Civil Liberties

Senator McCain voted for the USA Patriot Act when it was originally passed in 2001, and voted to renew it in 2006.

McCain has called for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo and has expressed his opposition to torture.  In September 2006, McCain drew attention when he joined with fellow Republicans John Warner (R-VA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to oppose legislation backed by the Bush Administration that would have given the government broad leeway in the treatment, interrogation and prosecution of terror detainees. “We could never gain as much from that torture as we lose in world opinion. We do not torture people. When I was in Vietnam, one of the things that sustained us as we underwent torture, is the knowledge that if we had our positions reversed, we would not impose that kind of treatment on them. It's not about the terrorists, it's about us. It's about what kind of country we are,” said McCain during a Republican debate in South Carolina.

McCain on the Issues

Source Watch John McCain

Immigration

McCain has been recognized as one of the Senate's leading Republican advocates for humane immigration reform.  He has led efforts to offer a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. as well as to strengthen border security and expedite the unification of families currently awaiting visas. 

“I'm proud of the bipartisan effort that I've made on many issues with Democrats & Republicans, ranging from Joe Lieberman on 9/11 to working on the other side of the aisle on immigration reform and others. And that's why I think I'm prepared to be president of the U.S. The American people want us to work together on issues that are important to them. That's my record,” said McCain on Meet the Press on May 13, 2007.

McCain is a cosponsor of the "DREAM" Act, which would make unlawful aliens eligible for higher education benefits.  The act also authorizes the cancellation of removal for aliens who entered the country before they turned 16 and are of good character, not eligible for deportation, and have been admitted to institutions of higher education.

Immigration Bill Stalls in Senate, IAPAC, June 8, 2007

John McCain on the Issues

Iran

McCain has referred to Iran as the world's chief state sponsor of international terrorism. He believes that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and has stated that while the U.S. cannot take the military option off the table it has to be clear that it is the option of last resort.

"The next president must confront this threat directly, and that effort must begin with tougher political and economic sanctions. If the United Nations is unwilling to act, the United States must lead a group of like-minded countries to impose effective multilateral sanctions, such as restrictions on exports of refined gasoline, outside the UN framework. America and its partners should also privatize the sanctions effort by supporting a disinvestment campaign to isolate and delegitimize the regime in Tehran, whose policies are already opposed by many Iranian citizens. And military action, although not the preferred option, must remain on the table: Tehran must understand that it cannot win a showdown with the world," says McCain.

McCain said the release of the December NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) on Iran was such a “rare occasion” that he would still “have to try and make sense of it” before commenting in depth. But he did say that Iran was still bent on the destruction of Israel and on interfering in Iraq, and that therefore the sanctions against Tehran were appropriate.

Essay, “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom”, Foreign Affairs, November/December 2007

Candidates Hold to Their Stances on Iran, New York Times, December 4, 2007

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