Don't know how I missed this, from an April 2008 Bloomberg report of a John McCain townhall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio:
"I have to tell you, if I were president of the United States, the next toy that came into this country from China that endangered the lives of our children, it would be the last toy that came into the United States,'' McCain, an Arizona Republican, told about 300 people at a town hall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio, drawing thunderous applause.I'm not too politically savvy, so I rely on the media experts to tell me: is offhandedly promising to ban a $22 billion/year American industry that accounts for 80% of the country's toys more maverick or more level-headed voice of experience? Or is it just old man bluster, which he forgets about the minute he steps off the stage?
update from barely a week later: Or is it McCain flip-flopping and adopting the bold, America First vision of Obama, who threatened to ban all Chinese toys in 2007??
McCain Vows to Halt China Toy Imports If Children Endangered [bloomberg.com via playthings.com]
Wow. What color is his sky? Hopefully it was just some old man crazy talk that passed quickly. Sometimes the things that come out of politician's mouths is just astonishing. I weep for this country sometimes.
Man, I double-dog-dare McSame to do that. I pity that foo.
Maybe we can drill off the coast of Florida for toys..?
How scientific of him;)
Yeah do it!!! Bring on world war III...
Why not? Bring the jobs back home? Why buy toys with high levels of lead?
As OBAMA Will say! YES WE CAN! Same way we should drill oil from our own resourses... YES WE CAN!
Whatever happened to MADE IN THE US OF A?
YES WE CAN!
And for those who say McCain is same as Bush, Obama is more of Carter and the unpopular Nancy Pelosi.
An about McCain's age! Please come up with something better, FDR had polio which resulted in Roosevelt's total and permanent paralysis from the waist down and lead the country for four terms. Did that prevented him from leading the country?
Ask your friends at Wal-Mart about Made In The US of A.
As for McCain and FDR, no doubt, the media and the political establishment basically covered up Roosevelt's condition as long as they could: "When [Roosevelt] returned to the United States [in 1945], he addressed Congress on March 1 about the Yalta Conference, and many were shocked to see how old, thin and frail he looked. He spoke while seated in the well of the House, an unprecedented concession to his physical incapacity. But mentally he was still in full command."
'Mentally.. still in full command" is the kicker. Because now, of course, the media is apparently covering up McCain's own mental lapses and forgetful gaffes the way they used to pretend FDR wasn't paralyzed.
Also, in 1944 Roosevelt was only 62 when he was re-elected to his fourth term. That's 14 10 [whoops, my bad. he's only 72, not 76. -ed.] years younger than McCain is now. So even if your flailing Carter and Pelosi jibes were accurate--and they're not, just attempts to tie Obama to Democrats who are pre-demonized-by-the-wingnut-right--I'd still argue that McCain's too old and demonstrably irrational to be president. And that a stupid, tough-guy boast to ban $22 billion/year in Chinese toys has nothing to do with either effective product safety or sound policies of economics, trade, and American manufacturing.
Yout hink been 71 today is the same as been 71 back in the 40's
About Wal Mart, where else can they buy from if pretty much everything else is made in China...
Go check your tire pressure see if that savings will really dropp the price per gallon at the pump!
It may help save a bit, but who drives their car with flat tires... This idea comes from a healthy 47 year old. It is recommended but again, that will not change the fact that we are pating $4.00 a gallon thanks in part to China's demand on oil.
The United States consumes 20 million barrels of oil per day. Selling 70 million barrels of oil, like Barack Obama suggests, could reduce gas prices by using ou oil reserve— for all of four days. Then, since there would still be no long-term increase in supply, the price would shoot right back up to its previous level. The United States could release 3 million to 4 million barrels per day, which would lower prices at the margin, but the SPR could maintain that pace for no more than six months. After that, the price of oil would return to its previous level, and the SPR would be empty. And at what cost? Our nation’s security would be at the total mercy of Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin and the oil states of the Persian Gulf.
Funny thing is that Bush is called a dumb president but the unpopular congress under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have approve more funds to the war they oppose and pretty much every other bill presented by the president.
Not bad for a dumb president ah?
Chinese oil and tire gauges and whining about Obama have nothing to do with John McCain's willingness to toss off economically disastrous, alarmingly dangerous, or even just embarrassing statements in his quest for cheap, on-the-spot applause:
in order:
"it would be the last toy that came into the United States" ["thunderous applause"]
"you know that Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran'?" ["heh heh"]
"I told [my wife Cindy] with a little luck, she could be the only woman to serve as both First Lady AND Miss Buffalo Chip" ["whoo whoo whoo!"]
You forgot my favorite McSame idea: Gas Tax Holiday for Everyone! Woo hoo! 18.4 cents per gallon!
If I drove my Hummer 20,000 miles per year, I would save $368! Not bad money (in this extreme case), but what about all the href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21840954/" when the highway fund goes broke?
Yeah, silly Obama for suggesting a policy (tire pressure) that would actually save more oil than off-shore drilling would provide, and that is endorsed by NASCAR, a potential McCain running mate (Crist), and Bush's highway traffic safety department.
The funny part is that Republicans are talking to an out of session congress about offshore drilling and are actually taking credit for the recent drop in oil prices. As if hot air can magically lower prices.
I think Bush is called a dumb president by a lot of people... not just Congress.
Richard,
Are you insinuating that paralysis and old age are the same thing? I fail to see how FDR's physical disability is equal to McCain's mental instability.
No I am not. But to say that age is a factor is like saying that a physical disability will affect some ones judgement.
Dad... as your buddy says, YES WE CAN! We can drill...
about congress thinking Bush is dumb, then why they go along with him. You thin Pelosi is so smart. Worst Congress in history.
Republican talking to an out of session congress or you mean a 5 week paid vacation by us to those give a rat's a** about you and me. Then you wonder why it is the worst congress ever.
18% Job approval is not impressing at all.
Paid vacation they've always been taking.
I'm sure your boss isn't thrilled that he has to give you paid vacation, either.
The funny thing is that you referenced my "out of session" congress comment, but failed to address the comment I made about them. Instead, you turned it around to attack on something completely different. Typical Republican attack strategy (strategery?).
Off-shore drilling will not see immediate results, and even when it does, it will be a drop in the bucket and not lead to reducing our dependence on oil, foreign or not.
Hmm. Coulda sworn I typed "daddytpyes," not "huffingtonpost."
Pelosi, you mean the one who changed the Congressional workweek back to 5 days from the previous Republican-controlled 109th Congress's 3 days/wk, extra time which the republican leadership has used solely for filibustering, obstruction, and whining? And worse than the 109th, which held no oversight hearings on Iraq, warrantless wiretapping, or even its own leaders' corruption? The one run by the pedophile Tom Foley and the indicted Tom DeLay? The one that met in session fewer days than any other congress, and which punted like babies on 9 off 11 budget bills when they lost the 2006 election?
I could go on, but again, none of this is relevant to understanding John McCain's batshit crazy old man comments about banning toys. And yes, when it affects your judgment and your speech and your memory, and when you don't know a blackberry from a blueberry, it disqualifies you from the presidency. So, last man standing.
Has it made any diffrent that she added two day on congress work day. God open your eyes, you this congress has done nothing.
And again, you think allowing toys with lead is smart and healthy. Well go on and buy them for yourself.
Again YES WE CAN My friend!
Sorry, but keeping my car's tire pressure will not make much of a difference. The fact is American have been keeping tire pressure on their cars ever since and it hasn't stop oil price from going up.
And if oil drilling will not help then what... depend on OPEC instead of using our own resources.
Same as importing toys from China... we should be exporting more, but we Obama and Co. promising to raise taxes...
Any more mention of Pelosi or other irrelevant topics will be deleted.
And if you can show me where I said "allowing toys with lead is smart and healthy," I will eat that lead toy for dinner. What I said, and what you can't or don't care to understand, is that "banning an entire industry instead of enacting effective safety regulations and inspections is stupid and economically lethal."
As I posted last week, both McCain and Obama missed voting for the veto-proof ban on lead in toys that--whaddya know--that the 110th Congress just passed.
Wait - with petroleum being the primary ingredient in plastics, if we stop importing toys from China and instead make our own, won't we need to increase our oil imports?
I'm jus' sayin'
Go ahead and delete them. I don't feel they are irrevelant topics when I or any one else compares McCain, Obama and Pelosi's view on issues.
You may be right about missing the veto proof ban vote...
Now read the quote again,
"I have to tell you, if I were president of the United States, the next toy that came into this country from China that endangered the lives of our children, it would be the last toy that came into the United States,'' McCain said...
He clearly says, "The next toy that endangered the lives of our children,"
If we compare this to recent "salmonella outbreaks" were many vegetables were pull out of many restaurants and grocery stores every one agreed...
but as I can see and read here many of you have made this a political issue out of it.
Again make your day a happy one and delete my opinion... make a one side opinion...
Yes, I made a political issue out of a presidential candidate at a campaign event proposing instant, industry-wide bans as a solution to product safety issues. That was me.
just for the record, mccain has now endorsed the tire-pressure thing as a good idea.
and i would be happy to see 'another Carter' in the white house, if we had pursued his conservation policies (solar panels on the white house!) we would have, at least, different geopolitical problems.
He can get away with saying that because lead tainted toys don't really -threaten a life- of a child, obviously. Does he know what ppb or ppm stand for? Does he know what harm we are talking about? Of course not, otherwise he'd mention what actually needs to be done (as Greg said, *effective* quality control). We test for any unusual matter, chemicals that exist on Mars, but are unable to do that on earth! Ha, ha, actually sad.... The market for Chinese made toys is here and it will stay this way. And the recalls will go on and on...
How many parents do you know who shop at www.oompa.com or www.thewoodenwagon.com? Would you?