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ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE MCCAIN ECONOMIC TEAM.
A few days ago, the McCain campaign released a letter signed by 300 economists expressing support for the McCain economic agenda. Only...turns out a lot of those economists don't support the McCain agenda. Or McCain. And weren't aware the statement -- which they were asked to sign months ago, before the campaign had released McCain's economic plans -- was still going to be issued. Avi Zenilman and Alexander Burns have the whole story.
This fits into a broader problem for the McCain campaign which is that their economic policy shop is terribly inept. Their numbers don't add up. Their statements contradict each other. They can't even release a letter without falling face first into the mud. To some degree, this is Doug Holtz-Eakin not doing a very good job. But the broader problem is that the candidate doesn't know much about economics and so didn't know how to staff his economic team, and has no idea how to reform it into something that stops causing problems for his campaign.
COMMENTS (5)
McShame and team may be totall FUBAR, but any economist that signs an endorsement for someone without knowing any policy proposals should be sent to Gitmo or suffer the econometric equivalent of disbarrment of a lawyer.
But, Republicans no longer distinguish fact/truth from outright lies, so what's new Mrs. Lincoln?
Posted by: JimPortlandOR | July 9, 2008 1:13 PM
It's only a bad job if it enter the public consciousness that McCain's full of BS. I'm not totally convinced that that will happen. McCain may just continue to repeat the talking point unchallenged except in the blogs.
Posted by: Chris O. | July 9, 2008 2:28 PM
"any economist that signs an endorsement for someone without knowing any policy proposals should be sent to Gitmo or suffer the econometric equivalent of disbarrment of a lawyer."
I don't know about a trip to Gitmo or disbarment, but these economists' backpedalling sounds like the person who signs the joint tax return and later tells the IRS "I didn't know we were claiming exemptions for 9 children!"
Posted by: Anonymous | July 9, 2008 4:25 PM
so your saying economics is to McCain what Healthcare is to Ezra? And just like you on healthcare he keeps talking away no matter how foolish he looks. You two have so much in common
Posted by: Nate | July 9, 2008 8:18 PM
According to this story out of Texas, you might want to change the title of the post.
"Another Set Of Ocular Bruises For The McCain Economic Team" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but you won't offend anyone in Dallas that way.
Posted by: Off Colfax | July 10, 2008 1:55 AM