NPR: McCain Fields Questions About Iraq-New Orleans

McCain Fields Questions About Iraq-New Orleans

It's a question that many Americans may have: why are we spending so much money in Iraq when there are so many needs at home?

And yesterday, during his visit to New Orleans, Sen. John McCain was asked that question twice.

The Times-Picayune reports that McCain, who was in New Orleans as part of his Time for Action tour, attacked the Bush administration for its handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He even said that the blame went all the way to the president. As if to point the differences between himself and Bush, McCain said his first response the storm would have been to fly to the area immediately and inspect the damage. President Bush didn't go for several days and flew over the area.

But McCain was challenged by Jonathan Harris-Eisen, 15, of Amherst, Mass., a volunteer in the city's 9th ward. Harris-Eisen asked ""How would you prioritize Iraq (compared) with the rebuilding here, because we are spending a fraction of what we're spending in Iraq on this disaster?"

McCain didn't address the disparity of money spent on Iraq and storm recovery, but he spent the next few minutes explaining how his plan for Iraq was better than withdrawal strategies from Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
"He didn't answer my question on how we allocate funds," Harris-Eisen said.

And it wasn't the last time McCain heard this kind of question. Later in the day, at a town hall-style meeting at Xavier University, McCain was asked about cuts in education, in particular at historically black colleges.

"If we can find funds to fund this war in Iraq, we can find the funds for education," said Alex Brumfield, a pharmacy student .

McCain said he understood Brumfield's frustration, but that "he supports the current strategy in Iraq and believes curtailing wasteful spending and spurring economic growth -- not tax increases -- are the answer to financing education properly."

12:05 PM ET | 04-25-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

McCain hasn't taken a single earmark in his entire 20 year career.

Can you imagine how much money has been shoved down the rathole by congress shoving billions and billions of dollars in earmarks for so many years?

Stop that garbage and it will be remarkable how much money shows up. McCain has said that as President he would veto any bill with earmarks.

Pretty simple.

Sent by deek | 1:14 PM ET | 04-25-2008

I prefer earmarks going into a rats hole in the united states. Eventually it would be spent somewhere and end up taxed. This cannot be compared to the billions going into Iraq, where it eventually ends up in the hands of people who turn around to kill our troops or in the hands of offshore companies controlled by the Halliburton..... etc and taxes are avoided because they are so called foreign companies (The loophole.......).

Sent by Ty | 2:04 PM ET | 04-25-2008

Just a few years ago, we had the largest surplus (2 trillion dollars). With the spending in Iraq and Afghanistan (plus the 1 trillion dollar tax cuts that McCain now wants to toe the party line on and make permenant, give or take another 300 billion he wants to tack on), we now have the largest deficit ever.

Funny how the economy was fine until we entered into a war, with or without pork spending. It's a legitimate question to ask of someone who wants to keep some troop levels in Iraq for the next 100 years where he's going to get the money to pay for this.

Don't try the fuzzy math of saying we'll cut a few billion here but keep spending 2 billion a week on the never ending war on terror. Now, if you tell me you'll do both and give it back to the 35-40 million people living below the poverty line in America.

Sent by James Cutler | 2:29 PM ET | 04-25-2008

Ty, why does that money have to be "spent somewhere?" That's OUR money dangit. Why does the government have to have it? Why does it have to be spent somewhere?

Sent by deek | 3:09 PM ET | 04-25-2008

"...someone who wants to keep some troop levels in Iraq for the next 100 years..."

James that's a lie.

Sent by deek | 3:11 PM ET | 04-25-2008

Deek:
I would prefer getting it back because I worked hard for it. But if the government has to use it, somewhere for me is anywhere in America rather than sending it to Iraq.
1oo years is exactly what McCain said, James is just stating what McCain said.

Sent by Ty | 4:19 PM ET | 04-25-2008

When Salmon Chase, Lincoln's SecTreas, starting printing greenbacks and created the IRS it completed the legacy of McCulloch v Maryland and the Central Bank. "Our money" is simply in circulation and controlled by the printing presses of the Federal Government. If you think the Federal Government isn't going to spend "our money" your delusional and need to retire to an isolated ranch in Texas and stop paying taxes. The question is how and where they spend it, which a savvy fifteen year old has figured out.

Sent by Chester | 7:28 PM ET | 04-25-2008

Earmarks are not necessarily pork. Sometimes, it's a congressman trying to overrule a bureaucrat about the best use of already appropriated money within the district. That being said, it is often pork. Earmarks exploded under the corrupt republican gingrich-delay congress. Horse trading will always be a part of the legislative process and waste is a part of every budget in the land, public and private.What citizens can demand is transparency and accountibility. Earmarks are dwarfed by the corruption, cronyism and waste of the Iraq war which bushcheney cover up in the name of national security.

Sent by Mike Fleissner | 10:39 PM ET | 04-25-2008

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