Q&A Friday #89: McCain’s Changing Positions?

Question: “John McCain came out with a plan to have most of the troops out of Iraq by Jan 2013, according to the LA Times. He plans on having Democrats work in his administration; his plans include amnesty, according to an AP story out today.

So, my question is, why should we vote for a guy who is getting more and more liberal every day? Remember, he got on Mitt Romney for suggesting that he had a timeline for pulling out of Iraq – and now he has one. The only thing that makes him a better choice than Clinton is that he has promised to shrink the federal budget – how long until he switches THAT position?” — jasamc

Answer: John McCain categorically HAS NOT set a timeline for withdrawal. All he has said is that he believes we can have the war won by 2013 and if the war is won, we’re not going to need American troops policing the streets. The media outlets claiming that he has set a timeline are either too stupid to understand what he’s saying or more likely, deliberately distorting what he’s saying.

As to the amnesty, I have a question in with him on that for clarification, but to the best of my knowledge, his position is still secure the border first and then do an amnesty after that is complete.

While I don’t agree with that position, I do think it’s far superior to the Obama/Hillary “comprehensive immigration now” stance and moreover, I don’t believe that the border is going to be secured in McCain’s first term. That means that it’s entirely possible we could make it through his first term with constantly improving border security, no amnesty and then, cross your fingers, he could retire after one term and we could get a conservative in there who would oppose amnesty.

Also, when it comes to fiscal conservatism, McCain has a long, very consistent record that ranks right up there with people like Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint. In that area, more than any other, I have confidence in how he would behave as President.

Don’t get me wrong: if McCain gets in, he will make conservatives pull their hair out on more than a few occasions, but he’s a moderate, not a liberal, and he would unquestionably be better for conservatives and more importantly, for the country, than B.O. or Hill. Even conservatives who hate McCain’s guts should be able to admit that much.

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