McCain's outlook

I just read the transcript of John McCain's interview yesterday with George Stephanopoulos.

What struck me is how his comments are peppered with things like, "We would make them shamed into it" (referring to oil companies) and "We need to improve their behavior" (referring to Russia).

The interview reads to me like McCain has an idea of how people will act and how they should act that's not that different from George W. Bush's. The notion that the oil companies or Russia might have motives and objectives wholly different from or as valid as his own is absent. "He knows," and he'll bring everyone into line.

Haven't we had enough of that?

Another revealing statement: he apparently still thinks that we were greeted as "liberators" in Iraq and that Obama was wrong about his pre-war opposition to invading Iraq.

And in a surprise (or not) to fiscal conservatives, McCain thinks the government should get stock in the companies that it bails out.

Finally, there's this bizarre exchange on gay adoption:

STEPHANOPOULOS: What is your position on gay adoption? You told the “New York Times” you were against it, even in cases where the children couldn’t find another home. But then your staff backtracked a bit.

What is your position?

MCCAIN: My position is, it’s not the reason why I’m running for president of the United States. And I think that two parent families are best for America.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, what do you mean by that, it’s not the reason you’re running for president of the United States?

MCCAIN: Because I think — well, I think that it’s — it is important for us to emphasize family values. But I think it’s very important that we understand that we have other challenges, too.

I’m running for president of the United States, because I want to help with family values. And I think that family values are important, when we have two parent — families that are of parents that are the traditional family.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But there are several hundred thousand children in the country who don’t have a home. And if a gay couple wants to adopt them, what’s wrong with that?

MCCAIN: I am for the values that two parent families, the traditional family represents.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you’re against gay adoption.

MCCAIN: I am for the values and principles that two parent families represent. And I also do point out that many of these decisions are made by the states, as we all know.

And I will do everything I can to encourage adoption, to encourage all of the things that keeps families together, including educational opportunities, including a better economy, job creation.

And I’m running for president, because I want to help families in America. And one of my positions is that I believe that family values and family traditions are preserved.

Let me know if you can figure out where he stands! Doesn't seem like he's very comfortable with the subject, though. :-)