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4:15 p.m. ET: More polls, more bad news for Sarah Palin as she gets ready for her closeup at tomorrow night's debate. First the Pew poll showed that 51 percent of respondents don't think she's qualified to be president, and now a batch of state-specific surveys from Quinnipiac paint a similarly gloomy picture.
The Q-poll found that Palin's favorability rating in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania has gone down by 11, 6, and 5 points respectively in the last three weeks. Joe Biden's numbers have stayed steady, except in Florida, where his favorable rating went up 9 points. Barack Obama leads John McCain in all three states, according to the surveys, though they could well have been thrown off by the intense focus on the rescue bill (if Obama's really up 8 points in Florida and 15 in Pennsylvania, then the race might be over).
On the Hill, the Senate will vote sometime after 7:30 tonight on the ballooning financial rescue bill, while the House is now expected to vote Friday amid optimism that this crazy plan just might work. What do the markets think? The Dow is down 20 points, after rebounding from a much larger initial decline. What will stocks do tomorrow? If this blogger knew, he would be getting paid a lot more money, and he wouldn't be a blogger.
12:45 p.m. ET: The World's Greatest Deliberative Body is moving with all deliberate speed toward expected passage tonight of the financial rescue bill, albeit on a version of the measure that may attract House Republicans and repel House Democrats in equal numbers.
In advance of tonight's vote -- which Joe Biden, John McCain and Barack Obama are all expected to attend -- McCain spoke this morning in Missouri and emphasized the importance of getting a bill passed to avert "disaster." McCain played up bipartisanship and didn't even mention Obama, a shift from his strategy earlier this week of blaming Obama and his "allies" for the bill's failure in the House.
As for Debate Watch, Sarah Palin is busily prepping for tomorrow night's battle, even as a new Pew poll shows some alarming numbers for the GOP ticket: The percentage of respondents saying that Palin is not qualified to be president jumped from 39 to 51 in just the last two weeks. What can she do to halt that trend in St. Louis?
Downballot, all eyes are on the Senate vote and the coming second House vote to see how the most vulnerable incumbent lawmakers cast their ballots. New survey data suggests a handful of key Senate races have gotten more difficult for the GOP in recent days. Is this just a rescue bill-related blip, or an early warning that Democrats are in position to snag a host of seats in November? Either way, Republicans are itching to get out of Washington and back onto the campaign trail to find out.
8 a.m. ET: There may be no second acts in American lives, but the "rescue" package is getting a reprieve today with an expected Senate vote.
John McCain and Barack Obama will also get the chance to play a more constructive role in determining the bill's fate than they did last week -- they can show up today and vote for it. Both men have also been calling House members of their respective parties to encourage them to vote yes next time around. Why, you might be wondering, didn't they do this BEFORE Monday's meltdown? Let's not look backwards. As McCain would say, now is not the time to affix blame.
Meanwhile, it's T-Minus 37 hours until Joe Biden and Sarah Palin meet in St. Louis. Part XLII of Palin's interview with Katie Couric aired last night (does Palin only do marathon interviews?), with Palin making a few noteworthy comments on experience, abortion, homosexuality, global warming and even the media. Expectations are low for the Alaska governor, but anticipation is high for great political theater.
Before they head back to the Senate to do their day jobs, Republican McCain will be speaking in Missouri and Democrat Obama will be in Wisconsin, while Bill Clinton -- who has been off-message a bit lately -- will stump for the Democratic ticket in Florida.
By
Ben Pershing
|
October 1, 2008; 8:00 AM ET
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Posted by: JD in PA | October 1, 2008 9:02 AM
"History shows these plans don't work. What does work is to let the market clean itself out,"
Jim Rogers told "Worldwide Exchange". Rogers then acquired a master's degree from Balliol College, Oxford University in 1966. After Oxford, Rogers returned to the U.S. and enlisted in the army for a few years.
I was born in 1966, so he knows more than me, plus Oxford doesn't hurt for knowing.
I'd bet against the bailout or rescue or whatever it's being spun as today. They might have less votes than the last vote. The market should be interesting today. We like you just the way you are.
Posted by: JD in PA | October 1, 2008 9:12 AM
Dems accused McCain of sabotage with the first round and Obama was in league with Bush for the bailout. Now it's a rescue, it's just not an emotional rescue. I wonder who will sabotage the rescue that was the bailout.
Hogan's Double Life
When Gestapo agents accuse Hogan of sabotage, he explains that his exact double, a German traitor, is the real culprit.
Maybe McCain can blame his exact double is the real culprit. Keep us Posted.
Thanks!
Posted by: JD in PA | October 1, 2008 9:21 AM
212, it's getting hot here.
Posted by: O50 | October 1, 2008 9:23 AM
Easy Come, Easy Go
Klink takes Hogan to England to steal an Allied plane, but Hogan has other plans -- to expose some Nazis spies.
Money doesn't always come easy as the market proves. It can go real easy as the market also proves.
Posted by: Jetstar | October 1, 2008 9:30 AM
What happened to: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”?
Why is it “O.K.”, for “elected officials” to deceive, the American people...”One more time”?
Just by some “tricky” wording, they believe they can “fool” the public and force this “Bailout”, for their friends, and heavy contributors to their campaigns, and their “personal” lifestyles.
This “Bailout” Bill, is NOT as the “elected officials” and the “media” pretend it to be.
Example #1:
It does not strip away, the “Golden Parachutes”, from the existing C.E.O.s, who are, in part, responsible, for the present “crisis”
It does not provide for “true” over-sight”.
(Henry Paulson will be “over-sighting” Henry Paulson.)
It will give Henry Paulson, sweeping, un-checked power, over the $700B.
It does not protect the American Tax Payer, with any “real” guarantee of re-payment.
Henry Paulson, will still be able to “protect” his friends, on Wall Street. He doesn’t pretended to hide his favoritism. Example:
Goldman Sachs, was able to convert to a “Bank Holding Company”, from being an “Investment Bank” overnight....On a week-end.....On a Sunday.....When Henry Paulson, the ex-C.E.O., of Goldman Sachs, didn’t believe anyone, would notice. Mr. Paulson, The American people “noticed”.
Goldman Sachs as an “Investment Bank” would not benefit for the “$700B Bailout. As a “Bank Holding Company”, they will be able to “belly up to the bar”.
I’m tired of hearing (and being accused in the media), of taking out a mortgage, that I wasn’t able to “really” afford.
I played by the rules. I put $5,000.00 down, on a $24,000.00, 30 year fixed mortgage.
I had a $36,000.00 income, at the time.
I was a single mother, of four children, in high school.
Then, overnight, with no warning, I lost my job, due to Corporate downsizing.
We have been struggling, ever since.
There was “no” bailout, for me.
CountryWide, would not re-negociate my 9.5% interest rate, because I had “no” income.
I could not file bankruptcy, without losing my house.
In 2005, CountryWide started foreclosure on me and would not “workout” my loan, because our household income, was too low.
I had to get about $5,000.00, from my Dad, to end the foreclosure process, just in the nick of time.
There was “no” Government Rescue Plan”, for me.
These “car’ loans, and “mortgage” loans, and “student” loans”, that I won’t be able to get, because the Congress didn’t pass this piece of garbage.....I haven’t been able to get, since the year 2000, when I lost my $36,000.00 a year job.
Three of my four children, work part-time jobs, with “no” benefits, “no” insurance.
Two of my children, are still in College.
No “Bailout” for us.
No welfare.
No food stamps.
No medicaid.
Why is it “so” important, to give comfort to Wall Street, when they were the ones who chose to gamble and have been living large?
On Main Street, I’m not looking for a “Bailout”.
We struggle, every day with just putting food on the table and putting gas in the cars, so we can get to our “part-time” jobs, with “no” benefits.
Increasing the FDIC, will not effect us. We have “NO” money.
We can’t get “regular” health care. Why is “mental health” care, going to do anything for us?
We already can’t get “credit”. Why do we care, if “Banks” can get credit?
I’ve already had my $36,000.00 a year job taken from me. So, I’m not really worried about losing one or more of our families “part-time” job. Once the Bankers, get “bailed-out”, they will always need part-time workers, to take care of their needs.
Main Street, was betrayed, by “Wall Street”, “Corporate America”, and our “Elected Officials”, a long time ago.
The “BUCK”, needs to stop now.
NO BAILOUT.
Posted by: Debra K. Jones | October 1, 2008 10:49 AM
We the people, just aren't anymore. democracy rules? Palin, ignorance is bliss, she is extremly happy!
Posted by: joan ca | October 1, 2008 3:42 PM
A ghastly comment on the competence of our electorate that 51% would consider entrusting her to be VP. This shatters my belief in democracy and proves that our current democratic system is deeply, perhaps fatally, flawed.
It all started to go downhill fast when Entertainment became a major rubrik in the news, and TV itself became a newsworthy topic. We now have radio commercials for TV programs. This was not the case even 20 years ago.
Posted by: AgentG | October 1, 2008 6:01 PM
I realize how elementary this sounds, but there is a very simple way out of this crisis...not that the bailout package should be sidestepped -- it is necessary that we plug the gap;
There are nukes we've placed in Poland and the Czech Republic and I think they are easily worth 4 or 5 trillion dollars to Russia...they pay and we remove them.
That would save our asses and theirs; short term gain? So is the bailout package...we have to do what we can not afford so why not just reorganize the map as we did before.
Sell the nuke positions with many strings attached and enforcement measures...the western way of life might be at stake.
Posted by: tmast | October 1, 2008 8:37 PM
Will the 30-year fixed interest rate continue going up this week after the 700 billion plan is passed by the House? Please give me some ideas.
Posted by: hc | October 2, 2008 5:58 AM
I am so angry with obama the radical liberal left. Its nothing new that they have been attacking religious freedom and freedom of speech for a long time and now obama has been threating radio and tv staions about airing pro maccain and or anti obama mesages. one specific attack has been on NRA ads. Liberals attacking our constitutional freedoms and are now stooping to new lows and should not be allowed to get away with it. Are these not tactics that communist and un-elected tyrants have used? don't allow these people like obama to steal our freedoms and creat and country ruled by tryants. Vote for McCain a man who loves this nation and will and has served nation and protect our freedoms
Posted by: charlie | October 2, 2008 6:32 AM
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We had a rescue package. The jet crashed and the rescue team showed up with body bags. The bodies were in so many little pieces, it turned out they needed baggies instead of body bags. They were fingerprinting fingers in the temporary morgue that were missing hands. So as you can see some recoveries are more gruesome than others. The airline was charged for the body bags because their insurance would pick up the tab. Nobody could bail out at 5,000 feet and even if they could, there wouldn't of been time because things went wrong very very fast. The market moves fast and that high flying stock can crash very very fast and when you least expect it, expect it.