DNC: McCain Myth Buster: John McCain Understands Psychology

To: POLITICAL EDITORS

Contact: Stacie Paxton or Caroline Ciccone, of the DNC, +1-202-863-8148

Today's McCain Myth: John McCain understands the serious economic challenges facing America's families

WASHINGTON, April 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the Democratic National Committee:

John McCain has ramped up his fake-populist rhetoric recently, saying that helping the people who are struggling to pay their mortgages, fill their gas tanks, and put food on the table will be his "first priority in setting the economic policies of this nation." [johnmccain.com, accessed 4/17/08]

Yet at the same time, McCain has said that some of the problems families are facing are "psychological." In fact, according to McCain himself, his proposal to suspend the gas tax this summer--one of the main focal points of his new economic plan--is nothing more than "a little psychological boost." [CNN Debate, 1/30/08; Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4/16/08]

How can McCain possibly help the hard-working families struggling to make ends meet when he thinks their problems are just "psychological"?

January 2008: McCain Called Economic Crisis "Psychological." At a debate on CNN, Senator McCain was reminded that home foreclosures were up 75% in 2007 and was asked if he had a plan to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure. McCain responded, "I think what we've done so far is good. I think we may have to take further steps if this subprime lending situation continues to be serious. And finally, could I just mention on the issue of rebates, fine, because part of this is psychological. Part of the problem we have, of course, in any recession is psychological. And I'm still optimistic that nothing is inevitable." [CNN Debate, 1/30/08]

April 2008: McCain Backtracks on Gas Tax Fix, Calls Is a "Psychological Boost." On "Your World with Neil Cavuto," Senator McCain was questioned about the spiking price of oil and his gas tax plan, which has been criticized for its efficacy, and was asked whether or not he was concerned that the price of gas would spike back up to the amount of the tax. McCain said he was "very concerned" about it, but that "psychologically - and a lot of our problems today, as you know," he continued, "are psychological." McCain said that "it's not a huge amount of money" and called his plan, "a little psychological boost." In a speech days earlier Senator McCain had called his plan to temporarily suspend federal gas taxes "an immediate economic stimulus." [Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4/16/08]

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth.

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org.

This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

SOURCE Democratic National Committee

-0-