Eighty-some percent of the American people think the country's on the wrong track

...and that's why I want to continue on that same track. It's the Maverick in me!

Can I imagine that he is running for President and that it will all go away when I wake up?

Um, isn't McCain himself in that same Congress with the 12 percent approval rating? Like for the last 20 years or so?

I hate to be a naysayer on this one but McCain actually (surprisingly) has it right. It is, at this time, uncertain whether the U.S. economy is in a recession. There is not enough data available to declare a recession and so far there has been indicators to suggest positive (although very slow) growth. Regardless of whether we are in a recession, however, there is substantial pain being caused to many of us as jobs are lost and not being replaced at nearly a fast enough clip. McCain isn't trying to split the difference on the economic issue; rather, he is following pretty standard economic talk at this time.

Of more siginficance to me is what plans can McCain offer to make things better for those who are suffering. So far, I have seen little that would suggest he has a clue in this department.

You omitted the first part of the quote, where McSame said, "If I had any idea what that meant, I would imagine we are in a recession...."

That is LOL-worthy (and I did LOL), but seriously: was Obama's recent comment -- restating of the old saw that 90% of success is just showing up -- a subtle dig at McCain's terrible voting record the last year?

Here's an entertaining peek into the archives, from last year:

A senior Republican state legislator from John McCain's home state of Arizona "called on Sen. John McCain to resign from his seat Tuesday if he continues to miss votes while campaigning for president." [Arizona Daily Star, 5/23/07]

[...]

A recent report cited McCain as having "missed 43 votes, nearly 50 percent of the current Congress' votes," a substantially greater number than any other presidential candidate.

[...]

McCain lashed out at fellow Republican Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), after the Texan called out McCain for being "out of line" by choosing to "parachute in" at the last minute despite not sitting in on negotiations on the Senate immigration bill. At that time McCain responded by accusing Cornyn of "making a 'chickens-t' argument" and shouting, "[Expletive] you!" It's yet to be seen how he'll respond to Pearce. [Washingtonpost.com, 5/18/07; Roll Call, 5/21/07; Arizona Daily Star, 5/23/07]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/05/mccains_missed.php

My point is that a recession has not yet been declared. Personally, I think it a highly likely we are in a recession. However, take a look at this post on Calculated Risk:

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/06/merrills-rosenberg-recession-confirmed.html

Upshot is that need do not yet know if this is an official recession or how deep the recession will be. It is likely we are in recessionary times but it was not unreasonable of McCain to hedge since the data is not available to him or anyone else.

I don't just oppose John McCain politically. I despise him. He is a liar, a fraud, a coward and the worst kind of demagogue.

That said, I have to stick up for him a little, here. Recession is a technical economic term, not a synonym for "bad economy". I mention this not merely because I am an insufferable pedant, but also because if it turns out that we are not, technically, in a recession, the righties and their toadies in the MSM will use that technicality as a rhetorical, "me or your lyin' eyes", club against anyone who tries to point out that this economy, whatever the stats say, really really sucks.

Reality Check:

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Congress
July 8 Rasmussen
Democrats 47%, Republicans 34%