McCain the "conservative"

Earlier today presidential hopeful John McCain talked about how he plans to stimulate the sagging economy by using some tried and true conservative tools: cut taxes, eliminate pork, and control spending. '`We are in challenging times. We all recognize that,'' the Arizona senator said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. ``You cannot have declining revenues and severe economic difficulties and balance the budget.'' McCain is calling for new tax cuts and spending reductions to spur economic growth. The economy has emerged as the number one issue among likely voters far outdistancing the situation in Iraq. Jobless claims hover around 5% and new housing starts have dropped to 17 year lows. McCain also urged Congress to susupend the federal gasoline tax for three months and to guarantee that student loans will be available for the fall semester. For someone with such a "tin-ear" when it comes to matters of the economy, McCain seems to understand the basic principles of helping it grow.