McCain tries to pretend he cares about homeowners

After his whole "screw people who are losing their homes" schtick went over badly, John McCain is trying to look like he gives a damn about those struggling Americans. But TPM reader YA makes it clear just how much of this is pretense:

[I]t's typical Republican bamboozlement. McCain says that perhaps a few hundred thousand homeowners deserve ever so slightly more help than they're already receiving, but that millions of others should lose their homes. And it's worth pointing out that most analysts agree that the number of folks who would be helped by this plan is probably much smaller than Holtz-Eakin estimates. There's really not much difference between his initial position and his bold new plan - they both amount to inaction.

So I'd suggest that right after they note that "John McCain says he'd be happy to see our troops in Iraq for another hundred years," the Democrats would do well to add, "John McCain says that millions of Americans deserve to lose their homes." All it's going to take to beat this guy is telling the public where he stands.

So to be clear: McCain doesn't care if people lose their homes. A few weeks ago, he was happy to say so. He's since realized that appearing not to care was a mistake, and is trying to reverse that (accurate) perception. But he still doesn't give a damn, and his supposedly brand spankin' new plan reflects that.

Obama and Clinton are slamming him hard on this one:

"I’m glad he’s finally offered a plan. Better late than never," Mr. Obama said. "But don’t expect any real answers. Don’t expect it to actually help struggling families. Because Senator McCain’s solution to the housing crisis seems a lot like the George Bush solution of sitting by and hoping it passes while families face foreclosure and watch the value of their homes decline."