McCain Blames Earmarks For The Current Financial ‘Difficulties’
McCain Blames Earmarks For The Current Financial ‘Difficulties’
When talking about the economy, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) regularly resorts to talking about one of his favorite subjects: pork barrel spending projects known as earmarks. “The first big-spending pork-barrel earmark bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. I will make them famous, and you will know their names,” McCain constantly says.
During an interview with CBS’s Katie Couric yesterday, McCain said that the current financial crisis “is of the utmost seriousness and a crisis of enormous proportions.” But sticking to his mantra, McCain strangely cited earmarks as “one of the major reasons why we’re having difficulties”:
McCAIN: [W]e’ve got to take tough decisions and one of them is government spending by the way. One of the major reasons why we’re having difficulties is we let spending get completely out of control — earmark and pork-barrel projects. Senator Obama asked for over $900 million in earmarks pork-barrel projects, that’s not part of the answer thats part of the problem.
Watch it (starting at 8:55):
But of course, earmarks have very little to do with the current financial crisis — one that is actually rooted in bad mortgages and crashing credit markets. But that doesn’t seem to stop McCain from thinking it does. In fact, this isn’t the first time McCain has blamed earmarks for seemingly unrelated calamities:
– Hurricane Katrina: “[McCain] places ’some of those responsibilities on the Congress of the United States, which funded pork barrel projects that were not only not needed and certainly not as important as some of the projects that were needed [in New Orleans]”
– Minnesota Bridge Collapse: “The bridge in Minneapolis didn’t collapse because there wasn’t enough money,” McCain told reporters while campaigning in Pennsylvania. “The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects.”
McCain was forced to walk back his comments on the Minnesota bridge after the state’s Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty said “citizens should not jump to conclusions about the bridge collapse.”
McCain also likes to say that eliminating earmarks will balance the budget but, in fact, that would do little to balance the budget — let alone save the entire economy. But as McCain himself has said, “economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.”
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Earmarks?! WTF?
September 25th, 2008 at 9:35 pmThis is similar to his saying he won’t go to the debate tomorrow because Obama didn’t want to have town hall meetings with him.
Non-sequitur.
Payday Loan Advocate Says:
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September 25th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What the fu(k does this thread have to do with your stupid business sales pitch , nimrod ?
September 25th, 2008 at 9:38 pmMcCain Blames Earmarks For The Current Financial ‘Difficulties’
Yeah …………And did we surrender after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor ?
September 25th, 2008 at 9:40 pmearmarks are to blame for the finicial crisis is like
September 25th, 2008 at 9:59 pmsaying you can see Russia and that gives you foreign
policy experience.
McCain is Talking Point Robot moron.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pmI have to go with Miss South Carolina on this one — and I am sure that Failin’ Palin would agree. We are in a crisis right now because “U.S. Americans don’t know how to read maps”.
I hope that McNumbNuts will come to our rescue. He should suspend his campaign for another week and solve this pressing problem.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pmDon’t federal earmarks total like $16 billion a year? And he’s saying that a trillion dollar plus crisis was created by those?
Is he retarded? (Don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical).
September 25th, 2008 at 10:07 pmMcCain is all over the planet and the universe with his comments. It is a real challenge for the Internet blogs to keep up with him as he keeps changing his position on issues every 1/2 hour.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:10 pmYour USA Today link says earmarks are $18 billion in a $3 Trillion budget. Pretty small potatoes. And I believe at least 80% of earmarks are for military (not liberal funding). Article says eliminating all would only decrease next year’s deficit from $438 billion to $420 billion. But McCain has promised even more giveaways than Dubya—so expect much higher if he’s elected.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:11 pmMcCain is tanking because of pork barrel projects!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:13 pmwho’s running things…..? the rothchilds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNFA96cIv74
6 minute video will explain it all in lamens terms.
thank alexander hamilton for letting the criminals in.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pmthe federal reserve bank of 1913… thank the rothchilds.
#1 Payday Loan Advocate Says:
Your rates are as high as 360% per year and you prey on the poor and gullible. You should all be taken out and shot! Loan sharks have a lot more self respect.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx5IKBFW1B8
the rockefellers…….
September 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pm.
Who’s a McKeating five…
… A music group?
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:16 pm.
Nader on the “Get out of jail free” card…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7aC7CyOP0Q
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:16 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXEZp-ULmXw
and folks think flight 77 hit the pentagon.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pmsatirev,
September 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pmI read that Huckabee is getting his own show on FOX. No joke, seriously.
.
What’s a pork barrel…
… Sarah in a dress?
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:18 pmMcCain better be packing an extra strength adult diaper for tomorrow night. He might need one for the diarreha that will be spewing out of his mouth too.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:18 pmEarmarks: $18 billion a year. Too much. But compare that to $10 billion a MONTH for the Iraq war…since 2003. McMightyMouse is insane.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm.
What are ear marks…
… The dangly jewels hanging from Cindy’s ears?
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:20 pmBS – knock off the Zionist conspiracy junk. It doesn’t sell here.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:20 pmbs- unbelievable how anyone can still think a plane hit the pentagon. Impossible manuever, no video footage, no wreckage. hmmm.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:21 pmDear bs,
At least I’m on topic…
… sort of.
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:22 pmon topic- McCain’s mantras of earmarks and “maverick” and “change” is so tired. Is anyone still buying his line of utter crap?
September 25th, 2008 at 10:24 pmWhy did McCain blow off any vestige of debate preparation, until he was exposed to Obama’s arguments through surrogate/stand-in Michael Steele? It seems obvious to me that Steele was killing McCain in rehearsal and Rick Davis and his vampire squad huddled and came up with Plan B. Old man McCain is just along for the ride. He will not be there for the debate. His actions strongly suggest he had no intention of doing it to begin with. He bagged debates in similar fashion in the late 90s. He will be a no show. It’s a more potent weapon to rob Obama of his moment in the sun, or so he calculates, compared to any criticism he receives in the press, which will be mild overall. It’s always reasonable behavior if it’s a Republican doing it.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:25 pm.
When will I see my dividends from all this reinvestment of my taxes into the stock market?
Oh, I won’t? But CEO’s will?
Talk about Elite Socialism.
Reverse Robin Hood…
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:27 pm.
So,
When the times get going tough…
… The tough maverick suspends his campaign?
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:28 pmWhen the going gets tough ………………….
The GOP candidate gets going to change his Depends.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:29 pm.
Oops,
Sorry, forgot the McKeating link…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAzDEbVFcg8
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:32 pmreally, really wants
to be president,
doesn’t he?
#
September 25th, 2008 at 10:33 pm.
To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate:
http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/mortgage_protest.htm
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:34 pmHe just doesn’t understand.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:38 pm.
Can Johnny McEconomics please explian how earmarks are used?
… I think I missed something.
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:38 pm.
Is Rick Davis a pork barrel or an ear mark?
.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pmPayday lending is the most predatory lending with interest in the triple digits.
Honestly, who is this turd. I am flagging that comment for spamming.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:42 pmCould he permanently suspend his campaign, please. Time for him to fade into the sunset.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pmat 42 mj
September 25th, 2008 at 10:54 pmi flagged it for tos
Is Rick Davis a pork barrel or an ear mark?
Neither. Davis is a skid mark.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:00 pmtom Says:
Is Rick Davis a pork barrel or an ear mark?
Neither. Davis is a skid mark.
#
on the underwear
of the republican party.
*
September 25th, 2008 at 11:11 pmSo why did he pick Slick Sarah, the Earmark Queen as his soul mate?
September 25th, 2008 at 11:55 pmWell, I can see why John McCain was attracted to Sarah Palin. They talk alot alike. Incoherent, but alike nonetheless.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:55 pmBut those earmark $ his running mate, governor of the welfare state of Alaska, home of the highest federal spending per capita, kept even after the bridge project was killed have been forgotten. He wants to win in the worst way.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:18 amHow many times does a theory have to proven to have it accepted as fact?
For example, the decades old theory that John McCain is, in fact, an idiot in a jet pilot’s jacket. An overwhelming of proof has been presented to support this theory.
So why isn’t it accepted?
September 26th, 2008 at 2:32 amDoes McCain have ANYcredibility at all? He’s proven again and again that he’ll say and do ANYTHING to get into the White House.
September 26th, 2008 at 6:46 amActually, it’s McCon’s ear hair that’s the problem.
September 26th, 2008 at 6:59 amrepublicanSScareme Says:
How many times does a theory have to proven to have it accepted as fact?
September 26th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Hey, take a number and get in line, buddy. Darwin’s been waiting 150 years for this, and climate change science has been at it since the 1960s. You might be waiting a while.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:35 amUnitary Executive with signing statements. Opinions?
September 26th, 2008 at 7:37 amMcKeating has, by his own admission, stated that he doesn’t know that much about the economy, so why are they letting that but*munch even into the talks about the bailout? So he can make a last ditch effort to save his miserable campaign? He hasn’t presented one bill proposal on banking in the last year while Obama has submitted five.
Call your congressmen and women and tell them enough is enough. McKeating wants more for his rich-a** cronies and lobbyists than they even deserve for creating this mess–and no one is talking about what should happen to those that created it.
The debate should not be allowed to be postponed–presidents should be able to at least multitask for a measly hour and a half. If Grampy can’t do that then he has absolutely no business trying to run the country.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:47 amBig Liar John doing what has become painfully obvious is the only thing he is good at: lying, deceiving, and dissembling.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:03 amMcwars has got alot of reforming to do with Palin the Queen of Pork……..can you believe the second half of Katie Courics interview with Caribou Barbie,she has not got a clue on foriegn policy but she can see Russia and Cananda from here porch.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:32 amWe all know why he does not want to go to that debate. He has been in Congress for a long time so this means he has more skeletons. How can you convince America of change when you yourself have been part of the status quo for nearly three decades? Fresh faces mean fresh start not old faces new start.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:47 amOne person’s public works project is another person’s pork. In McIIIrd’s case, every public works project is his pork. Oink!!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:09 am