Is anyone going to take note at some point that the thing on John McCain's website under the heading "Economic Stimulus Plan" is not an economic stimulus plan? It's a tax reform plan. The merits of the plan aside, it would have no short-term impact whatsoever. Basically, McCain doesn't believe there should be a stimulus package. That's something many economists believe and obviously he's free to adopt that view. But he shouldn't be allowed to get with just doing a labeling trick and some mumbo-jumbo to pretend he favors a stimulus package when, in fact, he doesn't. Certainly you'd think a man with that kind of approach would lose his reputation as a straight-talker.
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Stimulating
25 Feb 2008 02:13 pm
Comments (4)
McCain's "straight" talk isn't necessarily "truthful" or "accurate," or even "heterosexual."
It means he blurts out whatever thought pops into his head; the words go straight from brain to mouth without any of the usual discretion or filtering that goes on.
Matt, now you're just being ridiculous. Extreme focus on the short term of stimulus plans is stupid. Most economists agree on that. McCain has to label his plan a stimulus plan because of popular demand. All politicians label their policies so as to make them more popular. When Clinton/Obama push their energy plan, I do not expect them to label it the 'make gas prices rise' act.
I also notice that you do not seem to take on, or even care to defend, the far more harmfully mislabeled 'Economic Patriot Act' that your candidate, Obama, is pushing.
And you're becoming just as bad, and one-note, on McCain as Andrew Sullivan is with Clinton.
Will anyone notice anything on McCain's website?
As Atrios would say "No, this has been another edition of simple answers..."
I know that Holz-Eakin is adamantly opposed to stimulus so he probably has too shield his eyes from the web page.
(shameless plug: we actually looked at McCain's health care "plan" at Economists for Obama
Comments closed March 10, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
He'll never lose his reputation. The Versailles press corps has invested way too much in it for way too many years. Where's the coverage of his lies about Paxson? Why isn't CNN or Joe Klein or Andrew Sullivan pursuing the lobbying story, and McCain's deliberate deceptions, as much as, say, any hiccup from Hillary Clinton?
Cue the crickets.
P.S. Matt, you've done excellent work recently on McCain, but I'd really like to see you throw a few punches at those that champion him. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (and Josh Marshall).
Posted by BryklynLibrul | February 25, 2008 5:27 PM