What Spending Would McCain Cut? What Confidence Would Continued GOP Rule Restore?

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 01:08:42 PM EST
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Let's suppose for a moment John McCain was actually a serious person whose policy pronouncements merited attention. Today he said:

“The difference is that he thinks taxes have been too low, and I think that spending has been too high.” . . . “This election comes down to how you want your hard-earned money spent,” Mr. McCain said. Only Republicans, he said, favor policies that can “restore confidence and create economic growth.”

(Emphasis supplied.) Those are two pretty remarkable statements. First, on spending, what would McCain cut? Even if he eliminated all earmarks, that only amounts to 18 billion dollars per year (assuming it is all bad anyway), less than we spend in two months in Iraq. So McCain is clowning on this issue. He does not believe a word of it. As for the second statement, it is nice that McCain admits he is for more of the same Republican rule we have seen for 8 years, but surely he does not think that will "restore confidence" does he?

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

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What Spending Would McCain Cut? What Confidence Would Continued GOP Rule Restore? | 8 comments (8 topical)

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Translation: only the GOP can (5.00 / 3) (#1)
by ThatOneVoter on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 01:11:47 PM EST

protect the oligarchs.

When Republicans say "spending" (5.00 / 3) (#2)
by andgarden on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 01:25:46 PM EST

what they're really thinking is that they want to cut Medicare. Of course, they can't run on that, so they prattle on about earmarks.

: Social Secority, as well as, (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by Radix on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 02:14:33 PM EST

spending on any social programs. You seem to have forgotten those areas.

He will cut... (5.00 / 3) (#3)
by kdog on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 01:37:08 PM EST

anything and everything except defense, war and occupation, drug war, and prison funding.

iow, everything except the areas that should be cut the most.

: spot on... (none / 0) (#8)
by of1000Kings on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 04:38:28 PM EST

let's not have welfare programs, let's pay the ever-increasing amount of private prisons to imprison a bunch of minorities...

food stamps (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by Jlvngstn on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 03:32:26 PM EST

would be the place he should start and since 16 of the top 20 food stamp receiving states are Red, he might want to tread lightly.

I believe federal spending is posted online, and he could simply go through that right now and tell us what he wants to shelve. I am certain the special interest groups of each area he wants to cut would force a net loss in votes no matter the area.

Tough talk is meaningless unless you put context behind it. If he were a real reformer and maverick he would be telling us right now what he intends to cut. "Waste in warshington" is one of the more meaningless statements in campaign histories and nearly every presidential candidate i can recall has promised to get rid of it, yet there it is every election.

certainly, a mccain (5.00 / 0) (#9)
by cpinva on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 06:59:32 PM EST

administration would seek to substantially reduce (preferably eliminate) spending on all social programs, and foreign aid not directed to the purchase of weapons from the US as well.

sounds like a lot of money, doesn't it? actually, all of that put together is less than what we spend in iraq/afghanistan for a few months. medicare/medicade is the single largest item (i don't include SS, because that money comes from current employees/employers and the trust fund), other than defense, everything else is negligible, by comparison.

unfortunately, with defense, medicare/medicade and interest on the national debt, there's the bulk of your budget, not much left for discretionary spending.

this could be why he isn't specific.

McCain (none / 0) (#6)
by cal1942 on Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 03:11:22 PM EST

sounds like Herbert Hoover.

' ... our financial structure is sound ... '

' ... if Democrats are elected grass will grow in the streets of every American city ...'

Laissez faire economics (now called free market) fails as it inevitably must and these guys insist that more of the same is essential.

If Obama is elected and begins significant infrastructure improvements, Republicans will whine about 'make work' projects just as they did referring to the WPA nearly 80 years ago.

The story never changes.