What Warnings?

by Steve Soto

In his retreat from his Hooverish comments yesterday that our economic fundamentals are strong, McCain is now pivoting to a self-portrayal as someone who doesn't know enough himself about the problem, but needs a commission to study the matter.

Worse yet, the new storyline is that McCain was a lone beacon warning all of us about Wall Street greed, the credit problems, the housing bubble, and the perils of unregulation two years ago.

"I warned two years ago that the situation was deteriorating and was unacceptable, and the old boy network and the corruption in Washington is directly involved," he said.

Really? Well if you scan McCain's own website for evidence of press releases or speeches on these topics where he warned us of these problems and called for solutions, you won't find them. In 2005, there are no speeches or press releases on this stuff, but McCain did find time to blast MLB for its misstated policy on steroids, to support John Bolton’s nomination to the UN, and to support Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court.

I'm sure each of those things were evidence of his good judgment.

In 2006, again there are no speeches or press releases warning us of these problems, but he did find time to ask FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to ban Iran from sanctioned international competition – including the 2006 World Cup. And he did find time to comment on steroids use by a former Arizona Diamondback.

So Senator, where exactly is this record of warning us two years ago on the perils we now face? Or is that a lie also?