If a deal on the Wall Street bailout truly is at hand, John McCain’s call to delay Friday’s first presidential debate should be moot. It’s time that McCain and Barack Obama faced off, not just for the 18 percent of undecided voters but for the country. But there has been much speculation about McCain’s motives. David Letterman (in photo with McCain from April) exhaustively chided the candidate on Wednesday’s “Late Show” for putting his campaign on hold to focus on the financial crisis, especially because McCain canceled Letterman but did an interview with CBS News’ Katie Couric. “You’re a fourth term senator from Arizona. You handle what you need to handle. Don’t suspend your campaign. You let your campaign go on, shouldered by your vice presidential nominee,” Letterman said.
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Obama’s past financial dealings should be part of the “debate”:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/1184049,CST-NWS-watchdog25.article
Obama gets a state grant, for one of his supporters, in the amount of $100,000.00. The money is to help build a “botanical garden”.
The Illinois AG wants to know where the money went. NO garden was ever built!
“A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports, about whether the money might have been misspent.
The garden was never built. And now state records obtained by the Sun-Times show $65,000 of the grant money went to the wife of Kenny B. Smith, the Obama 2000 congressional campaign volunteer who heads the Chicago Better Housing Association, which was in charge of the project for the blighted South Side neighborhood.
Smith wrote another $20,000 in grant-related checks to K.D. Contractors, a construction company that his wife, Karen D. Smith, created five months after work on the garden was supposed to have begun, records show. K.D. is no longer in business.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan — a Democrat who is supporting Obama’s presidential bid — is investigating “whether this charitable organization properly used its charitable assets, including the state funds it received,” Cara Smith, Madigan’s deputy chief of staff, said Wednesday.”
In a debate scheduled to be on “foreign policy”? If so, then Sen. McCain’s prior economic positions and association also should be fair game, right, Franklin?
Or even the issue over the firm the current campaign manager appears to have an ownership stake in which reportedly continue to receive the $15,000 per month from Freddie Mac (until last month)? While no direct payments were received by the individual himself, the $15,000 per month “access money” surely increased the worth of the asset. BTW, Franklin, I’ve noted that in the attacks against the NY Times on this issue, careful reading of the language discloses no dispute on the issue of the payments themselves, just on the reporting as I read it.
And let’s not forget about McCain’s dealing with the Keating 5 scandal.
If Obama’s life is up for debate (as it should be) then McCain’s life is up for debate also.
Also, Franklin, you’re pushing for investigations into Obama (which is only fair) then I assume you are also in agreement for continuing the investigation into Palins’ abuse of power in the Troopergate situation?
mom-
McCain was convicted of what, exactly?
If no conviction = no problem, as is being used for Ayers, it applies to McCain also. Oh, wait, McCain didn’t admit publically to anything. Didn’t Ayers?
“Also, Franklin, you’re pushing for investigations into Obama (which is only fair) then I assume you are also in agreement for continuing the investigation into Palins’ abuse of power in the Troopergate situation”
ALthough I cannot speak for Franklin, I speak for myself when I say “INVESTIGATE”
This article was good, even pointed out that McCain took a play from Obama’s playbook of 2006 in running to the microphone to “one up” the situation. I chuckled at this wrap-up paragraph.
————–
“Whether McCain’s crazy gambit is seen as desperate or brilliant, it doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s probably not the last. The beneficial effects of the Palin Hail Mary lasted only a few weeks, and another adrenaline injection was needed. If this one doesn’t work, that’s OK—in due time they can try another razzle-dazzle play. And if it does work, that’s great—in due time they can still try another razzle-dazzle play. It all makes the prospect of a McCain White House very exciting. So exciting, he might want to schedule periodic suspensions of his presidency to get anything done.”
http://www.slate.com/id/2200867/
Bwaak buc buc bucbuc BWAAAK WAAK
Chicken talk for a chickensh! t.
And where, oh where, is Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager who was on Freddie Mac’s payroll to the tune of 15 grand a month as recently as July?
Come out, come out, wherever you are?
He must be hiding at the undisclosed location where they keep Cheney and Palin’s tax records.
David Letterman in my opinion is an inmature lib funnyman trying to make hay at somebody else’s expense. I guess that is why they get the big bucks. Hey, I bet he’s making too much and the dems will want part of it, unless he makes a big donation to them. There is no pleasing the news media I don’t care what either candidate says or does.
But remember Capn – he wasn’t REGISTERED.
Gee, I wonder if that is a vioaltion itself?
A debate question for McCain?
‘McCain Camp Lawyer Illegally Advising In Alaska; Palin Attorney General In Hiding‘
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donald-craig-mitchell/mccain-camp-lawyer-illega_b_128663.html
The pickle O’Callaghan’s wagging tongue has gotten its owner into is that, pursuant to Alaska Statute 8.08.230, a person who is not a member of the Alaska Bar who while physically present in Alaska “engages in the practice of law” is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. And in Alaska the “practice of law” includes “rendering legal consultation or advice.”
It would be interesting to know what John McCain thinks about having a criminal serving on his legal team. It also would be interesting to know whether Talis Colberg, Sarah Palin’s attorney general, intends to prosecute O’Callaghan. And if he doesn’t, why not?”
George–
Time to wheel you away from the keyboard and set you in front of Fox News for your daily indoctrination.
Shake the cane at the TV and bellow about liberals.
Do you good!
The McCain campaign is on the ropes, so they’re calling for a “time out.”
Uh . . . yeah.
Good luck with that.
Look it’s pretty simple. Even “quick” legislative action will take a few days. Neither McCain nor Obama are on the Banking Committee. Sure, they can participate in the debate in Washington, but as presidential candidates, they also need to participate in the debate in America.
Unless we’re looking at a Friday night/Saturday morning vote on passage, no amendments pending (with no chance for the America people to review the package–they work for us, remember?), there is no reason to cancel the debate.
And let’s hope the rumors of rescheduling this for the same day as the Biden-Palin debate were just rumors. That’s just disgusting.
Yes, the government should work quick on this, but let’s not make quick work of democracy.
Thank you for this thread. Letting the second team in to cover while you’re out is not an option for McCain because that would require bringing Palin out of her secret undisclosed location. That will not happen. There was a rumor spread that the McCain team was wanting to reschedule the 1st McCain/Obama debate to next Thrusday, which coincidently would be when the Biden/Palin debate was supposed to be.
Recent news: Obama is determined to go forward with debate in Oxford, MS whether McCain is there or not. He will turn it into a town hall meeting, an interview, or some combination. Good for him.
Message for McCain: sometimes those “Hail-Mary” passes get intercepted and returned for touchdowns.
I’m Sure Ralph Nader and Bob Barr would glady take McCain’s spot in the Debate
Here’s one for ya, Franklin: McCain partying with a indicted con man:
Although John McCain has made condemning the influence of lobbyists in Washington one of his signature issues, his own campaign is largely run by high-powered lobbyists, including his campaign manager, Rick Davis.
The connection with Davis appears to be behind McCain’s having spent his 70th birthday partying on the yacht of Italian conman Raffaello Follieri — who hired Davis’s business partner to lobby for him just a few months later — along with Follieri’s then-girlfriend, actress Anne Hathaway. The date was Aug. 29, 2006 and the place was Montenegro, where McCain had traveled with a delegation of US senators to celebrate that nation’s independence.
Although the meeting has been reported previously, the Nation has now confirmed it with a photo of John McCain preparing to board Follieri’s yacht. Rachel Maddow offered an exclusive preview of the photograph on her new MSNBC program on Wednesday, noting that it “appears to undercut the well-crafted, focus group-tested image of John McCain being pushed on the American people.”
Follieri, who was arrested in April for allegedly passing a bad check, has just pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of money-laundering resulting from a scheme in which he obtained millions of dollars in investments by claiming to have connections in the Vatican.
“The McCain campaign has confirmed the senator’s encounter with the conman guy,” Maddow noted, “telling the New York Daily News it was ‘entirely social’ and ‘nothing came of it.’” She went on to wonder how come, in that case, “it is Barack Obama who is the celebrity, when McCain is the one spending his birthday on a yacht in the Adriatic Sea with a faboo movie star and her conman Italian boyfriend?”
Maddow was then joined by Ari Berman, co-author of the Nation article on the McCain-Follieri encounter, who suggested that McCain “has a little bit of a celebrity fetish.”
Maddow asked, “Do we know why [Follieri] hired Rick Davis’s lobbying firm and whether or not that connection had anything to do with John McCain?”
Berman replied that Follieri, who had already tight connections with some of Bill Clinton’s aides and financial supporters, “wanted to do the same thing with McCain. He was playing both sides. … We think he was [in Montenegro] because McCain was there, and what happened after that yacht party with McCain is, he ended up sending Rick Davis business information.”
McCain had marked his previous birthday, Aug. 29, 2005, by celebrating with President Bush as Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. His 71st birthday in 2007 was spent attempting to raise cash for his then-faltering presidential campaign, with his wife Cindy writing in a fundraising appeal, “Birthdays are always special occasions in the McCain family.”
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Photo_catches_McCain_meeting_with_indicted_0911.html
It seems Follieri got busted for posing as the CFO of the Vatican. Sweet guy, huh? Just amazing: McCain tries to pas off Obama as a celeb, but himself parties with a movie star and a con man. Hypocrite, anybody?
I’m Sure Ralph Nader and Bob Barr would glady take McCain’s spot in the Debate.
Not a bad idea! How about both? And Cynthia McKinney and Chuck Baldwin as well!
Tom Paine–
Good idea. If Obama were to debate Bob Barr and let the RepubliCONs see a true conservative, a lot of them might opt to vote for Barr.
Goodbye, sure fire red states.
Hello, new battleground states.
I think that is an excellent idea TomPaine! Let those applying for the job who expect to answer questions, expect to prove they’re worthy of our vote, expect to put their qualifications, experience, plans and policies in front of the public have the free press time.
If McCain and his running mate don’t want the free press time, don’t want to answer the questions or make the explanations of why we should give them our vote, that is their decision and should weigh in our decision this November.
Wow, Paulson said it’s the “futures” fault, so I’m going into hibernation, wake up in five years, and rethink how to end this meltdown.
. . . hmmmmdehmmmmm . . . one little sheepy . . . two little sheepies . . .
“Psssssttttttt . . . . let’s keep Palin under wraps until after the election. That way, if we lose, Palin won’t be recalled in Alaska . . .” McCain’s campaign manager to McCain.
McCain canceled Letterman but did an interview with CBS News’ Katie Couric.
Katie Couric is much easier on the eyes than Letterman.
Reg, Maybe so, but more people watch Letterman
On Tom Paine’s suggestion, read earlier today that Bob Barr had offered to debate Sen. Obama in place of Sen. McCain; don’t know if there was an acceptance of the offer, though. :-)
Obama has turned down every debate McCain has offered and has only wanted to do these 3.
McCain wants to postpone it, not get out of it, and you liberals go nuts.
Where were you when Obama was refusing to debate McCain earlier in the campaign?
All Obama ever refused was to bring the crowds McCain could not bring to campaign stops. McCain went out and got himself a crowd pleaser and took her to his town-hall meetings. Good for him!
Well Linda, why bring any attention to McCain now?
Obama should just back out of all the debates.
I’m all for both candidates deciding the direction for their individual campaigns. McCain has a preference for town-hall meetings; Obama doesn’t. They should each campaign in the way they decide, pay for, feel is the best way to get their message to the public. I think it would have been a poor decision for Obama to bring his crowds to a venue most preferred by McCain.
As for the three debates on a national stage for the benefit of the voters — they were agreed to by both candidates long ago. If McCain wants to pull out now, that’s his decision. Obama does not want to back out of his obligation to the voters. Great! Obama will have an audience, more time to speak since he won’t need to share with McCain. McCain doesn’t want to be there. No problem.
Unless there is a Senate vote scheduled at the same time as the debate, there is no conflict.
Except I really like TomPaine’s idea of allowing the other candidates the opportunity for a national stage!
Some people don’t appreciate the difference between a ‘Town Hall’ format, and a formal debate. Mccain does. As does Obama. Mccainites not so much.
Nathaniel posted September 25, 2008 at 3:59 pm
“Obama has turned down every debate McCain has offered and has only wanted to do these 3.
McCain wants to postpone it, not get out of it, and you liberals go nuts.
Where were you when Obama was refusing to debate McCain earlier in the campaign?”
————-
Nathaniel seems unable to understand the difference between saying “no” to an offer, and breaking a solid commitment (aka “weaseling out”) made a long time ago.
Why is that?
And tell us Nathaniel, WHEN would the “postponed” debate occur?
The time scheduled for the VP debate? And can a new time for the VP debate be scheduled within the short time remaining, and holidays, football games, etc?
And tell us Nathaniel, WHEN would the “postponed” debate occur?
The time scheduled for the VP debate? And can a new time for the VP debate be scheduled within the short time remaining, and holidays, football games, etc?
Having actually been involved in the logistics of scheduling (and re-scheduling) events I can tell you it’s no picnic. But I keep getting back to the same question: what exactly is McCain doing with his time in Washington?
I saw Christopher Dodd on CNN, and he was less-than-happy with the meeting today. From his perspective, a new “core” plan was introduced out of the blue by John Boehner, and John McCain didn’t seem to have a position on anything.
Of course, that could just be poli-speak, but he also said things like “I’ve been working on this 7 days and I’m tired” and “the meeting was a complete waste of time, and I’m starting to think it happened just to bail out McCain.”
He seemed genuinely pissed.
Rage,
I have no idea. Perhaps Obama shouldn’t have waited to the last minute to get a chance to debate.
He had ample opportunity and offers from McCain much earlier.
And now you complain about time?
Take it up with Obama who has been hiding from a debate since day one.
Nathan lies, “Where were you when Obama was refusing to debate McCain earlier in the campaign?”
Obama never refused to debate McCain. He refused to get set up in a so-called “town hall meeting” as he was in the primaries.
“Mr. Obama,” says the midwestern soldier’s mom, “why oh why do you refuse to wear a flag pin?”
Gee . . . out of the millions of questions that could have been asked, this one bobs to the surface.
I wouldn’t put myself in that kind of a sh_!tuation again either . . .
We’ve heard Obama flap his lips for umpteen months now. Missing a few debates would be a blessing in disguise and give the American public a chance to silence the Myna bird of chatter, so they can think on the issues.
Rage,
I have no idea.
Isn’t that what’s supposed to be important? Ya know, so important that the first debate has to be postponed?
Get your facts straight. I am not “complaining about time.”
I just want to know what McCain is doing in Washington that makes this necessary. He is not on the banking committee (nor is Obama). How is he advancing our nation’s progress in dealing with the crisis?
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, it looks more like going through the motions that a plan of serious action to me. It’s troubling.
And isn’t this so typical of RepubliCONs–make yourself into the victim when in fact YOU are the victimizer.
The date for the debate is tomorrow. McCain is backing out of the deal.
No effing way can a reasonable person blame this on Obama.
But then, the Price men are anything but reasonable . . .
AV
as an attorney yourself, do you feel that one who represents murderers or bank robbers is guilty of said crimes?
Of course not!
Now, to be a lobbyist is, to be sure, a different matter.
However, to be a lobbyist for a company is not at all the same as being a CEO of the SAME company, and paying FINES to the Federal Government, for the mismanagement of said company.
McCain has people on his staff who have worked, in the past, for firms who have, in the past had OTHER lobbyists, in the same firm, that represented mortgage industry interests.
Big deal!
Obama has CURRENT advisors who were guilty of wrong doing, in the actual management of mortgage companies.
Nathaniel posted September 25, 2008 at 6:31 pm
“I have no idea. Perhaps Obama shouldn’t have waited to the last minute to get a chance to debate.”
———–
Nathaniel believes that a debate that was planned more than a year and a half ago is waiting “to the last minute”?
http://www.debates.org/pages/news_092408.html
““The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is moving forward with its plan for the first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. this Friday, September 26.
The plans for this forum have been underway for more than a year and a half. The CPD’s mission is to provide a forum in which the American public has an opportunity to hear the leading candidates for the president of the United States debate the critical issues facing the nation. We believe the public will be well served by having all of the debates go forward as scheduled.” “
mom
John McCain is a Republican.
The other members of the So-called “Keating 5″ were all Democrats.
The DEMOCRAT who investigated the “Keating 5″ for the Senate, Bill Bennett, says that McCain did NOTHING wrong.
Bill Bennett wanted to completely drop McCain from even being part of the investigation.
Franklin–
If you get paid by the McCain campaign, you should probably get your money “up front.”
Word on the street is that McCain is “suspending his campaign” because Obama is burying him financially and he’s burned through all his campaign funds.
mom
Palin HAD the power, the authority and the duty to hire and fire, in her capacity as Governor.
The person who WAS fired deserved to be fired.
End of story.
Capn
You and AVT need to check your facts.
There has been NO income received by Rick Davis, from said lobbying firm, for a long time now.
Davis has seperated from that firm. He receives no income from that firm.
And again, representing a company, in a lobbying capacity, as his FORMER firm did (not Davis himself) is a far cry from running a company into the ground, as Obama advisor Franklin Raines abslolutely did.
DavidB posted on ‘Open’ a part of what Nathaniel called McCain’s “valid reasons” for weaseling out of tomorrows debate.
——–
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said that “nobody mentioned McCain” during the several-hour-long meeting on the $700 billion market rescue plan…
“He’s been irrelevant to the process. He remains to be,” said Frank. “I was afraid that his dropping in here, like Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse—’here I am to save the day’—I thought that would slow things down. I didn’t see any sign of our Republican colleagues paying any attention to him whatsoever.”
Franks went on. “Nobody mentioned him. The man’s irrelevant to the whole process. No Republican mentioned his name. I’m the only one who raised his name. They winced when I did,” he said.
Politico.com
——-
If McCain is a no-show at tomorrow’s debate, I hope a video crew records what McCain does during the debate time.
I think McCain needs another week to put together the list of people who obama has that have been part of this finicial mess.
The American public needs to know that obama the muslim has been very involved in this shady mess. Hopefully criminal charges can be pursued.
Palin for President.
The Obama campaign released this compilation of John McCain’s actions since he arrived in Washington this morning. Sure, keep the salt handy, but also keep in mind that the primary sources are not in the Obama campaign:
McCain Arrives After Deal Announced by Leadership, Continues to Huddle with Campaign Advisors.
* McCain’s “Straight Talk Air” landed at National Airport just after noon, and McCain’s motorcade sped toward the Senate. But by then, senior Democrats and Republicans colleagues were already announcing that a deal in principle had been reached. [WaPo, 9/25/08]
* “McCain met with congressional leaders earlier today and has now returned to his Senate office. But it’s increasingly implausible to think that what he’s doing is anything different than he’d be doing on the campaign trail, except he’s in person now instead of on his cell phone. Take this latest pool report below from the Trib’s Jill Zuckman, which basically confirms that he’s conferring with his closest political and policy advisers: Sen. McCain left his lunch in the Capitol at 1:50 pm and returned to his Russell Senate office with Sen. Lieberman and Rick Davis. Your pooler asked him if he was making any progress and he said something I couldn’t hear too well, but seemed friendly and basically nonresponsive. So your pooler said that I would be around all day and if there’s anything he’d like to tell me I’d be happy to hear. That got a laugh from Lieberman and a “thanks, Jilly” from McCain. As I type, Sen. Graham and Doug Holtz-Eakin have entered the Senate office.” [Politico, 9/25/08 ]
McCain Campaign Surrogates Continue to Attack Obama On Television.
* “In the five hours after McCain’s speech, aides Nancy Pfotenhauer, Tucker Bounds, and Mike Duhaime appeared on Fox News and MSNBC five times, frequently criticizing Obama and Democrats.” [Think Progress, 9/25/08 ]
* “Despite McCain’s claim that he’s put his campaign on hold, two of them directly attacked Barack Obama in political terms on television this morning.” [TPM, 9/25/08 ]
* “McCain’s campaign cease-fire apparently doesn’t extend to some surrogates and the Republican National Committee… Adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, responding to the Obama camp taking credit for the bailout deal adopting some of his suggestions, said on Fox News Channel, ‘This is maybe perhaps part of the pattern that we’ve seen before where Senator Obama would claim that the housing bill came out of his committee — and he didn’t even sit on the committee. or that the stimulus package was his package and even his Democratic leader said that it wasn’t.’ The RNC went after Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden after he said in Greensburg, Pa., today that McCain is ‘proposing the largest tax increase on middle-class taxpayers in American history.’” [Boston Globe, 9/25/08 ]
* “Does a suspension include Nancy Pfotenhauer talking about Biden and Obama’s foreign policy on Fox?” [Politico, 9/25/08 ]
McCain Television Advertising Continues.
* “Readers in Iowa and Wisconsin emailed to say that they saw seen McCain ads on the air this morning, though he’s said he’s taking them down.” [Politico, 9/25/08]
* “Aside from the trip to Washington, the suspension seems not to take in fundraising or surrogates attacking Obama on television, and the ads haven’t come down all that speedily. A reader reports seeing on in the Tampa area at 12:45 this afternoon.” [Politico, 9/25/08 ]
McCain Campaign Offices Continue Normal Campaign Activity.
* “The Huffington Post called up 15 McCain-Palin and McCain Victory Committee headquarters in various battleground states. Not one said that it was temporarily halting operations because of the supposed “suspension” in the campaign. Several, in fact, enthusiastically declared the continuation of their work. Others hadn’t even heard that the candidate for whom they were devoting their time had officially stopped campaigning.” [Huffington Post, 9/25/08 ]
* “So, I called as well, and was told specifically that “volunteer activities are still ongoing” and that people are welcome/encouraged to come in and do so.” [Raising Kaine, 9/25/08 ]
Governor Palin Held a Press Avail and Campaign Rally.
* “A local Philadelphia NBC News affiliate was reporting Thursday morning that Mr. McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was to hold a rally at the airport in Philadelphia upon her arrival there this afternoon. The most recent official schedule for Ms. Palin, which the campaign distributed late Tuesday night, did not include an airport event.” [NYT, 9/25/08 ]
* “Although the McCain campaign said Palin was suspending her activities – McCain on Wednesday called a halt to his campaign to deal with the financial markets rescue plan being negotiated by Congress and the Bush administration – Palin was heading to Philadelphia for a rally at the airport.” [AP, 9/25/08 ]
* “On Thursday, despite the McCain-Palin campaign saying they would suspend campaigning until Congress had dealt with the financial crisis, Ms. Palin made a campaign stop at ground zero in Lower Manhattan, and finally “fielded” four questions, according to a reporter in the small pool of journalists assigned to accompany her.” [NYT, 9/25/08]
* “The decision to have Palin hold her first avail ever today of all days is either brilliantly cynical or (in my opinion more likely) a sign of how little coordination there is this completely candidate-led campaign. As one senior aide put it recently: “It wouldn’t be a McCain campaign if knew what we were doing.” [Time.com, 9/25/08 ]
The McCain Campaign Is Still Sending out Top Surrogates For McCain.
* “Mitt Romney Campaigning in Michigan TODAY: Romney’s visit appeared to be on track even though McCain on Wednesday challenged Obama to suspend their campaigns, postpone Friday’s debate and work together to deal with the nation’s financial troubles. By Wednesday evening, Obama had rebuffed McCain’s suggestion, saying the debate should be held, but agreeing to go to Washington to meet Thursday with President Bush to discuss the bailout proposal.” [AP, 9/25/08 ]
McCain Rapid Response Operation Continues to Attack the Obama-Biden Campaign.
• “Not suspended: McCain rapid response operation.” [The Atlantic, 9/24/08 ]
* “McCain suspends campaign, but politics still simmer at surface: John McCain may have suspended his presidential campaign as of Thursday morning, but an appearance at President Clinton’s Global Initiative forum and his campaign’s releasing its daily note to reporters gave the Republican candidate a few remaining opportunities to weigh in politically on a proposed Wall Street bailout.” [FOX News, 9/25/08 ]
The McCain Campaign Continues to Circulate Campaign Press Clips.
* “What exactly constitutes a “suspended campaign?” Well, Team McCain is still working away this morning. Joe Pounder, the indefatigable press aide, blasted out his morning email of clips and quips to reporters with just a bit of dissonance.” [Politico, 9/25/08 ]
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Obama_camp_McCains_stunt.html?showall
When you look at recent events with the economy, it’s not hard to understand why McCain is finding it difficult to summon the backbone necessary to face the country tomorrow night in debate format and explain why the political philosophy that he has promoted for his entire career has placed the United States in a tight spot. No question that, from a psychological projection standpoint, McCain is imagining hard questions that will be asked of him, and of course he has no answer that won’t come back to haunt him as the campaign unfolds. It’s likely a frightening position to be in and the easier course of action is to find an escape route. McCain is way behind Obama in the polls on the subject of the economy, and in his heart of hearts, the Republican contender surely knows that it is just for him to be lagging in this category. Like his ally George Bush in the Oval Office, McCain is an abysmal failure at handling the nation’s business, and he is proving, over and over again, that perhaps (and this is a close call) the only other person in the race who’s more unfit for high office than he himself is his own poorly chosen Vice Presidential nominee.
On the up side, network footage this evening did suggest that McCain’s old partner Joe Lieberman may have been on hand this afternoon, so maybe the G.O.P. candidate will be given a pep talk by the admittedly not very inspiring Senator from Connecticut. If Joe can reach down deep and conjure the fire within to buck up McCain by Friday, then chances are reasonably good that the Republican Party will at least be able to field a politician at a national, presidential debate according to schedule.
Franklin–
I’ll admit I was wrong as soon as the New York Times does.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/us/politics/22mccain.html
September 22, 2008
Loan Titans Paid McCain Adviser Nearly $2 Million
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CHARLES DUHIGG
Senator John McCain’s campaign manager was paid more than $30,000 a month for five years as president of an advocacy group set up by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations, current and former officials say.
Mr. McCain, the Republican candidate for president, has recently begun campaigning as a critic of the two companies and the lobbying army that helped them evade greater regulation as they began buying riskier mortgages with implicit federal backing.
Several current and former executives of the companies came forward to discuss the role that Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s campaign manager and longtime adviser, played in helping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac beat back regulatory challenges when he served as president of their advocacy group, the Homeownership Alliance, formed in the summer of 2000. Some who came forward were Democrats, but Republicans, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed their descriptions.
“The value that he brought to the relationship was the closeness to Senator McCain and the possibility that Senator McCain was going to run for president again,” said Robert McCarson, a former spokesman for Fannie Mae, who said that while he worked there from 2000 to 2002, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac together paid Mr. Davis’s firm $35,000 a month. Mr. Davis “didn’t really do anything,” Mr. McCarson, a Democrat, said.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/politics/24davis.html?hp
September 24, 2008
McCain Aide’s Firm Was Paid by Freddie Mac
By JACKIE CALMES and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
WASHINGTON — One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement.
The disclosure undercuts a remark by Mr. McCain on Sunday night that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had had no involvement with the company for the last several years.
Mr. Davis’s firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae, the other big mortgage lender whose deteriorating finances helped precipitate the cascading problems on Wall Street, the two people said.
They said they did not recall Mr. Davis’s doing much substantive work for the company in return for the money
The Wall Street Journal’s report on today’s meeting:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122235295272975207.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop
It’s worth the read, people.
Who cares? Debating skill has nothing to do with fitness for the presidency.
This is all a battle to see who can scare the few non-principled voters in the squishy middle the most. And then only in the battleground states.
Look at what choices our current system has given us. Popular vote is a terrible way to determine our nation’s leader. America needs new way to elect a president.
finicial mess
Kandi, I can see why you are a staunch Republican.
“Not all Conservatives are stupid, but all stupid people are Conservative.”
That’s why you people keep winning elections. To have the unthinking support of all the stupid people in America is an almost insurmountable electoral advantage.
financial
geez . . .
To Kandi–
“Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible, and don’t sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon.”
“You squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language”
from Shaw’s Pygmalion
Popular vote is a terrible way to determine our nation’s leader. America needs new way to elect a president. . .
Gee, like maybe an electoral college or sumthin’?
Outlander pontificates that “Popular vote is a terrible way to determine our nation’s leader.”
Hey, Jeenyous–
We don’t have a popular vote for president.
If we did, Al Gore would be president right now and practically all of the horrible mistakes of Worst. President. Ever. wouldn’t have happened.
The horrible partisanship and mistreatment of anyone running for higher public office runs off almost all of the competent people who might have an interest in serving. Sadly ,the modern politics of personal destruction, via electronic media, works with most of the idiot electorate. Meaning that to have a popular vote to nominate candidates and then elect the president is badly flawed.
“Debating skill has nothing to do with fitness for the presidency. ”
But what about judgement outlander?
McCain’s decision here is CLEARLY rash bordering on stupefyingly absurd!
Cons? Rational people?
You really do have to start to consider your…. country first.
John McCain is rapidly proving that he is not fit for public office of ANY responsibility or judgment.
And of course the popular vote determines the electoral college etc…, etc…
Nah, it’s a reasonable decision. Symbolic of the importance McCain places on passing the bailout. It’s just a friggin’ debate.
The Oracle of Omaha says the government, and thus the taxpayers, are going to make money on the deal when economic conditions improve and the paper is resold.
THIS could be interesting…
What sort of alternative to democracy would you have in mind outlander?
“Nah, it’s a reasonable decision. ”
How?
He didn’t HELP anything in DC. Word is he made things worse.
Blue Jay–
He wants what all the fundies want, the Christian equivalent of the Islamic Caliphate.
Then Jesus can rapture them all and they can laugh at the rest of us from heaven while we go through the “time of tribulation.”
And WHY was he putting on makeup when he was supposed to be racing back to Washington?
HOO boy Dave will skewer McCain for weeks. And McCain has earned it.
The WSJ indicated that the deal was already falling apart. McCain apparently met with the House Republicans who are pushing a different proposal.
So, merits aside, it looks like McCain knew there would be no deal today. Since there is no “McCain proposal” and the Boehner plan is contrary to what’s been negotiated so far, it would appear McCain was in a hurry to bring negotiations back to square one.
Is that not worth a public debate?
I don’t know. But modern technology has served to remove common decency from the media and electorate. We will have no more remarkable people in national leadership. And those that make it will be so badly damaged that they will have no chance to effectively govern.
Well, Outie, I hope you win that little debate you’re having with yourself.
Too bad it has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
#
CapnAmerica
Posted September 25, 2008 at 7:56 pm | Permalink
Blue Jay–
He wants what all the fundies want, the Christian equivalent of the Islamic Caliphate.
Then Jesus can rapture them all and they can laugh at the rest of us from heaven while we go through the “time of tribulation.”
————-
And right on time, the class moron.
See how politics made a fool out of Capn?
Hey Rage, a win is a win.
See how politics made a fool out of Capn?
Not exactly, though I agree it’s completely irrelevant also.
Obama says this financial mess is the biggest crisis since the Depression.
So what does the ‘One’ do?
The messianic Obama wants to debate.
Yeah, there’s leadership for you – NOT!
24 hours from now, Senator Obama will be addressing about 70 million people.
Where will John McCain be?
I think cameras should follow him all day tomorrow. SPECIAL focus should keep track of what he is doing INSTEAD of the debate.
Looks like Letterman may be interesting tonight!
—
Letterman keeps up assault on McCain
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 25, 2008
Filed at 9:13 p.m. ET
NEW YORK (AP) — ”Late Show” host David Letterman kept up a verbal assault on John McCain Thursday, saying he felt like an ”ugly date” because the GOP presidential candidate backed out of a scheduled appearance on his talk show.
…
Noting that McCain wanted to postpone Friday’s first debate with Barack Obama, Letterman said running mate Sarah Palin wanted to put off her debate with Democrat Joe Biden until after Election Day. Letterman said McCain taking Palin to meet world leaders at the United Nations was like ”take-your-daughter-to-work day.”
Letterman’s Top 10 list was ‘’surprising facts about Sarah Palin,” read by citizens of Wasilla, Alaska, where she was once mayor.
No. 10: Palin ‘’sometimes calls John McCain grandpa.”
Looks like mccain’s meddling has upset the deal:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080926/pl_nm/us_financial_bailout_mccain_2
Do ya thiiiink weeee wiiilll seee lil Sarah on Daaave’s shooow?
I GOTTA catch Letterman tonight.
What a magnificent dilemma for McCain!
He really HAS little choice. He will have to show up. And he’ll cry that he wanted to be taking care of things in DC instead of debating.
John McCain does NOT like to be forced into things. If he show’s, he is gonna be in one real bad mood. If Obama plays it right, he can get McCain to erupt in front of 70 million people.
A “Code Pink” fundraiser for Obama met with Iranian President Ahmadinijad!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2090704/posts
House Repubs. beware (are you listening, Tiahrt), Mccain will use you to buy time, and tell you privately he’s with you. Then he’ll backstab you at a press conference.
The hous repubs. who are up for re-election will run this country into a depression, before they will sacrifice their jobs.
I bet Dave beats Leno tonight.
I see only ONE way for McCain to address this.
He COULD send Sarah Palin in.
Expectations for her would be low. She could turn in a half ass performance and come off looking like the winner.
McCain has a thing for the hail Mary. Anyone think he will hail Sarah?
Oh I mean the debate. Not Letterman’s show.
Sarah aint going anywhere near Dave. He’d reduce her to tears.
Hilarious! John McCain goes to Washington – just to derail the BIPARTISAN plan and replace it with e neoCon plan he knows will never get through Congress. Then he and Paul will blame the Democrats.
Meanwhile:
“Two days ago, the Center for Respnsive Politics in Washington, DC, noted that Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) received $542,631 in banking industry campaign contributions while in Congress and voted for the 1999 legislation which dramatically altered the US banking industry.”
http://www.opensecrets.com
Can you even believe this? An emergency meeting is needed after McCain screws the pooch and then House Republicans walk out — oh, they come to the meeting long enough to stage their walk out, but refuse to stay long enough to address the serious business of our economy.
From Phantom’s Yahoo News Link:
Speaking to reporters elsewhere in the Capitol, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd complained that up until Thursday’s White House meeting, no Republicans brought up an alternative plan for the Wall Street bailout, including during meetings and Senate hearings.
Where was this plan last week? Apparently, the House Republicans have some difficulty with this whole “negotiation” concept.
According to Ed Henry on CNN, Obama asked Boehner for details, and there weren’t many. Then he asked Paulson what he thought, and Paulson said the plan was “unworkable.”
This is not funny and, while it might help Obama, it’s not any sort of good news.
P.S. So much for McCain going to Washington because an urgent need for action.
“This is not funny and, while it might help Obama, it’s not any sort of good news.”
Rage while I agree with you (putting my country first) I do have to laugh a bit watching McCain PUTTING PARTISANSHIP FIRST.
Especially after Democrats clearly PUT COUNTRY FIRST by meeting and working with Bush and Paulson.
Does anyone care what comedians say or think? If so, why?
I’d say that McCain is squarely in the driver’s seat on this deal. Obama comes off as worried about debating, while McCain is working on saving the US economy. Will Obama join him?
BTW, I think it is critical that we get this bailout done, fair or not.
Once again the axiom, “truth is stranger than fiction” is proven.
“while McCain is working on saving the US economy. Will Obama join him?
BTW, I think it is critical that we get this bailout done, fair or not”
I agree outlander. That is why it is so bad that McCain DELIBERATELY derailed it for political advantage – PUTTING SELF FIRST.
Obama, on the other hand – PUTTING COUNTRY FIRST, supported the compromise that had been worked out.
Looks like mccain set out to derail the deal, putting politics first. If the administration suddenly veers in favor of the house proposal, then the whole thing was a set up. Surely not even bush is that low.
Have to see what mccain says publicly, the house repubs. better have mccain on tape,mccain can’t be trusted.
If the repubs are stupid enough to play brinksmanship with the country, everyone of them needs voted out.
This is just beyond belief! There is no rational person who could think McCain is sane.
“while McCain is working on saving the US economy.”
Uh no, outlander. He is using a crisis as a crutch to duck a debate.
“Mr. McCain was at one end of the long conference table, Mr. Obama at the other, with the president and senior Congressional leaders between them. Participants said Mr. Obama peppered Mr. Paulson with questions, while Mr. McCain said little. Outside the West Wing, a huge crowd of reporters gathered in the driveway, anxiously awaiting an appearance by either presidential candidate, with expectations running high.”
I think the ptsd must have finally had its way with him.
His motive – HE FEARS DEBATES! So, he needs the crisis to fester. Who cares about the country – this is all about McCain’s self-interest.
McCain – PUTTING PARTISANSHIP FIRST!
The more I read the more astounded I am!
Fate of Bailout Remains Uncertain
WASHINGTON — The day began with an agreement that Washington hoped would end the financial crisis that has gripped the nation. It dissolved into a verbal brawl in the Cabinet Room of the White House, urgent warnings from the president and pleas from a Treasury secretary who knelt before the House speaker and appealed for her support.
“If money isn’t loosened up, this sucker could go down,” President Bush declared Thursday as he watched the $700 billion bailout package fall apart before his eyes, according to one person in the room.
more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/business/26bailout.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
McCain clearly has a contempt for the country and the voters. How else to explain what HE thought was a clever stunt?
Overseas stock markets are sinking due to McCain’s selfish scuttling of the compromise plan.
PUTTING PARTISANSHIP FIRST – PUTTING COUNTRY LAST!
Straight talk express?
More like Bait, balk, distress.
McCain is unfit for public office.
“To pay for our financial crisis, the Federal Reserve will print more money, and the federal government will try to tax us more, to pay for the bailout of the millions of bad loans which affirmative action lenders gave to unqualified minorities and even illegal aliens, millions of bad loans, and with about 30 million illegal aliens now in America, perhaps 3 million bad loans have come by lending to illegal aliens, amounting to about $300 billion of the bad loans, half of what the Fed is asking from the U. S. Treasury to help with the bailout.
And with Barack Obama and his socialist Democrats in Congress protecting these illegal lending practices through the years to blacks who otherwise would not qualify, according to the numbers, you can see that the bankers and the Democrats are deliberately defrauding the U. S. taxpayers through this orchestrated give-away of billions of dollars to the institutions who made the bad loans, and even some Democrats are proposing to give money to the borrowers, who often have given fraudulent information on their credit applications for their loans, not checked by the lender, just stamped approved, taking the contract money, and then selling the bad paper to other institutions, and now we are in this mess.”
When the Deal is DONE, then debate.
And when the Deal is DONE, then CONGRESS needs to have an INVESTIGATION with hearings and TV cameras, and photo ops, showing how those nasty Repbulicans caused this mess!
Oh now, you know if the Republicans actually caused this mess, the CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS would be going on RIGHT NOW!!!!
“to blacks who otherwise would not qualify, ”
Sir? SIR? Your racist comments are noted.
For now, the lifeboats from ship McCain/Palin are seating tycoons and CEOs ONLY sir!
Keep order! Keep order I say!
Very well said, and deserves a repost.
BlueJay posted September 25, 2008 at 10:45 pm
“Straight talk express?
More like Bait, balk, distress.
McCain is unfit for public office.”
Yuk, yuk, yuk.
That was a good one George!
lindainks55
Posted September 25, 2008 at 10:16 pm | Permalink
The more I read the more astounded I am!
Fate of Bailout Remains Uncertain
WASHINGTON — The day began with an agreement that Washington hoped would end the financial crisis that has gripped the nation. It dissolved into a verbal brawl in the Cabinet Room of the White House, urgent warnings from the president and pleas from a Treasury secretary who knelt before the House speaker and appealed for her support.
“If money isn’t loosened up, this sucker could go down,” President Bush declared Thursday as he watched the $700 billion bailout package fall apart before his eyes, according to one person in the room.
==============================================================
My God, now Linda is on Bush’s side?!
Rush to judgement on the bailout dontcha think?
$700 Billion – I’m glad they are arguing like hell about it.
#
Regular
Posted September 25, 2008 at 8:13 pm | Permalink
Obama says this financial mess is the biggest crisis since the Depression.
So what does the ‘One’ do?
The messianic Obama wants to debate.
Yeah, there’s leadership for you – NOT!
=================================================
Obviously, reg has never heard of multitasking. You know, being able to handle many things at one time. Like the financial disaster, the debate, running for president, picking a running mate who can actually remember her lines.
Max Linda is on Bush’s side because that is Obama’s position. It makes Obama look very bad that he is supporting this huge giveaway and McCain says wait up. This is crazy.
When Bush’s financial gurus were asked why the 700 billion dollar figure, their answer was, “We’re not sure, so we just picked a really big number.”
Sounds like a plan to me . . .
“$700 Billion – I’m glad they are arguing like hell about it.”
I am too. I don’t feel that every American taxpayer should pay to bail out the rich.
GET the money where it went. Restore tax levels to pre Kennedy standards and make the greedy pay for what they have done.
Amazing isn’t it OKobserver?
Linda siding with Bush!
Never look a gift horse in the mouth I guess. And Obama would NEVER question signing-off on any spending bill.
Bush’s explanation was that the current mess was “clogging up the system.”
I guess everyone can understand that.
That’s why Obama is all for spending the $700 Billion, you know, to unclog the pipes and fix everything by spending more money.
It’s easy to multi-task when you don’t bother to roll-up your sleaves and look into the details of anything.
To characterize what happened today as “wait up” is curious.
What in fact occurred is the House Republican caucus ignored the work of their own party negotiators (let alone their president) and came up with something brand spankin’ new.
I’m not sure if McCain can be blamed per se (though his meeting with House Republicans sure points in that direction).
There had been rumbling of discontent in the Republican caucus all week long. Why did Boehner wait until this moment to show his cards? Was he not talking to Richard Shelby or Spencer Bachus?
For that matter, why did Shelby wait ’til today to dramatically storm out of the room? Where has the ranking member of the Senate committee been all week long? Hiding in the men’s room?
I don’t favor hasty, reckless, or stupid action, but I put not negotiating in good faith in all those categories.
Do you think Congress EVER negotiates in good faith?
Do you think Congress EVER negotiates in good faith?
If they expect to pass anything, yes, particularly in the Senate.
We have reached a point where those who have, have too much.
And STILL it is not enough in wealth and power.
We ARE a society of individuals but we are also a society.
Our Constitution has as a core principle, “promote the general welfare”.
Well attention that tenet has been ignored for far too long.
In this time, government MUST assume this role again.
Failing that? Anything goes.
Much has been taken from me and many to make other people money. I am very prepared and far from alone to do some getting back.
We have reached a point where those who have, have too much.
Who decides who has too much?
Much has been taken from me and many to make other people money. I am very prepared and far from alone to do some getting back.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All you do is whine and play the martyr.
PSSSSSSSSTTTTT,No one said life would be fair,deal with it
It’s a shame that the McCain/Palin campaign is our current national reality, and isn’t just a very bad movie that Americans can walk out of, or turn off.
‘Palin talks to Couric — and if she’s lucky, few are listening‘
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-onthemedia26-2008sep26,0,7467803.story
Franklin
Posted September 25, 2008 at 6:46 pm | Permalink
AV — As an attorney yourself, do you feel that one who represents murderers or bank robbers is guilty of said crimes? Of course not!
BUT… Franklin… This is exactly your attack mode for Ayers and Obama… Looks like you are stepping all over your own talking points, boy…
Things grew so heated within the caucus, the Politico reported, that “some House Republicans are saying privately that they’d rather ‘let the markets crash’ than sign on to a massive bailout.”
One GOP lawmaker, referring to his defiant colleagues, asked rhetorically: “For the sake of the altar of the free market system, do you accept a Great Depression?”
Well Rhonda, it seems there is no “deal” near, and the self-promotion of a debate that Obama is focused on is of minor importance compared to the economic well being of this country.
McCain’s go it right!
bith- Obama, on the other hand – PUTTING COUNTRY FIRST, supported the compromise that had been worked out.
———————————–
Read: I don’t have time for all this bail-out crap I vote “present,” whatever, you guys handle it, I have a campaign to run.
If there’s no deal, and a Global run on banks Monday, thank mccain and your republican congress for their scorched earth policy.
McCain, having been born well before television became popular, doesn’t understand the media.
TV talk shows only have one thing that they’re selling: interviews. If you stand them up, they’re going to be nothing but PO’d, not a smart thing to do when they’ve got the mics and the tv cameras . . .
Hey, outlander?
What does your Bible say about calling people “fools?”
“whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Who the Fuk cares about Letterman?
and the self-promotion of a debate that Obama is focused on is of minor importance compared to the economic well being of this country.
Doesn’t hearing where the candidates stand on foreign policy, which is directly connected to economic well-being, count? With the repubs, obviously not. They already have their minds made up, and McCain can do no wrong!
There are undecideds out there who want to hear what both candidates have to say.
What will McCain’s excuse be for the next debate?
What will McCain’s excuse be for the next debate?
His dog ate his homework?
McCain has now decided to participate in the debate.
The Shorts Ate My Homework. From TPM:
[I]f you were living in the real world, if you were some hotshot young executive at a Fortune 500 company trying to rise in the ranks, and you pulled some whacked crap like this, it would probably get you blackballed permanently. People would think you were either deeply unreliable or maybe just had a screw loose.
Marshall calls it ‘the biggest ‘dog ate my homework’ in history.” I do think there’s something to that–McCain’s debate-delaying move seems more than a bit immature and self-indulgent. (As a kid, didn’t you used to think, ‘Gee, if there was a huge disaster I wouldn’t have to take that test’?') …
http://www.slate.com/id/2200580/