A GOP maverick and Vietnam Era prisoner of war, John McCain hopes to become the oldest President in American history.
John Sidney McCain III was born in 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone, a US possession at the time. Both his father and his grandfather were admirals in the US Navy. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1958. After graduation he trained as a Naval Aviator in Florida and Texas.
In 1967 McCain was sent to Vietnam with the aircraft carrier the USS Forrestal. While in Vietnam he transferred to the USS Oriskany. On October 26, 1967, McCain’s plane was shot down during a mission over Hanoi and he became a prisoner of war. McCain was a POW for over five years.
In 1980, McCain divorced his first wife after a long period of separation and married a school teacher from Phoenix, Arizona. He retired from the Navy in 1981 and ran for Congress in Arizona in 1982. In 1986 he ran for the US Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Senator Barry Goldwater. He ran for President in 2000 as a Republican and supported President Bush in the 2004 election.
Abortion and Stem Cell Research
McCain has a strong anti-abortion voting record, but he would allow abortion in cases of incest or rape. He thinks that abortion should be reduced through regulation and the promotions of alternatives like adoption. He has voted in favor of banning partial birth abortion, banning abortion on military bases, notifying parents before minors get abortions, and criminal penalties for harming a fetus during the commission of a crime. He is in favor of federal funding for stem cell research, even if it involved embryonic stem cells.
Education
McCain has supported tuition vouchers in the past that would help pay private school tuition. He has suggested turning education policy back over to individual states and allocating federal money to states in the form of unrestricted block grants. He says he would increase education funding and keep most aspected of No Child Left Behind in place.
Health Care
McCain is an opponent of a national health care plan. He has supported the idea of tax deferred health savings accounts in the past.
Immigration
McCain supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 despite its unpopularity among Republicans. He is in favor of giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.
Taxes and Social Security
McCain opposed President Bush’s tax cuts because they were not tied to cuts in spending. He voted for the extension of those tax cuts, however, in 2006. He is also a vocal critic of “pork barrel” spending and says that he would veto spending bills that contains such spending and try to publicly shame the members of Congress who proposed them. He has voiced support for a balanced budget amendment in the past. McCain has voiced support for the creation of private savings accounts within the framework of social security. McCain has called the current tax system “fair” and says that the wealthy pay the majority of taxes.
Gay Marriage
McCain sees gay marriage as a state issue. He voted against the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The Iraq War
McCain has been one of the strongest supporters of the Bush Administration’s efforts in Iraq.
Conclusion
While the issue is not discussed much, McCain would be the oldest person to ever become President if he were elected. He would be 72 when he assumed office; he tells critics that he is in excellent health.
Perhaps a bigger problem for McCain is his image as a maverick. In the 2000 election that image made him seem attractive to independent voters. In this election it seems to be having a different result; independent voters have other champions now and McCain is viewed by many as simply out of step it the GOP base for his support of stem cell research, campaign finance reform, and somewhat liberal immigration policies.
John McCain's Official Site: www.johnmccain.com/
