Fact Checking McCain's Speech

AP: MCCAIN: "When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity."

THE FACTS: Despite his goal of giving parents choice in the schools their children attend, he is not proposing a federal voucher program that would provide public money for private school tuition. McCain is proposing only to expand the District of Columbia's voucher program. During his 2000 run for the presidency, he did propose a more than $5 billion school voucher plan, but he is not proposing one now. His advisers say President Bush's No Child Left Behind Law is aimed at giving parents more choice, and he would make improvements to that.

JOHN MCCAIN: "Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."

THE FACTS: It is certainly true that McCain, with two decades in the Senate, has worked in a bipartisan fashion on a number of issues. Legislation that bears his name often carries the name of a Democrat as well. On campaign finance he worked with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; on immigration with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; on climate change with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. Obama, elected in 2004, has a much slimmer record of accomplishment. He did work with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana to pass legislation to further curtail illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. Unlike McCain, however, Obama did not put himself at odds with his own party leaders by working with Lugar.

SEN. LINDSAY GRAHAM: "Those who predicted failure, voted to cut off funding for our troops, and played politics with our national security will be footnotes in history. There's no doubt about it, we are on the road to victory. ...While Barack Obama expresses appreciation for our troops' service, he refuses to acknowledge their success."

THE FACTS: Obama voted in April of last year for legislation that financed the military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan but included a nonbinding call to pull troops out of Iraq. President Bush vetoed it. Then in May he voted against a subsequent financing bill because the pull-out provision had been removed. The bill, however, passed overwhelmingly. Before his May vote, Obama had voted for every bill that financed the troops since he joined the Senate. On Thursday, campaigning in Lancaster, Pa., Obama conceded that the troop surge had succeeded in reducing violence "beyond our wildest dreams." But, he said the United States government still needs to decide when to "turn over responsibility to the Iraqis for their own country?" read more

Want War: Vote McCain

Poster by Dustin Parker

Here are a few things to keep in mind about McCain as he speaks about his "vision." 
* When McCain talks about tax hikes, it's only individuals making more than $200 million and families, making $250 million who will get a tax hike under Obama. Obama will not continue the Bush tax cuts. Middle class families WILL see their taxes go down.  

* McCain may know about war and hate war but he's not reluctant to use war. If you want another war, elect McCain. He is no diplomat. Republicans don't seem to mind war. They think about it as patriotic, a necessary evil. 

* McCain, like Bush, will continue to use fear tactics to wield military power. 

* McCain has a short temper and is crabby.

* As a republican, McCain is a believer in bootstraps. He doesn't believe government has any obligation to help the poorest of the poor.

* McCain's own website says he will overturn Roe V. Wade: 

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

* McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time. 

* In the 26 years he's been in politics, he's never supported renewable energy. 

* McCain is known to lack structure and organizational skills. 

* McCain is weak on economics. 

* McCain is learning the Internet.

* McCain's judgement is questionable. 

* Oil will continue to be dominant theme in a McCain administration.

* McCain's next in line, Ms. Mooseburger, delivers a Rovian speech really well but her qualifications are questionable. Prolife and motherhood won't help salve Russian relations. 

* War hero does not equal leader and is not a qualification for the presidency. Sorry. It just isn't and I'm tired of hearing it.

* Republicans had 8 years and they blew it big time.