Jay began writing politically themed commentary and founded his blog, Swimming Freestyle, in October 2007. Here he'll write about politics from a progressive perspective.

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John McCain Thinks We Can't Connect Dots

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May 1, 1:22 PM

by Jay McDonough, Progressive Politics Examiner

There's no other explanation.

Campaigning in Pennsylvania yesterday, Senator McCain claimed the bridge collapse in Minnesota last year was a result of "pork barrel spending".

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."

Pretty clearly, the bridge collapsed because it was poorly engineered and constructed. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates it would take nearly $190 billion to fix more than 70,000 bridges deemed “structurally deficient.”

In fact, the funds for maintaining bridges like the one in Minnesota come from the Highway Trust Fund. The Highway Trust Fund is funded by the federal excise tax on gasoline sales.

Which is the same excise tax Senator McCain proposes we eliminate this summer to give voters a little "psychological" bump.
Topics: The Economy

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Comments

Obama's birth certificate; you can't keep a good conspiracy theorist down

8 comments

December 4, 3:24 PM

Did you know the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked by NASA?Did you know 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the U.S. government?Did you know the government manages Area 51, where alien spacecraft and its occupants are being studied?Well, maybe you don't... Read More

The president's most solemn oath

1 comment

December 4, 2:12 PM

On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will take the following oath and become the 44th president of the United States:"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of... Read More
Topics: Torture , Bush , Mukasey

Auto industry predictions

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December 4, 11:35 AM

Phil LeBeau from CNBC made some predictions the other day about the U.S. auto industry. A couple:1. Chrysler will be sold.This isn't hard to imagine. The company is a shell of what it once was, it has just enough cash to stay out of bankruptcy,... Read More

The case for health care investment

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December 4, 9:26 AM

Given the precarious state of the economy and the huge investment being made to keep Wall Street afloat, some have argued any move to implement universal health care is ill-timed. Jonathan Gruber, in an op-ed piece in today's New York Times, argues... Read More

A picture for the day

1 comment

December 3, 5:16 PM

Beijing, China: A newborn baby holds onto his mother's finger at a hospital (Photograph: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images) ... Read More

UAW offers concessions to automakers

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December 3, 3:49 PM

The United Auto Workers announced today their willingness to make contract concessions to assist the troubled Big Three automakers in winning loan guarantees from the federal government. The UAW will agree to delay the autoworkers contribution... Read More

Subpoenas issued in Justice probe

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December 3, 3:09 PM

Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed an independent prosecutor, Nora Dannehy, two months ago to investigate the dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys. Mr. Mukasey's move was initiated following an internal Department of Justice review that concluded... Read More

Retired officers want torture revoked

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December 3, 11:59 AM

The other day I noted a Washington Post op-ed, written by a former interrogator, arguing for an end to the use of torture by American forces. I included this comment:After reading much on the topic, it seems that the great majority of career military... Read More