Third term Posted by Max Bergmann

Elisabeth Bumiller has a fairly bland run down of the similarities and differences between McCain and Bush but she gets to the right place when she concludes that - well he's the same as Bush:

A look at Mr. McCain’s 25-year record in the House and Senate, his 2008 campaign positions and his major speeches over the last three months indicates that on big-ticket issues — the economy, support for continuing the Iraq war, health care — his stances are indeed similar to Mr. Bush’s brand of conservatism. Mr. McCain’s positions are nearly identical to the president’s on abortion and the types of judges he says he would appoint to the courts.

Right - so on economic issues, the biggest foreign policy issue, the biggest domestic policy issue, and on social issues - McCain is clearly in line with George Bush. Yet Bumiller is still giving John McCain way way too much credit:

On diplomacy, Mr. McCain has regularly distanced himself from the go-it-alone unilateralism of the Bush administration...In the same vein, Mr. McCain has significantly broken with Mr. Bush on nuclear security policy. Unlike the president, he supports a legally binding accord between the United States and Russia on limiting nuclear weapons, the elimination of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, a strengthening of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, increased financing for the International Atomic Energy Agency and nuclear talks with China.

This is a case where a reporter is simply regurgitating campaign rhetoric without thinking. Can someone please explain to me how John McCain plans to kick Russia out of the G-8, move forward on national missile defense, and still plans on establishing good trusting relations with Russia on nonproliferation that will lead to a mutual reduction in both of our nuclear arsenals. THESE ARE CONTRADICTORY VIEWS and together these views represent a completely incoherent vision on foreign policy.

Additionally, how McCain can be called more favorable toward "diplomacy" than George Bush when he is not in favor of diplomatic talks with Iran or Cuba, adopts a more hardline approach toward North Korea, is in favor of kicking Russia out of the G-8, repeatedly belittled our European allies in the run-up to the war in Iraq and has hardly been an advocate of the UN. That is certainly not the record of someone who believes in diplomacy.

All of this being said - Bumiller manages to miss the biggest reason why McCain will be a continuation  of George Bush - McCain adamantly adheres to the neoconservative vision of foreign policy. In fact as the Economist noted in 2002, John McCain had George Bush's foreign policy before George Bush. This is not just some campaign line - it happens to be the truth.

Comments

[Brittanicus]

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[peace]

Elisabeth Bumiller seems to be just as ignorant of Russian-American relations as John McCain. It is a shame that the MSM does not consult with Dr.Stephen Cohen, a historian of Russian, to analyze the dangerous contradictions of John McCain's Russian policy.

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This is nothing more than strategic polical positioning to woo conseratives. McCain has failed to substantively differentiate himself from George Bush and Bush's failed approach to foreign policy. However, I would not be surprised if this tactic generates political support. Unfortunately, if McCain is elected, and abandons diplomacy, we will diminish in stature, regess as a nation and further strain our political ties with the Middle East.

[Chris Berger]

I think ,the economy, support for continuing the Iraq war, health care his stances are indeed similar to Mr. Bush’s brand of conservatism. Mr. McCain’s positions are nearly identical to the president’s on abortion and the types of judges he says he would appoint to the courts

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Mr. McCain has significantly broken with Mr. Bush on nuclear security policy. Unlike the president, he supports a legally binding accord between the United States and Russia on limiting nuclear weapons.

[Nightly Business Report]

That's some inspirational stuff. Never knew that opinions could be this varied, McCain has failed to substantively differentiate himself from George Bush and Bush's failed approach to foreign policy...

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Once a political reformer, McCain has hung a For Sale sign on his most cherished principles and morphed into the second coming of George W. Bush. If you are an admirer of all that George Bush has done to America, you are going to love John McCain.

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It is a shame that the MSM does not consult with Dr.Stephen Cohen, a historian of Russian, to analyze the dangerous contradictions of John McCain's Russian policy.

[Steve Cassarino]

In the same vein, Mr. McCain has significantly broken with Mr. Bush on nuclear security policy. Thanks for the information.

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If the U.S. grants amnesty and gives citizenship to 12 to 30 million illegal migrants, as Senators Obama and McCain propose, those naturalized citizens could possibly add 120 million U.S. and foreign-born relatives to the U.S. in the next 20 years, who all consume energy.

[B Cassell]

Nice one...Right so on economic issues, the biggest foreign policy issue, the biggest domestic policy issue, and on social issues McCain is clearly in line with George Bush. Thanks for sharing this .That's very interesting.

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Can someone please explain to me how John McCain plans to kick Russia out of the G-8, move forward on national missile defence.

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If McCain is elected, and abandons diplomacy, we will diminish in stature, regess as a nation and further strain our political ties with the Middle East.

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It is a bliss that McCain never became our president!

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It is totally contradictory to build a missile shield and still hold good relations with Russia

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McCain’s positions are nearly identical to the president’s on abortion..

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McCain has significantly broken with Mr. Bush on nuclear security policy. McCain can be called more favorable toward "diplomacy" than George Bush.

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Does the mission shield really work????