GOV GAP

THIS FEED IS NO LONGER ACTIVE

govgap — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:43:52 +0000

Please Re-Subscribe to:

http://www.govgap.com/feed

We’ve migrated GOVGAP to a new hosting platform. Our old wordpress address is no longer active – but you can find all of the new articles and stories at:

GOVGAP.COM

John Lies About His Own Party

govgap — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:50:00 +0000

From the NYTimes:

Senator John McCain, the Republican, claimed Friday that “the administration did nothing” to rein in the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, even though the White House did push some reforms on Capitol Hill.

If at First You Don’t Succeed,Try and Fail Again.

govgap — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:14:43 +0000

Bush addresses the Nation: 5 days too late.

George ‘Curious’ Bush:

Finally, when we get past the immediate challenges, my administration looks forward to working with Congress on measures to bring greater long-term transparency and reliability to the financial system.

Where have we heard this before?

In this difficult time, I know many Americans listening may be wondering about the security of your finances. Through the F.D.I.C., every savings account, checking account and certificate of deposit is insured by the federal government for up to $100,000. The F.D.I.C. has been in existence for 75 years, and no one has ever lost a penny on an insured deposit. And this will not change.

George leaves out one important fact here: FDIC Security is $100,000 per person, PER BANK, not account.

Fear-Mongering: McCain Uses Anti-Nazi Ads as Template for Anti-Liberal Ads

govgap — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:26:02 +0000

Scary Shadows, Lurking Figures… Look Familiar? Sound Familiar?

John McCain is taking Anti-Nazi Propaganda and retrofitting it for his Anti-Liberal Campaign:

John McCain’s Ad Campaign:

See the Full John McCain Ad Here:
The Latest McCain Fear-Mongering Ad

WWII Anti-Nazi Propaganda Campaign:

What Level of Desperation will the McCain ‘Dignity Filled’ Campaign Stoop to Next? Hopefully this won’t give them any ideas:

“I’m John McCain and I approve these messages:”

“John Loves Women: We Can’t Win Without Them”

“John’s Economic Solution:”

“Don’t Ever Forget It… Especially in the Voting Booth”

“Probably too Eco-Friendly to Actually Be Used:”

Meghan McCain: ‘No one knows what war is like other than my family. Period.’

John McCain Tries to Blame… Well, his own Party for Economic Disaster

govgap — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:52:37 +0000

McCain’s Bone-headed ‘Fire somebody’ Solution

A typical Republican response to a complex issue; fire a fall guy.

Nevermind that the President does not have the power to ‘fire the head of the SEC’

McCain Says he wants to reform ‘Alphabet Soup’ Government But now he’s Proposing to Create a New Department Called the M.F.I.

From the NYTimes:

Mr. McCain also called for the creation of a new entity to try to keep institutions solvent and that would sell off the troubled assets of ailing financial firms. “I am calling for the creation of the mortgage and financial institutions trust – the M.F.I.,’’ he said. “The priorities of this trust will be to work with the private sector and regulators to identify institutions that are weak and take remedies to strengthen them before they become insolvent. For troubled institutions this will provide an orderly process through which to identify bad loans and eventually sell them.”

Contrast this With Obama’s Solutions:

Republican Ron Paul Speaks Out Against McCain

govgap — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:37:33 +0000

“I can’t endorse somebody who disagrees with me on all the major issues…

… on foreign policy especially. I could never support somebody who thinks it’s funny to say, ‘Bomb bomb [bomb, bomb bomb] Iran.’”

Sarah Palin on Sean Hannity Pts 1, 2 & 3

govgap — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:52:50 +0000

John McCain Still Wants to Privatize Social Security

govgap — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:07:13 +0000

And here’s why it’s not such a good idea:

McCain Voted for Bush’s 2006 Social Security Privatization Plan. In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security Reserve Fund. The proposal would shift Social Security’s annual surpluses into a reserve account that would be converted into risky private accounts. [SCR 83, Vote #68, 3/16/06; SCR 83, Vote #68, 3/16/06]

In 2000 McCain Wanted to Divert Social Security Money to Private Accounts. The Wall Street Journal reported that “[a] centerpiece of a McCain presidential bid in 2000 was a plan to divert a portion of Social Security payroll taxes to fund private accounts, much as President Bush proposed unsuccessfully.” The plan would put workers’ retirement money into the risky market and reduce the amount of Social Security payments they would receive from the government. The plan would undermine the Social Security system. [Wall Street Journal, 3/3/08]

McCain STILL Proposes Privatizing Social Security—Despite What His Website Says. McCain told the Wall Street Journal he still backs a system of private retirement accounts that he supported in 2000 and President Bush pushed unsuccessfully. The Journal reported he “disowned” details of a proposal on his 2008 campaign website that says he would “supplement” the existing Social Security system with personally managed accounts. But when asked about the position change he denied it and promised to change the website to reflect his true position. “I’m totally in favor of personal savings accounts… As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it—along the lines that President Bush proposed,” McCain told the Journal.[Wall Street Journal, 3/3/08; Campaign Website, accessed 3/3/08]

From AFLCIO.

MSNBC Finally Fact Checks Sarah Palin

govgap — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:42:43 +0000

It’s about time.

This comes a mere 24 Hours after CNN Issues similar condemnation:

The Latest McCain Fear-Mongering Ad

govgap — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:27:39 +0000

With Looming Shadows, Babies… and, yes, Taxes!

FactCheck.Org Tears Ad Apart

* It falsely claims he would tax home heating oil. Actually, Obama proposed a rebate of up to $1,000 per family to defray increased heating oil costs, funded by what he calls a windfall profits tax on oil companies.

* The ad claims that Obama will tax “life savings.” In fact, he would increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000. For the rest, taxes on investments would remain unchanged.

The McCain campaign argues in its documentation for this ad that, whatever Obama says he would do, he will eventually be forced to break his promise and raise taxes more broadly to pay for his promised spending programs. That’s an opinion they are certainly entitled to express, and to argue for. But their ad doesn’t do that. Instead, it simply presents the McCain camp’s opinion as a fact, and it fails to alert viewers that its claims are based on what the campaign thinks might happen in the future.