GOP Debate: McCain Defends Bush Economic Record...
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 4:00pm...and then slams it. If he could get the sentences out, that is.
Trusty St. McCain, always with a finger on the pulse of the populace. Bush is incredibly unpopular, the economy is doing bad and yet "Mr. Straight Talk" has to both defend the Bush policies he helped enable and distinguish himself from it simultaneously.
And for the record, by no measure are we better off economically now than we were 8 years ago. (.pdf)
Since the last economic peak in the first quarter of 2001, the economy has expanded at an annual rate of only 2.6 percent, about a third less than the 3.7 percent average growth rate of the three prior economic cycles of similar length.
The economy has created only 5.9 million new jobs since taking office, an average of 72,000 new jobs per month. At this point in the Clinton administration, 20.2 million new jobs had been created, an average of 246,600 new jobs per month.
The number of households with employer-provided health insurance has declined. Between 2000 and 2006, the share of people with employment-based health insurance fell from 64.2 to 59.7 percent and the share without health insurance is now at 15.8 percent, an all-time high. Even with the SCHIP expansion, there are more children without health insurance: from 2005 to 2006, the number of uninsured children increased from 8 million (10.9 percent) to 8.7 million (11.7 percent).
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Let them eat cake:
http://www.apfn.org/images/r1370369071.jpg
The situation was dire in New orleans when this photo was snapped.
Just a reminder,
This is absolutely OT, and I apologize, but C&L, you have to see this video:
"The End of Street Money?"
http://www.thewholeamericanhog.com/index.php
Romney was right about one thing, mccain don't know Sh!t about the Economy!
Just like jr, he ain't too bright.
Oh Yeah! Thanks Bush. Lets see, broken military, record defifcits, poor gettin poorer, rich getting richer, feeble healthcare system, crumbling infrastructure. Almost 4000 troops dead, over a million Iraqis dead, Scandal plagued White House, holding hands with King Abdulla, terrible middle east policy. Thanks for all of that! I think McCain finally went off the deep end!
Bit NOLA @ 1:
This was photographed in Arizona about 11 AM on the Monday that the hurricane hit. In other words, NINE (9) HOURS after the hurricane hit at 2 AM. And Bush is going to a birthday party. [The following day he was strumming that guitar.]
Bush didn't care. Still doesn't.
McCain is just clueless. He is not fit to be president. Just like Bush, but in a different way.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/blogbox/06/055_bush_katrina_comp.jpg
But they both loves them some cake.
THE KISS of DEATH = BUSH
ask Liberman...........................
MCains next
ha ha ha ha h ahh a
hareli @ 2:
Great, really interesting video. Thanks!
as long as mccain has 9ui11iani backing him, he's as good as finished.
Any democrat could be rudy, and john 'bomb bomb iran' war mongerer and joementum LIEberman can cry in their spilt milk when Hillary or Obama are inaugurated on Jan 21, 2009, while they'll be joining the unemployed along with all the other ex-GOP congressional representatives.
The American people are stupid this war pig is leading. I cant believe they are voting for him when the majority want an end to this war.
Just because these embeciles say it, it doesn't mean it's so. Out of touch, way out of touch.
St. McCain the Crazy is just being a good little German and regurgitating the corporate masters' official platform. Bush is owned and operated by these people, and McCain is signaling that he'll be an obedient little puppet, too. Probably hopes that they'll take this instance of fawning obsequeousness and rig the next election so that the Republican wing of the Corporatist Party gets "elected" instead of the whooly owned subsidiary the Democratic wing of the Corporatist Party. As if there were any difference.
Isn't our one party
VaderlandHomeland just the cat's meow?Damn straight! Let's make the Bush Deficits permanent. Let's make the Bush Depression inevitable. McCain is such a dunce.
Oh, and Bush is an Idiot Savant without the savant part.
A year or two ago, I did a basic comparison between major tax increases, tax cuts and growth in GDP since the Kennedy administration. Every major tax increase lead to a growth in the economy. Tax cuts were mixed proceeding Reagan and Bush II poor economic times but no show on the Carter or Clinton/Bush (2001) recession. I'm no economist, but it really amazes me that no one has every looked at that connection. It flips the generally accepted principles on their head.
Greg
I recently finished reading Nemisis by Chalmers Johnson, its well worth the time...as most everything from Mr. Johnson is.
One of the things he discusses is military Kenyesianism as the modus operandi of the US economy. Here's on little tidbit that Sen McCain neglected to mention, "...during the second quarter of 2003, when the Iraq war was in full swing, some 60 percent of the 3.3 percent GDP growth rate was attributable to military spending." We can assume that very little has changed in the last four years. So next time the government starts quoting growth figures, knock roughly 50% off of them to figure the real economy.
Mr. Johnson recently contributed an article specifically on military Kenyesianism to tomdispatch, and it was picked up by The Asia Times. He also has a good book review dealing with globalization at Truthdig. Man, sorry for the plugs, but he's well worth reading.
#2: Just a bit off topic as you indicated, and perhaps/maybe/could be just
a bit biased/slanted. Gee, I alway had read that "street money" for for Hookers.
I have to respond to this one! McCain doesn't know anything about the economy or economics overall and his stuttering and looking for answers proves it. Just look at the massive debt the Bush Administration has racked up over the past seven years or the outsourcing of jobs to overseas locations. The U.S. dollar is at record low levels against all major currencies, gold and other commodities are at record highs. and the Fed is ramping up the money supply at record rates and McCain is telling me there is little or no inflation out there? Sure McCain. Only if people live by the core CPI which they don't because it leaves out food and energy which are costing the most. McCain knows nothing about the economy. I can't believe nitwits would vote for that fool.
I'm curious about one thing. Mitt Romney wants everybody to have their own medical insurance but he never talks about people who are declined due to preexisting conditions or what about those folks who need life saving treatment who are turned down. Will he force insurance companies to cover anybody who applies? will he force insurance companies to pay for treatments they previously refused to cover even when it meant the patients life? It's all well and good to say you want folks to be able to afford their own insurance but what good is paying for it if when you need it it's no damn good? To be fair none of the pro insurance candidates have addressed this.
post and reply the "bomb bomb bomb...bomb bomb iran" songfest that this idiot had and wrap up his bid for office....
i'd like him to be the gop candidate... easy to beat with that music playing
If McCrazy makes it to the White House, we are doomed...DOOMED I tell ya!
O/T...I noticed in the debate last night he REALLY sidestepped his immigration question, and nobody called him on it.
Have to eliminate the alternate minimum tax?! How about having it indexed to inflation.
"The stated purpose of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) is to keep taxpayers with high incomes from paying little or no income tax by taking advantage of various preferences in the tax code." -- CBO
Maybe McCain doesn't know that eliminating the AMT will just mean middle class workers will have to continue to pay income taxes while the wealthy get off without paying little or nothing, as was happening 30 years ago.
Then again, perhaps he thinks the CEOs who have made big bucks creating the housing finance mess that is sending the U.S. economy into a recession deserve a bonus.
McCain doesn't know economy. And he wants to reward those who wrecked it.
If hitler had lived to be succeeded, who would have been next in line for der furher's throne?
Equate that and mccain is bushs suckessor, more mores, more lies...the PNAC NEOCON way.
Indict, Impeach Convict, Sentence & Repeat until the swamp in D.C. is completely drained of their treasonous war criminal profiteering scum.
correction
Equate that and mccain is bushs suckessor, more WARS, more LIES. more CRIMES…the PNAC NEOCON way.
To all the Clinton haters, Obama dislikers, independents and progressives............REMEMBER Johnny Walnut is a CONSERVATIVE......he will appoint guys like Scalia, Thomas, Alito & Roberts for the SCOTUS vacancy......get another ass-clown such as Ashcroft, Gonzales & Mukassey as AGs, and perfumed princes like Pretreaus for Sec of Defense........USE YOUR HEADS AND VOTE SMART......NADER is the answer......remember 2000
I agree the taxing and spending policy changes the Bush administration has pushed are bad economic policy. But to suggest that Clintons were good merely because of a rather short term result, i.e. 6-7 years of boom, is flawed logic. The dot com bubble developed not through anything Clinton did. The housing bubble and its subsequent collapse is directly attributable to administration and Fed policies of pushing for low interest rates which flooded the market with a heavy supply of money and credit. That is what led to rampant consumption, and that carried over even more so during the Bush administration.
So what if John McCain doesn't know jack about economics?
McCain's got my vote, 'cos he's a straight-talking maverick.
I know this because Chris Matthews told me so ten times today, and ten times yesterday, and ten times the day before that.
.
At one time I would have voted for McCain. But I am to afraid that he and Pres. Bush are to much alike. The real difference is Bush doesn't ve a real military back ground. I have not heard McCain say one time that we should not gone to Iraq on the limited information as long as we had our inspectors there. Now he said he would be ready to stay there 100 yrs. Not how we should get this thing over and done with and get our troops home. That is the worst idea I have heard.
Then his bulldog attitude at the debates is a real turn off to me. Ron Paul made more since than anyone. Especially when he said basical, who cares who said what when. Another words it was petty just to keep anyone else from having any air time. Then behind him was Romny. I am liking he and Paul more all the time. Being independent I have no idea who I am going to vote for and time is getting short.
jackpine savage @ 16:
You, via Chalmers Johnson, raise some very good points. What Republicans like McCain will never acknowledge is that the best way to stimulate the economy is to divert the money that is being foolishly spent on the occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan to programs here in this country, such as those dealing with education, health care [especially universal health care], the infrastructure, libraries, etc. Unfortunately, since the Democrats continue to fund the occupations, they end up being just as culpable on this issue as the Republicans.
yes mccinsanes a tool, yes hes to old for the office , yes hes going to have that dickhead joe liberdouche as vice president and yeshes going to be your next president!!!!!!!! the last two elections were stolen from us , this elections allready in the bag, and what are you going to do about it when they steal the 08 election, ? why nothing , nothing nothing nothing, thats show buisness folks !
[Deleted. Also not a Ron Paul thread-Sitemonitor]
As the economy continues it's slide into a painful recession more and more voters will want to turn to a leader who has a very good understanding of fiscal responsibility, a love of the Constitution and personal liberties and who wants our troops OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND ELSEWHERE RIGHT F'ING NOW!!!!
Ever hear Obama or Clinton talk about the Constitution or our civil liberties? Me either.
OH MY! There was a moment there where he was completely incoherent. having a senior moment. That clip needs to run during the general election. Over and over and over.
I wonder if the ultimte GOP ticket won't be McCain/Giuliani but McCain/Lieberman? Bolt'in Joe could one-up Zell Miller!
Nah, Joe won't leave the Senate (too afraid the Cn Governor would appoint Lamont). Furthermore, some Cons are concerned about the McCain-Lieberman lovefest, for this reason: if McCain gets elected, Lieberman would continue to be a steaddfast McCain supporter in the Senate in those areas (Iraq, war, terorism) where they have common cause; however, Lieberman has also been a very
consistent supporter of mainstream Dem domestic issues over the years (i.e., liberal). Hence the fear that Lieberman/McCain would be in a quid-pro-quo position, and McCain would not veto the kinds of domestic legislation Lieberman favors. Such is the Con worry....and they might be onto something there.
over at The Agonist, in a comment to a post on Mccain vs Romney On Iraq, Don, a fellow Agonista, was on quite a roll with a Mccain satire,
http://agonist.org/20080130/mccain_vs_romney_on_iraq#comment-144497
Here’s the way I see the whole McCain thing.
He’s a freekin schizophrenic.
Funny, charming, humble and gentle one moment.
Mean, nasty, condescending and threatening the next.
A change of personality to the degree that it worries me.
Like this guy is not right .
Could it be his Vietnam experience and his aging mind?
The next "Republican" president in the U.S. 1 party system will be Hillary Clinton. She's already receiving the lion$ share of financial backing from the defense industry. That's got to be a pretty strong indicator of the future direction of the U.S.
Huckabee/Colbert 08!
Im glad the VC in nam gave it to him good in his fart box.
Could it be his Vietnam experience and his aging mind? nah i get that way myself ! its constipation!
http://bravenewfilms.org/ take a look at this.....John McCain is Dr Strangelove...
Fuck em and feed em fish heads.....
This shit burns my eye's and my ear's....
If this man can successfully defend Bush's economic record, he deserves to be Prez. Note to Arnold: Please keep this nutty old fool away from your steroid stock, for the Country's sake.
Umm, I don't know if this is going to win any elections...
McCain says when you get cut taxes you get more revenue for the government. In the meantime, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
McCain is a couple of cans short of a sixpack. This guy is dangerous. I really feel sorry for his experience as a prisoner of war. No one should have to endure that and I give him credit. But it's obvious that he is mentally disturbed. 100 years in Iraq? If you thought that Bush and Cheney were warhawks, this guy is 100 times worse.
He is unfit to be President. We need someone with some sanity left to take that position.
It doesn't matter what McCain says, Mitt's bush's boy and McCain is a wannabee for whatever reason. The picture of bush with the 'President' of the mormon church (before he kicked the bucket) some time ago is out there on the 'internets'.
All of those hardships that are rising on the middle class, represent another tax cut for the multi-multi-multi-millionaire/billionaire 2% crowd that the GOP represents.
Of course they don't see a problem with that, because who deserves a massive increase in income more than the uber wealthy?
Republican economics 101. Find someone less fortunate than you are, and steal what little they have. You deserve it, and so do they!
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