By now you’ve likely heard about Sen. John McCain’s bizarre interview with a Spanish language radio station in Miami yesterday, where he repeatedly gave vague answers about Latin America when asked about President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain.
[audio:http://horsesass.org/wp-content/uploads/cadenaser_mccain_spain_080918a.mp3]Josh Marshall, who broke the story on Talking Points Memo, reports on the reaction in the Spanish press:
In Spain, there seem to be two lines of thinking. The great majority appear to think the McCain was simply confused and didn’t know who Zapatero was — something you might bone up on if you were about to do an interview with the Spanish press. The assumption seems to be that since he’d already been asked about Castro and Chavez that McCain assumed Zapatero must be some other Latin American bad guy. A small minority though think that McCain is simply committed to an anti-Spanish foreign policy since he’s still angry about Spain pulling it’s troops out of Iraq.
Listening to the audio, I can’t help but side with the Spanish majority in attributing McCain’s apparent snub to momentary confusion, but I don’t think it had anything to do with a lack of adequate preparation. In fact, an interview McCain gave in April to a Spanish newspaper pretty much blows holes in both of the theories offered above:
Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, is ready to change the policy of estrangement with the Spanish government that was put in place for four years now by George Bush. He declared that he was ready to fully normalize bilateral relations and that Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was invited to the White House. In an interview on board his plane, which had just left Memphis, where he had participated in a ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, and en route to his home en Phoenix, McCain said that “it’s time to leave our differences with Spain behind us” and he added: “”I would like President Zapatero to visit the United States. I am very interested, not only in normalizing relations with Spain, but in developing good and productive relations that address the many issues and challenges that we need to be addressing together,” he said.
McCain surely knows who Zapatero is, and that Spain is part of Europe… that is, when he’s lucid. But listening to that interview again and again, it sure does sound like the 72-year-old McCain was suffering from a transitory senior moment.
Repeatedly, the interviewer asks him whether he would be willing to invite President Zapatero of Spain to the White House, an invitation McCain had publicly extended months before, and repeatedly McCain wanders off into discussions about Latin America.
INTERVIEWER: Senator finally, let’s talk about Spain. If elected president would you be willing to invite President Jose Rodriguez Louis Zapatero to the White House, to meet with you?
McCAIN: I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are friends and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion.
And by the way President Calderone of Mexico is fighting a very, very tough fight against the drug cartels. I’m glad we are now working with the Mexican government on the Merida Plan, and I intend to move forward with relations and invite as many of them as I can, of those leaders to the White House.
Okay… but she was asking about Spain, not Mexico. Maybe he’s just being evasive?
INTERVIEWER: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government? To the president himself?
McCAIN: Uh, I don’t, I, ya know, I, honestly, I have to look at the situations and the relations and the priorities. But I can assure you, I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.
Uh-huh. Spain is, of course, a NATO ally. You know, one of “our friends.” So let’s try rephrasing that question.
INTERVIEWER: So you have to wait and see. If he’s willing to meet with you, would you be able to do it? In the White House?
McCAIN: Well, again, I don’t — All I can tell you is I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.
Yeah, but you know… Spain is not in “the hemisphere” (unless, even more bizarrely, he’s referring to the northern hemisphere). At this point the interviewer clearly senses his confusion.
INTERVIEWER: OK, what about Europe? I’m talking about the president of Spain.
McCAIN: What about me what?
INTERVIEWER: OK. Are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?
McCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those who are not.
Don’t just read the transcript, listen to the audio, and listen to his halting words, the obvious fatigue in his voice and the confusion in his answers. He wasn’t simply being evasive or vague, he was disoriented, and while this may have only been a transient episode it should be alarming nonetheless.
There are those who caution that making age an issue in this race could hurt Obama with senior voters, but honestly… it would be irresponsible not to. McCain may very well have no underlying condition apart from the normal effects of aging—he may even be sharp for his age—but experience tells us that the mind ages just like the body, and anyone who has closely compared the John McCain of 2008 to the John McCain of 2000 has surely noticed an obvious decline in mental acuity, as well as a possible alteration in temperament.
Whether John McCain’s passing señor moment has a permanent impact on this campaign, remains to be seen. But it should.
I haven’t listened to the interview, but from the description, there are two possibilities:
(1.) We’re on the home stretch of a presidential race, and most likely you’re listening to a man who’s had about two hours’ sleep in the last 24, and probably in an airplane seat…if he was lucky enough to grab that many winks. I know I’d be a little on the flaky side under those circumstances. Wouldn’t anybody?
(2.) He experienced a TIA i. e. a “tiny stroke”. The last I knew, the McCain camp was refusing to release any information about the Senator’s health…what’s his blood pressure been lately? If that’s what happened, he’s a likely candidate for a major stroke within the next year. Think of Saint Sarah with her elegantly manicured index finger hovering over the Armageddon Button.
This is an issue. Reagan’s battle with Alzheimer’s was hidden. He was in the early stages and well after the election.
If McCain is suffering from any form of any disease which could effect his cognitive ability we have a right to know before the election. This is part of wanting the job. Full disclosure.
Something Republicans find repugnant.
Barry thinks we have 56 states.
Barry also thinks he running against Gov. Palin.
Worry about Barry future as dog catcher in Chicago.
Opps Barry think we have 57 states.
What a jerk hard to even say it.
Palin-McCain: the airhead ticket.
Alex at 3 and 4:
When have you heard the word Palin come out of Obama’s mouth? Come on and tell us.
Look dipwad, the fact is that she is now irrelevant to the race.
The polls have ALL swung back to Obama.
3, 4 Who’s “Barry”?
Who are you?
On second thought, who cares?
Maybe little “Alex” gets his rocks off over the thought of blowing up the world for Jesus, too.
Have you told him we have 56 states yet? oh,that’s why he went for Biden.
Let’s get real dipwad, McCain/Palin still lead the race among voters.
Barry/Biden lead the race among probable voters by 3%points within the margin of error.
@8
How old are you under 19?
@8
Sicko
Almost as bad as Biden telling that guy in the wheelchair to stand up and take a bow. I’d
remember the guys name if it were important, but I know Biden made a mistake and meant nothing. Kinda funny actually. Gotta cut
the old bastards some slack.
I don’t think McCain’s age is the issue. I do think his health and is repeated “senior moments” are very much an issue.
@13
Barry is scared to death to debate Senator John McCain in any town hall meetings,What dose that say about Barry’s mental health?
I would cut him some slack if he was just interested in staying a Senator from Arizona. His infamous temper, along with possible TIAs, is a dangerous combination. I agree with Michael, 72 does not automatically mean someone is incapable of being a leader. But a man 10 years his junior, with the same health problems, would not make a good President either.
Look at the pictures of Poppy Bush, Clinton and George W. when they first got into office, and then compare them with the pictures at the end of their terms. They have visibly aged. Being President is stressful and requires the occupant of the Oval Office to be in great health. I think that McCain would last less than 2 years, and that is why this IS a contest between Palin and Obama.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Alex, but all the latest polls are showing Obama regaining the lead, and more specifically, Palin and McCain have increasing negative numbers among voters. When they appeared at a rally the other night, as soon as she was through talking, people got up and started to leave. They were only there to see her.
Wingnuttia: The most earth-shattering gaffes from Obama and Biden consist of saying “57” when one meant to say “47” and a great punch line for a joke. In the mean time, McCain’s gaffe’s threaten to strain diplomatic relations with one of our NATO allies. And McCain is supposed to be the foreign policy master?
Obama choosing not to debate McCain at these so-called “town hall meetings” isn’t an act of fear. It’s an act of mercy.
@15
Please link your polls.
I couldn’t have told you who the President of Spain was, either, and I might have confused him, temporarily, with other leaders. And the written press release from the campaign specifically referring the the Spanish President probably wasn’t drafted by McCain, perhaps not even seen by him.
On the other hand, our allied leaders already have such a poor opinion of America after almost eight years of experience dealling with Bush, they probably figure that McCain can’t be much worse that Bush.
The President of Spain might well be shrugging his shoulders right now, sighing, and saying “What can you expect? This is the type of leaders the American people are choosing? What can we do about it? Nothing!”
@16
Take a breath,life starts at 70.
Barry needs to grow up. He thinks he’s a community organizer and working for Acorn.
Someone needs to create an Obama commercial in the form of Mac vs. PC:
http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/
The parallels are striking: McCain selling his same old crappy Republican OS, going blue screen like this in the process, Obama just being himself, being the straight man. It would be great.
@20
Do you really think it will work?
After all that has happen to our country Barry still can’t obtain any noticeable lead in the polls. You need to adjust yourself for defeat.
Everyone, remember what I said about Goldy writing only anti McCain/Palin posts, and rarely writing pieces talking up Obama?
Told ya there was a pattern. Watch for it.
At least McCain knows Spanish people don’t speak Mexican. Wondering if Sarah Palin has figured that one out yet.
@17
Obama is up by 4, and had the longest run in the lead, and is the ONLY one of them to ever break 50% (link below).
I agree this was probably just one of those ‘off days’ for McCain, but I do agree that he’s not physically up to the strain of the job. As you say, look HOW MUCH the previous Presidents were aged by their terms, and they are all younger and healthier than McCain. Now picture McCain under that stress. We’d end up with Palin, the totally unqualified joke Alan Keyes wannabe.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/election2008.aspx
I have a homework assignment for everyone. Go back and look at Goldy’s last 15 posts having to do with the presidential candidates, and count how many are of the negative variety against McCain/Palin, and then count how many are focused on talking positively about Obama.
This should only take everyone 10 minutes, tops. Report back to me what you find.
re 25: Yer a HOOT!
@25
You can’t blame him for trying.
He and the other losers picked the wrong candidates to lead their party to victory.
Pay no attention to them this is there way of letting off stress. Maybe in four years they will find someone who relates to the majority of Americans. If history means anything to them they can see their failures cycle after cycle they still don’t get it.
I’m not telling them either.
Democrats can’t win many elections as their hate for themselves and for others who work hard pay taxes and believe in God overwhelms them.
Any normal person can see the hate in their post. This will consume them into drugs or worst. We should feel sorry for them and reassure them there not alone.
Hope will come again maybe 20 years or so.
Just like the 2006 elections, Don, couldn’t win those either.
Did you Republicans enjoy your little Sarapalooza?
I smell desperation from all the little minded racist republicans on this blog. Are you guys enjoying the realization that the Republican Party was just socialism for rich Wall Street fat cats all along? That you guys get to pay for all the excessive greed that was labeled “deregulation”? Have you switched out of you WaMu account yet?
Have you realized the Republicans used you like a ten dollar Tijuana whore? Is abortion illegal yet? Gay marriage repealed? Sucker!
It smells like…..Democratic Party victory in November.
Well, you will always have those 11 days in September, your Sarapalooza.
I don’t know what is more pitiful, a dogmatic Republican with less than $5 million in net worth, or John McCain explaining how he is now a great fan of banking regulation.
SPAIN IS A MONARCHY. SPAIN HAS A KING, NOT A PRESIDENT.
By now you’ve likely heard about Sen. John McCain’s bizarre interview with a Spanish language radio station in Miami yesterday, where he repeatedly gave vague answers about Latin America when asked about President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain.
Of course, John McCain made the same mistake that Goldy did. Now if McCain starts confusing the Republican movement in Spain with the Republican Party in the United States, that would be hilarious!
@28
Don,
These losers can’t be told the truth.
They will foam at the mouth at you.
Sit back and watch the show of young kids ripping their shirts off in pain.
Of course McCain knows who the Spaniards are, he fought against them in the Spanish-American War.
I was thinking that maybe the Wall Street meltdown would force many moneybag right wingers to cut back on their funding of right wing bullshit and paid trolls. Look what it did to Michael Dunmire’s funding of Eyman.
Well the meltdown came apparently came too late judging from the new idiots that have popped up here lately.
As you grind thru the menuche…
Here is the State by State summary from RealClearPolitics:
http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....cain/#data
Seems mighty close.
I believe more & more voters are solidified in their pick…meaning a great, suspenseful election night.
PS–
I do remember when many of you KLOWNS were salivating about a landslide.
Haven’t heard too much of that talk lately.
Seems like you KLOWNS have gotten you Exuberance Gland trimmed a whole bunch, huh?
Can everyone please stay on topic? The question we have before us is why is Goldy silent about Obama? Why are all his presidential candidate posts purely negative one’s about McCain/Palin? I agree that they have their place, but where’s the balance? Even a few pro-Obama posts here and there would be nice. Where are they? What drives Goldy to be so negative all the time?
So which liberal hater said:
“She doesn’t have any foreign policy credentials. You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don’t know what you can say. You can’t say anything.”
Republican Senator Hagel, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
And troll, the way you twist facts and repeat slanderous speculation, where do you get off telling others to stay on topic?
Richard @ 31
If we’re going to be pedantic about this, Spain is a constitutional monarchy not at all unlike England. And, José Rodríguez Zapatero’s official title is, indeed, President.
1. We’ve won the Washington State governors race since the mid 80’s.
2. Tell that to Norm Dicks.
3. We’ve got both our states senators and 6 of 9 congressional districts.
4. There’s a pro-choice Democratic senator right smack dab in the middle of the bible belt (Claire Mccaskill of MO).
5. The governor and both senators from the great state of Montana have D’s next to their names.
Many people consider me to be the unofficial comment moderator, so I consider it my job to steer people in the right direction when they stray from the topic. Random topics belong in open thread.
“Many people” give me a break. I do not ever recall seeing that mentioned. You did however mention before that your job was to be a troll and advocate for a position.
THat and distort and spin.
I just wonder who McSame’s advisor is on latino issues? Sheriff Joe Arpaio?
@43
K, I am curious about you. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Give me one or two paragraphs. Nothing too personal. For example, who are you voting for, and why? If it’s Obama, was he your choice from the beginning? If not, tell me more about that. Why didn’t you pick him from the start?
@ 43
“Many people”
Schizophrenia is such a sad disease…
@38
Hagel wanted to be on team when he thought Barry had a chance of wining.
Hagel is yours keep him.
@41
Makes you want to cry that you can’t win the big one.
Sorry, troll, I’ve seen too many turn to the attack for me to give you anything. It would require that I believe you were engaging in good faith, and I don’t.
When I have voiced some criticism of those on the left side, it has been taken and trumpeted. I won’t engage there. Again, I do not believe you are acting in the interest of honest discussion. You did admit you are in fact a troll whose job it is to advocate a position.
@49
Just for the record, I’m not a troll, but I respect your answer.
Come on now, I challenged you a while back and you said your name says it all.
While I do not keep a little file of past exchanges like some others do, I do recall that quite clearly.
Poor republicans trolls – the truth is a difficult thing for trolls to deal with. McCain/Palin have now become known for being serial liars. The average american can’t stand liars and the polls are starting to reflect how Palin and McCain had to lie to make the case for themselves. They have lost credibility and honor and now will lose the election too. In addition, the economy is tanking and McCain’s ties to Gramm, Fiorini and other right-wing idealogue deregulators and lobbyists for Freddie Mac now starting to look really bad. His masquerade as a reformer and false anger have been shown to be hypocrisy. Even Palin’s stupid comment about opening up the governments checkbook – not realizing Obama had already done it – show that this republican team simply lacks the intelligence and ability to do the homework to effectively run the country. They are being shown up as the incompetent fools that they really are. The polls will continue to reflect their labels as liars, corrupt and incompetents – just as Bush and the republican party are now known for those attributes.
Well, it appears that it is in John McCain’s best interest to have Obama win the election. McCain has clearly lost his mind and Obama’s answers to the National Alliance On Mental Illness are quite good and informative while McCain’s statement on mental health lacks any concrete, real world references.
Any hope of McCain ever regaining his sanity lies in Obama getting elected.
http://www.nami.org/Template.c.....ntID=55411
@52
Not much to say about your post except keep trying and when in pain it’s good to think positive.
@53
This is almost a year ago.
I find barrys response of multiple choice heart
warming.
Why would a staff person hand the phone to McCain without telling him who he was talking to, what country, who the leader of that country is, the relationship the US has with that country, etc. It just set up McCain to look doddering even if he was only tired. It really sounded like he totally didn’t know who she was talking about.
Dems the haters? Please. At least we’re not the “whitey Mcwhite white” party. At least we have diversity and open minds and life is not one simple answer.
As to town halls, why would Obama go? I can see going to maybe one to shut up McCain. But why should Obama participate in a forum that McCain favors? How in the world would you keep it from being an audience of operatives for both sides trying to shout, clap or whistle each other down? What would be the point? McCain’s town halls are full of carefully selected people – what would he do with a real question from a non-selected audience member?
Obama is going to be one hell of a great president, Troll and Co. You’ll have to live with it just as we had to endure 8 years of Shrub.
@53
Too bad obama didn’t sign the questioner as requested, is this a new mental problem or existing like the teleprompter?
a dogmatic Republican with less than $5 million in net worth,
LMAO!!! McSame laid it on the line pretty clearly. If you have less than 5 million, you’re a loser. Not a true Republican, only a pretender.
Not that the “true” Republican can do without their sycophants. They’ve always had them. The Sickophants have always been there ready to do any miserable task for little to no compensation. The 5 million dollar plus Republicans have always taken those losers for granted.
@58
Are you off your medication or has @28 upset you?
59 – A pure example of what I’m talking about.
Thanks for playing.
Sydney Schanberg Writes Massive Piece on John McCain Hiding ‘POW Secrets’
By Greg Mitchell
Published: September 18, 2008 5:50 PM ET
NEW YORK Sydney H. Schanberg, the longtime New York Times reporter and editor and Newsday columnist — and author of “The Killing Fields” — has written a 9000-word investigative piece on John McCain and his longstanding efforts to, as Schanberg asserts in his lede, “hide from the public stunning information about the live Vietnam prisoners who, unlike him, didn’t return home.”
Part of the piece has just gone up at The Nation web site (www.thenation.com) and will appear in its Oct. 6 issue. A full version, with graphics, appears at The Nation Institute site. Schanberg, who once doubted claims about a large number of POWs left behind in Vietnam, later wrote dozens of columns for Newsday about the subject — and McCain’s alleged inactions. Now Schanberg criticizes the press for allowing this whole subject to be swept under the rug for so long.
The new piece details the evidence that hundreds may have been left behind, along with McCain promoting federal prohibitions that keep key evidence classified. Schanberg also reveals that he received a personal briefing in 1992 from high-level CIA officials who said intelligence suggested that many men were not freed — and later executed. He raises several questions about why McCain has acted the way he has but, in any case, strongly believes that McCain owes the voter “some explanations.” He also urges reporters to “dig into” the archives and complete “the historical record.”
@58
Sorry, what are you talking about?
@54 Alex: You have nothing to say because you support liars. You can’t refute any of it so you choose to ignore what you can’t understand.
I already posted on all the lobbyists ties of McCain:
1.
Gramm also authored the deregulation of the banking industry in 1999, called Americans “whiners” and claimed the economy was in good shape.
2.
Note that Berman has lobbied for Fannie May and for other financial institutions.
3.
4.
5.
Note the Kirsten also lobbied for Fannie Mae among her 38 clients.
6. Susan Fiorini:
@61
It only took him 16 years to reveal his findings
Funny isn’t it.
Schanberg also reveals that he received a personal briefing in 1992 from high-level CIA officials who said intelligence suggested that many men were not freed — and later executed.
@61
What is this?
http://www.villagevoice.com/20.....nt-m-i-a/1
@65
Democrats say??????????????
That means nothing to us.
@ 68
That means nothing to us.
Well, yeah. We’ve already figured out that the truth means nothing to you.
@67
Go to the link in @66
I wait for your response.:)
It is not beyond McCain to turn on the people who put him in office — if he wins.
Kicking ‘W’ and the rest of those cocksuckers in the gilhoolies after what they did to him in 2000 would be very McCainlike.
Naaah! Just another conspiracy theory. Still, his supporters should keep that in mind. There’s nothing that man would love more than to doublecross the righties.
@72
No need just Change the name of John McCain with John Kerry and you have the right guy.
I find this appalling and about as low as one could go without calling you a democrat.
You posted this all over the blog.
Dan,
“Nice try Alex. A simple assumption by a simple wingnut. This story has been dogging McCain for decades. We’ll see if it has legs this time. This Schanberg guy has credibility. He’s not some asshole crawled out of a swamp to spend some wingnut’s extra millions to smear the opposition. This guy is a reputable journalist with a proven track record. The Nation magazine is the oldest news magazine in the country, and it is hated by the wingnut contingent for good reason because it has over a century credibility. There will be a lot of noise around this in coming weeks.”
Your have heard this I’m sure “JUST WORDS, JUST WORDS WITH NO MEANING”
@73
Don’t believe everything you read Dan, the Democrats lie and have been for 45 years.
@77
Go Fish!
@77
I thought this was about Senator John McCain?
Can’t you libs get anything right the first time Good Lord.
Village Voice said…………..
Got to love these guys.
@81
Are you for real?
This is over 4 years old.. I think we waited long enough to play out…. Don’t you?
When John Kerry’s Courage Went M.I.A.
Senator covered up evidence of P.O.W.’s left behind
Sydney H. Schanberg
Tuesday, February 17th 2004
@85
Isn’t this past your bed time?
Tomorrow school.
@89
Don’t you see anything peculiar in the Kerry article dated 2004 when he was running for President and now 2008 John McCain is running again? Also where was this article about McCain in 2004?
This is old news with no merit and allot of maybes.
I went through this war a long time ago was treated like dirt at the VA Hospital in LA not ready to hear it again.
Talk to someone else please.
McSame, McInsane, McSenile… and Sarah who?
Wow! What a great future is in store for us with this dynamic duo.
I foam at the mouth against these people, but making hay out of what McCain said is silly. Why not focus on this part:
“What about Europe? …..”
“What about me? What?”
McCain couldn’t understand her. To him, “Europe” sounded like “you” something. He’s not retarded but he might be deaf.
Hmmm… Listen to what Barney Frank (H)-Mass said about the economy:
“There are good sovereign wealth funds and bad sovereign wealth funds because there are bad and good countries. They’re buying because of the security in the United States. Even with volatility this is still a place people want to put their money. This is a very stable democracy with a fundamental economy which has been damaged now but which we expect to come back.”
Very close to the “Fundamentals of Our Economy Are Strong” – John McCain
http://online.wsj.com/article/.....outset-box
http://online.wsj.com/article/.....lenews_wsj
Heath,
I think Josh Marshall has it about right, as he so often does:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/218038.php
But then there is this for Mr Frank (H)-Mass
http://www.marketwatch.com/new.....aspx?guid={3C3D629D-1383-4B5E-826C-2942D1753902}&dist=msr_6
The commentary at the bottom is funny!
http://www.freerepublic.com/fo.....5606/posts
Looks like Saul Alinsky’s son is cheerleading Obama
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/I.....7496204115
Allen, you can’t just post Free Republic here. Always find the source…
The loony of loonies like yelling loser boy will jump all over it even though the Top 10 are funny.
A couple of troublesome scenarios:
Secnario # 1. McCain dies within the first year or two of gaining office. Sarah Palin becomes President, pushes extreme right-wing agenda at home and abroad. Domestically, Congess & Palin are deadlocked, but overseas Palin expands permanant presence in Iraq, increases conflict with Iran including air strikes against nuclear facilities. Iranian suicide bombers strike against U.S. targets all over the world. Russia signs mutual defense pact with Iran, establish Russian air bases which blockade the Straights of Hormuz, isolating two U.S. air groups there.
Scenario 2. Sarah Palin is impeached for lying under oath to investigators re: troopergate, removed from office. McCain dies in office without nominating a replacement. Nancy Pelosi is sworn in as President.
Scenario # 3: John McCain gradually slips into Alzheimers. As his condition becomes more obvious, his wife and senior staff isolate him from public appearances, leaving only carefully staged public appearances with limited contact with reporters. Karl Rove is brought in as the “stage manager”, and the executive branch is managed by a “Shadow Presidency” consisting of Cindy McCain, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney (brought in from retirement), and a few carefully selected others.
rhp6033@101:
You missed one
Scenario # 4: Barack Obama realizes all of his $1 Trillion spending promises are too much and he drops his middle class tax cut like Clinton did in 2003. He says raising taxes and you paying higher taxes are your “patriotic” duty. The little people who were looking to join the government dole and get their hand outs start impeachment proceedings because they finally realize Obama is just another pandering Democrat liar who will say anything to get elected.
Why did Obama run “racist” ads in the south highlighting his white family heritage in hopes of connecting with those voters?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....08334.html
Why won’t Obama place his hand over his heart for the national pledge of allegiance?
http://www.jeffhead.com/audacityoftruth.htm
I saved that Huff Post just for the right time yelling loser boy.
More on #102. Remember Joe Biden said it’s your patriotic duty to pay higher taxes, so you middle class HA nuts here when your taxes go up you were warned if Obama is presnut.
Obama’s mentors ring from John McCains plane maybe.
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot......om-us.html
“What do you think about the AIG bailout?”
Obama – he had nothing to say
McCain – had plenty to say.
Why is liberalism a mental disorder? When the American people are miserable Obama smiles.
Liberals want you to suffer, then you “need” them to give you their drugs to “fix” your suffering. They tell you the sky is falling down and only “THEY” can fix it.
Liberals want you to panic, then you “need” them to calm your fears. Just ask Barney Frank.
Liberals want you to hurt, then they will assuage your hurt with more government programs.
That’s the nature of liberalism.
Poor Puddy – it must be hard to continue to defend the biggest spender of all time, bush. He has also created the largest budget deficit and is wasting money to the tune of over 1 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan – because of the strategic errors of the right wingers and republican neocons. McCain has no discernible differences from Bush on economics and Iraq, is in bed with the lobbyists for the banking industry (see @63 above) and claims to be a reformer.
How does a person credibly defend that sordid record? By making up stuff, by bringing in peripheral attacks, by missing the obvious big picture and by listening to the idiot right wingnuts try to excuse the total failure of the republican philosophy of less government and the free market. Right now the free market stinks and only government can stop the bleeding due to lack of regulation and excess greed of the free market corporations.
Oh yeah, McCain had plenty to say – all of it wrong or contradicting himself. He is a joke on the economy – calling for no bailout one day and then saying it was necessary the next. Calling for the firing of the SEC chair when the president can’t really fire him and Bush disagreed. Yup, that McCain is really on top of it. Hahahaha
Obama gave speeches and proposed action on the subprime crisis and the problems two years ago – where were McCain and the rest of the Free Market republicans (sleeping).
oops- Puddy busted again.
Isn’t it embarassing to be so wrong so often?
Reemember in 2003 the New York Times called Bush’s plan the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis. But we know who stopped it. Schumer and Dodd with some help from Biden (D)-MBNA
Yet rhp6033 forgot that like he forgot about Jumping Jim Jeffords giving Donkey Senate Control in 2001. So was that Partial Puddy Punditry or another PuddyFact Don Joe?
@104: I have already calculated that Obama will save me at least $2,000 in taxes and probably more when I count the health care taxes and lack of tuition refunds with McCain. I can’t afford McCain and I won’t vote for serial liars – that is McCain and Palin.
LMAO @ the right wing morons!
Sure is a lot of “sosheeeaalism” going on at the top!
What’s the Republican solution? Let the taxpayer take on all the crappy debt. Things go on as before. CEO’s collect on their golden parachutes.
What’s the sane solution? Ok, we’ll bail you out but the people get a seat at the table. And….
High marginal income taxes to pay back all the debt.
“The chairman of the House Banking Committee called today for an investigation into the investment practices of Freddie Mac, the Congressional-chartered, shareholder-owned mortgage finance company, saying it had abused the preferential borrowing terms it enjoys through its ties to the Government. Representative Jim Leach, Republican of Iowa, said Freddie Mac — short for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation — had borrowed $125 million in the bond markets on Monday at 6.99 percent, an interest rate reflecting the market’s belief that the Treasury had effectively guaranteed repayment. Freddie Mac, whose charter calls for it to invest primarily in mortgages and mortgage securities, then used the $125 million to buy corporate bonds issued by the Philip Morris Companies with identical 10-year maturities yielding 7.68 percent. Mr. Leach said that such an investment strategy might be legal, but that it was not appropriate. ‘Freddie Mac was established by an act of Congress for a specific purpose: to advance home ownership, not to facilitate tobacco sales,’ he said. ‘What Freddie Mac’s action amounts to is taxpayer subsidization of corporate arbitrage and, implicitly, the tobacco industry.” – April 1997 – New York Times
Democrat response to his inquiry – Barney Frank (H)-Mass “They’re not facing any kind of financial crisis.” Melvin Watt (D)- North Carolina – “You gotta throw a little more in here, or Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae won’t buy it, and we don’t want it if they won’t buy it ’cause all we want is to give you this mortgage and get rid of it. We’re gonna dump it somewhere else, we’re gonna package it with other mortgages, what your good old S&L would do or your bank.”
Digging deeper Melvin Watt then accused Bush Treasury of wanting to use this proposed oversight committee so Bush could weaken the bargaining power of poorer families. Thanks Barney, thanks Melvin.
So a PuddyQuestion: Has any HA lefty ever interfaced with Fannie Freddie unless they decided you’re not putting enough front money down on your proposed home transaction? Just wondering loons!
@109: Any citiations? If I remember the plan correctly it would not have fixed the problems that led to the subprimed – it would have made them worse. Did it fix the selling of loans? Did it fix the gambling on mortgages and repackaging?
Do your homework: if you posit that it was real reform, than prove it. Otherwise, it is just words that have no factula basis.
We do know that Phil Gramm (nation of whiners, chief economic advisor to McCain) was the author of the deregulation bill that allowed those specific excesses that led to the subprime crisis. We also know that the bill passed on a party line vote and that mcCain voted for the bill. We also know that at least 3 key advisors to McCain lobbied for Fannie and Freddie and that others lobbied for UBS and other bankers, We know that McCain is a total hypocrite for trying to criticize the banking industry while most of the campaign staff is composed of lobbyists from banking.
@Is that all you can get – an article from 1997 before deregulation? ooops
incorrectnotbright:
The NY Times “citations” were posted by Puddy and Allen and others Monday and Tuesday.
Liberalism is a mental disorder. Can’t remember anything past 24 hours.
And… Phil Gramm’s bill was championed by Clinton and his cronies as great legislation.
You forgot Mudd, Raines and Johnson are all on Obama’s economic team. Freddie and Fannie disemblers in the late 1990’s and early 2000s.
@109
As I recall Puddy conveniently “forgot” that the 2002 elections gave control of the senate to the republicans – remember Senate Majority leader Bill Frist?
so democrats had tenuous control of the senate for about 1 year until 2006. It still takes 60 votes in the Senate for cloture and 67 to overcome a veto – so republicans have had defacto control of the government for the past 8 miserable years. record budget deficits, record earmarks for republicans and record trade deficits. Job losses, poor stack market performance and a stagnant economy are the legacy of the free market crownd. Thanks for ruining this country, republicans.
@111 yelling loser boy Harry Land Deal Reid said he had no plan on what to do.
Yes that’s Donkey leadership!
And how many filibusters occurred in the 2003-2004 Senate session incorrectnottobright.
Puddy knows. Do you?
Of course nevertobrigtandalwaysincorrect has nothing to say about the NY Times admitting there was a better plan for Freddie and Fannie which Donkey Congressional people scuttled. But that’s great politics they claim.
When some stupid Pelosi stuff was scuttled in 2007-2008 that’s obstructionist policies.
Yep, you can’t have it both ways nevertobrigtandalwaysincorrect
Been widely reported Obama has 3000 advisors on his payroll.
Obama has refused to list these names it has been standard for the candidate to release these names.
We don’t know who Obama is we now don’t know who advising him.
He has said after he’s elected he may reveal this information to the public.
Scary isn’t it.
Obama will hold back his recovery plan until he checks with his 3000 advisors.
Been estimated this can be accomplished in 9 days.
Under Omaba the “Football” will have a hold button installed.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/200.....nancial_dc
Puddy knows squat as usual. As I said before, it was a party line vote in 1999. The bill was reluctantly signed by clinton after changes in conference – but it was witten by Gramm and McCain voted for it. Biden, Reid and most of the other Democrats voted against the bill.
Oooops – republicans supported the deregulation that led to the subprime crisis. You cannot wriggle out of that. also, the republican philosophy is deregulation – and that has not worked.
ooops.
As far as the NY time – that was from 1997 – before deregulation – so the significance is nothing. Puddy likes to cite the times and then claim it is part of the liberal media. Can’t have it both ways Puddy. I guess you can if you are mcCain and you are talking about AIG.
Poor puddy – I now can’t count the number of false things you put up….you are rivaling Palin. Next, you will clain to be against the bridge to nowhere, hahahaha.
How does it feel Puddy to be so in the wrong that you have to make stuff up?
going back to 1997, before the deregualtion act? what a joke!
Where does Phil Gramm work?
Why does mcCain employ lobbyists for almost all his major campign positions?
why are republicans so corrupt?
Why did Abramoff (a purely republican lobbyist who had his money laundered by Grover Norquist (American Taxpayers) and Ralph Reed (Religious right)) lobby for indian gambling, forced abortions, slave labor and russian oil tycoons?
Yup, republicans are corrupt. Like the Interior dept., David Safavian, Sarah Palin and her “stonewalling” and the entire Justice department – bunch of crooks and people who hide illegal acts.
ooops, defending corrupt republicans is a full time job. Defending the lying Palin and lying McCain is a full time job.
Poor wingnuts.
I hear that new “soosheeealistic” bailout program by Paulson and the Fed is the toast of the markets.
Especially in the EU, Japan and China!!! Those capitalist paradises you all love!
@121: guess it is better to shoot off your mouth in 100 different directions like McCain?
Obama is holding off until Paulson announces his plan – very wise. Poor McCain is an idiot who says the economy is fundamentally sound one day, says AIG should not be bailed out one day and then revereses himself the next day. Yup, that is taking a strong stand – by puting his foot firmly in his mouth.
oooopsie!
Some wingnut idiot said McCain is saying “a lot things” about the Wall Street meltdown.
One days he says a bailout of AIG is a bad idea.
The next day he’s for it.
One day he says he’s the master de-regulator.
The next day he’s all for it.
He’s flippin and floppin like the barely alive sardine he is. His candidacy sure stinks like a sardine.
@115 Sad apologist for the worst economic record since Hoover
YLB already debunked the 1997 bill – that was to prevent redlining, so that minorities, if qualified, could get loans in certain areas. Are you against loans to minorities Puddy?
ooopsy, another foot in mouth disease. You have been drinking too much kool-aid from the republican rove trough. Maybe you should learn to think for yourself instead of parroting the false republican diatribes.
Puddy, do you remember the exchange we had in the comments thread for this post back in February? Do you remember siding with Sam Zell who claimed that, “The US economy will avoid recession as the housing market begins to recover this spring.”
Have I not warned you of the perils of accepting someone’s conclusions based on who they are rather than taking a close look at the quality of the analysis that backs up their conclusions?
Silly Puddy. What an unbridled fool you are.
Dear Don: Putting Puddy and fool in the same phrase is redundant. Putting Puddy and fool in the same phrase is redundant.
You can say that again.