McCain's Reveals Instability in Crisis
I think it's fair to say that I've been as strong an advocate of tougher "class war" attacks by Obama as anyone, but I actually thought Obama's two minute, sober demand for fixing the rot of the regulatory system and helping working families was exactly right at this crisis point. There was plenty of time to hit at the complete greed of the corporate execs before the immediate crisis -- which I wish Obama had done a bit more of -- and there will be time during the cleanup aftermath where we should sharpen the class warfare language. But right now, we needed a steady voice in a crisis.
Which McCain sure as hell didn't deliver; forget the chutzpah of deregulator Phil Gramm's front man pretending to think Wall Street sin was the problem and the ridiculousness of his faux Huey Long impersonation. Actually calling to fire the head of the S.E.C. in the middle of this crisis is a mark of complete insanity and shows that he really would sacrifice the nation for political points on any issue. Chris Cox probably should be fired, as should most Bush appointees, but not this week. Of course, it's illegal for the President to fire the S.E.C. chairman-- and that provision is there precisely to prevent this kind of political gamesmanship -- but I'm sure McCain doesn't care since helping people through a crisis with real solutions is not his goal. Winning an election is precisely all he cares about. Just an amazing perfidious performance.
The first words that came to my mind when I saw that commercial were "fireside chat". It was perfect in tone and substance, given the context. The extended, direct format is unique, and helps him get around the soundbite-obsessed media reportage to speak directly to the American people. That's what he is best at. Hopefully the donations will coming in so he can keep running these longer form ads.
September 18, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh Nathan, you don't get it. Of course McCain knows that the president can't fire the chair of the SEC. What he meant was that he'd have Sarah Palin get Chris Cox's brother fired from whatever job he was doing. Palin would then use her powers as vice president to harass so many members of the Cox family that Cox would step down voluntarily.
September 18, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
ha.
September 19, 2008 12:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
The $64,000 Question:
Where is Joe Lieberman?
September 18, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
mccain's puppetmasters told him he had to trade joe in for palin. he does what he's told. so does joe. they know who their bosses are.
September 19, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure, but his friend Waldo is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4ztJ32iPI
September 19, 2008 3:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Socialism for Wall Street when capitalism takes a dive....
Both McCain and Obama have friends and fund raisers straight out of Wall Street, so nothing new in that department.....
This is one of those rare occasions I actually believe in the Conservative Republicans. They're screaming at the Bush Administration, demanding that they stop the socialized bailout of the banking and investment companies. Even Gov Palin expressed 'understanding' but still dismayed by the recent Federal take-overs.
September 18, 2008 8:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perfect time for an ad:
Show an elderly couple, who can describe the horrors of the Great depression.
How it affected for years to come, the pain, brought about from another poor choice of a Republican Administration.
Have them tell this new generation, how it took FDR to get us out of our dread, and why Americans denied the Robber Baron, Republican Party, to gain control for 40 years.
Only to be brought back to power, by a yuppie, Get rich quick, generation, and now you’ll understand why WE kept the Republicans out of power.
Protect America from enemies within. Remove them from office.
September 18, 2008 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain and his campaign staff of '80 plus' card carrying Wall Street lobbyists link is pulling the old trick of hustling out the back door, sneaking around to the front door, and then hollering 'Throw the bums out!'
September 18, 2008 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's an enormous crisis requiring an enormous solution.Save the world wide economy by preventing the coming wave of US sub prime defaults .
As I posted here earlier , let the US take ownership of about-to-default houses, assuming the responsibility for some-reduced- stream of payments, partly from the Treasury, partly from those subprime owners who would remain but as renters rather than owners.
As a by product of the removal of the housing overhang home construction can resume. This time with appropriate financing arrangements.
In short , by preventing a wave of foreclosures simultaneously rescue the banking sector and the construction industry.
September 19, 2008 3:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
The construction industry can be put to work on public infrastructure projects - no more speculative developments or McMansions, there's enough inventory to last well into the 20-teens.
We can fund them by upping the marginal tax rate to WWII levels for everybody who made bad decisions in this mess, and on any industry making record quarterly profits.
Country first, yo.
September 19, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink