Myth: McCain=Bush

Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002194,00.html

Monday, Apr. 08, 2002
By DOUGLAS WALLER

The Thorn in His Side, Part II

George Bush signed John McCain's campaign-finance-reform bill with as little fanfare as he could last week--he even had an aide phone the Arizona Senator with the news instead of inviting him to a signing ceremony. Bush hopes enactment of the bill, which McCain has pushed for seven years, finally shifts the spotlight away from his nemesis in the 2000 Republican presidential primary. G.O.P. Senators would also like a breather from McCain's legislative reforms.

Don't bet on it. In an interview with TIME, McCain says he wants to capitalize on the campaign-reform bill's success by following it with other initiatives, such as getting states to adopt campaign-reform laws and giving the Federal Elections Commission greater enforcement power.

McCain also wants to halt a practice Congress holds dear--"earmarking" federal funds in budgets for pork-barrel projects back home. The appropriations bills for 2002 have more than 7,800 earmarks. The waste "has become outrageous and obscene," says McCain. Earmarks in the 2002 defense bill, which he calls "war profiteering," would cost $3.6 billion.

McCain plans to mobilize the grass-roots activists enlisted for the campaign-reform bill and his presidential bid to push these causes. But many members of Congress, re-elected on how much bacon they bring home, will fight to keep earmarking even more fiercely than they did soft money. Says a senior Senate G.O.P. aide: "McCain will be able to make his points on 20/20, but it's highly unlikely he'll get legislation passed."

--By Douglas Waller

Source: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,221010,00.html

Friday, Mar. 29, 2002
By DOUGLAS WALLER

McCain: After Finance Reform, What?

I interviewed McCain last week and found he wants to capitalize on the success of the campaign reform bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold, not coast on its success, and has plans for other ambitious initiatives. Excerpts from our talk:

TIME: So what's next?

John McCain: We have a crowded agenda ranging from getting the patients' bill of rights done to national service to reform of the military to a broad range of telecommunications issues. And I can now focus a lot of time and attention to pork barrel spending, which has become outrageous and obscene.

You've talked about strengthening the enforcement mechanism for the Federal Elections Commission?

A. Yes, we're going to have to do it. First thing we have to do is simplify language for the FEC so that they'll know exactly what we meant (with the campaign reform bill). Then we're going to have to look at legislation to reorganize the FEC to make it an agency that can be effective.

What happens after that?

One of the things Russ Feingold and I will be doing is trying to assist state initiatives that ask us to support efforts that reform their campaign systems. We'll help the states that want us to. We don't intend to come parachuting in and say here's what's best for you. But you'll see ballot initiatives in various states for campaign finance reform.

When the final vote came two weeks ago on campaign finance reform, what went through your mind?

It was mainly relief. It has been a very tough, very bruising ordeal. What this was really all about was taking power away from people. Whenever you do that you provoke very deep resentment.

Are you trying to patch up frayed relations with other senators?

Most members who were staunchly opposed to campaign reform came up to me and said, "Congratulations. You fought a good fight. We're ready to move on." The resentment isn't really coming from my colleagues. The resentment is out there in the right wing community — the Rush Limbaughs, those people. (Republican) Sen. Larry Craig came up and said, "I don't agree with you, but nice job." In fact, just about everybody said that. I think (Republican) Sen. Mitch McConnell's statements were largely genuine when he said we've had a very hard fight but it was an honorable encounter. Most of these guys are mature enough to take a loss and understand that you just move on. And the other thing is that when you've got a 51-49 Senate, you need every vote.

They can't ostracize you like they did Sen. Jim Jeffords, who bolted the Republican Party and gave the Democrats the majority in the Senate.

No.

There are Republicans and some Democrats who hope you'll fade away now. You've had your time in the spotlight.

That's not what I believe public service is all about. There are a lot of issues that I have been involved in and continue to be involved in. There's also an old adage in politics and life: nothing succeeds like success.

Will you run for reelection in 2004 or retire from the Senate?

I haven't contemplated that because I don't think there's any reason to until after the elections in November.

What kind of options have you been mulling?

I really haven't been thinking about it much, to tell you the truth. I want to see what the lay of the land is after the November elections. I'm sure that issues such as whether Republicans have control of the Senate or not and what I think more needs to be done will be factors. I think there are a lot of factors to be considered. I've believed in public service, but I'm also not getting any younger.

Any thoughts of mounting a presidential campaign in 2004 or 2008?

No, I haven't any contemplation of it. The way things stand now I do not envision a scenario where I would run for president.

Do you plan to campaign in 2002 for Republican candidates who supported campaign finance reform?

I want to do whatever I can to help particularly those Republican freshmen congressmen like Rob Simmons and Mark Kirk and others who had the courage to vote for CFR. They obviously would be my highest priority. I really owe them.

The White House sees you as a thorn in its side. How do you see your relations with Bush evolving?

My relations are very cordial. When they say that I've been a thorn in their side, it might be nice for them to be specific. I campaigned on campaign finance reform. That was pretty well known. I campaigned on the patients' bill of rights. We had our differences, well articulated and ventilated during the primary.

Any thoughts of switching to the Democratic Party or becoming an independent like Jeffords?

Oh, no. I am a profound, fervent disciple of Theodore Roosevelt and I'd like to try to shape the Republican Party back more into his mold, with a vision of America's greatness — conservation, environmentalism and compassion for those who are less well off in our society.

Is the Republican Party eager to be reshaped?

Listen, we're either going to expand the base of the party or we will be a minority party over time, especially in my part of the country. The demographics dictate that, particularly in the West and Southwest.


Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994728,00.html

Monday, Jul. 26, 2004
By DOUGLAS WALLER

10 Questions For John McCain

He has been a frequent thorn in George W. Bush's side, and was wooed by Democrat John Kerry as a potential running mate. Now John McCain will get prime exposure at the Republican Convention, and some G.O.P. strategists even wish for the impossible: dumping Dick Cheney as Bush's Veep in favor of McCain. TIME's Douglas Waller talked with the maverick most wanted:

SHOULD DICK CHENEY REMAIN ON THE G.O.P. TICKET? Absolutely. He and the President have a very important relationship, which will endure. There's always talk about the importance of who the running mate is, but it's been since Lyndon Johnson that a vice-presidential candidate has truly swung an election.

WOULD YOU ACCEPT THE NO. 2 SPOT IF BUSH OFFERED IT TO YOU? You always have to consider a request by the President of the United States. But in 2000, when I met with [Bush] in Pittsburgh, I said I wasn't interested, and I'm not interested now.

YOU'VE OPPOSED PRESIDENT BUSH ON EVERYTHING FROM THE GAY-MARRIAGE AMENDMENT TO LARGE TAX CUTS. WHY ARE YOU STILL SUPPORTING HIM FOR PRESIDENT? We agree on more issues than we disagree on, and I am a strong supporter of his national-security policies in general and Iraq in particular. I think Bush has led the nation with strength and clarity since Sept. 11 and has earned the trust and confidence of the American people.

HOW SERIOUS WERE THE OVERTURES JOHN KERRY MADE TO YOU ABOUT BEING HIS RUNNING MATE? There was never a formal offer. The subject was discussed, but I at all times said no.

THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ISSUED A SCATHING REPORT THIS MONTH ON THE FAILURE OF PREWAR INTELLIGENCE ON IRAQ. WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED TO GO TO WAR HAD YOU KNOWN WHAT WE KNOW NOW ABOUT THE FAULTY INTELLIGENCE? Yes, because I believe that Saddam Hussein, if he were still in power, would be attempting to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction.

GEORGE TENET RESIGNED AS CIA DIRECTOR BEFORE THIS REPORT CAME OUT. BUT SHOULD OTHER HEADS ROLL IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY? I think more people probably should be held responsible. I don't know exactly who they are, but there were people in positions of responsibility. And when we receive the 9/11 commission report and the report by the weapons of mass destruction commission, on which I serve, I think we'll have a clear idea as to who is responsible. An unfortunate aspect of Washington today is that we're all responsible--therefore no one is responsible.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING IN IRAQ? I'm very worried. I believe we must win. But I think that there were significant failures after the military victories--among them the Secretary of Defense's obstinacy concerning the number of troops that were necessary, for which we are paying a very heavy price.

WITH ALL THE INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS SPRINGING UP TO CIRCUMVENT THE MCCAIN-FEINGOLD CAMPAIGN-FINANCE LAW, DO WE NEED ANOTHER ROUND OF REFORMS? No. We only need a Federal Election Commission [FEC] to enforce the existing law. A lot of good things have happened since the law was passedincluding dramatic increases in small donors. But the Federal Election Commission simply fails to do its job. We're going to have to reform the FEC.

If Kerry is elected president, would you consider serving in his cabinet, say, as secretary of defense? No.

RON REAGAN IS SPEAKING AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. ARE YOU JEALOUS? Since I'm in both candidates' commercials, I was hoping I could speak at both conventions. [Laughs.]