McCain Lies About Commerce Committee Jurisdiction
Matt Corley’s got the video of John McCain telling tall tales about his committee’s jurisdiction, arguing “I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights [sic] every part of our economy.”
Since McCain really did chair the Commerce Committee he presumably has some familiarity with its actual jurisdiction, namely:
1. Coast Guard.
2. Coastal zone management.
3. Communications.
4. Highway safety.
5. Inland waterways, except construction.
6. Interstate commerce.
7. Marine and ocean navigation, safety, and transportation, including navigational aspects of deepwater ports.
8. Marine fisheries.
9. Merchant marine and navigation.
10. Nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences.
11. Oceans, weather, and atmospheric activities.
12. Panama Canal and interoceanic canals generally, except as provided in subparagraph (c).
13. Regulation of consumer products and services, including testing related to toxic substances, other than pesticides, and except for credit, financial services, and housing.
14. Regulation of interstate common carriers, including railroads, buses, trucks, vessels, pipelines, and civil aviation.
15. Science, engineering, and technology research and development and policy.
16. Sports.
17. Standards and measurement.
18. Transportation.
19. Transportation and commerce aspects of Outer Continental Shelf lands.
The Commerce Committee does play an important role in economic regulation, particularly through its jurisdiction over “interstate common carriers.” But as Corley observes, it’s the Banking Committee that oversees the financial institutions we’re currently worried about. And then of course the Finance Committee has authority over important aspects of the economy, including the crucial health care sector and there’s an Energy and Natural Resources Committee that also oversees substantial economic functions. It’s pretty unworthy of a veteran senator to be engaged in this kind of silly resume puffing. The Commerce Committee is important, but it doesn’t come close to overseeing the entire economy.
51 Responses to “McCain Lies About Commerce Committee Jurisdiction”
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September 17th, 2008 at 9:37 am
OK, asshole. He should have said “except banking”.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:39 am
You’re just not being as generous in defining “oversight” as McCain means. He doesn’t mean “oversight” in a technical way. He means it in a higher sense. As in “view from the empyrean” where he dwells. (In one of his 12 houses.) Up there where the air is clear and you can get experience by osmosis.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:40 am
McCain is chairman of the committee that oversights every part of our economy? So, he’s responsible for this financial mess? I am losing confidence in his ability to run this country.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Exactly–if he oversaw all these things, why didn’t he see it coming? Why didn’t he DO anything? What legislation did he propose to keep this from happening? Or golly gee, is it all just a total surprise to him?
McCain is an economic expert; Sarah Palin is the nation’s foremost energy expert; and I am the Queen of Sheba.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Dude wants to take credit for being the regulator responsible for the current crisis?
Seriously?
September 17th, 2008 at 9:49 am
OK, asshole. He should have said “except banking”.
We should all be more compassionate when overlooking “accidental” omissions of phrases, that, if included, would’ve made the speaker seem pretty stupid indeed, and in fact would’ve completely contradicted the entire point of the speaker’s statement.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:56 am
OK, asshole. He should have said “except banking”.
Nicely phrased, Mr. Republican Talking Point. I can see the stress of defending McCain is beginning to get to you — as it would to anyone (witness Fiorina’s meltdown yesterday). Of course, if McCain had said “except banking” the statement still would have been untrue.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Exactly–if he oversaw all these things, why didn’t he see it coming? Why didn’t he DO anything?
That’s the kind of thing Commissions are for, not Committees. Duh.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Matty,
To the extent that the federal government regulates the economy, it does so through the Commerce Clause of Article I of the Constitution, i.e., the regulation of interstate commerce. The federal government does not have power over purely intrastate commerce. So McCain’s statement is really not so ridiculous. Of course, he’s still a lightweight on economic issues, but he’s said plenty of other silly things we can harp on.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Apologize to your host, O’Neal.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:04 am
If we take him at his word, that he knows how to “fix” this economy (and assuming he means “fix” as in repair, not as in neuter) isn’t it his patriotic duty to explain this to Cheney or Paulson or whomever’s in charge and get the fix started now, so we don’t have to wait 4 months to get “fixed”? Why’s he waiting?
September 17th, 2008 at 10:13 am
He meant to say he oversees 20% of the economy.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:16 am
My guess is that the Commissariat of the Party Central Committee for the Promotion Of Ideological Purity (Harvard-grad blog division) will be paying Mr. O’Neal a visit to discuss “Proper Attitude In The Posting Of Central Committee Objectives In Blog Comments.” One he has adequately demonstrated the requisite willingness to subsume his personal emotions for the greater good of the Party we will be hearing from him again.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:21 am
re: 13
Rudeness is now a political issue?
September 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Everything is a political issue if it interferes with the Party’s ability to disseminate its ideology.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Look, I’m normally on your side with this stuff, but I don’t think you can call that a lie by McCain. Tha phrase “every part of the economy” is not meant to be taken 100% literally, it is the kind of phrase that is normally used as a slight exaggeration.
September 17th, 2008 at 10:50 am
“Interstate commerce” is indeed a catch-all in the constitutional context, but it can’t have the same broad meaning in this context. Just to give one example, the authority for federal criminal law enforcement flows from the authority over interstate commerce, but primary jurisdiction for those matters falls under Judiciary.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:03 am
The Commerce Committee has general oversight over “interstate commerce”, i.e. the national economy. Of course, there are other committees that also have economic jurisdiction in areas like finance and energy. Calling McCain’s statement, which is broadly true through exaggerated, a lie is itself a lie.
Write about this lie. http://www.nypost.com/seven/09172008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/obama_objects_129453.htm?&page=1
September 17th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I think this is the wrong argument. The right argument is to ask what McCain has been doing all these years as Committee Chairman. He certainly didn’t seem to care about any of this stuff; he never called hearings; he always voted against regulation and in favor of deregulation; his top advisor is Phil Gramm who is as good a pick of anyone for the creator of this mess.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:11 am
But but… I thought McCain/Palin were the outsiders coming to shake up the Washington establishment. Now we find out the McCain IS the Washington establishment. I’m so confused.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
After yesterday, I’m thinking Komissar McCain’s last five year plan sucked big time.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:19 am
what’s really sad (bad) was watching dodd chair the banking committee. he hadn’t a clue. good thing obama didn’t pick him.
we look back at who was right about iraq, so we should look at who had a clue about this econ disaster and look to them for some info now. i wish it had been dems or lefty bloggers. atrios is the one exception. a few months ago delong praised greenspan’s book (latimes). egregious. even krugman didn’t know enough. (i see now how economists can be way out of touch.) the ones who were right: roubini, ritholtz, fleckenstein, jim grant, fred hickey, a few more–but very few.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
“Perfesser” O’Neal should remember to spread around his lenience.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Don’t forget NASA — we all remember McCain’s leadership when the Columbia blew up. Oh, wait…
September 17th, 2008 at 11:46 am
You mean McCain has been keeping the metric system down as well…. I knew I should have been hating that guy all along.
September 17th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
…..the Commissariat of the Party Central Committee for the Promotion Of Ideological Purity (Harvard-grad blog division) will be paying Mr. O’Neal a visit to discuss “Proper Attitude In The Posting Of Central Committee Objectives In Blog Comments.” One he has adequately demonstrated the requisite willingness to subsume his personal emotions for the greater good of the Party we will be hearing from him again.
This E. O’Neal looks like he should be examined by the Politburo for any discussion of Corrective Movements required to maintain the strict adherence to the prevailing ideological guidelines required to participate on this esteemed Promotor Of Ideological Purity (Harvard-grad blog division)
September 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Democrats think you’re stupid and want to take care of you. Republicans think you’re stupid and want to take advantage of you. Your choice.
September 17th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
To E. O’Neal re: The Commerce Committee has general oversight over “interstate commerce”, i.e. the national economy.
Right, the national economy. Because our foreign trade activities have nothing whatsoever to do with our economy. Nicely done!
Re: item #13 in the jurisdiction list above: Regulation of consumer products and services, including testing related to toxic substances, other than pesticides, and except for credit, financial services, and housing.
Note the “except for credit, financial services, and housing,” clause. Nice to know he’s got no jurisdiction of the 3 most crucial parts of our economy that are currently in mortal danger! I’d feel much less confident if he did, actually.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
This committee also has jurisdiction over telecommunications, which seems to be the basis for the assertion about creating the Blackberry.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
This committee also has jurisdiction over telecommunications, which seems to be the basis for the assertion about creating the Blackberry.
Could be. It’s just a shame about the whole “Canadian invention” thing or their cockamamie assertion would gull maybe 9 more already-convinced voters.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
“(sic)”
Oh, the irony!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:37 am
mccaine why did you do it??youre so bad…
December 7th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
WASHINGTON — The Senate will take up the $25 billion auto bailout bill on Monday, with a procedural vote expected Wednesday to see if Democrats have enough support to overcome Republican roadblocks. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid said
December 10th, 2008 at 6:58 am
WILMINGTON, Del. — DuPont Co. says it will cut 2,500 jobs, mostly serving the U.S. and European automotive and construction markets, due to lower demand linked to the steep global decline in homebuilding, auto sales and consumer spending.
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