(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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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.