[cobra bill]

Balancing The Budget
McCain Flips:
Fortune reported in February that McCain “pledges to balance the budget by 2012, not by increasing taxes, but by vetoing all pork barrel spending, and curbing outlays for Social Security and Medicare.” [Fortune, 2/19/08]
McCain Flops:
The same day, it was reported that McCain’s economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin said “McCain’s overall goal is to balance the budget by the end of his second term,” or 2017. [Robert Samuelson, 2/19/08]
McCain Flips:
Two months later, Holtz-Eakin said at a symposium sponsored by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget that “I would like the next president not to talk about deficit reduction,” adding that “if the war and the personal and corporate tax cuts that Mr. McCain advocated added to the federal deficit and debt, so be it.” [New York Times, 4/14/08]
McCain Flops:
Finally, in June, the McCain campaign came back to its original pledge, with Holtz-Eakin saying that McCain’s economic plan, “when appropriately phased in, as it has always been intended to be, will bring the budget to balance by the end of his first term.” [Bloomberg, 6/6/08]


Divestment And Sanctions
McCain Flips:
During a June 2, 2008 speech before the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), McCain said “years ago, the moral clarity and conviction of civilized nations came together in a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid. In our day, we must use that same power and moral conviction against the regime in Iran, and help to safeguard the people of Israel and the peace of the world.” [6/2/08]
McCain Flops:
In 1985 and 1986, McCain voted against sanctions and United States divestment from the apartheid regime in South Africa six times. [Think Progress, 6/4/08]


Negotiations With Hamas
McCain Flips:
During an interview in 2006 with Sky News’ James Rubin (now of the Washington Post), McCain was asked “Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?” McCain answered that “they’re the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, but it’s a new reality in the Middle East.” [Washington Post, 5/16/08]
McCain Flops:
In 2008, McCain said that Senator Obama was showing “naiveté and inexperience and lack of judgment” because of his willingness to meet with U.S. foes. [Associated Press, 5/16/08]


Negotiations With Syria
McCain Flips:
In 2003, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell was heavily criticized for agreeing to visit Syria. McCain defended Powell, saying that “Colin Powell is going to look [President] Bashar Assad in the eye and say, look, you know. You better clean up your act here. It’s a new day in the Middle East. And I think it’s entirely appropriate to do that,” despite his admission that “I think they’re–they’re sponsoring and harboring terrorists.” [Hardball, 4/23/03 & Today Show, 4/18/03]
McCain Flops:
Yet again, in 2008, McCain said that Senator Obama was showing “naiveté and inexperience and lack of judgment” because of his willingness to meet with U.S. foes. [Associated Press, 5/16/08]


The NRA
McCain Flips:
In 2000, McCain said on CNN that “the NRA is entitled to their advocacy. I don’t think they help the Republican Party at all, and I don’t think they should in any way play a major role in the Republican Party’s policy making.” He was also labeled “one of the premier flag-carriers for enemies of the Second Amendment” by the NRA. [CNN, 5/12/00]
McCain Flops:
In 2008, McCain spoke before the NRA’s National Convention, and said that “President Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton would put the rights of ‘law-abiding’ gun owners at risk,” and announced that “I look forward to receiving [the NRA’s] endorsement.” [New York Times, 5/17/08 & Wall Street Journal, 5/16/08]


Tobacco Industry Regulations
McCain Flips:
In 1998, McCain pushed hard to pass a bill regulating the tobacco industry, saying “it is illegal for children to purchase tobacco in every state in the country. And in every state … tobacco companies have invested enormous sums of money and time to encourage widespread lawbreaking. Now is the time to put an end to it.” Among other provisions, the bill would have raised taxes on cigarettes by $1.10. McCain also told PBS that he would “never” give up trying to regulate the tobacco industry. [CNN’s All Politics, 5/18/98 & PBS Newshour, 4/21/98]
McCain Flops:
In August 2007, McCain voted against a bill that raised tobacco taxes by 61 cents in order to pay for an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Then, McCain agreed to cosponsor a bill allowing the FDA to regulate the tobacco industry, but said that he “won’t commit to voting for it until he sees the final legislation.” [Boston Globe, 3/26/08]


Lobbyists
McCain Flips:
In 1996 and 1997, McCain attempted to push through Congress a bill that would “ban a candidate or a candidate’s authorized committee from paying registered lobbyists.” “Registered lobbyists who work for campaigns as fundraisers clearly represent a conflict of interest,” he said. “When a campaign employs an individual who also lobbies that Member, the perception of undue and unfair influence is raised.” [Huffington Post, 5/20/08]
McCain Flops:
While running for President, McCain has had 159 lobbyists campaign or raise money for him. [Progressive Accountability]


Rogue State Rollback
McCain Flips:
In 2000, McCain proposed an aggressive foreign policy platform called “rogue state rollback” to deal with countries like Iraq, Libya, North Korea. “I’d institute a policy that I call ‘rogue state rollback,’” he said. “I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically elected governments.” [CNN’s Larry King Live, 2/15/00]
McCain Flops:
In 2008, McCain attempted to soften the policy. “I wasn’t saying that we should go around and declare war,” he said. “I was saying that we nations of like values and principles and belief in democracy and freedom should make efforts to modify the behavior of other nations.” [ABC News, 4/15/08]


Long-Term Troop Presence In Iraq
McCain Flips:
In 2005, McCain was asked about a long term U.S. troop presence in Iraq. “I not only think we could get along without it, but I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence,” he replied. “And I don‘t pretend to know exactly Iraqi public opinion. But as soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be.” [Hardball, 2/1/05]
McCain Flops:
At a town hall meeting in NH in January 2008, McCain said that it would be “fine” to keep troops in Iraq for a “hundred” years. “Make it a hundred. We’ve been in South Korea … we’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea 50 years or so. That would be fine with me.” [Mother Jones Blog, 1/3/08]


Americans Live Better Under Bush
McCain Flips:
On April 17, 2008, McCain appeared on Bloomberg TV and faced the question “if Americans were asked, are you better off today than you were before George Bush took office more than seven years ago, what answer would they give?” He replied that “I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there’s been great progress economically over that period of time. But that’s no comfort.” [Bloomberg TV, 4/17/08]
Mccain Flops:
The next day, McCain again appeared on Bloomberg TV, and this time said unequivocally that “Americans are not better off than they were eight years ago.” [Bloomberg TV, 4/18/08]