McCain Will Balance Budget By End Of First Term. Or Was It Second?

[Hope And Change]

McCain Will Balance Budget By End Of First Term. Or Was It Second?

By Eric Kleefeld - July 8, 2008, 2:57PM

The McCain campaign appears to be unable to decide when he'll succeed in balancing the budget. Is he promising a balanced budget by the end of his first term -- partly contingent on a sudden victory in Iraq -- or by the end of his second term?

As Think Progress http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/08/mccain-deficit/">pointed out, McCain economic adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/us/politics/08econ.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=slogin">told the New York Times yesterday that McCain would balance the budget by the end of his first term. But during a conference call with reporters yesterday, Holtz-Eakin suddenly http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aN5HS20IUrug&refer=home">walked it back significantly.

Not only that, but he walked it back in a way that made it seem like this was always McCain's position, and not a flip-flop: "The senator has always pledged to balance the budget by the end of his second term."

Late Update: This isn't the first time McCain has gone back and forth on this one, either. As the New York Times http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/mccain-reverts-to-balanced-budget-pledge/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">noted, McCain promised back in February to balance the budget during his first term, but then changed it to the second term in April.


http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/mccain_will_balance_budget_by.php">Link

[anonymous171]

1. McFlip-flop is at it again!

[chelsea0011]

2. He was on CNN this AM and could name one friggin' thing he would

do to balance the budget he said he could do in 4 years.

[TexasObserver]

3. "McCain Promises to Find His Keys by end of First Term"

There's a headline I could believe in.

[rox63]

4. Or was it by lunch?

n/t