Voinovich and McCain Vote Against Bill Containing Ban on Waterboarding

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) joined Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in voting against a intelligence bill that contained a ban on waterboarding. The bill contained a provision that prohibited the CIA from engaging in conduct that violates the U.S. Army Field Manual. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) voted in favor of the bill.

This, of course, is just the latest of a series of positions that McCain has taken that represents a change from his previous, i.e., before running for President in 2008, positions. Originally he was against Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy, now he is for them. Originally he was for the immigration bill that he co-authored; now he is against it. Originally he was against torture, now he is against banning it. These are a series of well known and well publicized flip-flops. Now, let's see if the news media calls him out on them.

Of course, it will help if Democrats point out to the media what he is doing. Last night, in a speech in Wisconsin after he had won the Potomac primaries, Obama did just that by pointing out McCain's change of position on Bush's tax cuts. The phrase he used was that the "wheels have come off the Straight Talk Express." This is exactly what Democrats need to do to in this election; draw a sharp distinction with McCain.

On the war, Obama is in the better position to do that, but on economic policy, both Clinton and Obama can do it. The point is, though, that it has to be done.