McCain Invented Blackberry? Adviser Says He Helped

MIAMI — Move over, Al Gore. You may lay claim to the Internet, but John McCain helped create the BlackBerry.

At least that's the contention of a top McCain policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin. Waving his BlackBerry personal digital assistant and citing McCain's work as a senator, he told reporters Tuesday, "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create."

A McCain aide later dismissed the remark as "a boneheaded joke by a staffer."

McCain has acknowledged that he doesn't know how to use a computer and can't send e-mail, one of the BlackBerry's prime functions.

Holtz-Eakin's argument is similar to one advanced by Gore, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000. Gore once boasted about "taking the initiative to create the Internet" through technological and educational policies. He later was mocked for claiming to have invented the Internet, although he never made such a claim.

Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said McCain's service on and leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee put him at the intersection of a number of economic interests, including the telecommunications industry.

The Arizona senator's handling of regulation and deregulation of that industry in particular left him with the skills to help revive the economy amid a mortgage crisis, an energy crisis and a Wall Street meltdown, the adviser said.

"He can and has the judgment to put people in place with technical expertise, with the history of experience in the areas necessary, that we're going to get reforms," Holtz-Eakin said.

Senior McCain aide Matt McDonald said that the senator "laughed" when he heard the comment about the BlackBerry.

"He would not claim to be the inventor of anything, much less the BlackBerry. This was obviously a boneheaded joke by a staffer," McDonald said.

In a statement, Democratic candidate Barack Obama's campaign spokesman Bill Burton said: "If John McCain hadn't said that 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong' on the day of one of our nation's worst financial crises, the claim that he invented the BlackBerry would have been the most preposterous thing said all week."

Comments

[hbw3]

Reed Hundt, the former head of the FCC says McCain is:

"so out of touch with America [when] his economics adviser says he deserves credit for creating the Canadian company that invented the Blackberry. Message to Republicans: it’s American entrepreneurship our President is supposed to encourage."

Hundt's former chief of staff, says that McCain actually voted against the telecommunications bills that helped create the Blackberry's communications capabliities:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/16/hundt-mccain-blackberry/

The McCain/Palin campaign: part campaign, part buffoon circus.

[Rubyfoo]

He was misquoted, McCain actually invented the DingleBerry (named after Senator John Dingle).

But seriously folks, could we really live with a President who lacks the self-control to get through an interview without going off. There's this button that has nuclear warheads at the other end.

[hapiguy]

McCain is "The" bone headed joke,,his staff is always throwing out funny's,,That group is really the original SNL

[IndependenceDame]

The GOP mocked Al Gore for years over the Internet joke, yet no one is supposed to mock McCain over the Blackberry joke? Oh, that's right. The GOP is a joke and their candidates prove it more and more every day. Remember the Whig Party? The GOP is headed down that same slippery slope.

[Bluedanube]

One difference. When the Republican Party exits the pages of history most of their leading lights will either be in federal and state prisons or in the docket at the Hague for war crimes.

[imfedup]

Maybe Repubs do have senses of humor, after all! Made me LMAO.

[bobdob]

McCain invented the Blackberry? Hell, that explains it. I was wondering what McCain was doing giving trade speeches up in Canada earlier this year.

[Independent voter]

People, get out and work for the Obama campaign.. Typing nasty little notes about McCain won't win the election.

For those who may not have noticed or who have their heads deep in the sand - WE'RE NOT WINNING

[KenGirard]

Hello Mr. Kettle!
Hello Mr Pott!
What are you doing here?
Getting info to discuss around the water cooler. And you?
The same. Gots to know what is happening in the world to be able to discuss it.

[Heavenhelpusall]

That's the funniest Burton has been throughout this campaign. Glad these staffers are keeping their sense of humor.

[Rumba]

McCain only knows Blackberry as a fruit...not sure if it is red or black though

[Durango]

Let us concentrate on his role in deregulation.

How did he help roll back those reforms instituted in the wake of the Great Depression? You know the ones: they secured prosperity for over 50 years without any major crashes.

The reforms that were recently gutted by Republicans, the worst offender Phil Graham, McCains' chief economic advisor. Their gutting has resulted in the economic catastrophe we are seeing played out in front of our eyes.

Want Change?

Get rid of that Free Market nonsense.

Figure out that regulations BENEFIT business. And the rest of us as well.

[pb28]

McCain is the inventor of a rotten lying campaign and 4 more years of Bush

[mexamerican]

he's also invented that oogie mess in his depends.

[chs1965]

Yes, my friends, in those 5 and 1/2 years that I didn't have a phone, I came up with this idea of a cellular phone that will communicacte on the internet tubes.

[sclucie]

Check the meds.

[RaraAvis17]

This is the last blackberry JMc worked on:


http://www.buffalocommons.org/docs/smenu2/images2/crank_telephone.jpg

[Vote For America]

Sept 16 Polling Update
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=57&ArticleName=Poll+Update

Cindy McCain's Fallacious Rebuttal
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=54&ArticleName=Cindy+McCain%27s+Fallacious+Rebuttal

The Red November: An analysis on campaign marketing
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=50&ArticleName=The+Red+November

Obama 264, McCain 274
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

[hphoenix]

So McC's Canadian, eh? Blackberry, invented by Research In Motion, a Canadian firm, based in Waterloo, Ontario.

[mattwin]

Actually, the intellectual capital was developed not far from one of McCain's homes that he does not know he owns.

[Rumba]

Oh God don't even suggest he may be Canadian..­..shudder.

[MsCanuck]

NO, NO and NO - we don't want him LOL