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With communities in the Midwest still under water, Democrat Barack Obama on Saturday criticized Republican John McCain for opposing federal spending on flood prevention programs and opened a new debate in the White House race.
McCain’s campaign said Obama was engaging in typical political attacks that the Democrat rejects in his speeches and confusing the facts.
Both candidates have visited the flood zones in the past two weeks, since tornadoes hit and heavy rains sent rivers surging over their banks. At least 24 people were killed, the majority in Iowa.
Obama, an Illinois senator, canceled a visit to eastern Iowa last week at the request of state officials and instead went to fill sandbags in Quincy, Ill. McCain, an Arizona senator, toured flood damage in Iowa Thursday.
“I know that Sen. McCain felt as strongly as I did,” Obama said, “feeling enormous sympathy for the victims of the recent flooding. I’m sure they appreciated the sentiment, but they probably would have appreciated it even more if Sen. McCain hadn’t opposed legislation to fund levees and flood control programs, which he considers pork.”
The bill that McCain opposed spent $23 billion on water projects. It passed Congress overwhelmingly and was vetoed by President Bush because he said it spent too much on lawmaker’s pet projects. Congress voted to override the veto, the first time of Bush’s presidency.
The bill funded hundreds of projects _ such as dams, sewage plants and beach restoration _ that are important to local communities and their representatives. It also included money for the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast and for Florida Everglades restoration efforts.
McCain’s campaign said Obama opposed an amendment that McCain co-sponsored to prioritize flood control spending. The bipartisan amendment, which failed overwhelmingly on a 69-22 vote, would have made sure “lifesaving levees like those that so tragically failed in Iowa and Missouri are given the highest priority and fixed first,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.
“It is beyond the pale that Barack Obama would attack John McCain for actually trying to fix the problem and change the way Washington works,” Bounds said. “Barack Obama’s willingness to continue the status quo pork-barrel politics in Washington, and then engage in political attacks that entirely disregard the facts, once again fundamentally shows that he’s nothing more than a typical politician.”
Obama’s criticism of McCain came in a speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He told the city leaders that he would be their partner and appoint the first White House Director of Urban Policy to help them cut through federal bureaucracies. The promise sparked a standing ovation.
He promised money for police, higher-paid teachers, transit, housing and broadband Internet. He said he would create jobs by rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects. “That will be the cause of my presidency,” he said.
And he announced a new program to offer matching grants that encourage businesses, government and university leaders to collaborate on regional economic clusters, such as the North Carolina Research Triangle Park and Nashville’s entertainment cluster. The campaign said the proposal would cost $200 million a year and would be funded by improving government efficiency.
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Progressive Conservative McCain is president 2008, or we are screwed.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JOHN McCAIN’S 3R ECONOMIC PLAN 2008
Abbreviated version
Progressive Candidate John McCain comes through for America with his 3R economic plan.
In the persona of Theodore Roosevelt, McCain’s plan just makes sense.
1. RETHINK: America must rethink the global views on what America is capable of in our current state of technology, engineering and the demands that face the world.
“RE-Think” the basic job goals involve the dwindling retirement, health care and social security plans that are failing Americans. With a strong base and a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) America has a new bargaining chip in the way we live and the ways we retire.
The framework is already in place through existing laws to make this happen. The Progressive attitude of John McCain to get things done by crossing party lines will resurrect America.
2. REFORM: America must rise to these demands and compete aggressively in a global economy. American people must demand higher quality products and less restricted trade routes for Made in USA components.
The USA will reform its dead manufacturing base to create the most innovative and green-engineered products possible. We will compete in a world market along with other high quality products. Once again, the world needs American success in these new ways of manufacturing.
3. REINVENT: America and Americans must reinvent themselves to reach and maintain these standards and by sheer American ingenuity, control the world’s marketplace in the competitive manner, as we have always been proud to be #1. Can you hear Theodore Roosevelt shouting this?
Americans are going back to a 3R-schooling program where they are paid to reinvent their skills and learn new skills to design and lead their personal LLC, Corporation or joint venture company. That’s easy enough to comprehend and just as easy to implement. The 3R plan is designed as a six-month rapid advancement system. Graduates may return for additional skill enhancements from time to time, or step up after new advanced training in executive management.
McCain’s 3R is about technical, closely monitored and rapid hands on training from pros to create new pros. Thousands of currently-job-displaced “once leaders in the manufacturing arena” will be asked to train and play instructor rolls in the 3R plan. Paid, of course, as these new leaders will help create a whole new style of prosperous America. A new guard for Social Security.
While manufacturing is a very important part of this plan, thousands of new businesses must to be created to meet the new surge of 3R manufacturing industries and prosperous Americans.
Initial estimates of 1 in 5 students will begin his or her own company and drive even more Americans into a viable lifestyle with real jobs, real benefits and a retirement to look forward to.
All of this can be done without costing taxpayers (or the government) additional funds. America has the means to follow through with John McCain’s 3R plan, ready and in place across the USA. The buildings we need sit vacant for the most part. By assuming leases on abandoned stores and factories across America with MC-3R schools and mini-manufacturing training centers, the USA made products can be sold and support the stores. Building owners write off the loss in taxes over a few years! This is the new place for financial speculators to invest!
Although the thousands of new businesses manufacturing USA Made products is exciting enough, the real excitement comes from the massive amount of additional jobs that will be created to provide the new housing, new buildings, new parks, shopping, grocery stores, schools, government outlets and so much more.
McCain’s Progressive nature embodies Theodore Roosevelt more than any US presidential candidate in history since the original Rough Rider blazed the greatest era of growth in America.
We need John McCain to lead our nation with the same type of change.