memeorandum: McCain: “It Is a Bad Economy” (Krooney/TIME.com)

2:00 PM ET, September 16, 2008

Top Items:

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Holtz-Eakin: McCain helped create BlackBerry — Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry. — “He did this,” Douglas Holtz-Eakin …

Discussion: Think Progress, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Swamp, Matthew Yglesias, AMERICAblog News, Guardian, unbossed.com, Daily Kos, MoJoBlog, Jack & Jill Politics, D-Day, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Marathon Blog, Oliver Willis, TIME.com and They gave us a republic

Associated Press:

Adviser says McCain helped create the BlackBerry — MIAMI (AP) — Move over, Al Gore. You may lay claim to the Internet, but John McCain helped create the BlackBerry. — At least that's the contention of a top McCain policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

Discussion: The RBC, Change of Subject and Wonkette

Washington Wire:
BlackBerry, ‘The Miracle John McCain Helped Create,’ Holtz-Eakin Says

Discussion: Editor and Publisher and Pam's House Blend

Amanda / Think Progress:
McCain Adviser: McCain ‘Helped Create’ The Blackberry

Discussion: Wonk Room and MSNBC

Wall Street Journal:

Why Obama's Health Plan Is Better — The big threat to growth in the next decade is not oil or food prices, but the rising cost of health care. The doubling of health insurance premiums since 2000 makes employers choose between cutting benefits and hiring fewer workers.

Discussion: Grasping Reality …, Buck Naked Politics, D-Day and EconLog

Bob Herbert / New York Times:

McCain's Radical Agenda — Talk about a shock to the system. Has anyone bothered to notice the radical changes that John McCain and Sarah Palin are planning for the nation's health insurance system? — These are changes that will set in motion nothing less than the dismantling …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, Wonk Room, Taylor Marsh, Brilliant at Breakfast, Obsidian Wings, Stop The ACLU, JammieWearingFool and Liberal Values

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Difference on Health Care

Discussion: Outside The Beltway

Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
The Essence of McCain's Health Plan: Don't Get Sick

Discussion: American Prospect and Washington Wire

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:

Obama's character assassins target another National Review journalist — David Freddoso attempted to appear on Milt Rosenberg's WGN radio show last night, and just as when Stanley Kurtz tried to talk on the same show, the Barack Obama campaign organized a disruption of the show.

Discussion: Mother, May I Sleep …, Cold Fury, Balloon Juice and QandO

Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:

The Case Against David Freddoso — Via our Media Blog, I checked out the Obama campaign's alleged factsheet on Freddoso. Its accusations against him are almost all either false or trivial. — The first three accusations are all false. — Claim 1 concerns Obama's friendship with unrepentant terrorists: DF is right.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Media Blog

John McCormick / The Swamp:
WGN-AM again target of Obama campaign

Discussion: Power Line, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Campaign Spot and Atlas Shrugs

Bradley Burston / Haaretz:

What is truly frightening about Sarah Palin — TEL AVIV - It was in the taxicab this morning that it finally struck me about Sarah Palin. — I get it. I get that millions of Americans have a crying need for someone to stand up and say the things that Sarah Palin has been telling them.

Discussion: Jeffrey Goldberg, MoJoBlog and Eunomia

Krooney / TIME.com:

McCain: “It Is a Bad Economy” — The Arizonan uses his remarks during his Tampa rally to discuss the financial crisis, blames it on “unbridled greed” among Wall Street CEOs. … Get The Page delivered to your inbox. Sign up for TIME's daily political newsletter here.

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room and Taegan Goddard's …

ABCNEWS:
McCain Calls for ‘9/11 Commission’ for Economic Crisis

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Firedoglake, New York Times, New York Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Yahoo! News, Political Punch, Political Radar, The Mahablog, The World Newser and The Jed Report

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Handling the Economic Crisis: 10 Bright (Political) Ideas

Discussion: Corrente

Byron York / National Review:

On Sex-Ed Ad, McCain Is Right — In recent days, a consensus has developed among the Obama campaign and commentators in the press that John McCain has decided to lie his way to the White House. Exhibit A in this new consensus is McCain's ad, released last week, claiming that Barack Obama's …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Wake up America, Eduwonk, Althouse, The Corner, Hot Air, pandagon.net, QandO and Weekly Standard

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly: OBAMA STAYS ON MESSAGE.... Yesterday morning, the Obama campaign pounced …

Reuters:

Five former U.S. state secretaries urge Iran talks — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five former U.S. secretaries of state said on Monday the next American administration should talk to Iran, a foe President George W. Bush has generally shunned as part of an “axis of evil.”

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress, Matthew Yglesias and Outside The Beltway

M. Duss / Wonk Room:
Five Former U.S. Secretaries Of State: ‘Talk To Iran’

Discussion: Commentary and Political Radar

David Brooks / New York Times:

Why Experience Matters — Philosophical debates arise at the oddest times, and in the heat of this election season, one is now rising in Republican ranks. The narrow question is this: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be vice president? Most conservatives say yes, on the grounds that something …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, pw, Townhall.com, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Corner, MSNBC, The New Republic, Macsmind and Eunomia

The Huffington Post:

Fiorina: Palin Doesn't Have Experience To Run A Major Company — Carly Fiorina, a key surrogate for John McCain on economic issues, said on Tuesday that Sarah Palin does not have the experience needed to run a major company like the one that Fiorina formerly headed.

Discussion: Think Progress, Campaign Silo and TPM Election Central

Ryan Tate / Gawker:

McCain Spokesman Told Off On All Networks — Congratulations to the John McCain campaign, which has now officially been told off on all three big cable news networks! Attached is a video of MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell taking some hard swings at McCain's sacrificial spokesman, Tucker Bounds, about campaign lying Monday.

Agence France Presse:

Obama camp hits back at Iraq double-talk claim — PUEBLO, Colorado (AFP) — Barack Obama's White House campaign angrily denied Monday a report that he had secretly urged the Iraqis to postpone a deal to withdraw US troops until after November's election. — In the New York Post …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Hot Air, Pajamas Media, Stop The ACLU, Sister Toldjah, Copious Dissent, NewsBusters.org and Wizbang

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Presidential Contest Remains a Dead Heat — PRINCETON, NJ — The Sept. 13-15 Gallup Poll Daily tracking update shows John McCain (47%) and Barack Obama (46%) locked in a close contest when registered voters are asked for whom they would vote if the election were held today.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and TalkLeft

American Thinker:

Obama's Foul Weather Friends — The lack of media interest in the role of former domestic terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn in Democratic nominee Barack Obama's political ascent in Chicago is one of the most remarkable aspects of the 2008 presidential campaign.

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Wizbang

IBDeditorials.com:

The Real Culprits In This Meltdown — Big Government: Barack Obama and Democrats blame the historic financial turmoil on the market. But if it's dysfunctional, Democrats during the Clinton years are a prime reason for it. — Read More: Business & Regulation

Discussion: Hot Air, The Right Coast and Cold Fury

Adam Serwer / American Prospect:

IF OBAMA LOSES. — In this weekend's Washington Post, Randall Kennedy considers the effect of an Obama loss on the black community: … There's been a some racist fearmongering from the usual suspects about riots about the aftermath of an Obama loss (something that is extremely unlikely).

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, The Huffington Post and TBogg