Silly Stuff

[spicedogs]

I have to chuckle, and, at the same time, I have to stop myself from getting enraged. Why? Because a few months ago, Al Gore made a silly convesational faux pas. He meant to say that he was part of the process of starting off the Internet and, unfortunately, for him, it came out as if he had said that he invented the Internet.

Now, Republican politicians went to town with that remark. Al Gore was ridiculed. Now, McCain is in a similar situation and nobody makes waves. Honestly.

Here's a pretty amazing claim from a McCain staffer: John McCain invented the BlackBerry. Yes, that's right, the senator who doesn't know how to use email invented the BlackBerry, a device known for letting you check your email on the go. Move over, Al Gore, there's a new "inventor" in town!

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a top McCain policy adviser, waved his BlackBerry around and talked about McCain's work as a senator, telling reporters Tuesday, "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create."

His argument was, like Gore's, that by working on bills that dealt with the telecommunications industry, McCain helped facilitate conditions that allowed the BlackBerry to exist. I'm pretty sure that's not the definition of an inventor.

When asked for comment, Obama's campaign spokesman Bill Burton said: "If John McCain hadn't said that 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong' on the day of one of our nation's worst financial crises, the claim that he invented the BlackBerry would have been the most preposterous thing said all week." Oh snap, Bill Burton! [Comcast; Thanks, Matt!]

SOURCE:  Gizmodo.com

  

Comments

[boheme06.livejournal.com]

This mis-quoted comment seems to be making waves on my Twitter feed. The aide who was mis-quoted appears to be trying to settle the confusion-- but seeing how well that worked for Gore, I doubt it's likely to work.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know that it was misquote, as was the "invention of the Internet" for Al Gore waas a misquote. What gets my goat is the hipocracy. The outcry for Gore's faux pas was huge. The outcry for McCain is not. In fact, McCain has 2 misquotes one is the blackberry and the other is wifi.

Had the Republican bloggers and the right activists not make a huge deal out of the Internet misquote, these two misquotes would have been ignored.

Do you understand where I am coming from?

[boheme06.livejournal.com]

I definitely understand. I think the quote needs more time to get out there though. What was the wifi mis-quote? I didn't even hear that one.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

"John McCain is uniquely qualified to lead our nation during this technological revolution. He is the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The Committee plays a major role in the development of technology policy, specifically any legislation affecting communications services, the Internet, cable television and other technologies. Under John McCain’s guiding hand, Congress developed a wireless spectrum policy that spurred the rapid rise of mobile phones and Wi-Fi technology that enables Americans to surf the web while sitting at a coffee shop, airport lounge, or public park."

Source: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/cbcd3a48-4b0e-4864-8be1-d04561c132ea.htm

[boheme06.livejournal.com]

Haha. Yes, because the government is doing so well with that nationwide wifi service so far. I'll admit that Obama is pretty well-versed, or at least employees those who are, in technology. He seems to have an account everywhere. McCain, not so much.