(CNN) - Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan is supporting John McCain's White House bid, CNN has confirmed.
"I am a Republican and expect to vote for the Republican candidate, but I am not involved in politics," Greenspan said in a statement issued to CNN by his office.
The statement follows comments Greenspan reportedly made to a Spanish newspaper on Sunday.
"I support John McCain, who I know very well and who I respect a lot," he told El Pais.
McCain has previously indicated he will seek Greenspan's council on economic issues should he win the presidency. At a campaign event in South Carolina last fall, the Arizona Republican even said he would take him "alive or dead."
"If he's alive or dead it doesn't matter. If he's dead, just prop him up and put some dark glasses on him like, like 'Weekend at Bernie's,"' McCain joked. "Let's get the best minds in America together and fix this tax code."
Greenspan served as the U.S. Fed chairman from 1987 to 2006.
In a statement, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said Greenspan's support is "of enormous importance to John McCain."
"It should reassure voters that, while John McCain is humble, he is still the best qualified candidate to keep taxes low and get our economy back on track," Bounds said.
From CNN Politics
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This could have only been news if he endorsed, maybe, Huckabee!
Otherwise.... DUHH??
That is one of the less intelligent quotes I have heard this election from McCain...
Why is someone McCain's age watching "Weekend at Bernie's" by the way?
He was with Bush anyway!
What a surprise.
McCain is a dummy! Another 4 years of a dummy.
Now that's a bone head move.
OBAMA 08
I guess he identifies with him – same generation.
Did he just say "...like in Weekend at Bernie’s..."?
Would anyone be a good advisor if they were deceased?
Is this guy for real?
This is the best we could come up with for half of the nation's constituents?
Chime in people. I am severely confused.
And yet John McCain admits he "doesn't know as much about economics as he should." Do you really want someone who doesn't understand the economy for president? John McCain is an economics flunkie.
nothing against Greenspan, but shouldnt we look for an infusion of some new ideas and new people rather than asking Greenspan for his advice. i think after 19 years of leading the fed, he's given his opinion and made his mark, good or bad.
this constant drumming up of support for people who've been inolved on the scene for endless decades is really starting to get on my nerves.
A 'Weekend at Bernie's" President would make a nice match for our 110th Congress...
One old man to another old man, Retire and be gone, both of you.
Great...
So, if McCain wins, not only will we have a "one-foot-in-the-grave" President, but we can also look forward to him choosing advisors without a pulse.
Just perfect. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway... when you go with the "MORE OF THE SAME" strategy, it probably doesn't even mater if your advisors can speak up.
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Clinton has Mark Penn,
Obama has his Minister,
MCCAIN HAS ALAN GREENSPAN!
Do the math, McCain in '08!
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Youll probably die before Greenspan does McLame! Wake up already. Everyone is making Weekend at Bernies jokes about you!
However, should Greenspan go first, how will you ever get any new books to help you learn about the economy.
Greenspan is a smart guy, though he did make some mistakes as Fed Chairman. Any president receiving his counsel will benefit.
The dead leading the dead! Whoopee!
Anyone with common sense knows it's about the economy. The war, health care, etc. is ultimately dependent upon the economy. Bush screwed-up, no doubt. But we can't conceivably replace him with a tax-and-spend Democrat like Obama. That would spell disaster and only exascerbate our tail-spinning economy even further. Romney would have been the ultimate choice, but nobody wanted a Mormon.
Oh no more people are going to loose there homes. Plus pay 12.00 a gallon for gas.
According to some MSN experts Greenspan played with the interest rates every year put one in the 17 years he was in office. He is most likely responsible for this Houseing bubble. Now it is hitting the retirees the hardest and we have him to thank for this. Why would McCain want his advice?
Roy-ID
Oddly enough, I can very easily picture Greenspan in a "Weekend at Bernie's"-like situation...
Greenspan is partially why we are in the economic situation we are in now! Figures he would support the candidate with the worst plan for repairing the economy, that he helped destroy.
The same thing could be said about McCain:
"It doesn't matter if he's alive or dead, just prop him against the wall'<
McCain's a BUSH PUPPETT!!!
BOY, THAT WAS A STRONG BACKING!I THINK McCAIN PROBABLY DOES WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING BUT.......
HE WILL GO ALONG WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OR ELSE!!!!
THIS IS WHY WE NEED HILLARY CLINTON IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
SHE IS SMART AND WILL WORK WITH ANYONE FROM ANY PARTY TO GET THINGS DONE!!!!!
SHE IS THE HONEST CANDIDATE! WHO CAN WIN IN NOVEMBER!!!!!
GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!
He is so old!
Big surprise there. One neocon supporting another.
What is McCain talking about "dead or alive just prop Greenspan up", he's as old as Greenspan himself.
WHO WOULD WANT GREENSPAN'S SUPPORT? HE OF MADE THE COMMENT ON LARRY KING LIVE THAT THE SUB-PRIME DEBACLE WAS A SUPPRISE TO HIM. WHAT A JOKE. IT WAS HIS DUTY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DIDN'T KNOW - I JUST THINK HIS LOYALTY LAY WITH THE BIG BANKS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS RATHER THAN IN THE WELL BEING OF AMERICA OR AMERICANS. LET HIM SUPPORT MCCAIN. I DON'T THINK IT WILL HELP MCCAIN.
me too – McCain in '08
Way to go Greenbacks. At least you knew how to deal with the economy. Can you come back and we can get rid of Burn the Cake
Wow! The only thing I thought she had going for her now that everyone knows she has issues with the truth and cant manage her team is that she might be able to let her husband help improve the economy. But it seems that one of the greatest minds concerning the economy is not supporting her.
so what?
Hilarious! The story says Greenspan supports McCain but the caption reads: "Greenspan said he is supporting Obama." Wishful thinking on your part, eh, CNN? Ha ha.. your bias is beyond belief.
Good to see that McCain has older & wiser heads to rely upon...
Greenspan said he is supporting Obama. ICheck on the picture – is this an error
This guy looks deader than McCain...if that's possible ! ! !
WHOOA...BIG SURPRISE.
So Greenspan supports someone who admits he knows little about economic issues? Typical, but he's the one who also supports cutting taxes to the point of damaging the economy by Bush, supporting the most rapid and widest flip from surplus to deficits ever. And Greenspan is supposed to be an economic Guru? I guess there is really no surprise about this choice....
I find the picture caption to be misleading. The article says he is supporting McCain, but the caption says "Greenspan said he is supporting Obama." Which is it?
Oh great, the problem with the economy is the current economic system – the Federal Reserve. So let's get the former Chairman of the Fed to give John McCain advice. This isn't going to solve anything, guys.
Amazing since McCain admits to not knowing much about the economy. I guess once a Republican, always a Republican!
John Mccain is running for President in the wrong country. He needs to put his name on the next Iraq Presidential Ballot. John Mccain has made a better argument protecting those in the Middle East than the Americans here loosing their homes and jobs inwhich he has no solution or intention to resolve. Look at his Campaign ads, about his family and himself as war heros. what is he thinking about. People are losing the chance at the American Dream and he's wants to indroduce them to his family and tell them why they have to hold of on the American dream due to an error he and President Bush made by entering without approval from congress. Mccain is a terrible mistake.
Why hasn't McCain signed the GI Bill????????????since he is for Veterans
I would like to see Greenspan involved in some advisory way with the McCain campaign. Greenspan is conservative in his approach to the economy, and could give some great advice in reforming the tax code in America. When he speaks we should all listen. To get this economy back on track, we need tax cuts across the board, including for America's business/corporations. Only Japan has a higher corporate tax burden than the United States. The private sector is the heart of this great country. Big, wasteful Government is the problem with America. The enormous government programs drag down the economy, and interfere with innovation and productivity. If we want more good jobs for Americans, we need to get off the backs of business. The Democrats big "tax and spend" approach will eventually bankrupt us all...you, me and all of America !
You might want to change the photo caption...
"Greenspan said he is supporting Obama."
Anyone else notice the caption below the picture?
"Greenspan said he is supporting Obama."
Did anyone else notice that the caption with this article mistakenly states that "Greenspan said he is supporting Obama?"
Headline and caption on picture doesnt match. Is that an error or ...
I thought Greenspan is smarter than that. The conomy sucks because of no regulation on free trade.. A genius like greenspan should be supporting Obama.
Great, he would let Mr. Bubbles try to fix the problems he shares a lot of the responsibility for. Go look up the "Greenspan put" for an example of how Greenspan's willingness to bail the markets out has helped foster the overly risky investing. That sort of investing, particularly with high leverage, gives you things like the subprime mortgage meltdown.
Also, Greenspan gave the gloriously bad advice of getting into adjustable rate mortgages at the height of the housing bubble when interest rates were very low.
Not a surprise.
GO HILLARY 08
Both men are old and need all the support they can get, lol.
You know! no republician should every use the phrase " tax and spend" the republician party motto should be "cut taxes/spend less" but instead it went to "spend and spend more and more and more"
Figures they would mislabel the photo as "Greenspan said he is supporting Obama"...what a convenient mishap for an Obama biased media.
The quote from Greenspan makes this whole story awfully pointless. He says he's voting for him just because he's a Republican, but doesn't want to get mixed up in politics. Sorry, CNN, but I don't think that really constitutes news.
It is obvious that some in the Greenspan do not like Democrats. Mr. Greenspan's wife needs to take a leave of absent until November. Her colors are showing and are getting very tiring. You can't even watch the Today show anymore without her whinning about Hillary.
Greenspan. Thank you for your service. You made me a ton of money, because I bailed out when you said the Housing bubble was going to burst. Laughed all the way to the Bank. Come Back.
This is the man that did nothing to stop the housing bubble and the dismal economy. Why should we listen to this old old man.
of course he is supporting him, they have been neighbors for over 3,000 years and invented the wheel together.
I like John McCain – and will likely vote for him. But I can already hear the critics... a dead Greenspan will still know more about economics than a living John McCain.
John John John... most of us know you were joking – but sometimes the jokes can get turned on you.
Before anyone spouts off about Greenspan, I suggest you read the book "The Age of Turbulence" by Mr. Greenspan. A very interesing read....and I hate economics! I would have to say Mr. Greenspan has pulled more politicians' irons out of the fire than anyone realizes.
As far as he supports McCain....he's a republican from the old school and it's hard to go against years of being in one particular camp. As a republican myself, I am so close to going with Obama it won't take many more mis-quotes by Mr. McCain to pull me out of my long time relationship with the republican party......
Alan Greenspan is without a doubt the greatest economic mind of our time. For all the work that he has done, I truly believe him to be such a man that is beyond political labels. As far as his affiliation with the Republicans, I see it as about the same as mine. I am a Republican mainly because I believe in free markets with as little govenrment intervention as possible. The tax and spend fiscal policies of the Democrats are only going to aggrivate our current situation. Recessions are inevitable, but in the long term our economy still prospers. I think McCain has it right when it comes to the economy, that now is not the time to panic and institute big government like Obama and Clinton undoubtedly will.
I adore Greenspan, but of course he is going to vote for McCain. Just the same as I will vote for whoever the dem candidate is. There are all kinds of issues on a platform, we pick and choose which are most important to us. For Greenspan, most of his align with the republican side so that is how he votes. For me, almost all align with the democrat side so that is how I vote.
What would be newsworthy is if he for some reason decided to go against his established party. Saying that he is voting for the same party he has always supported? Not newsworthy.
Yeah ! Right !!!!!!!!
Republicans who do not think always vote Republican.
I never expect this guy to just follow that kind of crowd
Bad joke about Greenspans age, McCain. Laugh all you want.
No matter who you choose for Vice President (hint, Condeleeza), you will not win,
unless you cheat or call Rove.
Rove and Hannity are already bashing Obama every chance they
get. Rove is not employed by Fox. I guess they know Hillary won't
win, so they are continuously elevating any story that can come up
with fay bashing Obama.
A Republican is a republican is a republican and they do not care
about the American "people" just the rich man
Obama 2008.
A guy who doesn't understand economics who believes that advisers do as much good dead as alive?
Great.
Excuse me, Rove is NOW employed by Fox!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. Another old white guy heard from. Of course Greenspan supports McCain (they are the same age).
Great. The man whose idea it was for our economy to overvalue subprime mortgage based securities. Compelling endorsement.
Sorry Hillary this wont get you off the explanations of some other topics. Unaccounded funds from your tax returns. NAFTA and the Mark Penn issue and why hes still in the campaign period. The debacle of the hospital story. I will bowl against you if you will drop out when I win. I have never been to the whitehouse nor make 109 mill. I do own my own shoes ball and bag and make 30k..
Obama 08
greenspan ruined this country along with bush and past presidents who didn.t listen to the people.
these old codgers should be kicked our of office. only when this happens, the usa will be on recovery from the latent leadership we have had TIME FOR TERM LIMITS
Great.... an endorsement from the man who's responsible for the housing bubble and our economic downturn under idiot Bush. It seems like his Alzheimers has been in overdrive for at least the last eight years and is really kicking in to gear now!
All you people talking about Obama's pastor make me think you are all pathetic and immature. It's not even words that came from Obama's mouth.
Sen. Clinton has told a bunch of lies now. For example: Bosnia sniper story, Ohio Pregnant girl story, and that she didn't ever support NAFTA.
Sen. McCain first opposed bush's tax cuts, now he supports it, he said he wants to be in Iraq for 100 years, but now says he didn't mean it in that way.
How silly, i bet the news media wants Hillary to continue on, so they can make money out of the Ads, I bet CNN won't post this post, but atleast the moderators there will see it. Everyone knows that Obama will be our next President. The whole world knows it now.
This proves that McCain will continue the economic policies of Bush.
McCain use movie metaphor to address such a critical consultant.
We're really in serious trouble.
Where are the Libertarians–do they have someone we can vote for instead of Huey, Duey, and Louie!!!
Greenspan..... is he not the man we are have to thank for his share in teh miss in our economy???.... Yes Greenspan ... we want you to support someone that is like you not someoen that is for CHANGE. Your endorsement of Obama would have been a disaster for his campagne.
WHAT HE IS THINKING?
I support McCain, but I think Greenspan is a piece of garbage. He has consistently thrown Bernanke under the bus. He's a two faced loser. Go away Greenspan.
Not surprised Greenspan ruined this country along with Bush.
Figures the man who brought us the housing bubble, the sub-prime mortgage disaster, and the credit crunch and bank failures is banking McCain for the Whitehouse.
Pay attention, America, do you really want these muts handling the economy after they wrecked what the Democrats spent 8 years building?
It's easy to spot an Obama supporter. They ridicule anyone with any experience. They must because the man they love and swoon for has none.
If any one figure could differentiate between a candidate who can handle the economy and candidates who can not is this man. Though he made some errors of judgment as his tenure ended it wasn't until he left that the economy feel apart under his successor. Greenspan's endorsement of McCain is a vote of confidence for his ability to properly handle the economy.
McCain '08
The question is: which of them will be dead first?
oh; course the greedy will support and back their own. and to think greenspan was at fault when he was at the helm of driving the economy in the ground when he went to playing w/ the interest rates. NOW they want to give more power to the [FED] the theives in the temple. its like asking the fox to guard the hen house. when in rome do as the romans. and this to will fail. i give it 2 yrs and it all falls down. this united states is a exact model of the roman empire.
I have great respect for Mr. Greenspand and great respect for Senator McCain however if tthe senator selects Rice as a running mate, he has lost my vote. She was a completely disaster in the mid-east creating problems rather than solving them and she still just doesn't get it.
"Listen to your heart. Never stop listening."
Henry Quick Bear, LAKOTA
HILLARY OR MCCAIN 08
what does Andrea Mitchell see in this clown? she actually is good looking and he is nothing more than a troll
Greenspan is a brilliant guy and I like McCain too. However, Obama is really better able to understand the global economy than McCain. And I think that if President Obama asks Mr. Greenspan for advice, Mr. Greenspan would be happy to serve. However, I think there are other economic advisors who are equally qualified to serve in a day to day function and perhaps Mr. Greenspan would best be used as a consultant only occasionally.
It is important to listen to a variety of opinions from people that have great experience and wisdom, like Mr. Greenspan. However, it is important to look at a variety of opinions and then have the judgment to choose wisely based on your own understanding of the issues. Clearly, McCain, for all his experience and achievements, was not a great academic – more of an action guy. I think having more of an academic is probably a good idea for the country right now.
Obama '08
ummmm what did you think Bushs Lapdog who helped him do this to our economy would do??
Of course he does! He's not stupid!!!
Greenspan is the very reason we're in the mess we are now. His inflationary monetary policy is what caused the credit bubble that inflated the dot.com bubble, and subsequently shifted to the housing bubble.
It's not that Greenspan failed to prevent the housing bubble, a lot of people failed to prevent it.
But Greenspan CAUSED it. He should be put in jail.
wake me up when this woman is gone
How about an endorsement from someone who will be alive in 2012.
TF Greenspan warned about the housing bubble before he left. Do nothing Bernake wanted to do his own thing and the Congress controlled by Democrats wouldn't heed Greenspans warnings. So why blame Greenspan. Put the blame where it belongs on Congress, that allowed subprime loans to be made to people that should not have been buying homes in the first place. The Liberal Democrats wanted everyone to own homes so they lowered the standards for them to qualify. Same as the colleges did for affirmative action. Now we are paying the price. Not everyone has the means to own a home and not everyone is qualified to go to college, and until the Socialist learn that lesson we will always have failed government policies.
We need the FairTax- HR25...
Just one more reason to vote for Ron Paul
It is not the federal government's job to meddle with the economy. People blame the Republicans for their economic woes because it is far easier to do that than to accept personal responsibility for their lives. If you people want to live in a socialized society, then go and join a hippy compound or something like it. Our economic problems are not created at the federal level, but by the cultural vices people cling to at the local level. If you place all your hope in someone like Obama or Hillary and are willing to sacrifice your economic individuality for it, then you are probably a hopeless person to begin with.
All you McCain haters and age-haters, i.e., socialists, are as petty as you are biggotted. Your hypocrisy does not go unnoticed. You express righteous indignation when you perceive someone to be prejudice, biggotted or racist, but make fun of someone who is older than your parents. Such hypocrisy reveals just how bankrupt yuor political philosophy is.
McSame can't seriously be making old people jokes!
Ahh the endorsement of the central bank. Maybe Bernake will be his VP and they can rule the world with an iron fist? If that doesn't work out we can just count on Obama or Clinton to further the socialist movement. Nah, I think I'll vote for Ron Paul before this country's defense, infrastructure and currency are destroyed. Check him out.
What a dumb comment. Prop him up, alive or dead? So, when the corpse can't perform Fed chairman duties, does McCain get the power from a weak congress? Ridiculous. Get serious, vote Socialist. You think Demagoguerats and Pubcrawlicans know what's good for working people? You don't trade a neoliberal for a neoliberal and continue outsourcing labor and cutting government spending on social and labor programs. You take it from the rich by force.
Good grief, when are you Ron Paul lemmings going to get the message? He is not and really never was a real consideration. Get over it. The guy was/is a bit of a nutcase.
Yikes! Remember, Greenspan supported the Bush tax cuts as a way to save us from paying off the Federal debt too soon (and creating a deflationary environment, if you can believe it!).
An endorsement from Greenspan is about as much a benefit to McCain as an endorsement from John Hagee.
Greenspan help to create the housing bubble, to save the market after the 'dot.com' nose dive. He knew this would happen, suggested ARM loans yet never took one out himself. I admire smart people, but not greedy people.
"I am a Republican and expect to vote for the Republican candidate, "
AND ALL THESE YEARS I THOUGHT HE WAS SMARTER.
Raz
These older folks need to retire and allow someone else with a fresh perspective to do the job right. We will all be there someday. They are being too greedy.
Whatever dude, we all know you are Republican...
Greenspan YOU ARE AN IDIOT! How can you pretend that McCain is fiscally better for America? Oh yeah, this is the guy who got us in that first recession in 2002. I guess he likes it when America is financially insecure. IDIOT!
Finally, an endorsement that actually means something, because it comes from someone who is experienced and knowledgeable about the economy. "Patriot" is right.
greenspan is responsible for the economic crisis we are in so it is no surprise he endorses the old guy who doesn't understand the economy
I'm comforted by the fact that McCain wants to get "this economy thing" under control. God help us all.
lets see....
Old dude endorsed by OLDER dude....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Smart man Greenspan is, hope he returns as an economic advisor.
John McCain does not know how to run a government. He has
not a clue. And he can make fun and laugh at Greenspans age!!!!!!!!!
Oh my God, McCain is an idiot. Condeleeza Rice can't even help him.
Obama 2008
Wasn't he involved with lowering the interest rates that led to the housing market!!! YITES! McCain can have him.
Greenspan just lost my respect.
Good God, do you mean the Greenspan who helped get us in this credit mess starting back in the good old Clinton 90's. THAT Greenspan. Probably an endorsement McCain could do without.
Once again, a recycled administration. Bush's admin..consisted of his father's cronies. Now isn't it refreshing to see that once again, we are going to recycle the same tired old people again. Greenspan wasn't that good years ago. Now we are to believe he got smarter since leaving? How about something new??? Some new ideas? As I have said neither Obama or Hillary could do any worse than what is in the White House now. A vote for McCain, is the same old story, just a replacement for Bush. I remember years ago, Russia was always made fun of because they always had the old and tired running their country. Perhaps we need to heed what happened to their country and learn from them. I am tired of old men starting wars safe at home, and young men dying in them. Put the old guys on the golf courses. They need to retire for good!
It's Mr. Greenspan's policies that led us to the housing market trouble now. No one knows this, except a few people, because the housing crisis happened now, not when Greenspan was in office. However, eventhough Mr. Greenspan left office, his policies are followed even today. He's the one that brought in the un-fixed interest rates for mortgage and other loans, whereby the lender can change the interest rate at their own will. I agree Mr. Greenspan did some good, but now he's too old to be in the government. I was looking for the prime minister and president of India, they are like 70 years old, for God's sake, we don't want to elect someone that old in America, they will make our nation go backward by going for more wars. The only candidate that can help and change America is Sen. Obama or rather President Obama.
Who gives a HOOT about Greenspan – he is part of this economic problem right now!
Even with Greenspan and Rice Mccain cannot and will not win the Presidency. The REPUBLICANS are clueless, I am in the military and so many Soldiers are ready to VOTE for OBAMA-CLINTON; or an OBAMA-CASEY ticket. Mccain is helpless in the eyes of the military. He is a champion of the WAR, had his son run and join the Marines just to psotion Mccain for a white house run, such an Opportunist. This WAR is DONE and Mccain with it. It is the ECONOMY STUPID, and the WAR is a BIG PART of the ECOMIC MESS we are in 14 Billion dollars each month. MAYBE we should take CARE OF AMERICA FIRST!
YES WE CAN AND WE WILL, NOVEMBER WE WILL ROUTE MCCAIN OUT OF DC CHANGE WE NEED AT A TIME WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO LIVE IN!
MCCAIN NO!
This was a great laugh "dead or alive". Is McCain a student of the Bush School of Stupidity? We already have a whole 26 volume encyclopedia of Bushisms, do we really need an encyclopedia of McCainisms?
LIKE MCCAIN, OLD MAN, WITH OLD IDEAS, OLD FRIENDS. IS MCCAIN SUFFERING FROM P. T. S.D? I ALWAYS THOUGHT PEOPLE RETIRED AT 65 NOT APPLY FOR THE TOP JOB IN THE COUNTRY AT 70 +
Might as well. Greenspan helped put us in this mess. Only natural he would help keep us here too.
Everybody loved Greenspan when Clinton was in office. And judging from these comments, it looks like there'll be MUCH more whining and backstabbing once Obama/Clinton (it doesn't matter which because they are both fatally flawed candidates) lose the general election.