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The basics of 'fundamentals'

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor September 29, 2008 07:39 PM


Barack Obama has been raking John McCain for two weeks now for saying on the day the Wall Street crisis ballooned that the fundamentals of the economy were strong.

Now, Republicans are jumping all over Obama for saying what they argue was something very similar.

“After this immediate problem, we’ve got the long-term fundamentals that will really make sure this economy grows," Obama said today in Colorado.

That was just after he repeated his criticism of his Republican rival: "You see, Senator McCain just doesn’t get it -- he doesn’t get that this crisis on Wall Street hit Main Street a long time ago. That’s why his first response to the greatest fiscal meltdown in generations was to say that the ‘fundamentals of the economy are strong,’ and why he didn’t say the words 'middle class' once in an entire 90-minute debate.”

McCain tried to clarify that he was talking about the fundamental strength provided by American workers, but by then it was too late.

UPDATE: Obama's campaign asserted that the Republican National Committee was taking the comment completely out of context because Obama was not talking about the economy, but about his economic plan.

"We don’t just need a plan for bankers and investors, we need a plan for autoworkers and teachers and small business owners," Obama said. "I have said it before and I’ll say it again: we need to pass, after this immediate crisis is over, an economic stimulus plan. Right now. For working families – a plan that will help folks cope with rising food and gas prices, that can save one million jobs by rebuilding our schools and our roads, and help states and cities avoid budget cuts and tax increases. A plan that would extend expiring unemployment benefits. For those Americans who have lost their jobs and have been working hard to find a new one, but haven’t found one yet. That’s part of the change we need.

"And then after this immediate problem, we’ve got the long-term fundamentals that will really make sure this economy grows. Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses that deserve it. As president I am going to eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-ups. That’s how we’ll grow our economy and create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow."

A similar circumstance unspooled Friday, with Obama's campaign sending out a YouTube snippet that suggested that Republican congressman had said McCain killed a Wall Street bailout deal and McCain's camp distributing the full context.

.

Except that American workers are losing their jobs!

Posted by GO71 September 29, 08 06:58 PM
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Yes, and MCSAME is blaming Obama and The Dems for todays crash...when it was his parties president, and his partners in the House that didnt back the bill. Does he really think we are stupid? How Naive can he be?

Posted by latinovoter September 29, 08 07:08 PM
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Still think the fundamentals of the economy are strong? McCain is an erratic dishonorable moron.

VETS AGAINST MCCAIN!

BLUE STAR FAMILIES FOR OBAMA!

Posted by sue m veteran for obama! September 29, 08 07:09 PM
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Still think the fundamentals of the economy are strong? McCain is an erratic dishonorable moron.

VETS AGAINST MCCAIN!

BLUE STAR FAMILIES FOR OBAMA!

Posted by sue m veteran for obama! September 29, 08 07:09 PM
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I'm still voting for OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Posted by Vanessa September 29, 08 07:14 PM
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Obama's need to blast McCain over the statement made no sense to me.

Why would Obama be demanding Congress push through a 700 billion dollar bailout if the underlying fundamentals are not strong enough to do anything with it's infusion?

Posted by dan September 29, 08 07:16 PM
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An 8 second clip?! I wonder what the context of that statement was. Was Obama saying his plan's fundamentals will get the economy growing? Hmmm.... smells like fishy reporting to me.

Posted by Chris September 29, 08 07:20 PM
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Obama's democrats voted for the bill by majority while McCain's Republicans did not. Obama rallied his troops from behind the scenes while even McCain's parachute landing in washington did not.

So its shameful that McCain can even try to blame Obama for failure of the bill

Posted by Raymond Micheals September 30, 08 08:53 AM
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Pelosi told 16 freshmen Democrats NOT to vote for the rescue bill so their seats would be safe in the general election. Go look it up in the WSJ reports.

Pelosi practices partisan politics to the demise of our country. She and the other Democratic leaders (Frank, Obama, Reid) do NOT care about the middle class. They only care about their own political futures.

One-Third of the Banking Committee voted AGAINST the rescue bill. Frank could not even deliver his own committee!!! What kind of LEADER is that???

Posted by Retired in Cambridge September 30, 08 09:32 AM
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Obama is a HUGE hypocrite!!!

He is also a liar.

Posted by Tom September 30, 08 01:14 PM
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How much of this sounds like Obama's economic and tax plans??? You decide. Scary, isn't it?

10 Planks of the Communist Manifesto
1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all right of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.

Posted by mb September 30, 08 01:22 PM
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As the election approaches – remember the wise words of Abraham Lincoln
* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.

* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong .

* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.

* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.

* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.

* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's
initiative and independence.

* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could
and should, do for themselves.

Posted by Howard October 29, 08 03:31 PM
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