Just as I suspected. I wrote a response to a diary a few days ago questioning the credentials of some of the signatories to his "economic plan", because I was shocked that a presidential campaign would stake their policies - especially the media's perception of these policies - on the words of a Community College instructor with only a bachelor's. Now, let me say that I am NOT trying to denigrate those who attend or teach at Community colleges. They are extremely important to this country, and with the rising costs of a 4 year degree they will be even more so in the future. But, there is a big difference in how a policy will be perceived when its supporters teach at MIT as opposed to the local community college. I figured if the campaign was so desperate for signatories that they would put these names on the list, then there must be something really fishy about the entire exercise.
Now, there is word that many of the signatories didnt even know what they were signing! Even worse is that many of these "supporters" are actually opposed to the policies that were in the "economic plan." This was detailed in a DKos post, available at http://dailykos.com/story/2008/7/9/11248
/28060/466/548708
and by Politico, at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/070
8/11618.html
Upon closer inspection, it seems a good many of those economists don't actually support the whole of McCain's economic agenda. And at least one doesn't even support McCain for president.In interviews with more than a dozen of the signatories, Politico found that, far from embracing McCain's economic plan, many were unfamiliar with -- or downright opposed to -- key details. While most of those contacted by Politico had warm feelings about McCain, many did not want to associate themselves too closely with his campaign and its policy prescriptions.
Howard Beales, an economist at George Washington University, explained that he signed the letter as "an expression of support for [McCain], not necessarily each and every detail of his plan, which I may not have had time to study closely."
See also
Beales said he thought McCain had "a good plan," in general, and that his policy priorities were better than Obama's. In signing the letter, however, he did not intend to give a blanket endorsement to McCain's full agenda.
Professor James Adams of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute declined to elaborate on his decision to sign the letter. "I'm not involved in the campaign," he said. "I simply read a statement and signed on."
Constantine Alexandrakis, a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, expressed second thoughts about signing.
"I would describe myself as an Obama supporter," he explained. "Maybe I shouldn't have rushed into signing the letter."
Alexandrakis said he added his name in order to show his support for certain principles in McCain's plan -- such as free trade and a reduction in corporate tax rates. But there are other aspects of McCain's proposal, such as his pledge to make permanent the 2001 tax cuts, that Alexandrakis opposes.
"While I do not agree with Obama's plan 100 [percent] either," he wrote in an e-mail, "I would prefer to see him being elected president."
I wonder how long (if ever) the MSM covers this story??
There's more...
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