". My long hair won't cover up my red neck. I got my ged 3years out of grade school so I could work. Its all I do. I build with Habitat in my spare time and contribute to the local food bank regularly. I AM AMERICA...
Obama has been my choice since he spoke at the Dem convention. He's differant. He MAY BE SOMEWHAT HONEST,who knows-
McCain has been lying to America since way before Nam. He has been on the government dole SINCE HIS BIRTH. Even now he's double dipping taking a senators pay AND collecting social security. HAS ANY US PRESIDENT EVER BEEN ON SOCIAL SECURITY AT HIS SWEARING IN?
I'm old...but this guy could be MY grandfather.
Every one fears Change. BUT . If America doesn't CHANGE she will perish!
Sorry if I don't fit into your supposed polling.
Obama 8&12
Posted by: oldwhiteguy1 | Aug 20, 2008 9:57:58 PM
First you say you will and then you won't, then you say you did and then you don't, your undecided now so what are you gonna do?
As the Indians of old used to say, McCain speaks with forked tongue (just like a snake). Is there any issue that he hasn't taken both sides?
BTW, the latest thing about McCain is that he wants to reinstate the draft. I guess he realizes that he doesn't have the manpower to wage war all over the globe at the same time, but he's damn sure gonna try.
All in all, McCain is unfit to serve.
Posted by: lockes ghost | Aug 20, 2008 9:58:51 PM
Remember that Michelle, also, wrote a letter stating that she and Barrack supported late term abortions. Both of these people should have to watch what happens in a late term abortion, when the baby is born and is alive, crying, trying to hold on to life.
I HOPE AND PRAY THAT BARRACK OBAMA NEVER BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. HE BASICALLY SUPPORTS KILLING BABIES!
Posted by: NurseTammy | Aug 20, 2008 9:58:57 PM
Poor McGoo, what next.
Posted by: puma what | Aug 20, 2008 10:01:00 PM
John McCain wants the moderate vote AND the theocratic ("religious right") vote. He CANNOT have both.
Stop juggling, John! Decide which one you want.
Posted by: Rhys | Aug 20, 2008 10:01:05 PM
Flip Flopper.
Say goodbye to your children America. McCain said today he would agree to re-instate the draft.
(See New Mexico Tour today) and MSNBC's coverage
Posted by: spoon2456 | Aug 20, 2008 10:05:39 PM
Tired of TIREDOFSTUPIDASSPEOPLE Like TIREDOFSTUPIDASSPEOPLE
Posted by: RealDemocrat | Aug 20, 2008 10:06:50 PM
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