McCAin wants to delay debate.......

[whatever]

NEW YORK - Republican John McCain said Wednesday he wants to delay Friday's debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama and temporarily put aside their partisan campaign to resolve the nation's financial crisis.

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McCain's announcement came after the two candidates held private talks about joining forces to address the Wall Street meltdown. The Obama campaign said the Democrat initiated the talks, but McCain beat Obama to the punch with the first public statement calling for the two to rise above politics in a time of crisis.

McCain said the Bush administration's plan seemed headed for defeat and a bipartisan solution was urgently needed.

McCain said he would put politics aside and return to Washington Thursday to focus on the nation's financial problems after addressing former President Clinton's Global Initiative session in New York. McCain said he had spoken to President Bush and asked him to convene a leadership meeting in Washington that would include him and Obama.

"It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal," McCain said. "I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time."

McCain said he has spoken to Obama about his plans and asked the Democratic presidential nominee to join him.

Obama's campaign did not immediate say whether he supported a delay of the debate or would also stop campaigning.

The Obama campaign said in a statement that Obama had called McCain around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to propose that they issue a joint statement in support of a package to help fix the economy as soon as possible. McCain called back six hours later and agreed to the idea of the statement, the Obama campaign said. McCain's statement was issued to the media a few minutes later.

"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved," McCain said. "I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so."

McCain's statement was an effort to show leadership on an issue that has spread economic fears across the country and overshadowed the presidential campaign just six weeks from Election Day. The economy has not been McCain's strongest suit, and his move was an attempt to turn it into an opportunity to show he's the candidate of bipartisanship and action. Recent polls showed Obama with an advantage with voters in handling the economy.

The move put Obama in a bind. Rejecting the idea would allow McCain alone to appear above politics, but agreeing to suspend campaigning and the debate could make Obama look like he's following McCain's lead.

McCain said if Congress does not pass legislation to address the crisis, credit will dry up, people will no longer be able to buy homes, life savings will be at stake and businesses will not have enough money

"If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted," McCain said. "We cannot allow this to happen."

McCain also canceled his planned appearance Wednesday on CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" program.

A senior McCain adviser, Mark Salter, said the campaign would suspend all advertising and campaign events until a workable deal is reached on the bailout proposal — but only if the Obama campaign agrees to do the same.

[janelle]

Obama will gladly delay any debate just to get out of it. LOL

[whatever]

sorry for delay, Had to step away from computer.
Those were my thoughts exactly. Janelle are you reading my mind??

[janelle]

Just reading Obama's actions in the past and not wanting to debate. LOL

[atprm]

This is not good!!! Damn it!!

We are all set for a pig roast and debate party Friday night...


grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[whatever]

This is not good!!! Damn it!!

We are all set for a pig roast and debate party Friday night...


grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

:rofl: :rofl:

[atprm]

Below is McCain's press release... my question is -- if the two candidates will join forces to come up with a solution ---WHO IS PLANNING ON TAKING CREDIT for it??

The article above says that Obama is the first one to come up with this idea, yet it is not mentioned in the release below...

What if Obama did NOT come up with idea first?

They are polar opposites, I don't see them "collaborating" ... it's not even a fair meeting of the minds -- one is not like the other -- guess which one?


John McCain's Remarks on the Economic Crisis
New York, NY
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.

Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns. This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward. I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.

It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration's proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.

Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.

[atprm]

just announced -- Obama does NOT want to cancel the debates.

[speedygirl]

I agree it shouldn't be cancelled. The American people NEED to hear what the candidates say in their own words.

[meltodd69]

Yes the election should go on as scheduled. And that means the debates. It is only a short time until the election. I need to hear each one of them. I'm tired of the he said she said. I want to see it and hear it for myself.
Next thing we will see is lets hold off on the election. LOL

[tngirl]

I think they both need to have their arses in DC doing their jobs. I would much rather SEE what they are going to do about our problems as opposed to HEARING what they are going to do.

[speedygirl]

Below is McCain's press release... my question is -- if the two candidates will join forces to come up with a solution ---WHO IS PLANNING ON TAKING CREDIT for it??

The article above says that Obama is the first one to come up with this idea, yet it is not mentioned in the release below...

What if Obama did NOT come up with idea first?

They are polar opposites, I don't see them "collaborating" ... it's not even a fair meeting of the minds -- one is not like the other -- guess which one?

McCain was just on the CBS evening news and agreed that Sen Obama was the person who took the initiative and called him this morning about the financial crisis. Apparently the press release didn't want to give credit where credit is due.

[janelle]

??? Obama calls McCain to say---hey let's cancel the debates cause the financial problem is more important, McCain makes an announcement to the press to say we need to work on the problem so let's cancel, Obama yells I don't think it's a good idea to cancel.

WTH???

[tngirl]

??? Obama calls McCain to say---hey let's cancel the debates cause the financial problem is more important, McCain makes an announcement to the press to say we need to work on the problem so let's cancel, Obama yells I don't think it's a good idea to cancel.

WTH???
Obama did not suggest they cancel the debates. He suggested that they make the joint statement on the matter.

[speedygirl]

??? Obama calls McCain to say---hey let's cancel the debates cause the financial problem is more important, McCain makes an announcement to the press to say we need to work on the problem so let's cancel, Obama yells I don't think it's a good idea to cancel.

WTH???


McCain was just on the CBS evening news and agreed that Sen Obama was the person who took the initiative and called him this morning about the financial crisis.

They agreed to announce it jointly and apparently McCain's people jumped the gun but it was Obama who suggested they put all partisanship aside to work together.

[janelle]

All this financial debacle hits the fan right before the election. The Senate and Congress are run by the Dems. Coincidence----I think not.

Bush will be on tonight for a speech about it.

[YNKYH8R]

I don't think suspending the debates will help the crisis. I mean...it will take more than one day.

[atprm]

so lets get this up to par:

1) it was obama's idea to cancel the debate initially
2) it was mccain who agreed to it
3) it was mccain's camp who announced it to the world
4) it was obama that said it WASN'T a good idea to cancel it
5) it was obama that said the debates are still on
6) it was mccain who said that there will be no debates unless there is a deal on the table to solve this issue.

the senate and house are democrat controlled and they still can't argue their way out of a paper bag.

*ugh*


so as it stands now... Obama who will not debate but now will debate, will debate with which teleprompter he likes best because Mccain won't be there unless congress gets off their asses and makes a decision one way or another for this debacle that the Feds are now investigating, for businesses that were run by a couple people on Obama's team.

whew...

did I get everything? LOL

[ahippiechic]

It wasn't Obama's idea to cancel at all. It was his idea that they 'work together'.

[janelle]

so lets get this up to par:

1) it was obama's idea to cancel the debate initially
2) it was mccain who agreed to it
3) it was mccain's camp who announced it to the world
4) it was obama that said it WASN'T a good idea to cancel it
5) it was obama that said the debates are still on
6) it was mccain who said that there will be no debates unless there is a deal on the table to solve this issue.

the senate and house are democrat controlled and they still can't argue their way out of a paper bag.

*ugh*


so as it stands now... Obama who will not debate but now will debate, will debate with which teleprompter he likes best because Mccain won't be there unless congress gets off their asses and makes a decision one way or another for this debacle that the Feds are now investigating, for businesses that were run by a couple people on Obama's team.

whew...

did I get everything? LOL

That's about right sargent Firday from Dragnet. LOL

[janelle]

I don't think suspending the debates will help the crisis. I mean...it will take more than one day.

I totally agree. McCain is worried they will pass the problem along and it won't help anything.

[kyliemeg]

I think both of them are so bogged down in the financial crisis. I can understand them postponing and from my understanding it was both of them.

[janelle]

Dick Morris is on O'Reilly and he says McCain will go there tomorrow and solve the problem since he can get the Republicans on board since he is the top guy now and can do it. Then go to the debates on Fri on a white horse. Tada.

Maybe so, we will need to wait and see.

[YNKYH8R]

Dick Morris is on O'Reilly and he says McCain will go there tomorrow and solve the problem since he can get the Republicans on board since he is the top guy now and can do it. Then go to the debates on Fri on a white horse. Tada.

Maybe so, we will need to wait and see.That's funny.:rofl:

[janelle]

Well Obama wants to tax small business----250 thousand is a small business---and they would go under taking jobs away from lots of people. Ya can't tax the problem away. Where is the money in the first place.

[YNKYH8R]

Well Obama wants to tax small business----250 thousand is a small business---and they would go under taking jobs away from lots of people. Ya can't tax the problem away. Where is the money in the first place.
Bailing out Wall Street and over seas to the 'war'. I think $250,000 indvidual income.

By the by...how do you suppose we 'balance the budget'. With out raising taxes?

[speedygirl]

I think both of them are so bogged down in the financial crisis. I can understand them postponing and from my understanding it was both of them.

I think it'd would be a bad move to postpone, IMHO, a person who is running for president should be able to multitask. ;) We need to hear from them now more then ever! Presidents have to deal with multiple issues at a time. It's time for the big boys to learn.

[LuvBigRip]

By the by...how do you suppose we 'balance the budget'. With out raising taxes?

Cut out all earmarks, all pork barrel projects, end full lifetime pensions for politicians who do not serve at least 20 years

[Jolie Rouge]

9/24/2008
What Is Senator Obama’s Job?

Following up on WLS’s post regarding John McCain’s offer to suspend the campaign and debate to consider the bailout package, the Politico reports that Obama’s response included this shot at McCain: http://patterico.com/2008/09/24/obama-makes-a-grievous-tactical-error-in-not-taking-mccain-up-on-his-offer-to-jointly-return-to-dc-to-work-on-financial-package/


“Presidents are going to have to deal with more than one thing at a time,” Obama said. “It’s not necessary for us to think that we can do only one thing, and suspend everything else.”

WLS is exactly right that Obama’s response was tone deaf. Maybe spending $700B is all in a day’s work for President Obama but this seems like an unusual situation to me. But even if Obama has no problem sitting out the bailout debate and his chance to vote “Present,” voters might not agree that his job is running for President. Some might wonder why he isn’t doing his job as a Senator — the job he was elected to do and is getting paid for.

Not surprisingly, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid agrees with Obama that the bailout isn’t important enough to return to the Senate or change the scheduled debate: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/09/harry_reid_says_no_need_for_ob.html


“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) said Wednesday there is no need for Barack Obama and John McCain to rush back to Congress to work on the stalled bailout package and certainly no need to delay the first presidential debate, as McCain is urging. Obama is expected to call for the debate to go on as planned.

Reid said both men returning to their Senate jobs will “risk injecting presidential politics into this process. ….We need leadership, not a campaign photo op,” Reid said. McCain is suspending his campaign–as of Thursday afternoon–until Congress works out a plan. Congress is resisting approving the $700 billion package sent by the White House.”

So if Obama shows up in the Senate it will only be for a photo op? I’ll take Majority Leader Reid’s word for it. After all, he knows Obama’s Senate record better than anyone.

Allahpundit at Hot Air notes it was only yesterday that Harry Reid told McCain to drop everything and come back to the Senate to deal with the bailout. http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/24/reid-changes-his-tune-on-mccain-involvement/

--


But even if Obama has no problem sitting out the bailout debate and his chance to vote “Present,” voters might not agree that his job is running for President. Some might wonder why he isn’t doing his job as a Senator — the job he was elected to do and is getting paid for.

How many votes on the Hill has Obama missed because he could not do the job he asked for - represent his community as their Senator - because he chose - after 143 days - to announce a run for the White House. IJS ...

[jbbarn]

Bailing out Wall Street and over seas to the 'war'. I think $250,000 indvidual income.

By the by...how do you suppose we 'balance the budget'. With out raising taxes?

Well they could start by getting their noses out of things that don't concern them, like everything except National defense. That's the only thing they need to be taking our money for.

[jeanea33]

I would be all for it if anything congress did ever went smooth. Guess this will be interesting, I expect both will grand stand some. Should be interesting to see on what. Do I expect them to agree on anything that happens... no... I expect spin on who did what and who didnt do what.*sigh* But I wanted to see the debate!

[YNKYH8R]

Cut out all earmarks, all pork barrel projects, end full lifetime pensions for politicians who do not serve at least 20 yearsThat equals 9 trillion?

[YNKYH8R]

Well they could start by getting their noses out of things that don't concern them, like everything except National defense. That's the only thing they need to be taking our money for.So...no money for law enforecment, education, FEMA, disaster relief......?

[wobblypops]

Let the states figure out how much they need & get the fed. guberment out of our pockets.

Let's see. Obama-lama-ding-dong wants to debate instead of trying to help fix this mess???? It just goes to show you how one of the canadates is willing to work & do his job that he is being paid to do & the other one is just trying to win a seat in the white house.

I'd rather have the one who is actually willing to do their job.

Here's a friends reply to this situation & since I couldn't have said it beeter I asked him if I could quote him over here & he said "yes".


McCain is the leader in bipartisan legislation. Remember McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, the Gang of 14? By him to going to Washington to help both sides come together on a compromise bill before Friday (the date when finacial experts say it HAS to get done), he is showing REAL leadership. He is showing that his JOB comes first. He is an elected senator, who is collecting a salary, remember?

All Obama has done is show that he lacks any real leadership skills. He said that "I will go to Washington only if they believe I can help". WTF? This guys claims that he is ready to be the President of the United States, but doesn't think he can be of any help to pass the most important piece of financial legislation in this country's history? Seriously?

BTW, those who make the claims that McCain is somehow ducking Obama in the debates, are retarded and haven't been paying attention to the campaign for the past 18 months. Obama is a great teleprompter readers, but is at best an average debater.

In 20 primary debates, Obama lost every single one. Hillary cleaned his clock in EVERY one on one debate, and in the full field debates Obama only looked better than Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson. Hillary, John Edwards, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd beat him every time out. Meanwhile, McCain won quite a few of the GOP debates, including the one that catapulted him to his New Hampshire primary victory.

[DrHolliday]

I would be all for it if anything congress did ever went smooth. Guess this will be interesting, I expect both will grand stand some. Should be interesting to see on what. Do I expect them to agree on anything that happens... no... I expect spin on who did what and who didnt do what.*sigh* But I wanted to see the debate!

I expect a lot of grandstanding too. In the end though, I think it will pass. If it doesn't, the economy will definitely go into a recession. And it will be hard for incumbents to get re-elected if that happens.

[atprm]

unfortunately, it won't be a recession -- it will be a DEPRESSION.


no debate = no pig roast :( damn it now I will have to think something up for dinner on Friday.

[LuvBigRip]

That equals 9 trillion?

It is a start, you have to start somewhere.


The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2008 Pig Book identified 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2008.


The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2007 Pig Book identified 2,658 projects at a cost of $13.2 billion in the Defense and Homeland Security Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2007


The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2006 Pig Book identified 9,963 projects in the 11 appropriations bills that constitute the discretionary portion of the federal budget for fiscal 2006, costing taxpayers $29 billion.


The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2005 Pig Book identified a record 13,997 projects in the 13 appropriations bills that constitute the discretionary portion of the federal budget for fiscal 2005, costing taxpayers $27.3 billion


A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.


http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2005


Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least five years of service. They are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80 percent of his or her final salary. As of October 1, 2000, the average annual pension for members of Congress who have retired under CSRS is $52,464, and $46,932 for retirees under FERS-only or both FERS/CSRS.


http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/retirement_for_members.shtml

[ElleGee]

The debates should go on as planned. What do either one of those knuckleheads have to do with the financial crisis? Hold someones hand? They aren't president yet so they should stop pussy footing around and get this chit going already..

[LuvBigRip]

The debates should go on as planned. What do either one of those knuckleheads have to do with the financial crisis? Hold someones hand? They aren't president yet so they should stop pussy footing around and get this chit going already..

Congress and the Senate control the finances. The President only signs the bills or veto's them. They have a lot to do with the crisis.

Personally I would rather see action rather than a whole lot more talk.

[Jolie Rouge]

Let's see. Obama-lama-ding-dong wants to debate instead of trying to help fix this mess???? It just goes to show you how one of the canadates is willing to work & do his job that he is being paid to do & the other one is just trying to win a seat in the white house.

I'd rather have the one who is actually willing to do their job.



:yeah:

[ahippiechic]

They should be able to do their job and the debates too.

[Jolie Rouge]

They should be able to do their job and the debates too.

I think it may be a matter of logistics .... why not MOVE the debate site to DC and then they can do both ?

[ahippiechic]

I'm up for video debates, live conferencing etc.

[Jolie Rouge]

I'm up for video debates, live conferencing etc.

Now why aren't WE making the big bucks ??

[ahippiechic]

Yeah, I can even set it up for them. For a price, lol!

[Jolie Rouge]

15 questions for the first debate
By the Monitor's Editorial Board
Thu Sep 25, 4:00 AM ET

Barack Obama and John McCain square off Friday night in their first debate as nominees. The topic will be global affairs. With so many demands on American resources at home, voters may wonder if foreign policy really matters. It does, for both peace and prosperity. Here are 15 questions that the Monitor hopes will be asked:

1. When horrific war crimes or a humanitarian crisis occurs in another country, should the United States intervene – even if the United Nations refuses to approve? What would be your threshold for such a crisis to justify US military action?

2. Some experts contend that the US should address the security fears of Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China in order to prevent these countries from becoming threats to others. Do you agree with this approach?

3. What are the three most important steps to achieve American energy security?

4. Would you compel Americans to adopt standards on carbon emissions even if China and India do not take similar actions?

5. And why do you prefer a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gases when that approach has not worked in Europe – whereas a carbon tax in Sweden did help lower greenhouse-gas emissions?

6. If US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan largely ends during your first term, how would you then change the American military based on your reading of its potential roles?

7. The international community has helped reduce extreme poverty by almost half a billion people since 1990. What would you do to reduce poverty in other countries, especially in Africa, in addition to what President Bush has already done?

8. Every president who has tried to solve the Palestinian question has failed. How would your approach be different?

9. Is it possible to greatly reduce illegal immigration from Mexico by helping improve the quality of life in that country? How would you do that?

10. Name three things the United Nations does well.

11. Does the US have a special role in the world as the guardian of international security and as the indispensable leader of the world community?

12. Both of you support Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO, making them allies. Are the American people ready to jeopardize their soldiers in defense of these countries if they are attacked?

13. What steps would you take to open foreign markets now closed to US goods, to allow export of products and services that the US does well?

14. Roughly what proportion of US resources should go toward helping and protecting other nations compared with the resources that are needed to build up America?

15. Twenty years ago, Islamic terrorism was a sleeper issue. Some people warned about it, but few paid much attention to it. Same thing for climate change. In your opinion, what is today's sleeper issue?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080925/cm_csm/edebate;_ylt=Aq5fU8YQgMgYzNKwww7uXkus0NUE

[SurferGirl]

I can really understand how McCain is needed to solve the problem with the financial crisis.

But what is Obama going to do, vote present?

[Jolie Rouge]

I can really understand how McCain is needed to solve the problem with the financial crisis.

But what is Obama going to do, vote present?

More then he usually does ....

[janelle]

The debate will go on, case closed. :star:

[Jolie Rouge]

Letterman unloads on McCain for not showing up
Thu Sep 25, 9:33 AM ET[/i]

NEW YORK - "Late Show" host David Letterman treated John McCain's decision to cancel an appearance on his talk show more like a stupid human trick than the act of a statesman.

The Republican presidential candidate said he was halting his campaign activities Wednesday, citing the need to deal with the nation's financial crisis, and called Letterman to drop out of the show's late-night lineup. On the air Wednesday night, Letterman assailed McCain's rationale and, with prickly humor, questioned whether the nominee — now trailing in some polls — was in trouble.

"This doesn't smell right," Letterman said. "This is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."

McCain spokeswoman Nicole Wallace said Thursday that the campaign "felt this wasn't a night for comedy."

"We deeply regret offending Mr. Letterman, but our candidate's priority at this moment is to focus on this crisis," Wallace said on NBC's "Today" show.

Letterman called McCain "a true American hero" but told his viewers: "This is not the John McCain I know, by God. It makes me believe something is going haywire with the campaign."

Instead of suspending a campaign, Letterman said, a presidential candidate should go to Washington to deal with a crisis and let his running mate shoulder the burdens of politicking. "That's what you do. You don't quit. ... Or is that really a good thing to do?" Letterman said, a reference to McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "What's the problem? Where is she? Why isn't she doing that?" he asked.

Letterman later asked: "Are we suspending it because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"

Making matters worse for McCain, his replacement was MSNBC's "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann, a constant critic of the Arizona senator.

McCain told the CBS show that he was immediately flying back to Washington, Letterman told his audience. Then Letterman showed a TV feed of McCain being made-up for an appearance on news anchor Katie Couric's "CBS Evening News."

"Doesn't seem to be racing to the airport, does he?" Letterman said. "This just gets uglier and uglier."

As McCain spoke to Couric, Letterman shouted at the feed: "Hey, John, I've got a question. Do you need a ride to the airport?"

Letterman later said: "We're told now that the senator has concluded his interview with Katie Couric and he's now on Rachael Ray's show making veal piccata. ... What are you going to do?"


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_letterman;_ylt=AjESo_qSREo1khq06CwWigeyFz4D



Making matters worse for McCain, his replacement was MSNBC's "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann, a constant critic of the Arizona senator.

Real subtle, dave.... :rolleyes:

[janelle]

AWWW the poor baby. Blahhh.

I wish they would make up their minds about the debate.

[SurferGirl]

The democrats are blaming the mess that they created on the republicans.
The democrats wanted all these loans to lower income people and they wanted to get them into homes with nothing down and these ridiculas mortgages. I really don't think the taxpayers should have to pay for the irresponsibility of the mortgage industry and we shouldn't have to bail out those that bought more house than they could afford.

[Jolie Rouge]

Debate prospects questionable
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
41 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Prospects were questionable at best that John McCain and Barack Obama would meet Friday for their first presidential debate as progress appeared to dissolve between Congress and the Bush administration on a $700 billion financial industry bailout.

McCain didn't plan to participate in the debate unless there was a consensus. Obama still wants the face-off to go on, arguing that Americans need to hear from the candidates. The Democrat was scheduled to travel to the debate site in Oxford, Miss., on Friday.

"I believe that it's very possible that we can get an agreement in time for me to fly to Mississippi," McCain said late Thursday. "I understand how important this debate is and I'm very hopeful. But I also have to put the country first."

In turn, Obama said: "It is my intention to be in Mississippi and obviously the biggest priority is making sure that we get this deal done. But I also think it's important to describe to the American people where the next president wants to take the country and how he's going to deal with this crisis."

Both candidates made the rounds on network evening news programs after meeting on the crisis with President Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders at the White House. McCain did not participate in late-night negotiations on Capitol Hill but worked the phones from his Virginia home. A senior McCain official said McCain hasn't signed on to any one proposal, though he does agree there needs to be a greater protection for taxpayers.

The debate over the debate is the latest campaign twist as McCain and Obama try to navigate the uncharted politics of the financial meltdown and show leadership at a time of national angst.

In Mississippi, debate organizers continued to prepare, and Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, told a news conference he expected the debate to go on. "This is going to be a great debate tomorrow night," Barbour said.

Television networks, too, said they were moving forward.

Presidential politics ran smack into the delicate discussions over how to stop further weakening the sagging economy.

As McCain returned to Washington at midday, Democratic and Republican negotiators emerged from a closed-door meeting to report an agreement in principle. An Obama campaign official said the Illinois senator called into the meeting. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said McCain didn't participate, but held talks with Republican leaders afterward.

A few hours later, the rivals attended the private White House meeting, which officials in both parties described as contentious. They sat three seats away from the president, McCain to his right, Obama to his left. As the meeting broke up, it became apparent that any tentative agreement had started to dissolve.

Afterward, Obama said he tried to understand the objections to the approach being taken by congressional leaders and the Bush administration.

"The question I asked was, 'Well, do we need to start from scratch or are there ways to incorporate some of those concerns?'" Obama said. "At this point the president, the secretary of the Treasury and those who are expressing some of these concerns have to provide some clarity."

Several Republicans and Democrats briefed on the White House meeting said House Republican Leader John Boehner raised the concerns of some of his rank and file about the emerging plan, and McCain urged cooperation by all parties to craft a compromise proposal that would get enough support to pass the House and Senate.

McCain said he knew going in to the meeting that progress wasn't as far along as it seemed.

"There never was a deal, but I do believe the meeting was important to move the process along," McCain said. "It gave us a renewed sense of urgency and I'm confident we will move forward, and I'm confident that we will reach a conclusion."

Obama, for his part, held a news conference at a Washington hotel and suggested McCain was part of the problem.

"I'm not clear that in a very difficult situation like this that doing things in the spotlight and injecting presidential politics is necessarily useful," Obama said.

Before heading to Washington, both candidates spoke to President Clinton's Global Initiative — McCain in person in New York, Obama via satellite.

McCain again portrayed his announced halt to campaign events, fundraising and advertising as an example of putting the country before politics. But in doing so he also hoped to get political credit for a decisive step on a national crisis as polls show him trailing Obama on the economy and slipping in the presidential race.

Despite his stated hiatus, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, paid a highly visible visit to memorials in lower Manhattan to those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and McCain campaign aides appeared on news programs. Chief strategist Steve Schmidt said all television advertising was "down."

Industry officials said Obama's campaign was inquiring about buying airtime made available where McCain was absent. But McCain's campaign also has indicated to TV stations that it may soon return to the airwaves.

Obama's campaign derided McCain's claim to have halted activity as a political stunt.

Spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement: "John McCain hasn't suspended his campaign, he only wants us to suspend disbelief."

In turn, Schmidt said Obama was acting in "politically predatory fashion" by seeking McCain's abandoned air time.

Obama, for his part, didn't curtail any of his campaign activities. In fact, the Democrat also rolled out a new 60-second, TV ad in which he cited economic policies endorsed by Bush and McCain as essentially to blame for the troubles.

Burton said Schmidt's claim was "categorically false" and that the campaign has not bought any air time since McCain announced his "suspension." He said Obama's 60-second spot was replacing 30-second ads currently on the air.

"For eight years we've been told that the way to a stronger economy was to give huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest. Cut oversight on Wall Street. And somehow all Americans would benefit," Obama says in the ad. "Well now we know the truth."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_financial_meltdown;_ylt=AlcI56uBKQ1h31I FSzok1xqs0NUE

[Jolie Rouge]

September 25, 2008
The Debate Dance
Byron York

For most of today, I've thought that the debate would go on as scheduled in Mississippi tomorrow night. Now, I'm not so sure.

I think Obama made a small but important concession when he decided to stay in Washington overnight instead of returning to Florida for more debate prep. By doing that, he seems to have admitted that he needs to be here to be a part of the deal-making at the Capitol. Once he has done that, what will be his reason for taking off to Mississippi tomorrow, if there is no breakthrough, or at least near-breakthrough, by then? McCain has quite successfully pulled Obama into this, so that Obama might now face as much risk leaving critical negotiations to go to the debate as McCain faces by skipping it.


http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MmUyYzQ2Y2E3MzhkN2JkMTIxNjRkMWU0ZDZmMzE4YWY=

[janelle]

Who would Obama debate if McCain isn't there? LOL Ann Coulter said he should debate Biden since they disagree on so much. HAHAHAHAHA

[YNKYH8R]

The idea of giving loans to people who can't afford them is foolish. just so that they will....'have a place to live'?

If they lived in almost any other country...they'd be dead.

In this country there are no POOR people..there is always assistance SOMEWHERE.

[whatever]

The idea of giving loans to people who can't afford them is foolish. just so that they will....'have a place to live'?

If they lived in almost any other country...they'd be dead.

In this country there are no POOR people..there is always assistance SOMEWHERE.

If you are referring to this 700 billion buyout I couldn't agree more. I totally disagree with it!!! I don't understand where you mean they would be dead however? But I think alot of people try to live ABOVE their means. NO not everyone. I do realize there are some that things happen in life, medical, lose of a job etc. However many people try to get the nice house, car etc all at once. I have seen it with my friends and they are now going thru foreclosure and divorces!

[DrHolliday]

Who would Obama debate if McCain isn't there? LOL Ann Coulter said he should debate Biden since they disagree on so much. HAHAHAHAHA

LOL Now that wasn't nice. :nono

[DrHolliday]

The debate is on. McCain will be there tonight.

Great press statement released by the McCain IMO.

http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2008/09/nets_report_mccain_going_to_de.html

"John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis.

In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bailout bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices.


Both parties in both houses of Congress and the administration needed to come together to find a solution that would deserve the trust of the American people. And while there were attempts to do that, much of yesterday was spent fighting over who would get the credit for a deal and who would get the blame for failure. There was no deal or offer yesterday that had a majority of support in Congress. There was no deal yesterday that included adequate protections for the taxpayers. It is not enough to cut deals behind closed doors and then try to force it on the rest of Congress -- especially when it amounts to thousands of dollars for every American family.


The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections.


Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners."

[speedygirl]

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 5 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - Republican John McCain agreed to attend the first presidential debate Friday night even though Congress doesn't have a bailout deal, reversing an earlier decision to delay the event until Washington had taken action to address the crisis.

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With less than 10 hours until the debate was scheduled to start, the McCain campaign announced that the Arizona senator would travel to the University of Mississippi. The campaign said that afterward McCain would return to Washington to continue working on the financial crisis.

Obama had always planned to attend the debate and was aboard his plane preparing to take off when McCain's announcement was made. McCain quickly moved to his own private aircraft and headed South with his wife and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his wife, Judith, on board.

The action contradicted the position McCain had taken Wednesday, when he announced, "I'm directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis."

McCain had also said he would suspend all campaign activities, but in reality the campaign just shifted to Washington while the work of trying to win the election went on.

McCain had taken a gamble with the move, trying to appear above politics and as a leader on an issue that had overshadowed the presidential campaign and given him trouble. But Democratic rival Barack Obama had not bowed to McCain's challenge, and instead questioned why the Republican nominee couldn't handle two things at once — the debate and involvement in the bailout negotiations.

An Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll out Friday just before McCain's announcement showed the public overwhelmingly wanted the candidates to debate, 60 percent to 22 percent, with the rest undecided.

By Friday morning, it appeared McCain was looking for a face-saving way to get to the debate even though a deal had not been reached. He met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, before heading to his campaign headquarters and issuing a statement that blamed others in Washington for the failure to reach an agreement.

"John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis," the statement said. "In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bail out bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices."

Just before McCain's announcement, Obama told reporters that he had spent Friday morning on the phone with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and congressional leaders and he was optimistic that progress was being made toward a bailout deal.

"At this point, my strong sense is that the best thing that I can do, rather than to inject presidential politics into these delicate negotiations, is to go down to Mississippi and explain to the American people what is going on and my vision for leading the country over the next four years," Obama told reporters aboard his campaign plane as they prepared to travel to Mississippi.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a McCain supporter, said the Republican made a "huge mistake" by even discussing canceling the debate.
"You can't just say, 'World, stop for a moment. I'm going to cancel everything,'" Huckabee told reporters Thursday night in Alabama before attending a benefit for the University of Mobile. He said it's more important for voters to hear from the presidential candidates than for them to huddle with fellow senators in Washington.
Both McCain and Obama had returned to Washington on Thursday at the urging of President Bush, who invited them to a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. But a session aimed at showing unity in resolving the financial crisis broke up with conflicts in plain view.

McCain's campaign said the meeting "devolved into a contentious shouting match" and implied Obama was at fault — on a day when McCain said he was putting politics aside to focus on the nation's financial problems.

Democrats differed, saying the refusal of McCain and other Republicans to support the plan worked out by congressional negotiators was creating a road block.

"The insertion of presidential politics has not been helpful," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Friday.

When asked whether the meeting was a mistake, Obama replied, "I'm not sure it was as productive as it could have been. I think at this point it's important to just move forward."

[LuvBigRip]

(CNN) -- Talk about a last-minute reprieve. Tonight's presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi was nearly a casualty of the financial crisis. It's back on schedule.

But hopefully, not back on script. Given all that took place this week, it's obvious that the format of the debate should be immediately revamped to focus not on foreign affairs and national security as planned but on the one subject every American is talking about: the economic crisis.

It would be surreal to watch Barack Obama and John McCain debate what to do in Baghdad or Kabul when the country's attention is fixed on Wall Street.

At some point, the candidates will have to make plain what they would do to fix the crisis, restore Americans' confidence and rally their respective parties in support of a common vision.

It's not enough for them to show that they understand the problem. They have to lead the way to a solution and show that they have the will, courage and strength to get us there.

Earlier this week, McCain abruptly suspended his campaign and requested that the debate be postponed until Congress finishes the heavy lifting of approving a bailout. That put Obama and McCain in a classic Mexican standoff with each trying to look presidential, while attempting to map out a course that would benefit him politically.

Some in the Obama-friendly media were quick to dismiss McCain's move as a political stunt. I don't know. It's not like launching one's candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, in the hopes of conjuring up comparisons to Abraham Lincoln, or moving one's convention speech to a football stadium to accommodate a larger crowd.

I think McCain deserves applause for having his priorities straight. For the past several days, the media and members of both parties have been scaring the daylights out of the American people by calling this the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression.

This week, President Bush warned that our current situation threatens not just the lending industry but also the entire U.S. economy.

After all the doom and gloom, pundits were then somehow surprised when McCain decided to temporarily suspend his presidential campaign and return to his day job in Congress, where he tried to work out a bailout deal with his colleagues. Well at least most of his colleagues.

Despite having decried the economic crisis in near-apocalyptic terms in an attempt to lay blame on President Bush and, by association, McCain, the junior senator from Illinois didn't feel the urgency to show up for work and try to do what he could to address it. Obama certainly has standing and more than his share of influence. This is, after all, the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party.

Unfortunately, he also looks like someone who is so focused on what he hopes will be his next job that he has lost interest in his current one.

McCain showed real leadership this week. And frankly, if we were more accustomed to seeing that sort of thing from our elected officials, we might be less cynical and better able to recognize it on the rare occasions when it surfaces.

The clock is running down on the Bush administration. It is almost time to hand off the baton. The financial crisis will no doubt become McCain's No. 1 agenda item if he is elected president. Or it will be Obama's No. 1 agenda item if he is elected.

This issue is as difficult as they come. I get that. It requires making sacrifices, wrestling with tough choices and telling Americans the hard and unpleasant truth -- all the things that politicians hate to do.

Too bad. The presidential candidates can't run from this issue any more than the rest of the country can. That's why both of them should have cleared their plate and gotten to work on a solution. But only one did

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/26/navarrette.obama.mccain/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[Jolie Rouge]

The idea of giving loans to people who can't afford them is foolish. just so that they will....'have a place to live'?

If they lived in almost any other country...they'd be dead.


I don't understand where you mean they would be dead however?


I think he means ( and I am sure someone will correct me if I get it wrong ) that in other countries there is NO "Section 8" goverment subsidized housing ... you don't have means to PAY for your roof, you live on the street. If you don't have a way to get food, there is NO food stamp office. As we saw after the events in Bruma, there was NO goverment assistance after a major disaster, people were left to fend for themselves and even assistance from other countries was highjacked by their own goverment for their own use. The "poor" in our country live better then the "middle class" in most of the world.



Did I get it, YNKYH8R ?

[speedygirl]

Letterman unloads on McCain for not showing up
Thu Sep 25, 9:33 AM ET[/i]

NEW YORK - "Late Show" host David Letterman treated John McCain's decision to cancel an appearance on his talk show more like a stupid human trick than the act of a statesman.

The Republican presidential candidate said he was halting his campaign activities Wednesday, citing the need to deal with the nation's financial crisis, and called Letterman to drop out of the show's late-night lineup. On the air Wednesday night, Letterman assailed McCain's rationale and, with prickly humor, questioned whether the nominee — now trailing in some polls — was in trouble.

"This doesn't smell right," Letterman said. "This is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."

McCain spokeswoman Nicole Wallace said Thursday that the campaign "felt this wasn't a night for comedy."

"We deeply regret offending Mr. Letterman, but our candidate's priority at this moment is to focus on this crisis," Wallace said on NBC's "Today" show.

Letterman called McCain "a true American hero" but told his viewers: "This is not the John McCain I know, by God. It makes me believe something is going haywire with the campaign."

Instead of suspending a campaign, Letterman said, a presidential candidate should go to Washington to deal with a crisis and let his running mate shoulder the burdens of politicking. "That's what you do. You don't quit. ... Or is that really a good thing to do?" Letterman said, a reference to McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "What's the problem? Where is she? Why isn't she doing that?" he asked.

Letterman later asked: "Are we suspending it because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"

Making matters worse for McCain, his replacement was MSNBC's "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann, a constant critic of the Arizona senator.

McCain told the CBS show that he was immediately flying back to Washington, Letterman told his audience. Then Letterman showed a TV feed of McCain being made-up for an appearance on news anchor Katie Couric's "CBS Evening News."

"Doesn't seem to be racing to the airport, does he?" Letterman said. "This just gets uglier and uglier."

As McCain spoke to Couric, Letterman shouted at the feed: "Hey, John, I've got a question. Do you need a ride to the airport?"

Letterman later said: "We're told now that the senator has concluded his interview with Katie Couric and he's now on Rachael Ray's show making veal piccata. ... What are you going to do?"


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_letterman;_ylt=AjESo_qSREo1khq06CwWigeyFz4D




Real subtle, dave.... :rolleyes:

McCain is appearing on Letterman Thursday night for the John and Dave make-up show. lol.