McCain Policies Oddly Short on Specifics

John McCain’s policy cupboards are unusually bare for a presidential candidate, while his rival’s are unusually well stocked, Politico reports. McCain, for example, describes Social Security as "an absolute disgrace" but offers scant details for reforming it. "He has not offered very much in specifics that I have seen," said a budget analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Part of the discrepancy may lie in sheer numbers: Obama's larger staff includes 14 paid policy staffers. In contrast, McCain largely relied on one person to formulate each of his policies during much of the primary campaign. In addition, Obama had to compete on nuances with Hillary Clinton, which made specifics necessary. (More Barack Obama stories.)