PrintSeptember 16, 2008
Appalling lies from Obama-Biden on McCain crisis statement
John McCain has gotten into trouble with the media for his perceived dishonest ads that exaggerate Barack Obama's position on the issues. One such ad on sex education that was cited by both the Obama campaign and the media gets a closer look today by Byron York in NRO who determines that McCain wasn't as far off base as Obama says he was.
The op-ed pages of major newspapers and even friendly columnists are saying that McCain is lying in many of his attacks on Obama. Fair enough. What about Obama-Biden? Is the press going to even give the appearance of fairness and cover their lies and unfair exaggerations about McCain?
Surely you jest.
Here's McCain yesterday on the current credit crisis on Wall Street:
Statesmanlike, common sense statement trying to keep people from panicking. Words echoed by Mayor Bloomberg of New York and many analysts.
What was Obama-Biden's take on what McCain said? Here's Biden:
The op-ed pages of major newspapers and even friendly columnists are saying that McCain is lying in many of his attacks on Obama. Fair enough. What about Obama-Biden? Is the press going to even give the appearance of fairness and cover their lies and unfair exaggerations about McCain?
Surely you jest.
Here's McCain yesterday on the current credit crisis on Wall Street:
"You know that there's been tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall St. And it is-people are frightened by these events. Our economy, I think still-the fundamentals of our economy are strong. But these are very, very difficult times."
Statesmanlike, common sense statement trying to keep people from panicking. Words echoed by Mayor Bloomberg of New York and many analysts.
What was Obama-Biden's take on what McCain said? Here's Biden:
I believe that's why Senator McCain could say with a straight face, as recently as this morning, and I quote "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." That, "We've made great progress economically" during the Bush years. But friends, I could walk from here to Lansing, and I wouldn't run into a single person who thought our economy was doing well, unless I ran into John McCain.
John McCain just doesn't seem to understand what middle class people are going through today. I don't doubt that he cares. He just doesn't think that we have any responsibility to help people who are hurting.
That statement is a vicious, false lie. First, McCain did not say "as recently as this morning" that "We've made great progress economically..." That is an out and out lie since McCain said it months ago. Secondly, McCain did not say the "economy was doing well." In fact, he took great pains to say the opposite. What he said was that the underpinnings of the economy - imports, exports (McCain was wrong in saying we're the #1 exporting country - Germany is), capital markets, and the most productive work force in the history of human civilization - are still strong. There is nothing myopic about this statement. It is a fact despite Obama and Biden's attempt to lie about what McCain actually said.
Obama's lies were even worse:
Why else would he say that the economy isn't something he understands as well as he should? Why else would he say, today, of all days - just a few hours ago - that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong?Senator - what economy are you talking about?What's more fundamental than the ability to find a job that pays the bills and can raise a family? What's more fundamental than knowing that your life savings is secure, and that you can retire with dignity? What's more fundamental than knowing that you'll have a roof over your head at the end of the day? What's more fundamental than that?The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - that promise that America is the place where you can make it if you try - a promise that is the only reason that we are standing here today.
Obama is not describing the "fundamentals" of the economy and he knows it. He is, in fact, talking about the micro of all micro parts of the economy - the individual citizen's pocketbook. Obama knows damn well McCain's statement was about the macro economy. It was not only common sense to say what McCain said. It was the sign of a responsible leader that on a day when hyperbole and lies were coming from Democrats about a serious but manageable crisis on Wall Street, John McCain stood up and sought to remind people that despite the turmoil, we were not going into a depression. He didn't seek to minimize what was going on. He didn't try and sugar coat what was happening. But his common sense words sought to keep people calm and try to reassure them that there was nothing to panic about, that the Federal Reserve and the government were on the job.
He never said the economy was doing well. He never said individual Americans weren't suffering. He said that the economy was not going to collapse - something the statesman Obama did not do and instead, the messiah tried to use scare tactics by totally misrepresenting what McCain said.
So where are our self-appointed referees here? Looks like they're still in the locker room knocking back a few cold ones while chortling about how they have been savaging McCain for lying about Obama and his positions.
Perhaps if it's not too much trouble, they can make their way to the playing field and do their jobs.
They're missing a good game.
