McCain blames I-35W bridge collapse on wasted money

[goodhue]

Source: Associated Press

Republican John McCain blames deadly Minnesota bridge collapse on pork-barrel spending

By LIBBY QUAID , Associated Press

Last update: April 30, 2008 - 10:47 PM

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Republican John McCain said Wednesday that the bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed 13 people last year would not have happened if Congress had not wasted so much money on pork-barrel spending.

Federal investigators cite undersize steel plates as the "critical factor" in the collapse of the bridge. Heavy loads of construction materials on the bridge also contributed to the disaster that injured 145 people on Aug. 1, according to preliminary findings by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Yet McCain, while campaigning in Pennsylvania, told reporters: "The bridge in Minneapolis didn't collapse because there wasn't enough money. The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects."

* * *

Democrats criticized McCain's comments. "It is reprehensible that John McCain would use a national tragedy to make a political point that isn't even grounded in facts," said Damien LaVera, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/18431659.html

[OhioChick]

1. Due to wasted money in Iraq. n/t

[VaYallaDawg]

2. You took the words right outa my mouth!

[bronxiteforever]

3. Agreed-a one Trillion Dollar retort to the GOP

[Avalux]

4. Exactly. He seems to have amnesia when it comes to that.

We need professional hecklers to follow him around and every time he talks about wasted money, they start shouting about Iraq.

He is such a vile little man.

[guitar man]

12. snap*

beat me to it. A trillion bucks would work wonders for our infrastructure. For the love of the FSM a light pole on the freeway here snapped off and landed on a car last night.Lady was lucky it didn't kill her. When they showed it on the news last night it liiked like it was all rusted out at the bottom. I bet none of that stuff has been inspected and maintained in years.For shame :(

[hokies4ever]

5. He realized his gas-tax holiday might be linked to this bridge collapse

since Obama has already said that the federal gas tax goes into the Highway Trust Fund for rebuilding our roads and bridges.

[Supersedeas]

6. More Democrats in Congress need to call him on this--now is not the time for soft pedal politics

[Sam Ervin jret]

7. We need a Dementia Deputy to follow him and catch him in his moment of stupidity.

I know lots of older people and they are very bright intelligent people.

McCain's stupidity and dementia is not necessarily age related, I think it's been there all along.

But it ain't getting any better.

[KSinTX]

9. Indeed so. Comment rec'd!

[Zambero]

8. Ironically, in order to get backlog infrastructure projects funded...

.. they need to show up as Congressional earmarks, thereby eliminating the possibility of funding for critical repair projects somewhere else. A member of Congress with clout can accomplish this, but that is not always the case. If McCain's budgetary priorities advance unimpeded (A blank check for Iraq is #1 and discretionary budget projects are dead last), we can look forward to more tragic episodes such as the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

[lakeguy]

10. this should be the next commercial for the Democrats

mcsame's quote about wasted money and then figure showing what we have spent, and will spend in the future if mccain is president.

how many bridges does a few trillion bucks buy? how many dead people to build them?

[pattmarty]

11. It is now time to start and continue until the election........

....the "theme" that McCain is senile. I know, I know, this sounds just like Republican bullshit, but they are going to do much worse to our candidate.

[soupkitchen]

13. John McCain and his Straight to the Loony Bin Express

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

14. What a soulless bastard. Dancing on the graves of 13 people to make political points.

But then again, this is what I expect from all Republicans these days.

Thirteen people are dead because Mr Timmy "No new taxes" Pawlenty gutted the goddamn budget for road repairs/inspections and appointed his Lt. Governor as Transportation Commissioner.

As a proud Minnesota DFL'er, I say fuck you, John McCain. Fuck you, you soulless bastard.

:mad:

[AnneD]

15. And the S&L and Keating Scandal....

was wasted money too.

[YankeyMCC]

16. I guess he really is bad at economics and basic math

how much wasted on the failures and inept works of this administration that he supported, most of all of course the unnecessary war in Iraq.

[Jennicut]

17. Infrastructure has been crumbling for years? Where is Bush? Sending us to war.

Nice one McLame.