Head to head: McCain

By Rick Baustian and Tamika Robinson
Cardinal Staff and Feature Editor

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, want to encourage the government to support innovative approaches to education, removing regulatory barriers that prevent schools from moving forward with new ideas. They plan to make reports from institutions available to families, simplify the existing tax benefits, consolidate financial aid programs and the application process, improve research by eliminating earmarks, provide effective reforms and leverage the private sector.
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McCain and Palin plan to improve the quality of health insurance by lowering prices and providing portability. As part of their plan, every family will receive a direct refundable tax credit of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance. Families will be able to choose the insurance provider that suits them best and the money would be sent directly to the insurance provider. People obtaining innovative insurance that costs less than the credit can deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.

McCain plans to balance the budget by the end of his first term. His near-term path to balance is built on three principles: reasonable economic growth, comprehensive spending controls and bi-partisanship in budget efforts. McCain’s administration will keep all savings from victory in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations for reducing the deficit and will achieve a bi-partisan spending restraint similar to the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement between a Republican-controlled Congress and a Democratic president.

McCain and Palin believe that the best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. They also believe that when Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops will be able to return home.