As the markets crash and the bailouts pile up, John McCain's BlackBerry gaffe continues to pick up steam. News stories mentioning "McCain and BlackBerry" topped 2,300 in a 24-hour stretch ending Wednesday -- that's almost half the number of stories mentioning "McCain and A.I.G." in the same period.

It's hard to quantify the news value of the McCain campaign's odd claim that he invented the Canadian technology, of course, but it definitely ain't half as important as A.I.G. The BlackBerry claim is perfectly symbolic, however, of a campaign that has spun, prevaricated and lied through the summer -- drawing protest from opponents and neutral observers alike -- led by a candidate who is often out of touch from the economic and technological changes rocking the country. Now, fresh from the Internet, (which McCain did not invent, either), here's a new homemade ad mocking McCain's claim to techie fame:

Comments (44)

1. Seriously, dumb NEW mistakes are one thing....

   but for nearly a decade, the Right has been laughing at the attack that "Gore said he invented the Internet"...

   and now? McCain's economic advisor says HE (Maverick John) invented the Blackberry?!!??!?

   Seriously, what's next? Maverick going to get blown by an intern and she keeps the dress?

   Posted by Maskdelta at 09/17/2008 @ 10:04pm

2. I think that would require little blue pills Mask, and Grandpa is taking enough meds he doesn't need another. Although with St. Sarah around I bet he's feeling stirrings he hasn't in a long time...

   Posted by yutsano at 09/17/2008 @ 11:16pm

3. grampa and mrs. mooseburger!!!!

   Posted by dexter666 at 09/17/2008 @ 11:54pm

4. mccain/palin is the most moronic, pathetic national ticket in my lifetime, hands down.

   that americans will actually vote for them says even more about how utterly ridiculous this country is.

   Posted by darladoon at 09/18/2008 @ 12:13am

5. Darla, open your mind.

   8 houses, five kids - wow, what a ticket!

   Posted by winyahn at 09/18/2008 @ 12:35am

6. So are you saying she needs to squeeze out three more there Win?

   Posted by yutsano at 09/18/2008 @ 12:59am

7. mccain/palin is the most moronic, pathetic national ticket in my lifetime, hands down.

   that americans will actually vote for them says even more about how utterly ridiculous this country is.

   Posted by darladoon at 09/18/2008 @ 12:13am

   What do you care? You told us you were leaving the US and moving to Canada...did you? if not, why not?

   Posted by lvliberty1 at 09/18/2008 @ 01:30am

8. What do you care? You told us you were leaving the US and moving to Canada...did you? if not, why not?

   Posted by lvliberty1 at 09/18/2008 @ 01:30am

   Sometimes when you care deeply about your country you sacrifice your job, your friends and even your family temporarily and leave the place you love. In order to work to save it from a place that allows you the freedom to do so. It's called voluntary exile. But I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that...

   Posted by chaoszen at 09/18/2008 @ 04:56am

9. The Obamanation campaign is now actively grasping at any straw as the "empty suit" candidate's political rhetoric of inexperience becomes a distant echo.

   Posted by RedRiver_. at 09/18/2008 @ 01:31am

   Have you seen any recent polls lately? Not that I put much stock in them. Obamas lead is in reality probably in the double digits, due to the skewed polling that only surveys people with land lines.

   Unless I vastly overestimate the intelligence of the electorate Obama should win handily. No one in their right mind would vote for McCain/Palin, and I truly believe a majority of voters are still in their right mind. But then again Bush got in for two terms. Elected to office by the Supreme Court in one and elected via election fraud in the other.. So ya never know.

   Posted by chaoszen at 09/18/2008 @ 05:59am

10. Well for McCain it's damned if you do and doamned if you don't. When McCain speaks, crazy things come out. When McCain doesn't speak but his campaign handlers speak for him, crazy things come out. Of course when Palin speaks she makes noise so how about noone from that campaign speak again. Atleast that way the outflow of misinformation can be contained.

    Posted by k330k at 09/18/2008 @ 07:08am

11. Darin: What the hell does that have to do with McCain's outright lies? Just more smoke from the right to avoid the truth...

    Posted by Balrog at 09/18/2008 @ 08:14am

12. Yep, people are 'starting' to figure it out,

    Poll___________Date_____McCain__Obama

    CBS N/NY T__09/12 - 09/16 ___ 44____49

    Quinnipiac___ 09/11 - 09/16____45____49

    Gallup______09/14 - 09/16____45____47

    Rasmussen___09/14 - 09/16____48 ___ 47

    Hotline/FD___09/14 - 09/16____42___ 45

    Reuters/Zogby_09/11 - 09/13____45___ 47

    Newsweek____09/10 - 09/11____46___ 46

    YOU THINK!

    Posted by hsuBfools at 09/18/2008 @ 08:38am

13. mccain/palin is the most moronic, pathetic national ticket in my lifetime, hands down. that americans will actually vote for them says even more about how utterly ridiculous this country is. Posted by darladoon

    I feel the same way.... about obama/biden. I mean Biden? come on.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 08:41am

14. And let's not overlook Obama's complicity in the current financial crisis. His connections to lobbyists for Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac are being ignored by the press.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 08:43am

15. And now it looks like the left is up to their old (and illegal) dirty tricks. Breaking into Palin's personal email account is pretty low.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 08:50am

16. Get back to your bottle Red River.

    Posted by onthehelm at 09/18/2008 @ 08:53am

17. Posted by Darin_the_Troll at 09/18/2008 @ 08:07am

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 08:50am |

    For the record .. at this time it appears it was some "techie" geek who broke in .. and NOT some campaign operative.

    Second, the rationale is valid even if the approach was clearly wrong. It proves that Palin was using a personal email account for state business ... why? The only reason that springs to mind is the same reason BushCo has done the same - to circumvent transparency and keep offiical records from being kept.

    Same old crap we currently have....we need change.

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/18/2008 @ 09:04am

18. Er, McPOWhowmanyMANSIONS, Sep 18, 2008 ... "I was Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee- I can fix this economy"

    Sooo doesn't that mean that McPOWhowmanyMANSIONS is also ADMITTING to setting this financial mess up too-- like he's asking to fix what he caused-- without saying that he actually helped caused it, but chose for some reason, perhaps convenience, not to before, but somehow, perhaps for convenience, wants to now fix it now...

    Yeah, I think most of America and the world for that matter, has had it with new con repubs for continued petty dic'tatorship.

    ENOUGH!

    Posted by hsuBfools at 09/18/2008 @ 09:17am

19. Posted by Balrog at 09/18/2008 @ 08:14am

    It has NOTHING to do with the topic, Balrog...

    because obviously Darin (nor LVLIB, nor RIO/RED, nor ABELL) can actually DEFEND the idiocy of a McCain Campaign higher-up trying claim "We have Blackberrys thanks to Maverick John!"

    So...they try to change the subject.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 09:25am

20. You guys are clowns. McCain never said he invented the Blackberry. One of his staff was making a joke because Al Gore claimed that HE invented the internet. It wasn't a very good joke... but it wasn't serious and MCCAIN never said it. But I think it's hilarious that all these moronic Democrats are talking about it which just brings more and more attention to McCain and the media keeps feeding their ignorance. Keep it up!!!!

    Posted by samworman at 09/18/2008 @ 09:28am

21. Second, the rationale is valid even if the approach was clearly wrong. It proves that Palin was using a personal email account for state business

    Posted by leftofcenter

    Always trying to rationalize illegality.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 09:34am

22. For the record .. at this time it appears it was some "techie" geek who broke in .. and NOT some campaign operative.

    Posted by leftofcenter

    That's true, but he is obviously on the left.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 09:37am

23. Your statement is also true when you say "at this time". Let's wait and see if Obama was behind this. I mean he does come from the Chicago political machine.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 09:39am

24. Posted by samworman at 09/18/2008 @ 09:28am

    "He made a joke"?

    Why did it take Holtz-Eakins OVER A DAY before "discovering" he was "just joking"??!?!?

    Why did Carly Fiorina "joke" about how McCain couldn't run a major corporation?

    Why did MCCAIN say "I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights every part of our economy."

    When the committee's scope legally EXCLUDES "credit, financial services, and housing" -- the very areas now in crisis

    Just joking???

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 09:45am

25. That's true, but he is obviously on the left.----Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 09:37am

    ABEL, the Secret Service is investigating two letter sent to a Michigan Democratic office one threatening Obama, the other using racial slurs...the perps must be

    "obviously on the right"....right?

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 09:46am

26. Posted by darladoon at 09/18/2008 @ 12:13am

    You live in San Francisco Darladoon. I don't think there's anywhere else on earth your acclaimed interests and lifestyle will be more accepted and celebrated.

    And yet you appear so unhappy because of things out of your control. The people just refuse to conform, don't they?

    But I suppose if I believed people who didn't see the world the way I do were "ridiculous" I'd be as narrow minded and miserable as you.

    Be happy. Obama hasn't even lost yet. You talk like he has.

    Posted by freiheit1 at 09/18/2008 @ 10:33am

27. McCain invented the Blackberry?! Wow, that guy has my vote!

    Get real people.

    Posted by freiheit1 at 09/18/2008 @ 10:43am

28. ABEL, the Secret Service is investigating two letter sent to a Michigan Democratic office one threatening Obama, the other using racial slurs...the perps must be "obviously on the right"....right? Posted by Maskdelta

    Are you saying the Democrats are racist free? There is not one racist who is a Democrat?

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 10:46am

29. Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 10:46am

    No, what I'm saying is...if we accept your theory that "it MUST be a lefist who hacked Palin's account"....and I do!

    And you want to press home that point to leftofcenter...

    is it not equally fair to point out that the likely senders of the death threats and racial slurs are ON THE RIGHT?

    If we're going to engage in theories...how about some LIBERTARIAN hacked Palin's e-mail or some hard-core Rightie who still holds that "women don't have no place in Guv'mint!"????

    Or, if you want to invoke straw men, are all Right-wingers INCAPABLE of racism?!?!??!? There are NO racists on the Right????

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 10:58am

30. I am sorry to say there are racist Republicans and Democrats. And there are sexist Republicans and Democrats. You are probably right that a Republican sent the letters and I am probably right that a Democrat hacked her account.

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 11:06am

31. McCain? Blackberry? You've GOT to be joking!

    Is his name on the patent? :-) I have several. Not on a Blackberry, of course. Else I would likely also own more houses than I could easily count too... but I'm hoping my job doesn't get eliminated in layoffs... hey lets declare another war, THAT should get the economy going again. Who should we pick? Hmmmm... Russia? Iran? Pakistan? Is anyone ELSE expecting an "October Surprise"?

    Seriously folks... you would think the electorate would be smart enough to see the truth, but NEVER underestimate stupidity, its will get you killed.

    For instance: letting us get locked into the two-party system, now that is really stupid. Ah, complacency...

    And if that is not enough, please remember that the current administration STOLE the last two elections: Al Gore actually WON in 2000 by popular vote, the friggin' Supreme Court "elected" Chimpco! And as for 2004, remember the EXTREMELY accurate electronic vote counting in Ohio (I have personal knowledge of how easy it is to modify the memory sytems of the machines, we need paper again! Oh yeah those DARNED little chads, they just ruin it for everyone, don't they...). Watch out people!

    Long live the Republic!

    Posted by ucnick at 09/18/2008 @ 11:47am

32. You are probably right that a Republican sent the letters and I am probably right that a Democrat hacked her account.--------Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 11:06am

    That's all I'm saying, ABELL.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 12:06pm

33. OMFG we agree on something?!?

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 12:07pm

34. Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 12:07pm

    Well, sure...that's not impossible.

    Bring up "Federally run universal health care" sometime....little argument from me with you on that.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 12:30pm

35. OMFG we agree on something?!?

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/18/2008 @ 12:07pm Well, sure...that's not impossible.

    Bring up "Federally run universal health care" sometime....little argument from me with you on that.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 12:30pm

    Awwwww. That's sweet. Anyway, if the statement was a joke then it was a bad one. McCain's campaign should have known better. Especially since he just got caught up in "misstatements" regarding how "fundamentally sound" the economy is. Also someone needs to show McCain how to scope out a woman's ass without anyone noticing. I'm just saying....

    Posted by k330k at 09/18/2008 @ 1:16pm

36. Posted by k330k at 09/18/2008 @ 1:16pm

    Well, again, to be fair...McCain was scoping out Palin's breasts, not buttocks.

    Go back and look at the video on YouTube of him announcing her as Veep in Dayton!

    The eyes! the eyes!!!!

    heheh

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 1:25pm

37. Posted by Maskdelta at 09/18/2008 @ 1:25pm

    Oops. My bad.

    Posted by k330k at 09/18/2008 @ 1:29pm

38. Bill Maher said it best... Category 5 Morons!

    Posted by HeleneGrillo at 09/18/2008 @ 2:24pm

39. This Blackberry thing is actually far more serious then any of you or anyone in the media is paying attention to,

    The Blackberry company actually manufactures about 20 other little neat devices that are not available here in the US. Why?

    Because when McCain was in charge of the Commerce Committee, he helped get laws with loopholes passed regarding broadband services that allow some of his favorite lobbyists' companies (AT&T, Verizon, etc) to control just what will be available and what will not. So although you think you have the latest greatest thing with your Blackberry - too bad that people in almost every other country have way more neat stuff to choose from and probably more up to date than we do. Thank you John McCain.

    The difference between what Al Gore actually did (get the US to the #1 position in internet infrastructure and accessibility at the time) and McCain (when he left the Commerce Committee he had succeeded in making us #16) is that Gore pushed for open access - and McCain is all about control by the telecomm industry. Net Neutrality anyone?

    Phooey!

    Posted by lokywoky at 09/18/2008 @ 6:48pm

40. Hi All... I am a new but happy subscriber to the nation... I am looking forward to reading some quality journalism and awaiting the coming issue like a Christmas or Eid.

    Regarding election... Obama and McCain are both shoddy choices for change since neither has the power to change anything but US's image, which is not a real change in politics, economy, or wars.

    Part of me hopes for Obama to win (the baby-step solution towards a true leftist/social president) but part of me hope for McCain/Palin just so that they can mess it up even more and give us another candidate that could really provide sweeping changes under mass-dissidence.

    Go 3rd Parties!

    Posted by malmassa at 09/18/2008 @ 7:16pm

41. Given his slavish devotion to Phil Gramm, McCain is dead meat. In case it hasn't dawned on everyone yet, Wall Street is in full collapse and it ain't going to change before the election.

    It is almost mind boggling that the idiots who precipitated this crisis and the attendant deflation have any credibility left at all, but they still have their defenders, including McCain who'll blame everyone except the suits who dreamed up this mess.

    Who is he defending? People like Gramm who received a plum job from UBS after he carried the water for them in Congress. UBS is the outfit that even recently trained it's scouts in the US on how to illegally promise wealthy recruits that they would never pay US taxes. The corruption in this would-be ruling class is so palpable that even watching Gramm's arrogant face on television leaves a rancid taste in my mouth. This is his McCain economic advisor? Dishonest Jon could have invented sliced bread and it wouldn't save him.

    Posted by ncimon at 09/19/2008 @ 12:45am

42. Second, the rationale is valid even if the approach was clearly wrong. It proves that Palin was using a personal email account for state business Posted by leftofcenter Always trying to rationalize illegality.

    Like the Tea Party.

    Posted by A_Pax_On_Your_Houses at 09/19/2008 @ 01:29am

43. What do you care? You told us you were leaving the US and moving to Canada...did you? if not, why not?

    Posted by lvliberty1 at 09/18/2008 @ 01:30am

    Ms lv....Liberty I know this will be a stunning surprise for you, but the US economic size and power will affect any one in the world wherever you are, so going to Canada will not help much if the morons YOU VOTE FOR take over to destroy what little is left by the W. Bush gang of thugs YOU voted for, which makes you a part of the mess they created. Actually, can you explain to us how is it possible to STILL today vote for a Banana-Republican party that has proven again and again it's not fit to govern???

    Posted by etniks at 09/19/2008 @ 09:09am

44. It is almost mind boggling that the idiots who precipitated this crisis and the attendant deflation have any credibility left at all

    Posted by ncimon

    You're right. We need to throw the bums out of Congress!

    Posted by abell12ct at 09/19/2008 @ 11:08am