Top McCain Flip-Flops
1. Taxes. John
McCain was one of two Republican senators to vote
against President Bush's tax cuts of 2001, saying that
he could not support cuts that benefited the rich
rather than the middle class. He now favors making the
tax cuts permanent.
2. The religious right.
During the 2000 presidential campaign, he attacked
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as "agents of
intolerance." He withdrew that remark in a 2006
interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," saying that the
Christian right has a "major role to play in the
Republican Party."
3. Immigration.
Last year, he sponsored a bill that would combine a
temporary-worker program and a path to citizenship for
many illegal immigrants while also increasing border
security. He now emphasizes securing the borders
first.
4. Roe v. Wade.
In August 1999, he told the San Francisco Chronicle
that he would "not support repeal of Roe v. Wade"
because it would force women to have illegal
abortions. He has subsequently said that he was
speaking about the need to change the "culture of
America" and that he supports the repeal of Roe, the
1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion
nationwide.
5. Ethanol. In
2003, he said that ethanol "does nothing to reduce
fuel consumption, nothing to increase our energy
independence, nothing to improve air quality."
Campaigning in Iowa in August 2006, he described
ethanol as a "vital alternative energy source, not
only because of our dependency on foreign oil, but its
greenhouse-reduction effects."
Top Romney Flip-Flops
1. Abortion. In
October 2002, campaigning for governor of
Massachusetts, Mitt Romney said he would "preserve and
protect" a woman's right to choose. He now describes
himself as an abortion opponent.
2. Gay rights. In
a 1994 letter to the Log Cabin Republicans, who
advocate gay rights, he said he was in favor of
"gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and
honestly" in the military. He now says it would be a
mistake to interfere with the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy.
3. Gun control.
Campaigning for the Senate in 1994, he said he
favored strong gun laws and did not "line up with
the NRA." He joined the National Rifle Association
in 2006 while pondering a presidential run, and he
praised the group for "doing good things" and
"supporting the right to bear arms."
4. Campaign finance.
In 1994, he advocated a spending limit on
congressional elections and the abolition of
political action committees. In 2002, he supported
public financing of campaigns from a 10 percent tax
on private fundraising. This year, he said the
McCain-Feingold law limiting campaign contributions
is an attack on free speech.
5. Immigration.
In a November 2005 interview with the Boston Globe,
he described denounces it as an "amnesty plan." In
December 2006, he signed an agreement authorizing
state troopers to round up illegal immigrants.
