Back in 2000, when Senator John McCain (AZ) ran for office, Democrats defected in scores to support him. Despite McCain's solid conservatism, his "maverick" stances on illegal immigration (he supports amnesty) and campaign finance reform (in the McCain-Feingold Act) made him the uniter (not divider) that George Bush failed to be. After sitting out the 2004 election (supporting Bush), he's back in the race and gaining in the polls after a shaky start. Among his strengths - the tenacity displayed during his experience as a prisoner in North Vietnam for nearly 6 years. As a result, he is against the use of torture and the degrading of civil liberties. Among his weaknesses - singing songs about bombing Iran and pretending to give comedian Jon Stewart an IED from Iraq.

OPPOSES universal health care - Senator McCain would provide $2,500 refundable tax credits for individuals, and $5,000 tax credits to families, if they have health insurance. He opposes universal health care mandates, and believes in limited government intervention, and wants to give individuals freedom to choose their own health care. He would allow people to have portable insurance that could be purchased across state lines. He wants to bring greater competition to drug markets by safe reimportation of drugs and streamlining the process for introducing generic drugs.

SUPPORTS decision to invade Iraq - "I agreed with the President's difficult decision to go to war in Iraq. I remain fully supportive of his determination not to leave Iraq until the freely elected government of that country and its armed forces are able to defend their country from foreign and domestic enemies' intent on thwarting the will of the Iraqi people to create a civil society in which the rights and security of all Iraqis are protected."

OPPOSES protectionism - "I'm a student of history. Every time the United States has become protectionist and listened to the siren song that you're hearing partially on this stage tonight, we've paid a very heavy price. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Acts in the 1930s were direct contributors to World War II. It sounds like a lot of fun to bash China and others, but free trade has been the engine of our economy. Free trade should be the continuing principle that guides this nation's economy."

OPPOSES Guantanamo and torture - "I would probably announce the closing of Guantanamo Bay. I would move those detainees to Fort Leavenworth. I would announce we will not torture anyone. I would announce that climate change is a big issue, because we've got some image problems in the world. Clearly, in the area of "propaganda," in the area of the war of ideas, we are not winning--well, in some ways we are behind. Al-Jazeera and others maybe, in my view--may sometimes do a better job than we are. At the end of the day, it's how people make up their minds as to whether they want to embrace our values, our standards, our ideals, or whether they want to go the path of radical Islamic extremism, which is an affront to everything we stand for and believe in."

SUPPORTS further Israeli military support - McCain considers himself "proudly pro-Israel". "In view of the increased threats to Israeli security, American support for Israel should intensify - providing military equipment and technology."