OWN Fact Sheet – McSame Old, McSame Old

With each passing week, food and gas prices climb higher and higher, while thousands of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes. Seniors are still forced to choose between buying food or their prescription drugs. Gas prices across Wisconsin are topping $4 a gallon. After eight years of a Bush agenda that has been rubber-stamped by Senator John McCain in the U.S. Senate, 82 percent of Americans say the country is seriously off on the wrong track. [ABC News/Washington Post Poll, 5/12/08] Since President Bush took office, Senator McCain has supported Bush’s positions 100 percent of the time in the U.S. Senate in 2008. McCain’s support of Bush’s policies reached 95 percent in 2007. [Congressional Quarterly Voting Study, 110th Congress]

Senator McCain needs to hear how the Bush public policy agenda has failed America and how the policies he’s personally supported have hurt Wisconsinites.

McCain:* “I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he’s done a great job leading the country.” [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03]

1. McSame on Outsourcing Jobs and Unfair Trade Deals

JOHN MCCAIN: Global Economy Results in Outsourcing. “I’m not going to bring back a lot of these jobs. I can’t because with a global economy they’re headed the other way,” McCain said. [Technology Daily, 12/4/07]

McCain Supported Bush Administration’s Plan to Privatize and Outsource Federal Jobs. McCain voted to support Bush’s efforts to privatize federal jobs. The Bush administration has led a major effort to outsource and privatize hundreds of thousands of federal jobs, including those of 350 workers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. [H.R. 5631, Vote# 234, 9/6/06]

McCain Top Economic Advisor Supports Outsourcing as ‘Right-Shoring,’ Said No Job is ‘America’s God-Given Right.’ McCain economic guru Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO, defended outsourcing in technology jobs. According to the Associated Press, “Worried about possible government reaction to the movement of U.S. technology jobs overseas, leading American computer companies are defending recent shifts in employment to Asia and elsewhere as necessary for future profits and warning policy makers against restrictions. “There is no job that is America’s God-given right anymore,” said Fiorina. [Associated Press, 1/7/04]

Fiorina also complained about labor unions battling the off-shoring of jobs, a process she called “right-shoring.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 1/9/04]

PRESIDENT BUSH: Outsourcing Makes Sense. In 2004, the president’s economic report to Congress said, “When a good or service is produced more cheaply abroad, it makes more sense to import it than to make or provide it domestically.” [InformationWeek.com, accessed 2/26/08]

JOHN MCCAIN: Advocated Free Trade, Criticized “Hid[ing] Behind Walls.” John McCain said, “Opening new markets for American goods and services is indispensable to our future prosperity. We can compete with anyone.” According to Senator McCain, “the short-sightedness of certain trade policies can be seen today in Congress’ refusal to vote on the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. When new trading partners can sell in our market, and American companies can sell in theirs, the gains are great and they are lasting. The strength of the American economy offers a better life to every society we trade with, and the good comes back to us in many ways—in better jobs, higher wages, and lower prices.” [McCain Remarks on the Economy at Carnegie Mellon University, 4/15/08]

PRESIDENT BUSH: “Walling off America from World Trade would be a Disaster for Our Economy.” During a speech on Wall Street, President Bush said, “I know there’s going to be a vigorous debate on trade, and bashing trade can make for good sound bites on the evening news. But walling off America from world trade would be a disaster for our economy. Congress needs to reject protectionism and to keep this economy open to the tremendous opportunities that the world has to offer. [Economic Speech in New York City, 1/31/07; Public Papers of the Presidents]

2. McSame on Denying Health Care for All

JOHN MCCAIN: “I don’t think that there should be a mandate for every American to have health insurance.” [“Fox News,” 10/31/07] McCain supports the same market-based solutions that Bush offered.

PRESIDENT BUSH: “We will not nationalize our health care system,” the Texas governor declared when he announced his plan. ””We will rely on private insurance.” He repeated that sentiment in a later debate, “I’m absolutely opposed to a national health care plan.” [St. Louis Debate, 10/17/2000]

The average cost of workers’ premium contributions for family coverage rose nearly 50 percent between 2000 and 2003. From 2001 to 2004, at least 4.9 million more people, including 126,000 more children, have become uninsured. The increase between 2001 and 2002 was the largest in 10 years. [NYTimes, 4/24/00, AFL-CIO 02/04]

3. McSame on Privatizing Social Security

JOHN MCCAIN: “Private Savings Accounts Work.”* While appearing with President Bush in Tucson, Arizona, McCain said, “Private savings accounts work. They have been proven to work not only in America but all over the world, and we ought to really strongly support it.”
[Presidential speech in Tucson, Arizona, 3/21/05; Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]

McCain Was A “Big Booster” Of Bush’s Social Security Privatization Plan.* According to the Associated Press, “There’s another showing Tuesday of the good-cop, bad-cop routine featuring President Bush and Sen. John McCain, Bush’s one-time presidential rival who has become a big booster of the president’s Social Security plan. The Arizona Republican accompanied Bush on Monday to the senator’s home state and Colorado to try to help sell the public and Congress on the president’s proposal for a major Social Security overhaul.” [Associated Press, 3/22/05]

PRESIDENT BUSH: Workers “Ought To Be Allowed To Take Some Of Their Own Money And Put It In A Personal Savings Account.” While speaking to the American Legislative Exchange Council, President Bush said, “I strongly believe that younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money and put it in a personal savings account, so they can watch their money grow at a rate greater than that which the Government can grow their money, a personal account they call their own, a personal account the Government cannot spend, a personal account they can pass on to whomever they want.” [Speech to the American Legislative Exchange Council, 8/3/05; Public Papers of the Presidents]

4. McSame on Excluding Seniors from Prescription Drug Coverage

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain Voted Against an Amendment Closing the Medicare Prescription Drug Loophole. In 2003, McCain voted against an amendment to ensure that current retirees who would lose their prescription drug coverage as a result of the enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) would have the option of drug coverage under the Medicare fallback. This amendment was an attempt to give these seniors an option of prescription drug coverage under Medicare. The amendment failed 42-54. [S 1, Vote #259, 6/26/03]

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain voted to kill plan to close the Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole’ which keeps drugs unaffordable for some seniors. McCain voted to table an amendment by California Sen. Barbara Boxer to close the doughnut hole. The amendment failed. In 2006, the doughnut hole gap was from $2,200 to $5,100, which are medication costs paid completely by the senior consumer, while still paying a monthly premium. The gap in 2007 represented a nearly 10% increase. [Roll Call #236, 6/24/03].

BUSH WHITE HOUSE: Bush Supported Excluding Seniors From Prescription Drug Coverage. According to the Washington Post, “The Bush administration is advancing a proposal to levy higher premiums and deductibles on upper-income seniors enrolled in Medicare’s new prescription drug benefit, raising fees on beneficiaries with incomes over about $80,000 a year.” [Washington Post, 10/5/07]

5. McSame on Continuing the War in Iraq

MCCAIN: McCain Said Iraq Conflict Is “Long, Hard, Tough,” Supports Continuation of War. During an appearance on ABC’s This Week, McCain was asked about the progress of the war in Iraq. McCain said, “I’m very pleased at the overall progress that’s been made since we started the surge. I know Americans are frustrated and saddened by the sacrifice that’s been made … But it’s long and it’s hard and it’s tough. But American casualties are down overall. Although there’s been a very bad spike. This is very, very long and hard and tough. If we succeed in Iraq, you will see a stable part of a very important part of the world. And you will see a longstanding US ally.” [“ABC, This Week,” 4/20/08]

PRESIDENT BUSH: Bush Said U.S. Commander Will Have “All The Time He Needs” to Keep Troops In Iraq. During remarks on plans to decrease troop levels, Bush said, “General Petraeus says he’ll need time to consolidate his forces and assess how this reduced American presence will affect conditions on the ground before making measured recommendations on further reductions. And I’ve told him he’ll have all the time he needs.” On the war in Iraq, Bush said, “[W]e should be able to agree that our national interest requires the success of our mission in Iraq.” [Bush Remarks on the War on Terror, 4/10/08]

6. McSame on Tax Cuts for the Rich

JOHN MCCAIN: The Bush Tax Cuts “Have to Be Made Permanent.” Discussing the Bush tax cuts during a town hall meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts, McCain said, “[T]he tax cuts have to be permanent. We can’t raise your taxes in a time of economic difficulty in America. We need to make – as I said, we need to make those tax cuts permanent.” [CNN, 3/14/08]

PRESIDENT BUSH: The Bush Tax Cuts Disproportionately Favored The Wealthy. CBS News reported, “President Bush’s tax cuts since 2001 have shifted more of the tax burden from the nation’s rich to middle-income families, according to a study released Friday by the Congressional Budget Office … The study found that the effective tax rates for the top one percent of taxpayers dropped from 33 percent in 2001 to 26.7 percent this year, a decline of 19 percent.” [“CBS News,” 8/13/04]

PRESIDENT BUSH: “We Need to Make the Tax Cuts Permanent.” During a speech at the NRCC Dinner, President Bush said, “Our message is this: We need a … Republican Congress to prevent the Democrats from raising your taxes. We need to make the tax cuts permanent.” [President Bush’s Speech at the NRCC Dinner, 3/17/08]

7. McSame on Home Foreclosure Crisis

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain said “it’s not the duty of government to bail out and reward” homeowners manipulated by predatory lenders who are losing their homes – but saw nothing wrong with the Bush plan to spend $30 billion in taxpayer fund to bail out Bear Stearns. McCain said he has “always been committed to the principle that it’s not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they’re big banks or small borrowers.” McCain also said the he disagreed that the Federal Reserve “went to far” to help bail out Bear Stearns. [Associated Press, 3/27/08; Media Matters, 3/28/08]

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain has refused to support Reid plan to help 600,000 families keep their homes. McCain has not signed on to S.2636, authored by Sen. Harry Reid. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, “Legislation is urgently needed that would allow lenders and loan servicers to modify mortgages to allow families to continue paying on their loans and keep their home. S 2636 would provide judges the authority to modify harmful mortgages marketed by subprime lenders in recent years, and would help more than 600,000 families stuck in bad loans keep their homes.” [CRL Issue Brief, 2/27/08]

PRESIDENT BUSH: Bush bails out Bear Stearns, but provides nothing that will significantly help Americans in foreclosure. Bush Federal Reserve head Ben Bernanke announced the bail-out plan which was quickly greeted with support from the Bush Administration, most notably, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. [New York Times, 3/17/08]

8. McSame on Siding with Big Oil

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain Wants to Give Tax Breaks to Big Oil. McCain supported Bush’s plan to provide $5 billion in tax breaks to big oil. [H.R. 4297, Roll Call 118, 5/11/06]

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain Seeks $4 Billion More in Big Oil Tax Breaks. According to a study conducted by the Center for American Progress, McCain wants to cut “the corporate rate from 35 percent to 25 percent—would cut taxes for five largest U.S. oil companies by $3.8 billion a year.” Additionally, “Oil and gas interests have donated $780,662 in campaign contributions to John McCain as a candidate and to his leadership committees over his career, according to a Campaign Money Watch analysis of campaign finance data provided by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.” [Center for American Progress, 3/27/08; Center for Responsive Politics via Campaign Action Fund]

PRESIDENT BUSH: Bush Gave Tax Breaks to Big Oil. President Bush signed H.R. 4297 into law on May 17, 2006, which included $5 billion in tax breaks for big oil. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, George Bush has accepted $2,596,725 from the oil and gas industries. [Library of Congress, accessed on 5/6/08; Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 5/6/08]

9. McSame on Education Funding

JOHN MCCAIN: No Child Left Behind Is A “Major Milestone” and “An Accountability Act.” On Larry King, McCain stated, “Senator Kennedy and President Bush worked together on the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind Act may have some flaws associated with it, but I still view it as a major milestone in trying to improve education in this country.” He added, “I think some also might interpret it as an accountability act as well.” [CNN, “Larry King Live,” 11/03/05]

McCain Repeatedly Voted Against Fully Funding No Child Left Behind. In 2003 and 2004, McCain voted repeatedly against fully funding No Child Left Behind, resulting in an unfunded mandate. [SCR 95, Vote #35, 3/10/04; SCR 23, Vote #60, 3/19/03; HJR 2, Vote #5, 1/16/03; HJR 2, Vote #5, 1/16/03]

PRESIDENT BUSH: No Child Left Behind Reached A “Historic Milestone of Accountability.” During remarks on the implementation of No Child Left Behind, President Bush referred to it as “an historic milestone of accountability.” He added that “parents and teachers and principals and education chiefs are making good on our promise to leave no child left behind. We will continue to stand with them as they help the next generation realize the greatness of our country.” [Remarks on Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, 6/10/03]

GOP

Madison Congressman: “I Voted Against The No Child Left Behind Act… I Saw It As A Huge Unfunded Mandate.”* During an interview with Human Events, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner said, “let me say that I voted against the No Child Left Behind bill, and was one of 33 Republicans who did that, because I saw it as a huge unfunded mandate, and that those who supported the legislation essentially over-promised what the federal government could deliver.” [Human Events, 12/22/06]

10. McSame Opposed Raising the Minimum Wage

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain, the Eighth Wealthiest Member of the Senate who with his Wife Owns Nine Homes, voted Against Raising the Minimum Wage At Least Seven Times. [S.Amdt. 4272 to H.R. 3448, Vote #183, 7/06/96][S.Amdt. 44 to S. 256, Vote #26, 3/07/05][S.Amdt. 3079 to S.Amdt. 2951 to S.Con.Res. 101, Vote #76, 4/07/00][S.Amdt. 1383 to S. 1429, Vote #239, 7/30/99] [S. 96, Vote #94, 4/28/99][S.Amdt. 3540 to S.Amdt. 3559 to S. 1301, Vote #278, 9/22/98][HR 2, Vote #23, 1/24/07]

Bush Consistently Opposed a Minimum Wage Increase for Years. Bush said “I worry about pricing people out of work.” Instead, Bush proposed letting states “opt out” of any minimum wage increase, or only extending it to certain industries, measures that would render the increase meaningless. [Sources: Baltimore Sun, 7/15/99; Associated Press, 9/24/99; CQ Weekly, 5/7/04, 4/2/04]

Contact Senator McCain and let him know how his support in the U.S. Senate of the failed Bush policy agenda hurts Wisconsin residents and should be rejected. Call 202-224-2235 or contact Senator McCain here.

See the original release