Is McCain a maverick, moderate or mystery?

Voters work to understand the man unwilling to be bullied into the rank and file.
WASHINGTON -- He goes right, he cuts left, he darts up the middle.

Catching John McCain flat-footed in a single spot on the political gridiron is a little like tackling Barry Sanders: It'd be a lot easier if you had any idea where he was going to be.

But at a time when self-styled progressives and conservative politicians often seem to follow each other in packs, McCain -- the presumptive Republican presidential nominee -- has proven over decades in Congress to be his own man, untethered to the wishes of party activists and unwilling to be bullied into the rank and file on every issue, for better or for worse.

Labels such as liberal, moderate and even conservative seem to fall short when one tries to pigeonhole the Arizona senator, but his earned reputation for being a maverick could be key when it comes to winning or losing, especially in battleground states like Michigan, where an independent streak isn't a negative.

Certainly, McCain leans to the right on most issues and is a faithful Republican hard-liner much of the time. According to data compiled by the Arizona Republic, he has seldom helped sway a close vote against his party in the last decade.

But as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and the Democrats attempt to depict him as no more than a continuation of the unpopular Bush administration, McCain's record -- on campaign finance, global warming, even the Iraq war, where he actually was more of a hawk than President George W. Bush in calling for more troops to stabilize the country -- clearly suggest otherwise.

Immigration


McCain -- and a bipartisan group of lawmakers -- pushed rules including a temporary worker program for immigrants that some criticized as amnesty. Since then, such a program has dropped out of his speeches as a stated priority, while he talks up the need for tighter border controls.



Climate Change


His 2003 bill with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., was at odds with the Bush administration on global warming. McCain also has pushed for tougher controls on global-warming gases, including higher fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.



Campaign Finance


In conservative circles, this is a biggie: McCain has been a leader in campaign finance reform, teaming up with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., for a watershed act restricting fund-raising, especially by political parties, which could raise unlimited amounts from individual contributors. Critics say the law restricts free speech.



Tax Cuts


McCain has voted against tax cuts, including those signed into law by President George W. Bush to reduce income tax rates, reduce the marriage penalty and expand the child care credit. He supports them now, but some reports say he argued against them at the time as being targeted for wealthy people.

Abortion


McCain's campaign Web site makes it clear that he considers Roe v. Wade a flawed decision that should be overturned and says he will nominate judges to the Supreme Court who will "not be in the business of legislating from the bench."



War Policy


McCain openly criticized Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for not sending more troops to Iraq and takes credit for a surge in personnel that has tamped down violence. He's now faced with reacting to Iraqi leaders' call for a timetable for U.S. withdrawal.



Spending

One of McCain's strongest links with his party's conservative base is on spending. He's a hawk on cutting the federal budget and has talked about freezing discretionary spending for a time to determine what can be cut for good. He also hates earmarks.