Straight Talk Takes A Detour As Sen. McCain Now Claims To Be Optimistic
"Romney talked about reviving the auto industry, but McCain said some Michigan industries cannot be resurrected. 'I've got to give you some straight talk: Some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back,' he said. 'They are not. And I am sorry to tell you that.'" (Michael Levenson, "Staking Out The Next Battlegrounds," The Boston Globe, 1/10/08)
Why Is Sen. McCain Changing His Tune In Michigan?
Just Days Ago, Sen. John McCain Said He Was Merely "Aware" Of Michigan's Woes, And Insisted That Jobs That Left Michigan "Are Not Coming Back." "'I'm aware of the economic difficulties here in the state of Michigan,' McCain said Romney talked about reviving the auto industry, but McCain said some Michigan industries cannot be resurrected. 'I've got to give you some straight talk: Some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back,' he said. 'They are not. And I am sorry to tell you that.'" (Michael Levenson, "Staking Out The Next Battlegrounds," The Boston Globe, 1/10/08)
In The Meantime, Gov. Romney Has Vowed To Fight For Michigan Jobs, And Remains Optimistic. "'They have watched Michigan go through a one-state recession for, what, a decade?' he said. 'They talk about it, they say they're aware of it, they say there are some jobs that just aren't coming back. But what have they done to help Michigan?' ... Romney said Michigan should remain optimistic. 'Michigan has everything that it takes to remain an economic powerhouse, as long as it has a partner in Washington,' he said. 'I will be that partner.'" (Michael Levenson, "Staking Out The Next Battlegrounds," The Boston Globe, 1/10/08)
So Now Today, Sen. John McCain Claimed, "We Can Restore Detroit's Supremacy... I'm Optimistic." "'We can restore Detroit's supremacy in the automotive world,' McCain said at the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom. 'I'm optimistic.'" (Charlie Cain, "McCain Campaigns On Promise Of Strong National Defense," The Detroit News, 1/12/08)
Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - McCain Masks His Michigan Pessimism Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/296452