Thu, 01 May 2008 11:51:00
McPander at it again
Republican John McCain said Wednesday that the bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed 13 people last year would not have happened if Congress had not wasted so much money on pork-barrel spending.
Federal investigators cite undersize steel plates as the “critical factor” in the collapse of the bridge. Heavy loads of construction materials on the bridge also contributed to the disaster that injured 145 people on Aug. 1, according to preliminary findings by the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The bridge in Minneapolis didn’t collapse because there wasn’t enough money,” McCain told reporters while campaigning in Pennsylvania. “The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects.”
Sounds like a reasonable complaint regarding the government. It certainly resonates as potentially true, and I am sure it got a rousing bit of applause, or at least a bunch of reporters thinking what a maverick he is for saying it.
Only problem is, we know that it simply isn’t true. It was a design flaw and the money didn’t even enter the equation.
Sixteen fractured gusset plates in the center span on Interstate 35W were a main cause of the deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis last August, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Tuesday. The plates, which connected steel beams in the truss bridge, were roughly half the thickness they should have been because of a design error. How that flaw made it into the bridge is unclear; according to NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker, investigators couldn’t find the original design calculations. Extra weight from construction was also a factor in the tragedy
There can be no doubt that we spend too much on pork projects. BUT...at the same time Senator McMaverick is claiming that the government let the bridge fall, he (and the Wicked Witch of Yale) wants to bankrupt the very fund designed to maintain and build infrastructure in this country.
How’s that for talking out of both sides of his mouth? White man speak with forked tongue. I know Goose died and everything, but there’s no need to take it out on the rest of us, Maverick.
My presidential vote here in Connecticut is utterly worthless. CT will go blue and that’s the end of it. That fact may save my sanity this fall, as I will not make one whit of difference to anyone if I refuse to pull the lever (we still have old school levers) for McCain, and I gotta tell you...I just might refuse. I’m so sick and tired of him and his pandering. The three of them are utterly nauseating and totally uninspiring as people and politicians.
I’ll never forgive you, Fred Thompson. You raised my hopes and then you came to dash them.
Hat tip; Insty
Posted by JimK at 11:51 AM on May 01, 2008
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Categories: News, Politics, The Federal Government
Tags:
Politics,
McCain,
Election 2008
Technorati: Election 2008
Politics
McCain
Comments:
#2 Posted by Buzzion 
on 05/01 at 03:22 PM -
My presidential vote here in Connecticut is utterly worthless. CT will go blue and that’s the end of it.
Are you absolutely certain of this, I mean in the figurative sense. Because what if Lieberman fully endorses McCain for Prez? Do you not see there being a possibility of it going for McCain. It may be a very slim chance, and lets face it, even if they vote McCain it would still be blue, because you’re more of a Republican than he tries to be.
#3 Posted by morganafq on 05/01 at 04:18 PM -
Buzzion: There really is no fucking way in hell that CT will EVER EVER EVER go red. Remember, Lieberman barely got elected here and our other senator is the lovely and talented Dodd (ugh). Granted, once in a blue moon this state will vote red or indie - we did have an independant governor once - but I don’t see ANY way in hell it will happen this time around. I had a friend who was working for Guiliani’s campaign and when she was calling registered Republicans to ask who they thought they might vote for… they were saying HILLARY. Scary ‘round these parts these days. *shiver*
#4 Posted by Buzzion on 05/01 at 06:21 PM -
I’d be interested to hear who they would vote for now with the options out there, but yeah I was seeing it as more of a one in a million shot of McCain being Maverick enough for them to vote for him.
#5 Posted by fangbeer on 05/01 at 10:00 PM -
Are you absolutely certain of this, I mean in the figurative sense.
There are Republican districts in CT, but for the most part CT is a retirement home for rich NY Democrats. The working class folks are mostly headed south to get away from the crushing taxes. Hell, the big buzz now is that we may have to raise taxes even more because the budget SURPLUS is only 20 million instead of the projected 300 million. (or some similar foolishness)
I’m tellin ya, I’ve got a pretty good job right now, but if I ever needed to go looking for another, I’d be out of CT in a second.
#6 Posted by surfpunk on 05/03 at 12:59 PM -
This shit got big play here in the Twin Cities, and McFuckstick basically eliminated any remote chance he might have had of getting my vote with that statement (I pretty much wasn’t going to anyway, but that sealed the deal). I plan on writing in Fred Dalton Thompson (despite the fact that he dashed many people’s hopes with his pseudo-campaign).
#7 Posted by surfpunk on 05/14 at 10:59 AM -
Actually check that (the write-in). We may just have a real candidate to vote for after all.
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So what would happen if a write in WON! Seeing as Fred is out of the race and all, but for the sake of argument, lets say enough of us want to hear his voice doing the state of the nation address for 4 years and he wins. Does he get the job? Of course this would be a popular vote wins and thew Electoral college would fuck us. Just curious.
I at least have to vote, I’ll write in someone for pres or just not vote for any of them. bleh