MoJo Blog

« U.S. Ignored Militia Warnings | Blog Index | "All options are on the table." »

Advertisement

McCain a Pro-Choicer? Please.

Scott Lemieux rips apart the conceit that John McCain is somehow a closet abortion rights activist who only plays a pro-lifer on TV. See, for instance, Jacob Weisberg in Slate, or Jon Chait in the New Republic. Among other things, McCain's liberal defenders want us to believe that despite a lifetime record in the Senate of voting against abortion rights—including a zero rating from NARAL in 2004—the "maverick" would somehow pull away the mask and reveal his liberal colors if he ever made it to the White House.

That's all very quaint, but come on. Look: In 2008 this country will elect a new president. Presumably sometime shortly thereafter the 86-year-old John Paul Stevens will retire from the Supreme Court. Replacing Stevens with a pro-life judge would provide the fifth vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Do we really think that as president John McCain, a man who voted without hesitation to confirm Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito despite serving in a pro-choice state—and a man who, as president, would be under unimaginable pressure from conservative interest groups and would need to satisfy "the base" to win re-election—would really nominate a pro-choice justice?

No, he wouldn't. Whatever McCain's "private" views might be, he will never be a pro-choicer when it counts. I can't even see the theoretical case for thinking otherwise.

Posted by Bradford Plumer on 04/19/06 at 11:05 AM | E-mail | Print | Digg this | de.licio.us



Comments

If there are liberals out there high on McCain, then they must be high on something else also. I am on nothing and I wouldn't even let that man walk my dog! Also Romney plays this little charade, please, were we all born yesterday? With all the media outlets out there they need to come up with some new plays, or for something completely novel they can just be true to their beliefs!

Posted by: fLeidy@msn.com on 04/21/06 at 3:46 PM

Remember the " Keating Five " ? Maverick ... maverick my ass. Opportunististic money grubber like the rest in Washington. When are liberals going to wake up and stand for the ordinary working class?
Nero is fiddling ... anyone paying attention?

Posted by: Ferguson Cadwallader on 04/21/06 at 5:12 PM

Silly americans. You will vote for the corporate toady, from a party of corporate toadies, lead by corporate toadies. TV. shopping and the latest issue of People are all that matters. Is McCain pro or anti abortion is just a distraction. Decent americans should just give up, leave the country to the crackers and zealots and move up to Canada. We need a shot of thinking people up here.

Posted by: garry walsh on 04/22/06 at 7:11 AM

I don't know where anybody is getting the idea that liberals are high on McCain "all of a sudden." Over the last 5.5 years, John McCain has had the conservative political cover to reveal his true self. That is, a diehard Republican who likes to talk tough but votes super-conservatively. I read somewhere that he is the 4th most conservative senator in the Senate. That's supposed to be the moderate maverick of the "Straight-Talk Express?" Bullshit! From what I've seen on the blogs, there are no more delusions among liberals about John McCain. His recent commencement speech at Jerry Falwell U., a guy he called a merchant of hatred just 5 years ago, cements his true identity as a typical fear-mongering, gay-bashing Republican.

Posted by: Chris on 04/25/06 at 9:37 PM

Post a comment





 

RECENT COMMENTS

Houston Mounted Police Run Over Protesters (5)
Ranselar VanDerpoel wrote: Deacon, you have stated the problem perfectly! It is a SOC... [more]

"This Just In..." A Fair and Balanced Daily Show (2)
Usama wrote: FOX and the Ritewing already have a major corner of the me... [more]

Be Thankful for Complainers (2)
Schuller wrote: Hah, bit tangential, but: the Finns are coffee-crazy, and ... [more]

Rangel Says Bring It On, The Draft That Is (9)
Ranselar VanDerpoel wrote: Well folks, back when we had the draft, the rich kids stil... [more]

Obama to Reporter: I'm Sorry for "Messing Up Your Game" (11)
Rob Dagostino wrote: 8 years of bush please run barack run you get everybodys v... [more]

NYPD Watches From Above (1)
Mark P. wrote: Fascism is a people problem, not a problem that comes from... [more]

Attention Gay Wal-Mart Shoppers... (8)
Ben wrote: My wife works for Walmart. Today Nov 22 there was a meetin... [more]

Teen Birth Rate at a Record Low (1)
Michael L. Wagner wrote: According to a Texas A&M University study, students in alm... [more]

Al Jazeera's First Week Gets Positive Reviews (2)
Larry wrote: Is it possible that there really is democracy in America? ... [more]

New Poll: Vast Majority of Iraqis Want U.S. to Go Home (1)
Matteo Tomasini at EPIC wrote: Just a heads up, this poll is not new; It came out at the ... [more]

XML RSS Feed

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Jail.org - Inmate Search
Criminal records, instant public records & people search & current court records. www.jail.org

U.S. Public Records Search
Search County & State Court Records, Criminal records, Vital and Adoption Records www.PublicRecordsInfo.com

Records.com - People Search
Public Records and Background Checks. Instantly Search Criminal Records, Addresses and Court Records www.Records.com

Court Records & County Records
Find Instant Public Records, Criminal Records as Well as County Property Records Search. www.PublicRecordsIndex.com

Real Viagra, Cialis Levitra Deal
Dare to compare our competitive prices. Free overnight delivery to new patients in the US. No catch 22!

Bob's Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal
In addition to its great nutty flavor, our flaxseed meal is high in fiber and packed with essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

PEACEFUL HOLIDAY GIFTS
Items featuring the 1958 peace symbol shirts, buttons, hoodys, signs, stickers, pins...more.
union made • detroit peacebuttons.info

End the genocide in Darfur
Every day, Darfuris face rape, murder, and starvation. Be a Voice for Darfur: tell Obama to end the suffering.


















Remembrance of Houses Future

The Shootout in Mumbai

Fairness Doctrine Update

Democrats at the Pentagon


More MoJo voices...



bookIN PRINT

CLICK HERE
for more great reading

headphones IN TUNE
New music every issue

CLICK TO LISTEN

Advertise Liberally

This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.

© 2005 The Foundation for National Progress

About Us   Support Us   Advertise   Ad Policy   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Subscribe   RSS