Yes, this is my second question mark-festooned post of the day, but it’s another title that calls for being phrased as a question, because it’s so unbelievable that anyone said it.
Turns out, a McCain adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, was struggling to prove that McCain has what it takes to tackle our economic woes. And here I thought it was the communists, not American war heroes, who believe in managing the economy. Anyway, Holtz-Eakin reached for anything to prove McCain’s credentials and pointed to the Senator’s service on the Commerce Committee.
This line from a story at CNN.com provides the real kicker:
Pressed to provide an example of what McCain had accomplished on that committee, Holtz-Eakin said the senator did not have jurisdiction over financial markets, then he held up his Blackberry, telling reporters: “He did this.”
That’s right everyone, Al Gore may have created the Internet, but John McCain created the Blackberry.
The absurdity seemed to have no end as Holtz-Eakin seemed to convey that the Commerce Committee was responsible for all innovation. The CNN story goes on:
“Telecommunications of the United States, the premiere innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce Committee. So you’re looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create,” Holtz-Eakin said. “And that’s what he did. He both regulated and deregulated the industry.”
Sounds like McCain has got some real free-marketeers working for him!
Remember to thank your local government official for all the great gadgets and gizmos you use, because they wouldn’t be around without the help of government. Right?
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.