Michael Smerconish: Not so easy, given the issues

February 4, 2008

Philadelphia Daily News

WITH RUDY out, I've got no dog in this fight. I've known Giuliani for years, and he was my guy. I see pluses and minuses in each of those who remain.

I admire McCain, but he makes me nervous on illegal immigration.

Mitt Romney is awfully presidential but consistently inconsistent.

I give Huckabee no shot of winning.

Ditto for Ron Paul, although I wish the nation would engage in the sort of debate about foreign policy that he has initiated.

Like everyone else, I find Obama to be inspiring. I'm trying to be more open-minded about Hillary since her "moment" in a Portsmouth, N.H., coffee shop that I found legitimate.

But most important are the issues.

When I figure out who matches wits with me on these 15 points, I will have my guy. Or gal.

Here's my list, similiar to what I published in the DN two years ago and called my Suburban Manifesto.

BIN LADEN: It galls me that this guy is probably hiding in the tribal regions of Pakistan and no one is looking for him or al-Zawahiri. We've outsourced the hunt to Musharraf and paid him $10 billion to do the job, but he admits he's not on the case. Appalling. We owe it to 3,000 dead Americans to go get him and kill him. I like that McCain says he'd follow bin Laden to the gates of hell, and that Obama said he'd act if Pakistan didn't.

PREVENTING TERROR: We never did implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. That's indefensible. We still should. McCain authored the legislation that created the commission in 2001, and Clinton and Obama have recommended implementing its recommendations.

TORTURE: Once we identify the bad guys, we have to get from them the info on impending attacks by any means necessary, and that includes torture. It obviously works, or we would not continue to have this debate. I think only Romney would agree with this. McCain certainly does not, neither does Obama. Hillary used to agree, but backed off.

PROFILING: I remain supportive of looking for terrorists who look like terrorists. They usually have race, gender, ethnicity, religion and appearance in common. Those characteristics should be considered as we seek to prevent strikes against us. Everyone must be screened, but some more than others. My straight talk is too blunt for all the candidates, even John McCain.

IRAQ: Just because the surge is limiting violence doesn't mean we should stay.

We're there based on a false predicate - Saddam Hussein had no WMD. Time to come home. And spare me the "cut and run" sound bite. Obama's view seems closest to mine. I'm far from the R's on this one.

IMMIGRATION: Our borders are porous. Let's close them. Now! And then decide what to do with the millions already here illegally. Romney agrees. McCain says he does, but he sure didn't before. Hillary supported building a wall.

ENERGY: Time to get off the crack pipe of Arab oil dependence, and so our next president must launch such an effort on the scale of JFK committing us to a man on the moon. On global warming, I dunno. My head spins. But the stakes are awfully high, so let's err on the side of caution. McCain's acknowledgment of global warming has raised conservatives' ire, and both Ds hold similar views. Romney would let the states lead on that issue.

GAYS: Homosexuals don't threaten my marriage, let's end the false argument that they do, and find some accommodation for same-sex couples. Romney definitely disagrees. McCain wants to leave it to the states. Hillary and Obama both back civil unions.

ABORTION: For once I would like to hear a candidate say, "you know what, Roe v. Wade struck a pretty reasonable balance for an awfully complicated problem." (And given the Schiavo debacle, the last people I want determining my end-of-life plan are the politicians.) Clinton and Obama agree. Not the Rs.

EMBRYONIC STEM-CELL RESEARCH: Pardon my callous nature, but that which exists in a Petri dish is undeserving of the full rights that are afforded a viable fetus. Let's change lives with research. The Ds agree, and so does McCain.

TERM LIMITS: We need citizen politicians, not professionals. Two Senate terms and six in the House will ensure we get grounded folks who are capable of earning a living when not serving us. So far it hasn't really come up, but something tells me McCain, who's been in Washington since 1982, wouldn't agree.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Let everyone spend whatever they want as long as there's full and immediate disclosure. Anything else violates the First Amendment. McCain is the antithesis of this view. Clinton voted for McCain-Feingold, and now advocates public financing. As does Obama.

ENTITLEMENTS: Social Security, Medicare and other programs make up more than half our federal spending. Recipients will double in 15 years, while life expectancy continues to grow. We can't afford to continue the status quo. The retirement age has to be raised to 70 for the next generation. (And "Balanced budget" shouldn't be dirty words.) I give Romney the edge on all matters financial and note that he favors privatizing Social Security, and Clinton opposes it. Obama opposes raising the retirement age.

DEATH TAXES: We work hard trying to lead a comfortable life and leave a nest egg for our children. It's un-American that when we check out, Uncle Sam will stand there with his hand out to tax our earnings for the second time. The estate tax must go. Romney scores points here.

GUNS: A symptom, not a cause. Single-parent households pose more of a threat to safety than firearms. Let's address that. Romney scores again, citing Bill Cosby on the issue in an October speech. *

Listen to Michael Smerconish weekdays 5-9 a.m. on the Big Talker, 1210/AM. Read him Sundays in the Inquirer. Contact him via the Web at www.mastalk.com.