A Blog Called Hope

1. Why does John McCain continue to claim he opposed President Bush’s strategy in Iraq when the record clearly shows him echoing the Bush Administration’s misleading talking points at every turn and he himself told a conservative talk radio host in March that “no one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than” he has?

2. Why does John McCain expect voters to believe he would bring change to Washington when he voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time and is promising more of President Bush’s policies on the economy, health care, and foreign policy?

3. How does John McCain expect to win in November when he can’t even shore up his own base, polls consistently show he is on the wrong side of the key issues, and his campaign staff is in disarray?

BONUS QUESTION: If John McCain expects voters to believe he would have responded differently to Hurricane Katrina, why did he side with President Bush in opposing the creation of a commission to find out what went wrong? Why did he vote against funding for Katrina relief and recovery efforts?

McCain: “No One Has Supported President Bush on Iraq More Than I Have.” During an March 2008 interview on The Mike Gallagher Show, McCain stated, “no one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than I have.” [Think Progress blog, 4/2/08]

McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007. According to Congressional Quarterly, He also has a record of heartily supporting Bush on some of his most controversial priorities, including the Iraq war and comprehensive immigration reform. In 2007, as he ramped up for his second White House run, McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly, which tallied votes McCain was present for on issues in which the administration took a position.” [Arizona Republic, 4/6/08] McCain had the highest rate of support in the entire U.S. Senate. [Congressional Quarterly, 1/13/2008]

McCain Voted for 4 of 5 Bush Budgets Adding to $9.8 Trillion in Spending. McCain supported four of the five Bush budgets that the Senate voted on from 2001-2006.

2001: H. Con. Res. 83: $1.95 Trillion [2001 Senate Vote #98]

2002: McCain Voted to Table [2002 Senate Vote #134]

2003: McCain Voted No [H.Con.Res. 95; 2003 Senate Vote #134]

2004: S. Con. Res 95: $2.45 Trillion [2004 Senate Vote #58]

2005: H.Con.Res. 95: $2.6 Trillion [2005 Senate Vote #114]

2006: S.Con.Res. 83: $2.8 Trillion [2006 Senate Vote #74]

McCain Voted Against Appropriating $109 Billion In Supplemental Emergency Funding, Including $28 Billion for Hurricane Relief. McCain voted against passage of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations of 2006. Passage of the emergency supplemental bill would appropriate roughly $109 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2006. It would provide $72.4 billion in fiscal 2006 funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and foreign aid, not counting an almost 3 percent across-the-board cut to defense funds in the bill. It would provide more than $28 billion for hurricane relief, approximately $2.3 billion for pandemic flu preparations and $1.9 billion for border security efforts. [2006 Senate Vote #112, 5/4/2006]

McCain Voted Against Granting Access To Medicaid For Hurricane Katrina Victims For Up To Five Months. McCain voted against an amendment to provide emergency health care and other relief for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The amendment would grant access to Medicaid to Hurricane Katrina victims for up to five months; it also provided full federal funding for Medicaid in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for up to one year; provide $800 million to compensate providers caring for Katrina evacuees; it temporarily suspended the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty; and permit states hit by or serving evacuees to access the TANF Contingency Fund. It would be offset with funds unspent by the FEMA. [2005 Senate Vote #285, 11/3/2005]

McCain Voted Twice Against Establishing A Commission To Study The Response To Hurricane Katrina. McCain voted against amendments establishing a Congressional commission to examine Federal, State, and local response to devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in U.S. Gulf Region, especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath; and makes immediate corrective measures to improve future responses. [2006 Senate Vote #6, 2/2/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #229, 9/14/2005]

Check out the DNC’s latest spot which hit the airwaves today. Chairman Lynch joined other state party leaders calling attention to the ad by issuing this statement.