McCain Revealed

Sen. John McCain has a habit of voting away good U.S. jobs--not to mention overtime pay, Social Security, Medicare, our freedom to form unions and bargain and more. When the AFL-CIO started doing research to uncover John McCain's record on working family issues, it was like peeling an onion--layer after layer of hostile, Bush-esque actions and positions wrapped in McCain's camouflage as a straight-talking maverick.

The latest to come to light: McCain was a "key figure" in the deal that awarded a multi-billion-dollar air tanker deal to a joint venture that includes the European company EADS rather than to Boeing. McCain pushed the Pentagon to change the bidding process in a way that disadvantaged Boeing, Time magazine says. And some of his top advisers have out and out lobbied for the award to EADS/Airbus--one of them while serving as McCain's national finance chairman. [Time magazine, 3/11/08]

Facing recession, America lost 63,000 jobs last month alone. Had Boeing been awarded the air tanker deal, it would have supported at least 44,000 new and existing jobs here in the United States, many of them good union jobs.

For McCain, this is business as usual. And we want people to know that.

So the AFL-CIO has launched a McCain Revealed website to introduce the presidential candidate to the public and a multi-layered campaign to reach more than 13 million union household voters in 23 battleground states. Everywhere John McCain goes, union activists are there to confront him on economic issues and demand that he speak to working families' concerns. From worksite leafleting and door-to-door canvassing to microtargeting direct mail and phone calls, we'll make sure John McCain's real record is on the public record.

Here's just a taste:

John McCain: More George W. Bush. McCain supported President Bush's positions 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 89 percent of the time over Bush's two terms in office. (Congressional Quarterly Voting Study, 110th Congress)

McCain's Health Plan: Tax Benefits, Increase Costs. His plan would make employer-provided health benefits part of taxable income, essentially creating a new tax for working families. It undermines existing employer-based health care and pushes workers into the private market to fight big insurance companies on their own. It would reduce benefits, increase costs and leave many with no health care at all. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/5/06; Health08.org Forum, 10/31/07; Los Angeles Times, 11/20/07; The Commonwealth Fund, 6/20/05)

His Trade Policy: Support Every Unfair Trade Deal Available. McCain, a self-proclaimed "free-trader," voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and to allow China to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO), although the United States has lost more than 1 million jobs because of NAFTA and 1.8 million jobs since China entered the WTO. He voted to allow overseas outsourcing of government contracts and to weaken Buy American laws. (H.R. 3450, Vote #395, 11/20/93; S. 1307, Vote #170, 6/30/05; H.R. 4444, Vote #251, 9/19/00; Economy Policy Institute, 10/9/07; S. 1637, Vote #32, 3/4/04; S. 2400, Vote #135, 6/22/04; S. 1050, Vote #191, 5/21/03)

McCain on Rights: Oppose Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain. McCain voted to block the Employee Free Choice Act, which would level the playing field for workers trying to form unions and bargain with their employers for better pay and conditions. But he voted for a national "right to work" for less law that would cripple workers' unions. (H.R. 800, Vote #227, 6/26/07; S. 1788, Vote #188, 7/10/96)

McCain on Retirement Security: Privatize Social Security, Cut Medicare. McCain supports privatizing Social Security, putting our retirement at risk, and raising the Medicare eligibility age. (SCR 83, Vote #68, 3/16/06; SCR 18, Vote #49, 3/15/05; S. Amdt. 144 to SCR 18, Vote #47, 3/15/05; SCR 86, Vote #56, 4/1/98; SCR 86, Vote #77, 4/1/98; S. 947, Vote #112, 6/24/97; S. Amdt. 445, Vote #115, 6/25/97)

Get to know the real John McCain and spread the word. Visit McCain Revealed for more information, to find out how you can make sure America knows who McCain really is and to join in demanding that he renounce the failed Bush economic agenda.

Comments

[FirstShirt]

Hey, John, what kind of work do you do? Oh, right, you "work" for the union. Chump change I imagine. Nothing but objective folks over there. Busted up any scabs lately? Painted any cars for $70,000 a year while whining at the NAFTA?

[springsm]

"Myfriends" McCain has been on the public tax benefits his entire life. He hasn't done a day of real work ever, imo. Spoiled brat was Johnny and he had legacy in the Navy which got him where he is. What will we actually do if he becomes the potus? He is a puppet for bush anyway...w­e don't get enough of this reporting on the MSM streams. And never has he sounded sharpter than a flat round board on a microphone. He sounds downright dumb...but he reads better than his friend GW and he can pronounce the words...I guess that is a step up.

[ignorantwillyharper]

McCain is a crook, he sounds great in front of a microphone, but he speaks a different talk behind closed doors.

[montemalone]

Every time a politician (either party) talks about health care reform you know they don't care. Congress gets gold plated free care, just like their retirement plan. They have absolutely zero incentive to change the system.
McCain is a bitter old man that wants to be President so he can get revenge. If he's elected, we'll be bombing not just Iran, but VietNam as well.

[research]

If Americans let InSane McCain take the presidency­....

God help us all.

[Davwbaird]

Monster of great evil.....I­ran war to be started just before the election by Bugs, that is the plan expose it. If you all think things are strange right now, by November you will not be sane.

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Today's media is so irresponsible, it may not even take the gift you've offered. But don't let that stop you from telling the truth about the greedy GOP candidates pretending to be public servants, while operating with an agenda designed by and for corporations. In the face of constant bias against ALL workers, not just union workers, Americans need to understand how poorly served they are by their elected representatives. Thank you for making the case on Bush's CarbonCopy, McCain.

[chefrasta]

What you say may be true but the majority of your members would let their bigotry towards Obama prevent them from voting for him and vote for McCain.

[Moose49]

That's based on old myths about union members and does not reflect today's reality. For one thing, the labor movement is very diverse; the Archie Bunker hard-hat stereotype is ancient history. For another thing, white union members are a lot more likely to vote their economic interests than any other group of white working class voters. And I think efforts like this one will help ensure that outcome in the general election if Obama is the nominee.

[chefrasta]

I hope you are right but why did the union vote go to Clinton in Ohio when it was her husbands administration that passed Nafta she sat on the board of the most anti union company(Wal-Mart) I'm sorry till I see evidence to the contrary they will vote for McCain over Obama

[Davwbaird]

As a famous Flint native I agree, nothing those auto workers hate pale besides their racism.

[Rueben]

The AFL-CIO, and the rest of the big unions have done more to damage the economy of the USA than any "Bush-esque" politician or even 'greedy corporate executive'.

When I was a steelworker, I worked with a crew that spent the day goofing off and telling me, "don't work so hard, you've got to make the job last." Every one of them made more money than I, and when the boss wanted to promote me, the union prevented it because, despite the fact that I was much more productive and took initiative, I didn't have seniority. There was one guy on the crew who wouold punch in, go find a place to hide, and then sleep all day. It took THREE YEARS TO FIRE this dirtbag because every time the boss tried, the union woud come out and say, "no way".

Gee, I wonder why Japanese and Chinese steel is so much cheaper than American?! I wonder why there are so few steel jobs in America?!

A friend of mine was working on a shoot for a TV commercial. There was a box of gear in the way of a shot so my friend went to move it a few feet and out of the shot. The union rep leapt up and said don't touch that, that's a union job, and we had to wait an hour while a guy from that union showed up to move it.

Anything that tends to take power away from unions is going to have a positive effect on jobs and the economy.

[Liberal2]

I too was a steelworker. What you left out of your little rant was what steel companies did to workers. I understand steel companies had contracts with the Defense Dept. regarding radioactive materials. The workers weren't warned, they weren't protected, some are dead, some are dying.

You're the kind of idiot who, when a dog bites a man, demands the dog be killed to kept the neighborhood safe...but never said a word when the man kicked the dog everyday before.

I also worked at a auto plant. A kid worked at a heattreat station and was exposed momentarily to high temperatures. Safety issues made short sleeve shirts mandatory around the plant. But at the heat treat station, workers were issued a forearm sleeve for protection from the heat. The sleeves were made out of wool. The kid was allergic to wool and asked for cotton....­he was fired immediately. The union stepped in and got the kid his job back.

I had a supervisior, in a computer programming department tell me he never hired anyone over thirty.

*MY EXPERIENCE* tells me you're an idiot.

[Davwbaird]

I worked on an assembly line on chevolet ave. in Flin t, man that was one awful dirty job.

[research]

Rueben is a "One post" . I don't believe he ever worked at a steel factory.

If your wondering why foreign steel is cheaper, it's because they spent money on newer more efficient foundries. The US companies asked King George for protection, then sold out.

[ld]

Nice work!

[Moose49]

Everything you say about McCain is true. He is anti-worker. His record proves his reputation is a fraud. And his election would be nothing more than a third Bush term with a different face.

That's why I am asking you to do something courageous -- tell the Hillary Clinton campaign to stop helping McCain get elected by arguing that he's more qualified than Barack Obama to serve as commander in chief and by playing sleazy racial politics with the Geraldine Ferraro comments. Look, I know the AFL-CIO has to stay neutral because its member unions differ on the candidates. And I know that in AFSCME, AFT, the Machinists and a few others, some of your affiliates are backing Hillary. I'm not asking you to endorse Obama. What I'm asking you to do is to do your level best to defeat McCain. That effort must start now, not only by exposing his anti-working family record, but by stopping one of the two remaining Democratic presidential contenders from doing his dirty work for him. Please weigh in on this now!

[PioneerKing]

Good work Mr. Sweeney! However, you've only revealed the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at Sen. McCain's record as far back as his time in the House and don't for get to look under the rug of his foundation and 527's. There's gold to be found in the McCain dirt.

[Sepiastar]

FINALLY, someone is discussing John McCain's voting record. The only title I consistently hear the mainstream media annoint Senator McCain with is "War Hero". This is a classic diversion to distract voters from the real issue - He's not for hard-working Americans. The media spends countless energy discussing the Democractic race between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. It's unfortunate that the only thing I ever see on the Internet from posters on websites are negative comments about his age (which is blatant discrimination). Thanks for providing some concrete and factual information.

[BushSunkOurShip]

The trouble is that the corporate news media is calling the shots which will be aired out for the American citizens to see and hear.
We have to find a way to get around the national news media to get the true information to the American citizens, which do not use the internet for their information on news coverage.
Just who would you believe if you have been used to hearing fox "news??" and the other major news media which is the right hand of Bush, the republican and the wealthy corporations,,, that have painted a picture of the democrats,, as liberal hippies and the left wing anti-Americans which support the terrorist;; or would you believe the religious , corporate flag waving republicans which have hided every corrupted and criminal crimes which they committed and then keep replaying their song of Clinton's lie about sex.
Unless we can cut into this propaganda , lies and BS that the republicans are pounding into the head of their supporters,, and get the message to the Bush lovers in a way which they can see and understand what Bush and the republicans (lets not leave out the republican­-democrats­) have done and are doing to this country and it's citizens we have a lost cause on them and that would be a shame.
Even if the democrats take control of this country in 2008, we know d... well there will have to be tax increases and a lot of dirty work to straighten out the destrution of Bush's administration,, which has been worst destruction to this country then just about all the past wars combined..­.
They will be pitching a fit when they see what repairs has to be done to correct Bush's s....

[springsm]

War hero is bogus. I hope who ever the democrats candidate is that they will bring this history of "myfriends" mccain to the forefront.­...often.