There's quite a few things that Republican Sen. John McCain and Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) have in common. Besides their deep affection for Pres. George Bush, they both enjoy a far more moderate image than their voting record or stated positions merit.
Conservative John McCain
Whereas McCain is falsely known as an "independent" Capito is falsely identified as a "moderate". This AP report, "McCain: More conservative than his image", could just easily have been written about Rep. Capito.
But a different label applies to his actual record: conservative.
The likely Republican presidential nominee is much more conservative than voters appear to realize. McCain leans to the right on issue after issue, not just on the Iraq war but also on abortion, gay rights, gun control and other issues that matter to his party's social conservatives.
The four-term Arizona senator, a longtime member of the Armed Services Committee, criticized the earlier handling of the war but has been a crucial ally in President Bush's effort to increase and maintain U.S. forces in Iraq.
Of course, Capito has provided only the most timid of criticism of the Iraq War and even then with a forked tongue. She initially spoke out against surge yet refused to vote against it. After it was deemed a military success she said it had been a great idea. Once it is recognized as a political failure, who knows what position she'll take?
Hard-core Conservative Shelley Moore Capito
Just like McCain, if you take a look at what Capito's stated positions are on key issues, you find that she is a hard-core conservative.
If someone tells you that John McCain is independent or Shelley Moore Capito is a moderate, set them straight! |
