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 foreign policy vision.
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.
In the current self-conscious attempt to be Fair And Balanced, hosts display the democratic talking points (consisting of a video of McCain six months/years ago claiming a position and another video of McCain six days ago claiming the opposing position as what he's always thought), and the republican talking points (consisting of blunt, often incorrect assertions about his political position without any supporting information or actual statements from him) as if they are both neutral facts.
At least it's not bringing on three McCain talking heads and one Obama talking head, and watching what information gets shouted down to the viewer. Using direct video evidence of your opponent (immune from personification of yourself) has that benefit - but it's still cklearly a blatantly unlevel playing field *to those of us who have some preexisting knowledge of the race*.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/bush-threatens-iran-with-military-action-848488.html
Bush threatens Iran with military action
The US President's remarks on the last leg of his "farewell tour" of Europe raised fears at Westminster that Mr Bush is determined to take action against Iran before he leaves office in January if the sanctions fail to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.
McCain:"bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran"
case closed
Even further back, McCain was for the forceful elimination of Saddam Hussein, parting with George H.W. Bush's opinion that an invasion would be untenable for the United States.
McCain has ALWAYS been for this war and that should be communicated loud and clear. He did not copy George W. Bush. Bush copied him.
Oh that mean Obama, daring to pick on John McCain with the, ya know, truth. That's so unfair of him.