McCain's Embarassing FCS Gaffe
John McCain attacked Barack Obama recently saying Obama would "slow" FCS, the future combat system which has been a procurement nightmare with corruption and overruns all around. McCain had previously spoken out about how bad that nightmare has been.
Indeed, it's been so bad that, back in July, the McCain's campaign's senior economic adviser submitted a "plan to balance the federal budget by 2013 to The Washington Post editorial board" that specifically set out what McCain would do about it as president.
Noah Shachtman at Danger Room found the relevant passage:
Balance the budget requires slowing outlay growth to 2.4 percent. The roughly $470 billion dollars (by 2013) in slower spending growth come from reduced deployments abroad ($150 billion; consistent with success in Iraq/Afghanistan that permits deployments to be cut by half -- hopefully more), slower discretionary spending in non-defense and Pentagon procurements ($160 billion; there are lots of procurements -- airborne laser, Globemaster, Future Combat System -- that should be ended and the entire Pentagon budget should be scrubbed).
Oops.
Noah continues:
McCain aides are privately furious about the contradiction, I'm hearing. But there's been no official comment, so far, about the mix-up.
I bet McCain's infamous anger is showing right now - and his campaign staff are on the receiving end.
Crossposted from Newshoggers
Aaaaahahahahahahaaaaaa!
That's a great catch. Too bad .99999% of the electorate care more about the fact that Sarah Palin went moose hunting a few times.
I'm thinking more fodder for the 527s...
Doddering fool.....
How is it that Obama is losing to this guy?
I think I'm wrong... not the first time, of course.
Instead of the Republicans substituting someone else more tolerable than Palin, they might substitute someone more disastrous than Mc Cain just before the election. These folks are not nice.
Three Scottish friends are standing around their recently departed friend's grave. The first one takes a ten pound note and puts it on the grave, the second friend takes a twenty out of his pocket, puts it down on the grave and takes the ten. The third friend takes the twenty and writes a check for thirty pounds.
The money being spent in Iraq/Afghanistan if off budget. So if you reduce that, it will do absolutely nothing towards the budget deficit.
So its bad for OBAMA to be against FCS but not for McCain to be?
Good, get the money and ads out to every media outlet and let the country know that Sen. McCain is a little out of touch!
Obama deserves to be harshly criticized for ever agreeing with that crazy old fart McCain.
People are incapable of understanding this topic . All that is on T.V. right now is "Lipstick on a pig" and the bullshit hyperventilating outrage of the right .
Eight years of Bush has actually made the public stupider .
WHERE...THE...HELL are the Obama attack ads on McCain. Are the Dems just going to bend over and grin once again.
I'm REALLY getting sick of this weak Obama campaign.
Are they even listening?
Who is in charge over there?
if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?
if mccain Fs up in a speech, will the press even notice.
it seemes the answer to the second question is no. why, because the press is too busy following the repubic script or being played by the mccain campaign.
example: today big news story of obama uning an age old phrase with the word lipstick in it.
except this is about an vital policy issue and therefore completely meaningless & of no importance to the election of a president.
count on this never being mentioned but for amongst ourselves.
I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation - like the FCS contractors have made recent and heavy contributions to the McCampain.
Cernig, that has to be the creepiest picture of McCain yet.
(shudder)
Embarrassing gaff. That phrase means nothing to McPOW anymore. He is in "say anything, do anything" mode. If Rove tells him to hump a warthog with his limp gristle, he will oblige without comment. And that zealot/harlot the same. There is no crime or outrage they wouldn't do to win.
Seems like the wheels of the old "straight to hell express" are coming off.
What difference does it make? He can contradict himself all he wants, the corporate media won't mention it and the voters won't care.
That picture just screams,
"Gohhhlyyy, Sgt Carter!!!"
Interesting reading here:
http://www.pollingreport.com/wh08.htm
Here's McBain's economic policy.
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/promos/job_program.jpg
OK...one more...
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/promos/who2hate.jpg
gaffe here gaffe NOW
Whether they are clueless or not - It does not matter. The only thing that does is the 1st impression on the sheeple by FOX, or the other corporatist media outlets that they watch/read. They do not watch/read us - They are the majority of American voters. That is why McCain is "neck-and-neck," when he shouldn't be within 20 points.
Don't you get it yet?!? All successful political conspiracies are called.. “The Government of...” As Rove & FOX, et al have proven over and over again, and are still proving.
“We’re Going To Lose This Frickin’ Thing” ...is a way-too-late wake-up call.
Am I angry? Oh yeah.
You may find this rant entertaining,
Yes - I’m Angry (take note when it was written.)
That's the problem with becoming Charlie McCarthy to your campaign managers: if you don't watch what they're putting out of your mouth, you end up looking like, well, a dummy!
McCain to staff: "You !@#@$ idiots have to my stories straight; I don't have a clue how to do it myself! Hell, I can't event even remember how many homes I've got."
Calum @ 6:
Hmmm borderline ethnic slurp on the Scots wouldn't you say? Of course the three Scottish wannabees are McCain, McSame,
and McBush, and the dearly departed is McAmericasReputation.
Well, for Pete's sake I hope someone has a video camera when he does blow up.
omg, the photo is priceless.
Now, I'll go back up and read the article...
Eh, this won't matter much. It's just a small gaffe, and voters aren't going to be interested in learning about the FCS anyway. Hell, they'll just write it off as his saying "slowing" when he meant "increasing." Just a slip of the tongue.
What Obama needs to do is get back to what he's good at. Delivering inspiring orations. It's what's gotten him this far.
Get out there are decry politics as usual. Scream, "Stop the lies!" from the rooftops, and inspire people to join with him to change things. That's what's gotten people to follow him. Rightly or wrongly, it inspires people to think, "Yes, we can!" If Obama would get up and talk about how the Republicans are nothing but liars, and then implore us to join him to stop the lies, he'd reinvigorate the increasingly weary populace who pushed him this far.
MrBigDog2U @ 4:
He's not. Unless you actually think national polls are accurate. Mike Dukakis was 17 points AHEAD of Bush at this time.
Regardless of what the mainstream media says, no votes have been cast, there is no official tally, and there is no "race". The only poll that matters is on election day.
Beelzebud @ 29:
National polls are meaningless. We do not have national elections in this country. We never have.
No matter how you break down the electoral college math with the state-by-state polls we have, Obama is winning. Frighteningly, when McBrain's Failin' come out swinging, Obama isn't winning by much, but he's not losing.
This election is ours to lose. If folks want to help win it, find the nearest battleground state, and join up with the local campaign efforts.
Live near Nevada? Colorado? Virginia? Or the like? Go there. This ain't over by any means.
MrBigDog2U @ 4:
Go out in your local supermarket parking lot and engage a couple of dozen people in political discussion. You'll never ask this question again (even rhetorically).
moondancer @ 16:
Of course--they're old news by now. Since he wasn't called out on any them seriously by the MSM when they occurred, it's no big deal anymore. Thanks to the MSM: Mission accomplished.
And as the guest host on Randi Rhodes yesterday (I can't recall her name, sorry) pointed out, the failure of Pelosi, etc to go after CheneyShrubCo, Gonzales, Rove, etc has left them free to ooze among us.
Ignoring ignorance and evil reduces neither.
Is there a site somewhere with stupid pictures of McCain? I feel like there's hundreds of them lol.
Agree with Karen @ 28. Average voters do not read sites like this, and mini-gaffes like this don't get wide coverage.
Let's face it -- there's something wrong with our approach. If gaffes or mattered -- if policy mattered... or if pedigree mattered or if anything substantive mattered -- this election would not be close. But guess what? It is.
It always is. No matter how stupid the republicans are (and usually proud of it) they still win. 28 years out of the last 40. And they'll probably win again. And my guess is because the Republicans have a strategy: Smear. Bully. Repeat talking points (however stupid) ad nausueum and in lockstep. It's a shameless strategy, but it is consistent. Can anyone name a Democrat strategy, consistent over 40 years? I can't. And if you can, then please name it so we can avoid it in the future.
Beelzebud @ 29:
it's NOT the only reason but this big risk big reward
palin strategy is part of it. there are (R) that weren't
excited with mccain because of his so called checkered
past. he has now given the evangelicals and other
demographics something. like rick davis said himself
election not based on issues.
what's somewhat sad is palin isn't ready for this position and the mccain campaign knows it but half the country doesn't. this is a continuation of the 'culture' that i'm sick of. obama has good ammunition regarding the economy and oil prices are declining for now with
no new of shore drilling. attack with the link of bush to mccain and the state of the economy. i would attack palin hard on not being ready...a potential national
security threat and her connection to the symbol of PORK..'bridge to NoWhere'.
That is the danger of being TOO politically expedient. Tripping over your own pandering.
as john kerry said, mccain should finish the debate with himself before he debates obama.
I heard that in order to curry favor with the right wing element of his party, McCain would like to have the Globemaster project name changed to Assmaster.
masha @ 37:
i love that one
MrBigDog2U @ 4:
The better question is "How is is that the polls suddenly changed to show that Obama is losing to McCain? Followed by is he really?
You knew that the Republicans would get a bounce from their convention and the really important question is how much will it fall because bounces always come down after the usual ten day period after the convention wears off. We still are not far enough out to see yet what is permanent.
In the mean time some rather challenging information has come out about those polls to call their methods into question and whether we are being played by the media.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/poll-madness-mccain-takes_n_125...
Further… its not just an increase, but where the increases occur and what it does to the electoral college map…
Gallup just released its regional breakdown for its polls and what it shows is…
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/10/10169/7586/567/593363
No doubt it is going to be a tight race, but it is not as bad as some would suggest and there is some good news when you look at the actual numbers!
oh really @ 31:
But first...kiss your brain cells goodbye.
Literally ever statement coming out of the McCain campaign is a lie or contradiction.
Amazing!
Since it takes thought, effort and research to figure out that McCain is talking out of both sides, it won't happen. It's much easier to construct a narrative, shoehorn facts to fit in, and discard or ignore those that don't fit. Kind of like how they approach science.
Is McCain feeling a surge in his drawers in that pic?
why are we back on issues?
every post about mccain should be about his whore mongering ways when he was still married and how he doesnt want children to be taught how to protect themselves from child molestors
because we all know, most whores were molested as children, and the repugs need a steady stream of whores to keep them satisfied
Here is Gallups regional breakdown raw numbers and what they tells us is actually going on:
Sept 1-7 polls
Region...Obama.....McCain
East........51%.........40%......McCain gains 3% in East, region still shows Obama with solid lead
Midwest...48%.........42%......Obama still holds lead in Midwest
South......39%.........54%......Obama loses ground in south but doesn't need them to win
West.......50%.........43%......Obama gaining ground in crucial western swing states over all 3 polls
Aug 25-31 polls
Region...Obama.....McCain
East........54%.........37%
Midwest...50%.........40%
South......44%.........48%
West.......49%.........42%
Aug 18-24 polls
Region...Obama.....McCain
East........52%.........37%
Midwest...44%.........45%
South......39%.........51%
West.......48%.........43%
Candidate Support by Region...Source Gallup Poll
http://www.gallup.com/poll/108037/Candidate-Support-Region.aspx
Here is the electoral map at Real Clear Politics... check the state by state polling data and you'll see just what this data means.
If you right click on the state you can see how the state is trending and work out various scenarios and it still looks very good for Obama especially with his increases in those western states of New Mexico and Colorado.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/
oh really @ 31:
And if you pose that questions in a Sam's parking lot you may end up in a hospital. These people are vehement.
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 45:
Did you know that the state of Alaska has the highest per capita rate of incest and rape?
"I bet McCain’s infamous anger is showing right now - and his campaign staff are on the receiving end."
I'll take that bet! (How much? One month's salary? The farm?)
McCain and his staff know damned well that he gets a FREE PASS on all Defense and National Security issues. Even if he can't remember where Pakistan is, or the difference between al Qaida and Hammas, or if he blasts Obama for having the SAME POSITION as HE does on a defense system. It doesn't matter. He can make gaffes 'til the cows come home, and the press will still claim he's stronger on defense and national security than Obama.
Besides, aren't we supposed to be talking about Sarah Palin's lipstick today, instead of this trivial s#!t?
Will the FCS crash our airplanes or will we still need shitty pilots like John McCain to do it?
Georgia Democrat @ 47:
Yup! In your state of Georgia where the average of the polls show that McCain has a +6.3% advantage your right... but Obama doesn't need the southern states to win... the battle will be won in those western states and the midwest... where Obama's lead in the west continues to grow and his lead in the midwest is steady.
Georgia Democrat @ 48:
And is a virtual "welfare state" dependent on Federal aid...
Beelzebud @ 29:
First, polling is grounded in probaitlity theory and requires strict attention to sampling procedures to ensure that the sample reflects within a narrow band of confidence (95%) the attributes/characteristics of the population from which the sample was drawn. There is little reason to think that the polling interests whatever their funding will adhere to these protocols and procedures as the polls are carried out by profit-driven companies (e.g., Harris). To ensure the validity and reliability of these polls would call for a disinterest, unbiased, arms-length agency whose results could be scrutinized by knowledgeable statisticians. One would think that the universities have a role to play. My hunch is the a lot of "massaging of the data" is going on as the there is no way to scrutinize the polling agencies procedures and analysis. Chalk another one up to the special interests' attacked on the provision of facts to the electorate. That is pure corporatism and the enemy of the citizen in a democracy. However, it makes great fodder for a nation infatuated with quantification and of measurement (e.g., Dow Jones, NFL, NBA, Idol).
Second, the electoral votes are what determines who will occupy the White House following a federal election and the popular votes, valid and reliable or not, doesn't count a whit as strategists in both parties know full well. The hoopla and attention given these ephemeral and useless polls points more to the ingorance, wilful or not, and disingenuousness of the media and their corporate masters. They are a distraction to keep the teeming unwashed from reality. It seems to work quite well.
Georgia Democrat @ 48:
Red states typically lead in abortions, out of wedlock pregnancies, poor education scores, divorce levels.
Rasputin @ 46:
How do we know that these Gallup polls were carried out by qualified pollsters and statisticians whose sampling procedures are fully and accurately described and made available to external scrutiny by those who hold no ties to any corporatist agency (e.g., tenured academics)? Unless this type of disinterested analysis takes place, the possibility of biased results that have the patina of "truth" can always rear its ugly head and either confuse or intentionally deceive the electorate.
Neo-classical secular humanist @ 55:
Wow neo...that was some really finely honed, well delivered BS.
CAN WE GET SOME HARD FACTS ABOUT WHAT THE NATIONAL AND ELECTORAL POLLS SAID RIGHT BEFORE THE 2004 ELECTION WAS HELD, AND HOW ACCURATE THEY WERE? AND PERHAPS SOME 2006 DATA?
Big surprise. Another gaffe from McCain which will go unreported in the MSM. Does anyone else think that McCain played absolutely no part in drafting "his plan?"
Georgia Democrat @ 48:
The caribou are jealous...
Rasputin @ 46:
Thanks for the links.
Liberal AND Proud @ 56:
Well, how about heading down to your local community college and enrolling in a course in statistics and read the chapter in the course textbook on sampling procedures very carefully and get back to us?
Neo-classical secular humanist @ 55:
Funny that you should say that Neo... because here is methodology review by a "disinterested academic of those polls
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/poll-madness-mccain-takes_n_125...
So here you have the Media and various trolls on this site saying that McCain is winning... but there has been a big shift in the methodology and an over sampling of Republicons that doesn't reflect the real voter ID party distribution... or include newly registered voters either!
Nationwide, there are about 42 million registered Democrats and about 31 million Republicans, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.
But wait... there is more...
Even with the over-sampling of Republicons in those polls it still show Obama increasing his support in the key western swing states and holding his lead in the midwest swing states!
The increase in the polls for McCain come from the southern states and those states Obama was never expected to win nor does he need them to win.
So ya can't have it both ways... you can't yell Yah McCain is winning nationally and these polls show it and then when someone points out that they show that Obama is winning in the electoral college that those polls are invalid!
Rasputin @ 61:
NEWS REPORT: Oil officials given sex, gifts, investigators say
13 Interior Department employees handled billions in energy royalties.
___________________________________________
This was happening in the Bush Administration, will John McCain clean George's mess? NOT. He's a fox in a chicken outfit, claiming for change and being a maverick.
Georgia Democrat @ 48:
Doesn't incest also increase the amount of birth defects?
And there in lies the problem that McCain wants us to ignore, that as we have seen over the course of the campaign the McCain campaign does not speak for McCain, and sometimes McCain doesn't actually speak for the McCain campaign.
You can put lipstick on John McCain and he's still a flip flopping whore.
The "true believers" and misguided syncophants are all to anxious to forgive McCain his faux pas, and will swallow the rationalization for his flip-flop lock, stock and barrel just as they ignore the facts.
C'mon... this guy can do nothing wrong.
He's like a superhero from the Adam West school:
"Faux. Pas. P.O.W!!!" and down go the criticizing villains like sacks of potatoes.
E Pleb Neesta
GODISNOWHERE
Blessed are the cheese makers.
Comments are closed on this entry