WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee:
In another sign that John McCain has yet to stabilize his struggling campaign, the GOP presidential hopeful fell to 10% in the latest Rasmussen Reports national tracking poll, a poor performance that ties his all-time low in that poll which came during the immigration debate in June. [Rasmussen Reports, 8/13/07] Recent polls in the early primary states don't look any better for the one-time frontrunner, showing McCain sitting at just 8% in Iowa, 10% in New Hampshire and 10% in South Carolina, where McCain participated in a town hall meeting this morning. [Washington Post-ABC News poll, 7/26-31/07; ARG Polls, 7/26-30/07]
McCain's do-anything-to-win strategy has left him at odds with the very voters he is courting, making it harder for him to regain traction as his campaign falters. This morning's AARP town hall meeting at an AmVets Post shed light on McCain's balancing act, and why it's falling flat. McCain told an audience that "it's disgraceful and outrageous that Republicans and Democrats have not sat down together and worked out this Social Security problem." [Associated Press, 8/14/07] However, McCain didn't address his support for privatizing Social Security nor his many votes against the vital program for America's seniors, and failed to say what he would do to preserve it. And despite continuing to court fellow veterans, McCain has not addressed his votes against funding for veterans health care.
"America's veterans and seniors deserve to be more than a backdrop for John McCain's do-anything-to-win campaign, and deserve an explanation from the Arizona Senator on his votes," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. "The deep divide between McCain's rhetoric and McCain's record highlights the very Republican double talk that has him on the verge of single digits. The last thing the American people are looking for is another President who uses our seniors and troops as props, but fails to keep America's promise to them."
MCCAIN SUPPORTED PRIVATIZATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY
2006: McCain Voted For A Social Security Reserve Fund. In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security Reserve Fund. The GOP proposal would shift Social Security's annual surpluses into a reserve account intended to be turned into risky private accounts. [SCR 83, Vote 68, 3/16/06, Failed 46-53, D:0-44, R:46-8, I:0-1]
2005: McCain Voted Against Rejecting Any Plan That Requires Social Security Cuts Or Massive Debt Increases. In 2005, McCain voted against Nelson, D-Fla., amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that Congress should reject any Social Security plan that requires deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt. It also would urge Congress to take action to address Social Security solvency. [SCR 18, Vote 49, 3/15/05, Failed 50-50, D:44-0, R:5-50, I:1-0]
2005: McCain Voted Against An Amendment To Require Social Security to Have 75-Year Solvency Before Considering Deficit Financed Legislation. In 2005, McCain voted against the Conrad amendment that would ensure that 75-year solvency had been restored to Social Security before Congress considered new deficit-financed legislation that would increase mandatory spending or cut taxes. The amendment failed on a straight party-line vote. [S.Amdt.144 to SCR 18, Vote 47, 3/15/05, Failed 45-55, D:44-0, R:0-55, I:1-0]
1998: McCain Voted to Create Personal Retirement Accounts, For Privatizing Social Security. In 1998, McCain voted for legislation expressing that the budget surplus can be used to establish a program of personal retirement accounts for working Americans to reduce unfunded liabilities of the Social Security program. McCain also voted for the Grams amendment that would express a sense of Senate whose recommendations would have the effect of replacing Social Security's guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments. [Vote #56, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 51-49 (R 49-6, D 2-43); Vote #77, SCR 86, 4/1/98, motion passed 50-48 (R 49-5, D 1-43)]
MCCAIN SOUGHT TO TAKE THE SECURITY OUT OF SOCIAL SECURITY
2003: McCain Voted to Use Social Security to Pay off Federal Debt. McCain voted for the Grassley, R-Iowa, motion to table (kill) the Hollings, D-S.C., amendment that would prevent use of the Social Security Trust Fund to pay off any of the federal debt. [Vote 201, HJR 51, 5/23/2003, Passed 52-46 D 1-45 R 51-0 I 0-1]
2001: McCain Opposed a Move That Would Reduce Upper-Bracket Tax Cuts and Create a Strategic Reserve for Social Security. McCain voted against changing the Tax Relief Act of 2001 (H.R. 1836) to reduce the amount of tax relief for the top tax brackets and the amount of estate tax relief by a total of $350 billion, and to create a strategic reserve fund that would permit up to $350 billion in spending on legislation that extended the solvency of Social Security and maintained its progressivity. The motion was rejected, 41-57. [Vote 145, (Motion rejected 41-57: R 0-48; D 41-9 (ND 36-5, SD 5-4)), HR 1836, Senate RPC, 5/22/01]
2001: McCain Voted Against a Democratic Amendment That Would Create Lockboxes to Protect Social Security and Medicare. McCain voted against waiving the Budget Act for the consideration of the Conrad amendment (No. 29) to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2001 (S. 420). The amendment would add Medicare/Social Security "lockbox" (budgetary mechanism) protections intended to prevent Social Security surpluses and Medicare Part A trust fund surpluses from being spent on non-Social Security or non-Medicare purposes. [Vote 22, (Motion rejected 53-47: R 3-47; D 50-0 (ND 41-0, SD 9-0)), S. Amdt. 29, Senate RPC, 3/13/01]
McCain Voted to Use Social Security to Pay Off Federal Debt. In 2003 Senator McCain voted to use Social Security to pay off federal debt. [(Vote 201, HJR 51, 5/23/2003, Passed 52-46 D 1-45 R 51-0 I 0-1)]
POLITICS OVER VETERANS
McCain Hired Swift Boat Advertising Firm Designed to Attack Veterans. "Senator John McCain...is assembling a team of political bruisers for 2008. And it includes advisers who once sought to skewer him and whose work he has criticized as stepping over the line in the past. In 2000, Mr. McCain...said the advertisements run against him by George W. Bush...distorted his record. But he has hired three members of the team that made those commercials...In 2004, Mr. McCain said the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth advertisement asserting that Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts had not properly earned his medals from the Vietnam War was 'dishonest and dishonorable.' Nonetheless, he has hired the firm that made the spots, Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm, which worked on his 2000 campaign, to work for him again this year. [New York Times, 2/4/07]
McCain Would Rather Be Out Campaigning Than Supporting Our Troops. McCain missed an important vote this year that supported the funding of the troops in Iraqand guaranteed them adequate medical care upon returning home. [Senate Roll Call Vote #76, 3/15/07]
MCCAIN OPPOSED ADDITIONAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR VETERANS
McCain Repeatedly Voted Against Increasing Funding for Veterans Health Care to Keep Tax Cuts for the Rich. John McCain has repeatedly voted to keep intact tax cuts for the rich, rather than provide American veterans with adequate healthcare funding. McCain has repeatedly voted against amendments in the Senate that would have added funding for healthcare services, but eliminated tax cuts for the wealthy. Funding would have covered such important services as improving care at veterans' hospitals, providing mental health services to soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems. [Senate Roll Call Vote #7, 2/2/06; Senate Roll Call Vote #343, 11/17/05; Senate Roll Call Vote #251, 10/5/05; Senate Roll Call Vote #15, 2/13/06; Senate Roll Call Vote #74, 3/21/03; Senate Roll Call Vote #115, 5/16/96; Senate Roll Call Vote #465, 9/27/95; Senate Roll Call Vote #466, 9/27/95; Senate Roll Call Vote #266, 5/25/95]
McCain Stood Out in Opposing Veterans' Funding. McCain was one of only 13 Republicans to vote against an amendment that added over $400 million for inpatient and outpatient care for veterans. [Senate Roll Call Vote #98, 4/26/06]
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, http://www.democrats.org/. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Democratic National Committee
