McCain And Econ 101

08 July 2008 |permalink | email article

By his own admission John McCain knows nothing about economics which in all polls is the #1 issue of voter concern. The military is really his game.

At the beginning of a week in which both McCain and Barack Obama are devoting their attention to the economy the presumptive Republican nominee touted a repackaged plan to boost the nation’s economy.

In a Denver town meeting McCain left out plans in a policy paper released Monday to balance the budget in four years and explore privatization of Social Security that his campaign is advocating.

Taking on Social Security is a risky political venture for McCain. It was an issue which thwarted President Bush after he called it the top priority of his second term.

McCain’s balanced budget pledge by 2013 is a return to an earlier position he’d later backed away from. On April 15, he backed off a February pledge, Politico has noted.

Asked about it by Michael Cooper of The New York Times, McCain reportedly said “at a news conference…that ‘economic conditions are reversed’ and that he would have a balanced budget within eight years.”

So what voters are really looking at here is a repackaged policy document devoid of any compelling new initiatives. It has the clear scent of a rewarmed Bush third term.

Quote of the Day

“How can we bring pressure on the government of Somalia?” McCain talking to reporters last month when he confused his African countries. This time, it was not Joe Lieberman, but close aide Mark Salter who corrected him. “Sudan,” Salter said. “Sudan, McCain repeated. In a flip aside, McCain added, “There’s a realpolitik side of my view of the conduct of American foreign policy.” Let the misspeak continue!

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