The Economy, Spain

"The Chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the President and has betrayed the public’s trust. If I were President today, I would fire him."

When I heard John McCain say this today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I figured that he meant "serves at the pleasure of the President" and that the dismissal of former U.S. Representative Chris Cox (R.-Ca.) was worth considering. Finally, I thought, a reasonable suggestion from a fellow who was never so honest as when in November, 2005 had admitted: "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.”

Except that I was wrong- it turns out that McCain is adept at semantics, not so much on economics. ABC News reports

while the president nominates and the Senate confirms the SEC chair, a commissioner of an independent regulatory commission cannot be removed by the president.

From time to time, presidents have attempted to remove commissioners who have proven "uncooperative." However, the courts have generally upheld the independence of commissioners. In 1935, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt fired a member of the Federal Trade Commission, and the Supreme Court ruled the president acted unconstitutionally.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds tried to explain away the ignorance, implying that his candidate meant that he would ask for Cox's resignation.

But at least the Repub nominee is a sure hand on foreign policy. Sort of. In an interview with a Spanish-language radio station on 9/17/08, McCain was confronted with a question about U.S. relations with Spain. Although a few months earlier, he had stated that as President he would meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero, this transcript indicates otherwise:

INTERVIEWER: Senator finally, let's talk about Spain. If elected president would you be willing to invite President Jose Rodriguez Louis Zapatero to the White House, to meet with you?

McCAIN: I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are friends and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion. And by the way President Calderone of Mexico is fighting a very, very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working with the Mexican government on the Merida Plan, and I intend to move forward with relations and invite as many of them as I can, of those leaders to the White House.

INTERVIEWER: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government? To the president himself?

McCAIN: Uh, I don't, I, ya know, I, honestly, I have to look at the situations and the relations and the priorities. But I can assure you, I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

INTERVIEWER: So you have to wait and see. If he's willing to meet with you, would you be able to do it? In the White House?

McCAIN: Well, again, I don't -- All I can tell you is I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.

INTERVIEWER: OK, what about Europe? I'm talking about the president of Spain.

McCAIN: What about me what?

INTERVIEWER: OK. Are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

McCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those who are not.

Opinions differ as to whether McCain was confused about what continent Spain is in, thought that (Prime Minister) "Zapatero" referred to the Zapatista rebel group in Mexico, or really does not want to meet with the head of a democratic state which is in NATO, had soldiers in Iraq until its homeland suffered a terrorist attack by Al Qaeda, and still sends its soldiers to Afghanistan.

It's getting increasingly difficult to determine if John McCain is thoroughly dishonest, thoroughly confused, or consistently misguided. The choices are not pleasant.