U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain is the flip to Rep. Dennis Kucinich's flop. According to the New York Times Caucus page, McCain had this to say about Roe v. Wade in 1999, "I'd love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations."
Zoom ahead to 2007, when McCain was asked in a debate whether he would support a repeal of Roe v. Wade and his answer was unequivocally, "A repeal." In an interview on Meet the Press just a few days later, McCain had this to say about his apparent conflicting statements, "No, I would hope that X women in America would bring those children into life in this world, and that I could do whatever I could to assist them. Again, that conversation from 1999, so often quoted, was in the context of my concerns about changing the culture in America to understand the importance of the rights of the unborn."
Senator McCain's campaign web site contains a section entitled "Human Dignity and The Sanctity of Life" which combines his personal and political stances on the seemingly unrelated issues of Roe v. Wade, adoption, protecting children from internet pornography and online predators, and the moral consequences of advanced technology.
As President, McCain would nominate judges who would "not legislate from the bench" but who would "restore constitutional balance by reversing Roe v. Wade." McCain believes that "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level."
McCain does support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research having advocated for the passage of stem cell research bills before Congress over the years. In a press release on his government web site McCain is quoted as saying "We must create a framework for federal support of stem cell research now, since research involving embryonic stem cells is also proceeding outside the United States."
According to answers to a survey on Project Vote Smart, John McCain believes abortion should be legal in cases of rape, incest, or if the woman's health or life is in danger. Public funding for abortion or for organizations that advocate for abortion, however, should be prohibited.
McCain seeks the elimination of the right to choose:
McCain discusses health care coverage with Charlie Rose:
