McCain campaign changes its ‘definition’ of earmarks.
By on Apr 18th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
McCain campaign changes its ‘definition’ of earmarks.
As ThinkProgress has previously noted, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign promise to “veto every bill that has a pork-barrel project on it” if elected president would result in $65 billion of cuts to programs, including U.S. funding assistance to Israel and funding for military housing. Now, McCain’s top economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, says that McCain is changing the definition of earmarks. Under the new definition, “there are between $16 billion and $18 billion” of earmarks in the current budget. Holtz-Eakin “declined to say whether McCain would ever begin to name programs he’ll cut.”
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19 Responses to “McCain campaign changes its ‘definition’ of earmarks.”
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well at least that way he won't have to carry the stigma of being like rep. don young...
April 18th, 2008 at 4:33 pmBoy! He's going to remove 25% of the earmarks ($17 Billion). That can be used to finance 10 days in Iraq!
April 18th, 2008 at 4:35 pmcome on, now, Walt. Be serious. That would fund almost six whole weeks in Iraq.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pmHe'll get aroundt to telling us which programs he'll cut after his nap. NOW GIT OFFEN HIS LAWN!
April 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pmThrough the (GOP) Looking Glass
April 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Shorter McSame: "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is."
April 18th, 2008 at 4:44 pmOf course John Sidney McCain III won't begin to name programs he'd cut. That would invite criticism. Not by the MSM, of course, but by voters who'd like to know exactly where the money for his more and more and hundred year war is coming from.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:44 pmHow many of us were here, 24 hours ago, saying he would change his "staunch position", within 24 hours, for political expediency?
Much like Bush, and other neocons, McPander Bear's actions can be predicted by assuming the opposite of the original statement. One is left with the inescapable conclusion that these idiots really Believe they can create their own reality and people will forget what they said.
If there is a God, one would hope He decides to equip such fools with a birthmark, spelling "DELUSIONAL" across their foreheads, in the future. Until then we must hope that, with all the extra coverage of the modern era, American voters can learn to spot these creeps and vote accordingly.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:51 pmAnyone think of the possiblity that his plans for war and plans for the economy are one and the same? That is, we can't stop military spending for the economy will 'el-foldo' even worse than it is now.
What would happen if we stopped spending money on war supplies/weapons, etc.? Some of our largest companies are big-time weapons manufacturers. (e.g General Dynamics, Dow Chemical, many others) Not all are a Boeing, that makes most of what it makes from airlines.
Think THAT might not enter into it? They may not have any idea how to pull out of the Middle East while heading into a depression/recession.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pmGorbachev was right when he said that he was going to inflict a great harm on us by depriving us of our enemy.
The economy thrived on having a Cold War. As things are, we MUST have a 'long-term' enemy to keep many of our industries going.
April 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pm"..says that McCain is changing the definition of earmarks."
"I meant earhairs", said McCain, as he cupped his right ear with his hand. "What's that sonny? Speak up! Damn earhairs are in the way again.....Iranians?. Ark Kada? What? Where's that f***ing Lieberman when I need him?".
April 18th, 2008 at 5:02 pmstjack,
April 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm90 days divided by ($108 Billion devided by $17 billion) equals 14 days. Sorry, I did the math in my head, but I was closer than you by a factor of three.
Gorbachev was right when he said that he was going to inflict a great harm on us by depriving us of our enemy.
Hah! Whatever. Seems everything's been pretty damn peachy until we installed a Shrub as POTUS.
April 18th, 2008 at 5:12 pmBEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
BETTER WATCH OUT...THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS IS BACKING UP.
April 18th, 2008 at 5:16 pmSorry? I was going by the last monthly amount I've heard, which was $12B. If that was wrong, well...i would apologize, except that I wasn't really making a point. besides, it's not as if you and i are on opposite sides of this debate.
can we agree that $17B, in the context of this ludicrous spending in Iraq, doesn't make much of a dent?
April 18th, 2008 at 5:16 pmThe signs were there with Reagan. We've always been 'way too dependent on oil from that part of the world. (Too dependent on oil period.) They have NO history of democratic governance going way back in history. It's our problem that the neocons thought they could overcome 4K years of history with a conquest.
Shrub stirred up the hornet's nest with a lot of unanswered questions (and NO plans) and hoped it would all work out. Cheney didn't care about the consequences.
April 18th, 2008 at 5:25 pmIOKIYAR
April 18th, 2008 at 6:04 pmSo McCain was suppose to save $65 Billion in earmarks 2 days ago, now we are down to $16 to $18 Billion. I guess that blows his Economic Plan all to hell.
You can tell that John graduated 5th from the bottom of his class. I wonder how long it will be til Douglas Holtz-Eakin can pull another Economic Plan out of the hat? (or his a**)whichever the case maybe.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:09 pmI'm kind of a layman here, but it seems to me McCain basically said "Read My Lips" about any ear-marks. I would conjecture that he would have the appearance of being a liar if now he begins to pull away from that remark and start to allow earmarks.
But then again I'm only a layman.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:41 pm