I don't think that word means what you think it means...

Today, John McCain reiterated his claim that the "fundamentals of this economy are strong."

That's quite a statement considering the credit crisis we're currently in the and the downfall of our financial investment giants, isn't it? Isn't he aware of the economic emergency this country is facing?

Obama's campaign responds:

"'Today of all days, John McCain's stubborn insistence that the 'fundamentals of the economy are strong' shows that he is disturbingly out of touch with what's going in the lives of ordinary Americans. Even as his own ads try to convince him that the economy is in crisis, apparently his 26 years in Washington have left him incapable of understanding that the policies he supports have created an historic economic crisis,' said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton."

The betting line is now open on how long before we see an Obama ad knocking McCain on this very issue. I'm betting this ad will not include the following text from McCain's speech this morning:

“Today we are seeing tremendous upheaval on Wall Street. The American economy is in crisis. Unemployment is on the rise and our financial markets are in turmoil. People are concerned about our economic future. But let me say something: this economic crisis is not the fault of the American people. Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest working, the best skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world. My opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals of America are strong. No one can match an American worker. Our workers sell more goods to more markets than any other on earth. Our workers have always been the strength of our economy, and they remain the strength of our economy today."

Ah, THOOOOSSSEEE fundamentals. OHHHH!!! Ok, I was confused.

The fundamentals McCain is referring to are the power and output of the American worker and the blue collar economy. But the fact of the matter is that he needs to find a better way to phrase his argument. Not because he's wrong in any way, but because it simply is such an easy phrase for the opposition to attack. The mainstream media revolves around soundbites, not nuances.

Now, based on the phrase 'my opponents may disagree', it is possible that McCain is simply trying to draw Obama into a larger debate on the power of the American workforce, but at the end of the day that seems like quite a gamble considering the easy fodder McCain provided.