Actually, I've lost count, but here's one more: Today the new McCain, who is now for regulation of financial markets that he used to be against, boasted that if he was president he would fire the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to prevent the current economic crisis. (Would he also fire himself for voting for deregulation that allowed such to happen?)
The problem is that the president does not have the authority to fire the SEC Chairman. It's true he makes the appointment; but once confirmed the Chair has independence and cannot be fired at the wish of the president.
It's easy to see how a small detail like that might slip the mind of a busy campaigner, and by itself I wouldn't consider it a very serious lapse. But all these little gaffes do add up; and, with serious ones like confusing Sunni and Shia(3 times, after being corrected) and not recognizing that Spain is in Europe and not Latin America, I believe we have a potential president who could make George Bush look like a master of detail and articulation. Ah . . . that may be going too far.
Let's see how he looks at the debate next week. Jim Lehrer will be respectful, but I think this has got to be addressed in some way -- at least his flip-flops on issues, his misstatements. And then Lehrer must follow-up, follow-up, follow-up when he makes these mistakes during the debate. If he has a melt-down of testiness, or a senior moment, so be it. The people need to know what they're buying.
Ralph
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
The conservative Wall Street Journal excoriated McCain in an editorial for his attack on SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. McCain had accused him of "betraying the public trust."
The WSJ says, yes, he changed a few minro rules that affected trading, but to say he betrayed the public trust "is both false and deeply unfair. It's also un-Presidential.... In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership.... Mr. McCain is sounding like a candidate searching for a political foil rather than a genuine solution."
For the Republican candidate, it's probbly not a very good idea to have the WSJ turn against you and accuse you of being unpresidential in a crisis.
Post a Comment