Tennessee political figures who came into the media tent after last night’s debate all said their party’s candidate won, just like you’d expect them to. But many were intrigued at Republican John McCain’s idea to shore up home prices.
McCain says he’d like to intervene in housing markets to support home values.
Brentwood Republican Marsha Blackburn says helping homeowners is better than the bailout plan Congress approved last week.
“This is a plan that would specifically target troubled mortgages and individuals who are in a situation, rather than bailing out Wall Street take those dollars and put it to main street.”
Blackburn did not vote for the bailout proposal and says she’ll have to examine McCain’s idea to spend more taxpayer dollars rescuing homeowners.
Tennessee Democrats like former Congressman Harold Ford Junior weren’t so sure McCain’s plan would work.
“The way he proposed it tonight, I don’t know how you’d actually achieve it because I don’t know how, you and I, who would we negotiate with? Is the Treasury going to send someone down? I think a lot of the Republicans would ask is this another big government intrusion.”
Democrat Barack Obama laid the blame of the mortgage crisis at the feet of the Bush administration. McCain says mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were what started the mess.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM