McCain Claims Surrogate Meg Whitman 'Founded' eBay; Actual Founder Is Obama Supporter Pierre Omidyar

John McCain continued his string of gaffes this morning by claiming that Meg Whitman, a national co-chair for his campaign and potential pick for Treasury Secretary, had "founded" eBay with five employees.

In fact, Whitman joined eBay as CEO in 1998, three years after it was founded by Pierre Omidyar, a Barack Obama supporter.

Omidyar endorsed Obama on his blog in May:

"Barack Obama is showing a mirror to America, and despite the bad stuff we see in our reflection, we see that we are fundamentally good and strong and proud, and we can overcome our challenges by working together, across all sorts of lines, be they partisan, racial, cultural, religious, or whatever.

That's something unique about Barack Obama's America -- our America -- and that's the America I want to live in. "

Whitman has been lauded for turning the then-30 employee eBay into a multi-billion dollar auction site during her ten years as CEO. She now sits on its board. Recently eBay took drastic measures to spur growth by firing ten percent of its workforce. Days later, McCain suggested Whitman as a potential pick for Treasury Secretary.

Comments

[lola85]

In other news, at least McCain didn't claim PALIN started ebay to sell the plane in Alaska!!! THIS is at least closer to the truth!! In all seriousness though, perhaps he just misspoke..­..trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

Obama/Biden '08
Keep HOPE alive

[BabsfromKansas]

Pierre Omidyar???

Is that an amirkan name.... sounds like a terrist to me!!

[lola85]

I guess this could just be interpreted as a mistake or misspeak, which is fine, everyone has them. The truth is McCain is OLD and out of touch. McCain is so behind the times in terms of technology, etc. As Arianna posted a few days ago, he is running a 20th century campaign in the 21st century. Sadly, the running mate he has chosen is young, but NOT SMART about the world outside of "small town" Alaska. I have YET to be impressed by either of their intellect or vision for the country.

Yes, I am an Obama supporter, but that is the truth. I am CERTAIN there are Republicans out there that would have been FAR BETTER CHOICES for their party. But I guess it was McCain's "turn". This presidential race is not over but in terms of the "good of the country" neither McCain, nor Palin represent that for me. Sorry, but we must progress and MOVE FORWARD, not go backward. Obama and Biden represent moving forward for me.

Obama/Biden '08
Keep HOPE alive

[Moka11]

I feel like John McCain is just lying all the time now and thinks nobody knows better. There is just a hint of shame revealed with each passing lie now. He knows he sold his soul and can barely hide it when the camera is close. Meet the Press yesterday was so revealing. The man is a shell of what he once was. It's pathetic.

[deepfreezevideo]

No.. he's lying all the time, some people don't know any better and some do, and he doesn't give a rat's ass IF they do know better. He's counting on the low information voters not to ask questions.
After all that is WHY they are "low information" voters in the first place.

[jsinclair]

"Whitman joined eBay as CEO in 1998, three years after it was founded by Pierre Omidyar, a Barack Obama supporter.­"

Can McCain get -anything- right?

[hiriumi]

Republican's policies are good for CEOs, therefore, CEOs such as Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman support them. When you give them millions of dollars, how does the money come down to people like us? No, it doesn't. It means they give CEOs more power and control us. Redistribution of the wealth sounds good to me to let them have less power over us.

[zg1968]

Can she take care of posting Palin's clothes for sale?

[Greg285]

This guy is making a complete fool of himself! You can bet the media will pounce on this gaffe for sure....

[mervr1]

Just another of a long line of lies. Does this man have Alzheimers or Turrets. He just says anything.

[kelvinstinks]

The McCain campaign has no idea what research is, they just make things up as they go along. I can't belive people actually believe the stuff spewing from his and Palin's mouth. Thank god this train wreck will be put to rest soon.

[LiberTLover]

That is why the Repubs decided to run him and gave him his 'stunning comeback'. They knew they would have to lie big time against Obama and figured that if it came from a POW people would give it more credence.

[javagirl322]

I wonder if Ms. Whitman will tell Mccain she is not the founder...­. or will she let the lie stand?

[Speakchic]

I wish he would just go away already. I'm not even amused anymore by the gaffes and lies, I'm just annoyed.

[justamazed]

What about your gaffe monkey Joe Biden?

[OnceYouGoBarack]

When I first heard this claim by McCain, I knew it was false. I've worked in computer software for well over a decade and knew the history of eBay. Somebody in the media needs to call McCain on this lie.

[aokaz]

A bit of history: both Obama and Omidyar graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu (as did Steve Case). ao

[ThoughtAboutIt]

Omidyar's Wikipedia entry says he graduated St. Andrews Episcopal School in Bethesda, MD. Dunno which is correct.

[rockyersocksoff]

Well, McCain probably thinks he got into the Naval Academy on his own merits, Dubya got into Yale because of his stellar prep-school grades, and Rush Limbaugh broke into radio as a teenager because of his fabulous personality.

Answer to all three:

Daddy

Daddy

Daddy

So, for people who were born on second base and THINK they hit a double, the real origins of their opportunity doesn't really matter.

Just taking ALL the credit, as usual.

[nowalnuts]

Oh my, I thought one Meg Whitman mistake would have been enough!