Republican Governors Association Attacks McCain (Unintentionally)

The Republican Governors Association is up with a new ad attacking North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Beverly Purdue for saying her state's economy was "fundamentally healthy." The ad calls that "a status quo statement no one can afford."

In doing so, however, the RGA appears to be unintentionally criticizing John McCain, who said virtually the same thing on Sept. 15.

Afterward, McCain attempted to explain away the out of touch sounding remark, by defining the economy's "fundamentals" as its workers and their ingenuity. Not too many observers found that explanation credible. And now the national umbrella group for Republican governors seems to have decided that the phrase, when uttered these days, can only mean the speaker doesn't "get it" on the economy.

Watch:

Is the shot at Purdue a clean one? Not really. Greenville's Daily Reflector newspaper has the full context of the quote being used in the ad, in which Purdue is talking about progress made since what the paper describes as "mass closings of textile and other manufacturers at the beginning of the decade." Of the intervening years, Purdue then said: "We've built those jobs back through education and science and technology and now we are, or we were, fundamentally healthy and on the right track."

Comments

[pjburns11]

09:17 AM on 10/08/2008

McCain is losing it.

Oh, the webs we weave...
http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/the-tragedy-of-maccain/

[velkyrie]

07:57 AM on 10/08/2008

Aw! Poor Republicans! It must be really hard when your entire governing philosophy proves to be a complete and utter failure, especially when you go to bed at night knowing that you are to blame for the last 8 years of war and decline, and then to wake up and find out that the entire world is tettering on the edge of looming economic disaster and your "theories" about financial markets and economics are the reason why. Interesting how you still beleive you are entitled to or even fit for public office. What? You want to be rewarded with another term in office? Hmm... Thanks but no thanks! Okey dokey?

[arthur2008]

08:31 PM on 10/07/2008

Republican candidates nationwide are acutely aware that John McCain and his soulmate are dragging them down. Over the next four weeks, it will be fascinating to watch them try not only to distance themselves from the Bush administration but from John McCain as well.

[velkyrie]

08:17 AM on 10/08/2008

They all share the same philosophy and the same blame for the problems they created. As for John McCain, after thecampaign he has run, he ought to e expelled from the Senate - he hs demonstrated that he is willng to do anything, say anything and stoop lower than anyone in history. He and his runningmate are deliberately whipping their supporters into a frenzy of resentment and rage based on outright lies. Now we've got the next generation of Republicns shoutng "Kill them!" and "Terrorists!" while the the world is spiraling into a financial meltdown produced by their failed and deeply flawed conservative "philosophy." Distance? They don't need to distance themselvs from Bush. They need to spend the next 20 or 30 years kept as far away any meaningful public power as possible so that they can re-think the failures of conservativism that cused our country one hell of a mess. "Distance?" Hey, Republicans - "distance" is not going to work becauses no matter where you go, there you are!

[Blah Blah Blah]

08:13 PM on 10/07/2008

Oct 7 Polling Update.
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=92&ArticleName=Poll+Update

Checkout my piece on Youth Voter Registration. For every 100 registered voters aged 18-24, the democrats accrue a 9 vote advantage.
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=85&ArticleName=Youth+Vote%3a+The+Power+of+Registration

Obama 364, McCain 174
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

Will McCain Re-suspend his Campaign?
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=80&ArticleName=Will+McCain+Re-suspend+his+Campaign%3f

[jem286]

07:56 PM on 10/07/2008

You know what the most annoying part of this ad is? They spelled "every day" as one word, but the way it was used in the sentence meant it should be 2 words.

[Cooper1608]

08:21 PM on 10/07/2008

And this annoyed you, why? There are so many more things you could be annoyed by. People losing homes, jobs,savings, retirement funds and you're annoyed by the spelling of a word. Come on now. It's not that serious.

[Liberal2]

08:31 PM on 10/07/2008

It's part of a theme of incompetence. If simple things like spelling and grammar can't be checked properly, what about big things like the economy.

[AlaskasRevenge]

07:46 PM on 10/07/2008

IT’S TIME FOR THAT OCTOBER SURPRISE!!


THE 2006 VETTING OF SARAH PALIN

********* A complete 63 page report *********

A MUST READ FOR ALL AMERICANS
over 334,900 downloads nationwide

http://mudflats.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/palin-2006-vetting.pdf

[mckones]

06:29 PM on 10/07/2008

I would love to see the HuffPo take an in depth look at the RGA and the outright lies they are spreading in every gubernatorial race this year. The RGA has spent months doing an extreme hatchet-job on Washington's incumbent Democratic governor. Their outright mischarachterization of an issue having to deal with Indian casinos in the state reaches the level of flat-out criminal slander IMO. Someone needs to expose this group for the lying frauds that they are.

[research]

06:39 PM on 10/07/2008

The message is getting across to most Americans:

GOP=Liars and failure.

Obama/Biden and no GOP for 08!

[Whiteneck]

06:23 PM on 10/07/2008

Sarah Palin-Iran tie.
The founder of Alaska Independence Party Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American and Todd-Sarah's political godfather, said, "My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."

"Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue.

That's right ... Iran. The Islamic dictatorship. The taker of American hostages. The rogue nation that McCain and Palin have excoriated Obama for suggesting we diplomatically engage. That Iran."
Palin's friend and AIP chairwoman Lynette Clark : "[Sarah] is Alaskan to the bone ... she sounds just like Joe Vogler."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/

[Jules1]

06:31 PM on 10/07/2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmt0rLtgmK0

[23000Days]

06:01 PM on 10/07/2008

This article fails to mention that she's a democrat.

[TheGeicoCaveman]

06:14 PM on 10/07/2008

“Mommy, Why did Cindy and John lie to us?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60k9IZ1LRC0

http://mudflats.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/palin-2006-vetting.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2BA_9QJRrE

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:32 PM on 10/07/2008

That's a given considering it's a Republican Pary ad.

[Keatingfive]

06:00 PM on 10/07/2008

George Bush is like a pile of steaming doo. Low and behold,,Johnny McCain can't get it off his shoe.

[23000Days]

06:00 PM on 10/07/2008

Being from NC, This unfortunately seems to hang McCain around her neck!

[jaslyn]

05:52 PM on 10/07/2008

Sucks when your own party unintentionally tells the truth.

[MPeter]

06:00 PM on 10/07/2008

Absolutely. Obama is punching them left and right, they have no clue who they are fighting!!!!! It is beautiful. Now let's see how McCain digs himself out of that!!

[LAB10]

05:48 PM on 10/07/2008

Turn the page and stop being a nation of whiners! He's the POed W for goodness sake!

[loax]

05:46 PM on 10/07/2008

This was no accident. The Republican Governors were for once, telling the truth!

[Grannysue]

05:35 PM on 10/07/2008

Shoot self in foot and reload!!

[YouDisgustMe]

06:05 PM on 10/07/2008

LOL

[GeezerusMaximus]

06:10 PM on 10/07/2008

And repeat...