Behind McCain's Decision to Suspend His Campaign

"McCain is wrong for not showing up to debate. This maybe the only time he will be able to show that he is better than Obama."

OOOH Please, Obama isn't qualified for this people plain and simple he would have voted for this to pass without thinking twice. He's a mouthpiece that's about it.

I commend McCain for getting in the middle of it and slowing the damn thing down so it can be scrutinized.

The coveted debate that everyone seems to think needs to happen right THIS MINUTE could potentially cost the taxpayers 700 Billion dollars.

They don't need a blank check I would much rather see the government buy up the bad housing loans. That will stop the bleeding.

Banks tighten up loan criteria and ride it out.

McCain is wrong for not showing up to debate. This maybe the only time he will be able to show that he is better than Obama.

McCain Avoiding The Debate?

McCain has pulled this stunt before....

With his poll numbers tanking, John McCain wants to pull out of the presidential debate. No, I'm not talking about tomorrow's debate with Barack Obama:

"With new polls showing his campaign dead in the water among California Republicans, Arizona Sen. John McCain has pulled out of a long-scheduled debate with Texas Gov. George Bush, set for Thursday in Los Angeles."

"McCain campaign officials tried desperately yesterday to put the best face on their withdrawal, even as a new Field Poll showed Bush far ahead among likely Republican voters in the winner-take-all race for the state's 162 GOP delegates."

"The bait and switch on the debate left the Arizona senator -- whose favorite campaign line is "I'll always tell you the truth'' -- wide open to blistering criticism from his rivals."

"Clearly, this is more double-talk from the McCain campaign,'' said Alixe Mattingly, a spokeswoman for Bush. "Pulling out of this debate at the last minute is an indication that they're pulling out of California, where McCain's antagonistic message clearly isn't working.''

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/02/28/MN62687.DTL&hw=mccain+opinsky&sn=001&sc=1000
.

And clearly, McCain has a habit of trying to "cut and run" when things aren't going his way.

So if John McCain doesn't want to debate Friday night, I have an easy solution. Send Sarah Palin in his stead.

That's what Vice-Presidents are for, right?

Is Barney Frank responsible for this financial mess? Before you blame the Republicans, guess who wanted to regulate...and guess who did not want to-- Watch the vid in my blog! You will be shocked.

http://mccain08-hillary2012.blogspot.com/

McCain is doing his Job!! We tend to forget that both McCain and Obama are senators. We the taxpayers pay them a pretty hefty salary. They are not just running for office. They are senators! At a time when congress is working on such a crucial package, I would rather see my senator in Washington doing his job than spending his time, paid for by my taxpayer money, out campaigning.

You may recall the latest in the ongoing stream of baldfaced lies that passes for John McCain's presidential campaign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/politics/w24davis.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&hp&oref=slogin

This one was about his campaign manager, Rick Davis. McCain has been hammered for the large number of lobbyists running and surrounding his campaign, including Davis. But don't worry, said McCain:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/politics/w24davis.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hp

"On Sunday, in an interview with CNBC and The New York Times, Mr. McCain responded to a question about Mr. Davis’s role in the advocacy group through 2005 by saying that his campaign manager "has had nothing to do with it since, and I’ll be glad to have his record examined by anybody who wants to look at it."

So reporters did. And found that he wasn't telling the truth. Not even close:

"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."

Well, though, at least Davis isn't involved with his own firm anymore, right? Newsweek reports:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/160713?from=rss

"Jill Hazelbaker, the campaign's communications director, said in an e-mail Tuesday that Davis "left" Davis Manafort in 2006. In a statement attacking The New York Times, posted on the campaign's Web site on Wednesday, campaign spokesman Michael Goldfarb said that Davis "separated from his consulting firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006." (A senior campaign official, in an e-mail statement to NEWSWEEK that was not for attribution on Tuesday night, said "Rick is no longer affiliated with the firm.")

Oh, my... You can see where this is going, right? Yep, you guessed it. They're lying yet again. According to Newsweek:

"Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, has remained the treasurer and a corporate director of his lobbying firm this year, despite repeated statements by campaign officials that he had ended his relationship with the firm in 2006, according to corporate records."

"[McCain campaign] statements appear to have overstated the extent to which Davis had severed his relationship with his lobbying firm. Filings made by "Davis Manafort Partners" with the Virginia Corporation Commission as recently as April 1, 2008, show that Davis was still listed as one of only two corporate officers and directors of the firm, according to records on the commission’s Web site reviewed by NEWSWEEK. That filing records Davis as the "treas/clerk" of the firm; his business partner, Paul Manafort is listed as the president and chief executive officer."

"Another filing by "Davis Manafort, Inc." (with the same Alexandria, Va. address, and recorded on Oct. 17, 2007) also lists Davis as an officer and director of the firm, reporting his position as "T/Clerk," a reference to his formal title as corporate treasurer and clerk."

So... "left"? "Separated?" "No longer affiliated?" That's a hell of a definition.

What's so hard about this, for the McCain campaign? Just stop lying. It's not doing you any good. Stop already!

Does Rick Davis resemble Jeffery Dalmer?

Alchemist, well said! You are soooo correct!

Smearah Phalin caught on video during her uber creepy paganistic witchcraft purging ceremony.

WTF?!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj-on3kfWuE

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=palin+witch&search_type=&aq=f

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDfkAnCvKY

McCain Lies about Campaign Suspension.

I'm Shocked....NOT!

Andrew Sullivan has reports from two different readers in two different media markets that McCain ads are up and running as relentlessly as ever.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/what-suspension.html
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David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo reports on McCain surrogate Nancy Pfotenhauer appearing on Fox to attack Obama:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/219623.php
.

And then Pfotenhauer scoots on over to the Washington Times for a friendly little chat about the campaign.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/25/live-chat-mccain-adviser-nancy-mitchell-pfotenhaue/
.

Guess we'll be seeing McCain at the debates tomorrow since he's decided to keep his campaign going. Right?

Now any human being with the intelligence just above that of a tree sloth should know that most senators and reps don't read the majority of the bills that pass or fail. There are how many congressmen/women in Washington? I'd say enough to handle the problem. So two people aren't in attendence- Senators running for the highest office in the world, and you're telling me nothing is going to get done without them?

Here's the deal, these companies made poor business decisions. They paid themselves exorbitant amounts of money that should have been reinvested in their companies and used to hedge against the higher risk investments they were delving into. They should have been diversifying. Remember the Junk Bond fiasco or the Derivatives problem from years back? Hello. History people. We never learn. Why? Because we're greedy and now the government is rewarding our greed. Start a company. Consolidate. Buy up everything. Adopt high risk investment strategies. Pay yourselves a ton of money. Go bankrupt. But don't worry, the government will give you more money so you can continue this track. WTF? Where's my money? My movie doesn't sell. My company doesn't survive. I didn't get a bailout package. Oh, because you allowed them to consolidate to the point of creating a virutal financial oligopoly and now you have to bail them out. Good job.

If the Republicans are so against big govermnet and for a free enterprise system sans government regulation and intervention, why are they intervening like big government in this case? Don't tell me it's the economy. Why should multi-millionaires continue to be multi-millionairs when they screw up so bad that they must be bailed out by taxpayers. They should be bankrupt as well. They should sell everything, liquidate the company's assets, distribute to investors and account holders, and save the taxpayer money for the competitors who did not screw up. Reward those who managed to make good, strong, prudent decisions, not those who acted like spoiled greedy bastards.

And finally, McCain is using an economic debacle to run from Obama. He is a dolt. He makes rash, emotional, child-like decisions that will literally end the U.S. as a global force. The empire is falling and he is exacerbating it. If anyone has studied the Ethiopians, Carthaginians, Persians, Rome, Sparta, The Ottomans, Egypt, England or any other significant empire, they know this to be true. It must end. It's going to end. It's just a matter of when and how. Mark my words, if McCain and Palin win, we will spiral down to the depths of our own arrogance and greed at an increasing rate.

Can't change the facts, Obama called McCain first to issue a joint statement. I take exception to your assessment that "neither man is particularly well versed in the ....complexities of the economy. Obama has a much better handle on this matter. He first addressed the financial mess on Wall Street in March 2008,he met with some sound advisers last week and issued a 6 part plan to address the Paulson Bail out and protect tax payers. Camparing the financial crisis to the attacks on 9/11 conjures up the "old warrior" is now prepared to go to war with Wall Steet when it has been McCain's steadfast support of trickle down economics and limited government that has led to this mess. McCain once again is a Johnny come lately. Sen. Dodd said while he has been in constant contact with Obama during these negotiations, that he had not heard from John McCain. If McCain had really been aware of the seriousness of the Wall Street debacle, he might have asked questions sooner instead of waiting for the resolution to be near and then jump in trying to take credit for something others accomplished. The debates should go forward as scheduled and the Republican Governor of Mississippi agrees as he announced this morning.

McCain's ruse won't work. He knows we know there are only two reasons for avoiding debate. 1. He's too old. 2. He's too scared.

From:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccain-and-bushs-kabuki-theatre-mccain.html

Thursday, September 25, 2008
McCain and Bush's Kabuki Theatre: McCain Contacts Bush To Set Up Meeting To Prop Up His "Suspension"

Now we know why McCain hired the Bush contingent.

It emerged in the White House briefing today that McCain called Bush and asked him to initiate a meeting today at 4 pm at the White House, putatively for him to "deal with" the crisis.

That is, McCain asked Bush to help him create an avoidant trifecta: To try ti\o lend some credence to McCain's desperate assertion that a suspension of his campaign is necessary, in effect avoiding a debate in which he would face critical questions about his stance on the economy; attempting to co opt the financial crisis thereby trying to put an end to his plummeting in the polls created by his flailing positions on the economy--perhaps best reflected by his statement days ago that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong"; and, while avoiding his own debate, also buying more time for Sarah Palin after her embarrassing photo op at the UN yesterday, by moving her debate forward as well.

Here's how it happened, according to Q and A at the WHB:

McCain emailed Bush asking for the 4 P.M. meeting. Now, one reasonably might ask, why is today such a necessity for McCain, if his interest is solely the national good?

Because it is before the debate. McCain hopes to stage a meeting at the White House, thereby, with Bush's cooperation, lending plausibility to his claim to need to suspend his campaign. Then, if Republicans, in their own electoral interest, can be persuaded to come to agreement, before the debate, he would claim--in an act of utter stage management--to have "resolved" the crisis. Thereby hoping to take the heat off on his past careening stances and sliding polls and staunch the bleeding on the polls--before the debate.

This is Kabuki Theatre masquerading as substance--no different than what we saw at the U.N. yesterday.

It is utterly stage managed, utterly cynical, and utterly unrelated to the substantive deliberation necessary to actually resolve these matters on the merits and for our nation's future, rather than for short-term and desperate political advantage.

These occurrences are equally important for what they indicate about McCain's governing style as they are for their impact upon democratic process: impulsive acts that rely on drama and theatrical posture rather than substantive reasoning and long-term deliberation; a strong willingness to sacrifice substantive reasoning, deliberative process, and even prior structures and agreements to immediate political need; an attempt to reach outcomes through last minute stage management rather than substantive argument.

These should create deep concern for anyone who wishes for a change in governmental process from the past eight years.

We have an economy, rather than a campaign, to rescue. Putting nation before politics means putting all attempts to resolve it before political attempts to co opt it--and to move towards one's commitments, rather than towards a more immediate and short-term salvation.

Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccain-and-bushs-kabuki-theatre-mccain.html

I think McCain should stay in Washington (if a deal is not in place) and send Sarah Palin to debate Obama.

(A VP is supposed to fill in for the President, no?)

Ok I don't really think that . . . just a goofy thought, but it would be amusing to say the least. I would love to see how Obama would respond to that curveball being thrown.

Sue your fact check is dead wrong. McCain personally said that Obama called him. Nice try.

A few things:

1. McCain is pulling a flea-flicker out of his political play-book.

2. A Politician is always a politician even when they say they are not being political.

3. What does McCain have to add to the financial equation when he has admitted he knows little or nothing about finances?

4. When you trail in the polls, you will do some desperate things.

Check your facts again. Even the Drudge Report will tell you, Obama called McCain first, then McCain returned his call. Not that it matters. At least Obama can multitask. Last I checked, that's an important skill for a world leader.

If Obama had decided to suspend his campaign first in order to get back to his present job as senator, the leftist media would have canonized him. Oh I forgot, you already have.

FACT CHECK:
McCain called Obama not the other way around. McCain always puts the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIRST unlike Obammie who prefers to hang with the socialists,Marxists, communists and terrorists.Barack Hussein Obama has been treated like a rock star by the MSMM and has NOT answered questions about the huge gaps in his background, because if the truth does manage to come out, he will lose this election. I say Obammie should go to Mississippi and debate himself because he loves the sound of his own voice and never says antyhing of substance that would benefit the people of this country.

"In addition, 0bama, like McCain, is a U.S. Senator. There is nothing in that job description that says "Campaign for President", "engage in Presidential debate", etc. He is obligated to take care of the people's business before he takes care of his personal "extracurricular" business. He should be on Capitol Hill working on this bill."

I'm sorry, I couldn't let this ridiculous statement pass without comment. So, how many votes has Mr. McCain made or missed on the peoples' business this year? How does that compare with Mr. Obama's voting record? Or does your concern only apply to a single issue?

"In addition, 0bama, like McCain, is a U.S. Senator. There is nothing in that job description that says "Campaign for President", "engage in Presidential debate", etc. He is obligated to take care of the people's business before he takes care of his personal "extracurricular" business. He should be on Capitol Hill working on this bill."

I'm sorry, I couldn't let this ridiculous statement pass without comment. So, how many votes has Mr. McCain made or missed on the peoples' business this year? How does that compare with Mr. Obama's voting record? Or does your concern only apply to a single issue?

"In addition, 0bama, like McCain, is a U.S. Senator. There is nothing in that job description that says "Campaign for President", "engage in Presidential debate", etc. He is obligated to take care of the people's business before he takes care of his personal "extracurricular" business. He should be on Capitol Hill working on this bill."

I'm sorry, I couldn't let this ridiculous statement pass without comment. So, how many votes has Mr. McCain made or missed on the peoples' business this year? How does that compare with Mr. Obama's voting record? Or does your concern only apply to a single issue?

"In addition, 0bama, like McCain, is a U.S. Senator. There is nothing in that job description that says "Campaign for President", "engage in Presidential debate", etc. He is obligated to take care of the people's business before he takes care of his personal "extracurricular" business. He should be on Capitol Hill working on this bill."

I'm sorry, I couldn't let this ridiculous statement pass without comment. So, how many votes has Mr. McCain made or missed on the peoples' business this year? How does that compare with Mr. Obama's voting record? Or does your concern only apply to a single issue?

Well, let's take Mr. McCain's explanation at face value: then we need to ask, what can the candidates provide in Congress to bring the two sides together in this moment of national crisis that the danger to the country can't do? What do they provide that is unavailable to the rest of Congress and cannot be shared over the phone? Are those special qualities and abilities of the candidates more important to the country than the candidates' debates?

Don't you find it interesting how the media has been ignoring Biden's shocking gaffes/

Internet buzzes with rumours Biden will be replaced by Hillary as Obama's running mate, read more:

http://mccain08-hillary2012.blogspot.com/

Nick, you're an idiot, and Obama is going to take your state. Ha!

0bama is showing that he does not have the proper instincts to be a leader. We have the financial equivalent of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor (depending on the age of the economic analyst you listen to) and 0bama is saying "you guys do all the work and let me know how you want me to vote". As the potential President who would be bound to operate by this legislation, he should be in there fighting to make sure it is what he wants. His are not the actions of a leader, but a follower.

In addition, 0bama, like McCain, is a U.S. Senator. There is nothing in that job description that says "Campaign for President", "engage in Presidential debate", etc. He is obligated to take care of the people's business before he takes care of his personal "extracurricular" business. He should be on Capitol Hill working on this bill.

Unless he is afraid that he might have to contribute to the discussion, and then he could subsequently be held accountable if his suggestions were adopted and failed. Sounds cowardly to me.

But what would you expect from an empty suit?

McCain's supporters have their heads up McCain's a-s-s, and are happy to let him put his d-i-c-k up theirs. If you support McCain, you've been f-u-c-k-e-d in the a-s-s!

Palin's minister made him do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwkb9_zB2Pg

This information should be part of any discussion or post regarding Senator McCain's decision, per Bob Schieffer with CBS news:

I am told, Maggie, that the way McCain got involved in this in the first place, the Treasury Secretary was briefing Republicans in the House yesterday, the Republican conference, asked how many were ready to support the bailout plan. Only four of them held up their hands. Paulson then called, according to my sources, Senator Lindsey Graham, who is very close to John McCain, and told him: you’ve got to get the people in the McCain campaign, you’ve got to convince John McCain to give these Republicans some political cover. If you don’t do that, this whole bailout plan is going to fail. So that’s how, McCain, apparently, became involved.

He has gotten what he wants, he’s going to have this meeting, kind of a summit today with the president and Barack Obama. I’m told that the leaders of both parties are getting close to having some kind of a bill. The question, though, is whether rank-and-file Republicans, especially, are going to vote for this.

time to call in Chuck Baldwin to debate this friday, the man who will come in 3rd place as our next president... its EXTREMELY sad that the third most popular man wont be able to let his voice be heard on a national scale.

RE: jesus says barack is satan

my god, you are insane. who ever posted that is absolutely insane.

brainwashed, mindless, bible thumping fools.

did you also know that the new testament was written DECADES after the death of Jesus? and it was written not in Aramaic, but in Greek? gosh, i bet there was NOTHING lost to interpretation and translation in any of those words!

maybe you should hire Palin's witchdoctor to run him out of the country?

this is why, after being raised catholic, i refuse to go to church.

you mindless, insane fools.

Actually "barack" translates from Hebrew more as "blessing" than "lightning." Think of the prayers which begin "boruch atah Adonoy' (pardon my bad transliteration) which in English translate to "blessed art thou oh lord our G-d."

What's behind? Easy: the Old Trickster at Work! Obama is reacting the correct way and McCain is about to outsmart himself and fool no one.

We've had enough of his three-ring-circus!

"Behind the decision"? Did he -ask- anyone or just be a slacker and limit his efforts to reading a press release?

There they go again -- framing BO in the best possible light and McCain in the worst. I wish the press would get more tired of doing it than I am of watching it.

In the end the author ultimately makes it clear that all he's really thinking about is his precious-precious debate.

McCain claims he's suspending his campaign, when in fact, he's doing nothing of the sort.

He cancels on Letterman, but on the same night, tapes an interview with a national network news anchor.

Is he returning donations that come in on the net and in the mail....I doubt it.

Are his ads still running.....yep.

IOW this is yet another desperate campaign scheme to stall Obama's momentum.....and a clear indicator of what type of government McCain would run.

And neither candidate serves on the Senate Finance Committee.....so what exactly is the pressing urgency of returning to DC and cancelling the debate ?

Didn't McCain tells us just last week that the fundamentals of the economy were strong and he was going to appoint a "9-11 style" commission to "study" the problem ?

My what a difference a week and a few polls makes.

There ain't a pol in the world who would suspend their campaign if it's going well. No knucklehead would take a lead in the polls and throw it away. Only a loser looking for something, anything to change the game would do something that stupid.

If there is such an need to go to DC then why have an interview with Katie Couric and a speech at the Global initiative? Why not just go straight to DC? Holding a press conference to say you are putting politics aside is putting politics into the equation. Just what is McCain going to be doing over the next few days in DC? A late planned photo op with the President?

Now he wants the presidential debate moved to the VP slot next week and the VP debate scheduled for a later date. That explains his motive. Country first - sure. I can't believe this combination has a chance to become president. Racism in America sucks.

If McCain suspended his campaign and ads, why have I seen at least five of his TV ads this morning while eating breakfast?
Has he now decided not to suspend his Campaign? 9/25/08 Pennsylvania

It's a shame this had to happen during then election cycle. I am an independent and appreciate that Senator McCain feels that it is necessary to go to Washington to do his job. He is after all the sennator from his state. Yes it appears on the face that it could be politically motivated. And I do not believe we should bail out these companies, but it is a very important piece of legislation and a bipartisan approach is needed. Bip[artisanship is not something I believe Obama is capable of.
I can also see Obama's desire to try and take political advantage of the current situation (polls, republican watch when this happened, etc...) but that just reinforces the public opinion that it is all about Obama himself and/or the Democrats and not the best ibnterest of our country.
I hope they save the morgagees by having the govt. take on their loans, but I'd be just as happy to tell Wallstreet, that after having protected the taxpayer that they tell the businesses that they are on their own.

After standing in front of a microphone and reading, as he does, in the most boring drone, from an electronic device designed to assist those less intellectually gifted, Obama says, using the oldest dem mantra, "this is the greatest crisis since the Great Depression....yada yada" He then says, "call me if you need me" in other words, it's a major crisis somoeone else can handle and someone else can vote one so he can play the "I was against it from the beginning" BS! Obama is afraid to commit to this vote because he sees the disadvantage to him and democrats. It exposes Obama's incredible speed at which he got money from Fannie Mae. Yeah, I know the stupified libs claim it's from employees, but why would employees in Virginia of a GSE give so much money to an unknown? It wasn't the employees! That my friends is part of the FBI investigation! There's more here than meets the eye and OBummer is worried!

Wait. Maybe Sarah sold the campaign plane on Ebay?

Has anyone, anyone considered this senario??? As non U.S. citizen sure have...

THE U.S.A SPENDS 750-800 BILLION TO BAIL OUT THIER FAILED ECONOMY... THE MARKETS BOUNCE WITH CONFIDENCE ON MONDAY MORNNG.............OR DO THEY???

I just wonder if the actual financial super powers of the world don't just watch you put the money in then take ALL of the money out and watch the U.S spiral into abysmal depression.

This would be the perfect anti-mperialist demonstration. It does not take long to re-correct a new market elsewhere and the austral-asian market has already absorbed much of this shock and is still in a pretty strong position...

I would seriously think twice.

So who exactly has a Messiah complex?

Do John McCain and posters on this board not realize that 18 months and FIVE MILLION DOLLARS have gone into preparation for this debate? If McCain doesn't care enough about the University of Mississippi, Jim Lehrer, all the networks and thousands of media people all engaged in preparation for this debate, to spend 90 MINUTES in a debate, then he is a self-centered JERK. This is such a big deal for Ole Miss, giving them a national stage to show how far they have come since they admitted their first black student in 1962. FOR SHAME, John McCain. The economy hasn't collapse all week, it won't collapse if you spend 90 minutes in a debate.
visit my blog http://obama-bidenforthewin.blogspot.com/

Posted by: ann | September 25, 2008 1:15 AM

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LOL - We need to have this debate because of Ole Miss, Jim Lehrer and the media. It costs $5 million to put on a 90-minute debate? And we are scratching our heads why this country is in an economic mess?

FDR ran in 1944 and so did the republican candidate, Churchill same time had labour opponents, france ransacked in 1944 had quite a few major problems still managed quite a few parties. McCain is stupid, that is what it is about. the world goes on, and the debate is still on , ok instaed of foreign policy they will debate on economy which is relevant and obama is happy to do it
why in heaven sake is not mccain unless he feels he is not fit to discuss it and try to pass the baby to bush - sorry sirree but the debate and life goes on and any candiadte who reffuses to debate in front of me of his future policy is dismal and will not get my vote...
good grief and I thought the republicans were better on economy...how wrong was I

i like obama but i still think that americans in the south and midwest are too racist to vote for a black man. i seriously doubt obama will get elected. some might say they support obama, but behind the curtain in the booth, their racism will take over and they will vote mccain.

McCain could spend thurs + fri in DC, fly in moments before the debate, and still make Obama look, like the fool he is.

and he will be so more Presidential, taking care of the nations business, then swooping in and running circles around Obama.

But....one must admit. Obama does not set the bar real high....uhhh....agh......uh..........duh......

"Even in the days of Jesus Christ, according to the Bible there were witches who were manifesting through demonic forces," Palin said. "You can seek from the Lord, and if you find demonic forces you cast them out."

Maybe Palin can start a new Department of Witchcraft.

Are we really going back to Salem days?

Enough is enough.

All this mischigoss just to duck a debate with Obama? This is the single most pathetic moment in Republican history since Nixon begged Kissinger to pray with him.

Have the debate without McCain and have someone read the positions from his web site vs Obama positions on his web site. Then allow Obama to speak and any rep from McCain to do same. McCain's people don't show, too bad.

Obama said it best "enough is enough". The statement means more than George Bush. The John McCain campaign is being protected by every major media outlet in america.The republican voters are making excuses for John McCain and the media is giving McCain and Palin all the rope they need to succeed and this election. Palin maybe the next president of the United States and no one knows what she is about and Palin does not know anything about politics and the way american government is set up to be run. The american people are so much against the democrats that these so called republican middle class would rather loose their freedom than gain their independence. We will loose all respect that any country has for us if we are stupid enough to elect John McCain as president. Palin is hiding information and regards to her investigation and the republicans are still saying she can be trusted to run the country and we don't know if she can be trusted to run Alaska, and guess what republicans are so selfish that they won't ask her to show everyone that she did the right thing in Alaska. But than again that explains why america is becoming a second power. GREED

It's easy to suspend a campaign when it's going nowhere. This is purely a stunt and illustrates that the McCain campaign is flailing. What exactly will he do in DC for the bailout? He's not on the Finance Committee and will just get in the way. And what words of wisdom could McCain proffer since he told us a week ago that the economy was fundamentally sound....

"This economic crisis, they believe, provides McCain a chance to show the sort of leadership that voters value in the Arizona senator."

Which voters? The ones who make decisions based on some tired scipt, which the media never fails to repeat, or the ones who are actually familiar with McCains execrable voting record?

McCain is going to save us all from economic devastation of Friday. The exact time of the debates.

Maybe the reason for McCain not wanting to debate on Friday is more complicated. I watched some news video of McCain today and noticed that it looks like there is a problem with his left eye and the left side of his face (maybe a mini-stroke?). I checked out some video of him from a week or so ago and it looks normal then. Are he and his camp possibly trying to hide some health problem that he is having? If this is true, then this election is just getting scarier and scarier! Especially after the footage I just saw about Sarah Palin and the pastor from her church on Countdown with Keith Olbermann - apparently the guy is a witch hunter? Also, this church supposedly believes that homosexuality can be cured through prayer. Are we all getting bamboozled by some demonic woman with some sort of extreme agenda who is just chomping at the bit to take over as prez if McCain's health fails? Do the words "religious cult" and "Jim Jones" ring a bell to anyone? It is truly frightening

"I find it really incomprehensible that Americans still do not have a clue on what Mccain represents" -Mobi

All the more reason he should show up to the debates on Friday. His stance changes daily, so I would like for him to commit to something (for more than just a day would be nice).

He is not the McCain of 2000. He is not even the McCain of March 2008. No one can claim to know what he represents when all he does is pander. I judge him by his record and his campaign "strategies", and I do not agree with his decisions.

McCain / Palin .... has become ... Unstable / Unable

"Save the cheerleader, save the world"!!!

I find it really incomprehensible that Americans still do not have a clue on what Mccain represents..well...Good for the other world powers....

NO! Keep Senator McCain out of the debate over the economy! He has screwed up enough and has admitted he doesn't know enough about it. Why does he think he is needed? Photo op? Or to make sure his friends in banking get free taxpayer money? Conflict of interest and lack of knowledge is not what we need.

Learn to multi-task, McCain. The world does not stop when there is one crisis and a President must be able to juggle all obligations. If you can't handle that, then step aside because you are not qualified.

If the American people cannot see through Obama and his reluctance to handle economics or answer any question straight then our country is doomed. Obama isn't even a real American, a middle name of our country's enemy, and has no backbone. You say something positive about that? I was proud to be an American until I read your blogs above. Do you not care about America? Do you not own anything valuable in America? Have you any education? God Help us all if any of you get in a position of importance.

Sen. McCain was only doing what Sen. Reid asked him to do less than 24 hours ago.

"Yesterday, Harry Reid said that consensus couldn't be achieved without John McCain's leadership". Sen. McCain stepped up and is providing that leadership today and now Sen. Reid does not want the help he just asked for yeterday.

Puh-lease give me a break. He could of went to Washington the day of the crisis. He could have been working on solving the economic crisis all this week, instead he wait 1 day before the presidential debates to cancel. Your ignorance cannot save you.

McCain Country fried chicken first.
Economy second.

So, JMac jumps to suspend his campaign and ride into DC to save the country from our economic crisis, on Friday. Okay, so where was he when congressional/senate leaders with Paulson and Bernanke began negotiating terms of the bailout plan over the last 6 days?

I'll give him a D for the effort, but come on...JMac is running from his and palins poll numbers, the rick davis-fanni mac story, resurrection of keating 5, and the uncomfortable issue of the economy dominating the news cycle. It is apparent to me that he is clearly trying to drive his narrative in the press towards his favor...it's a bunch of bull if you ask me. He's over reacting at every turn. Pretty sad.

McCain really puts this country first at this time. It doesn't matter if you are a democrat or a republican, we need to solve the crisis first!

McChicken cannot multi-task.

Do John McCain and posters on this board not realize that 18 months and FIVE MILLION DOLLARS have gone into preparation for this debate? If McCain doesn't care enough about the University of Mississippi, Jim Lehrer, all the networks and thousands of media people all engaged in preparation for this debate, to spend 90 MINUTES in a debate, then he is a self-centered JERK. This is such a big deal for Ole Miss, giving them a national stage to show how far they have come since they admitted their first black student in 1962. FOR SHAME, John McCain. The economy hasn't collapse all week, it won't collapse if you spend 90 minutes in a debate.
visit my blog http://obama-bidenforthewin.blogspot.com/

JOHN MCCAIN LEADER OR MADMAN
YOU BE THE JUDGE.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain arrived late at his Senate office on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. “This is war,” he murmured to his aides. The sound of scrambling fighter planes rattled the windows, sending a tremor of panic through the room.

Erik Jacobs for The New York Times
John McCain said he had consulted Henry A. Kissinger on foreign policy before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Within hours, Mr. McCain, the Vietnam War hero and famed straight talker of the 2000 Republican primary, had taken on a new role: the leading advocate of taking the American retaliation against Al Qaeda far beyond Afghanistan. In a marathon of television and radio appearances, Mr. McCain recited a short list of other countries said to support terrorism, invariably including Iraq, Iran and Syria.

“There is a system out there or network, and that network is going to have to be attacked,” Mr. McCain said the next morning on ABC News. “It isn’t just Afghanistan,” he added, on MSNBC. “I don’t think if you got bin Laden tomorrow that the threat has disappeared,” he said on CBS, pointing toward other countries in the Middle East.

Within a month he made clear his priority. “Very obviously Iraq is the first country,” he declared on CNN. By Jan. 2, Mr. McCain was on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, yelling to a crowd of sailors and airmen: “Next up, Baghdad!”

Now, as Mr. McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination, his response to the attacks of Sept. 11 opens a window onto how he might approach the gravest responsibilities of a potential commander in chief. Like many, he immediately recalibrated his assessment of the unseen risks to America’s security. But he also began to suggest that he saw a new “opportunity” to deter other potential foes by punishing not only Al Qaeda but also Iraq.

“Just as Sept. 11 revolutionized our resolve to defeat our enemies, so has it brought into focus the opportunities we now have to secure and expand our freedom,” Mr. McCain told a NATO conference in Munich in early 2002, urging the Europeans to join what he portrayed as an all but certain assault on Saddam Hussein. “A better world is already emerging from the rubble.”

To his admirers, Mr. McCain’s tough response to Sept. 11 is at the heart of his appeal. They argue that he displayed the same decisiveness again last week in his swift calls to penalize Russia for its incursion into Georgia, in part by sending peacekeepers to police its border.

His critics charge that the emotion of Sept. 11 overwhelmed his former cool-eyed caution about deploying American troops without a clear national interest and a well-defined exit, turning him into a tool of the Bush administration in its push for a war to transform the region.

“He has the personality of a fighter pilot: when somebody stings you, you want to strike out,” said retired Gen. John H. Johns, a former friend and supporter of Mr. McCain who turned against him over the Iraq war. “Just like the American people, his reaction was: show me somebody to hit.”

Whether through ideology or instinct, though, Mr. McCain began making his case for invading Iraq to the public more than six months before the White House began to do the same. He drew on principles he learned growing up in a military family and on conclusions he formed as a prisoner in North Vietnam. He also returned to a conviction about “the common identity” of dangerous autocracies as far-flung as Serbia and North Korea that he had developed consulting with hawkish foreign policy thinkers to help sharpen the themes of his 2000 presidential campaign.

While pushing to take on Saddam Hussein, Mr. McCain also made arguments and statements that he may no longer wish to recall. He lauded the war planners he would later criticize, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Mr. McCain even volunteered that he would have given the same job to Mr. Cheney.) He urged support for the later-discredited Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi’s opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, and echoed some of its suspect accusations in the national media. And he advanced misleading assertions not only about Mr. Hussein’s supposed weapons programs but also about his possible ties to international terrorists, Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Five years after the invasion of Iraq, Mr. McCain’s supporters note that he became an early critic of the administration’s execution of the occupation, and they credit him with pushing the troop “surge” that helped bring stability. Mr. McCain, though, stands by his support for the war and expresses no regrets about his advocacy.

In written answers to questions, he blamed “Iraq’s opacity under Saddam” for any misleading remarks he made about the peril it posed.

The Sept. 11 attacks “demonstrated the grave threat posed by a hostile regime, possessing weapons of mass destruction, and with reported ties to terrorists,” Mr. McCain wrote in an e-mail message on Friday. Given Mr. Hussein’s history of pursuing illegal weapons and his avowed hostility to the United States, “his regime posed a threat we had to take seriously.” The attacks were still a reminder, Mr. McCain added, of the importance of international action “to prevent outlaw states — like Iran today — from developing weapons of mass destruction.”

Formative Years

Mr. McCain has been debating questions about the use of military force far longer than most. He grew up in a family that had sent a son to every American war since 1776, and international relations were a staple of the McCain family dinner table. Mr. McCain grew up listening to his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., deliver lectures on “The Four Ocean Navy and the Soviet Threat,” closing with a slide of an image he considered the ultimate factor in the balance of power: a soldier marching through a rice paddy with a rifle at his shoulder.

“To quote Sherman, war is all hell and we need to fight it out and get it over with and that is when the killing stops,” recalled Joe McCain, Senator McCain’s younger brother.

Vietnam, for Senator McCain, reinforced those lessons. He has often said he blamed the Johnson administration’s pause in bombing for prolonging the war, and he credited President Richard M. Nixon’s renewed attacks with securing his release from a North Vietnamese prison. He has made the principle that the exercise of military power sets the bargaining table for international relations a consistent theme of his career ever since, and in his 2002 memoir he wrote that one of his lifelong convictions was “the imperative that American power never retreat in response to an inferior adversary’s provocation.”

But Mr. McCain also took away from Vietnam a second, restraining lesson: the necessity for broad domestic support for any military action. For years he opposed a string of interventions — in Lebanon, Haiti, Somalia, and, for a time, the Balkans — on the grounds that the public would balk at the loss of life without clear national interests. “The Vietnam thing,” he recently said.

In the late 1990s, however, while he was beginning to consider his 2000 presidential race, he started rebalancing his view of the needs to project American strength and to sustain public support. The 1995 massacre of 5,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica under NATO’s watch struck at his conscience, he has said, and in addition to America’s strategic national interests — in that case, the future and credibility of NATO — Mr. McCain began to speak more expansively about America’s moral obligations as the only remaining superpower.

His aides say he later described the American air strikes in Bosnia in 1996 and in Kosovo in 1999 as a parable of political leadership: Mr. McCain, Senator Bob Dole and others had rallied Congressional support for the strikes despite widespread public opposition, then watched approval soar after the intervention helped to bring peace.

“Americans elect their leaders to make these kinds of judgments,” Mr. McCain said in the e-mail message.

It was during the Balkan wars that Mr. McCain and his advisers read a 1997 article on the Wall Street Journal editorial page by William Kristol and David Brooks of The Weekly Standard — both now Op-Ed page columnists at The New York Times — promoting the idea of “national greatness” conservatism, defined by a more activist agenda at home and a more muscular role in the world.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘eureka’ moment, but there was a sense that this is where we are headed and this is what we are trying to articulate and they have already done a lot of the work,” said John Weaver, a former McCain political adviser. “And, quite frankly, from a crass political point of view, we were in the making-friends business. The Weekly Standard represented a part of the primary electorate that we could get.”

Soon Mr. McCain and his aides were consulting regularly with the circle of hawkish foreign policy thinkers sometimes referred to as neoconservatives — including Mr. Kristol, Robert Kagan and Randy Scheunemann, a former aide to Mr. Dole who became a McCain campaign adviser — to develop the senator’s foreign policy ideas and instincts into the broad themes of a presidential campaign. (In his e-mail message, Mr. McCain noted that he had also consulted with friends like Henry A. Kissinger, known for a narrower view of American interests.)

One result was a series of speeches in which Mr. McCain called for “rogue state rollback.” He argued that disparate regional troublemakers, including Iraq, North Korea and Serbia, bore a common stamp: they were all autocracies. And as such, he contended, they were more likely to export terrorism, spread dangerous weapons, or start ethnic conflicts. In an early outline of what would become his initial response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. McCain argued that “swift and sure” retribution against any one of the rogue states was an essential deterrent to any of the others. But Mr. McCain’s advisers and aides say his “rogue state” speeches stopped short of the most sweeping international agenda put forth by Mr. Kristol, Mr. Kagan and their allies. Mr. McCain explicitly disavowed direct military action merely to advance American values, foreswearing any “global crusade” of interventions in favor of relying on covert and financial support for internal opposition groups.

As an example, he could point to his 1998 sponsorship of the Iraqi Liberation Act, which sought to direct nearly $100 million to Iraqis who hoped to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The bill, signed by President Bill Clinton, also endorsed the ouster of Mr. Hussein.

Mr. McCain said then that he doubted the United States could muster the political will to use ground troops to remove the Iraqi dictator any time soon. “It was much easier when Saddam Hussein was occupying Kuwait and threatening Saudi Arabia,” the senator told Fox News in November 1998. “We’d have to convince the American people that it’s worth again the sacrifice of American lives, because that would also be part of the price.”

Hard Calls

Mr. McCain spent the afternoon of Sept. 11 in a young aide’s studio apartment near the Capitol. There was no cable television, nothing but water in the kitchen, and the hallway reminded him of an old boxing gym. Evacuated from his office but stranded by traffic, he could not resist imagining himself at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. “There are not enough Secret Service agents in the world to keep me away from Washington and New York at a time like this,” Mr. McCain told an adviser.

Over the next days and weeks, however, Mr. McCain became almost as visible as he would have been as president. Broadcasters rushed to him as a patriotic icon and reassuring voice, and for weeks he was ubiquitous on the morning news programs, Sunday talk shows, cable news networks, and even late-night comedy shows.

In the spotlight, he pushed rogue state rollback one step further, arguing that the United States should go on the offensive as a warning to any other country that might condone such an attack. “These networks are well-embedded in some of these countries,” Mr. McCain said on Sept. 12, listing Iraq, Iran and Syria as potential targets of United States pressure. “We’re going to have to prove to them that we are very serious, and the price that they will pay will not only be for punishment but also deterrence.”

Although he had campaigned for President Bush during the 2000 general election, he was still largely frozen out of the White House because of animosities left over from the Republican primary. But after Mr. Bush declared he would hold responsible any country condoning terrorism, Mr. McCain called his leadership “magnificent” and his national security team the strongest “that has ever been assembled.” A few weeks later, Larry King of CNN asked whether he would have named Mr. Rumsfeld and Colin L. Powell to a McCain cabinet. “Oh, yes, and Cheney,” Mr. McCain answered, saying he, too, would have offered Mr. Cheney the vice presidency.

Even during the heat of the war in Afghanistan, Mr. McCain kept an eye on Iraq. To Jay Leno in mid-September, Mr. McCain said he believed “some other countries” had assisted Osama bin Laden, going on to suggest Iraq, Syria and Iran as potential suspects. In October 2001, when an Op-Ed page column in The New York Times speculated that Iraq, Russia or some other country might bear responsibility for that month’s anthrax mailings, Mr. McCain interrupted a question about Afghanistan from David Letterman on that night’s “Late Show.” “The second phase is Iraq,” Mr. McCain said, adding, “Some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq.” (The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it came from a federal government laboratory in Maryland.) By October, United States and foreign intelligence agencies had said publicly that they doubted any cooperation between Mr. Hussein and Al Qaeda, noting Al Qaeda’s opposition to such secular nationalists. American intelligence officials soon declared that Mr. Hussein had not supported international terrorism for nearly a decade.

But when the Czech government said that before the attacks, one of the 9/11 hijackers had met in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence official, Mr. McCain seized the report as something close to a smoking gun. “The evidence is very clear,” he said three days later, in an Oct. 29 television interview. (Intelligence agencies quickly cast doubt on the meeting.)

Frustrated by the dearth of American intelligence about Iraq, Mr. McCain’s aides say, he had long sought to learn as much as he could from Iraqi opposition figures in exile, including Mr. Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress. Over the years, Mr. McCain often urged support for the group, saying it had “significant support, in my view, inside Iraq.”

After Sept. 11, Mr. Chalabi’s group said an Iraqi emissary had once met with Osama bin Laden, and brought forward two Iraqi defectors who described terrorist training camps and biological weapons efforts. At times, Mr. McCain seemed to echo their accusations, citing the “two defectors” in a television interview and attesting to “credible reports of involvement between Iraqi administration officials, Iraqi officials and the terrorists.”

Growing Impatient

But United States intelligence officials had doubts about Mr. Chalabi at the time and have since discredited his group. In 2006, Mr. McCain acknowledged to The New Republic that he had been “too enamored with the I.N.C.” In his e-mail message, though, he said he never relied on the group for information about Iraq’s weapons program.

At a European security conference in February 2002, when the Bush administration still publicly maintained that it had made no decision about moving against Iraq, Mr. McCain described an invasion as all but certain. “A terrorist resides in Baghdad,” he said, adding, “A day of reckoning is approaching.”

Regime change in Iraq in addition to Afghanistan, he argued, would compel other sponsors of terrorism to mend their ways, “accomplishing by example what we would otherwise have to pursue through force of arms.”

Finally, as American troops massed in the Persian Gulf in early 2003, Mr. McCain grew impatient, his aides say, concerned that the White House was failing to act as the hot desert summer neared. Waiting, he warned in a speech in Washington, risked squandering the public and international support aroused by Sept. 11. “Does anyone really believe that the world’s will to contain Saddam won’t eventually collapse as utterly as it did in the 1990s?” Mr. McCain asked.

In retrospect, some of Mr. McCain’s critics now accuse him of looking for a pretext to justify the war. “McCain was hell-bent for leather: ‘Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we have got to teach him, let’s send a message to the other people in the Middle East,’ ” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

But Mr. McCain, in his e-mail message, said the reason he had supported the war was the evolving threat from Mr. Hussein.

“I believe voters elect their leaders based on their experience and judgment — their ability to make hard calls, for instance, on matters of war and peace,” he wrote. “It’s important to get them right.”

MCCAINS INSIDERS SAY MCCAIN NOT PREPARED FOR THE DEBATE AND THEY ARE AFRAID IT COULD ALL COME TO A CRASHING END ON FRIDAY. MCCAIN HAS NOT PRACTICED AND SPENDS LONG PERIODS OF TIME SLEEPING LATELY.

FACT:

The GOP run a McCain ad at 11:44 on Sept 24 during CBS affiliate WPEC local news in West Palm Beach. It ended, "I'm John McCain and I approve this message." I watched it myself.

Suspended campaign, eh?

Best line on the blog today?
Webwatch at 8:33, to McCain...
"...fire your team of Karl Rove wannabe's and stop this circus.
If you say "Country First" mean it."

Are you kidding me, McCain just will not let the election be about the American People,This will not work, he woke up and so the polls and said oh they are not talking about me I am loosing, fact if any of John McCain supporter think that he is better on Foreign Policy than Mr Obama listen to his statements again fear is his strategy it work for Pres Bush with the blank check we gave him for Iraq, so McCain is thinking it work well for Bush why not him on the bailout, the war, not this time McCain. The debate will go on Friday with or without you.

So, Jesus used Lightning (Barack in Hebrew) to literally describe SATAN! He
then tied his “Coming” to the appearance of “Barack” or Lightning aka
SATAN! Many political pundits describe the charisma of Barack Obama as “Messianic”
! Perhaps they should read their Bibles closer and see it is really SATANIC
CONTROL!

After the Swift Boaters took on Kerry and Saxby slandered Chambliss, the shock value of "attacking a vet" is long gone. And it's not as if Obama is attacking McCain's veteran status -- just his technology literacy, which seems relevant in the 21st century. The Biden comment just reinforces Obama is willing to suffer dissent within his White House, something the current resident famously does not tolerate.

"Barack may translate to "lightning" in hebrew"

Really?

Nice republican theatre

McCain is a good actor and deserve to win the an OSCAR. Therefore the republicans continue insulting the intelligence of the people in USA.
Same old tactic of the fear. Bush goes to media give a speech, focused in the fear, with face that sucked sour lemon: "Our economy is dangerous".
Then laster McCain give his show to media as a great leader worried with the future of the nation, calling all the parties to solution crisis. But week ago he said "our economy is strong".
And thus focusing in the fear they deceive same stupids and idiots in USA that elected Bush by second time.
The debate not brings any damages for the job in Washington, because all know that nobody will work 9 p.m. of the Friday to approve the Bush bailout package.
It sound clearly as more one tactic to stop the growing of Obama in the polls and bring the focus to McCain, putting Obama as a lain of the history.
They want with it to pass the following ideas: Obama isn't so worried with the economy; And McCain is the leader to solution the problem.
Oh my God! I don't know how the Americans accept this circus during so many time. Or really do they like of circus and clown politicians?

HUGS FROM BRAZIL FOR ALL CONSCIOUS CITIZENS IN USA!!!

So Mccain says "the bailout needs to be studied it needs more attention!"

Hey John, to bad you didnt take any quality time to study the Iraq War a little more!
Word has it "you were one of the first in line" to sign the articles for War!

Leadership we can believe in baloney!

"Real change we can believe in,"
dump the GOP!

McCoward running away from the first debate. He is such a coward that he won't allow Sarah Palin to talk freely what's in her mind. He expects her to sayonly the words that are put in front of her through a teleprompter. The only discussion that happened between Sarah Palin and Hamid Karzai was comparing notes on each others babies. What's the point in suspending a campaign. And what's the point in suspending ads? Does he physically have to be present at the TV stations when they air the ads? Anyway all he says is "I am John McCain. I approve this message." The rest of the ads are written by professional marketing firms to whom McCain pays millions (tax payer money f course).

I would rather see this McChicken work at McDonalds than in the white house.

2 things to think about.

1. Did Bush and McCain have this all set up before today? Bush says this is the worst economic crisis of all time. The end of the world is coming. THIS IS HIS PRESIDENCY! No statement of hope, just more fear mongering. We must attack Iraq, if not the free world will end and we will lose the war on terror! Did you see him tonight. He was scared to death. And, him calling in Obama for a meeting. Why? Neither McCain or Obama is on the committees working on the bill. And, the major hold-up is coming FROM THE REPUBLICANS! But, Bush needed to help out McCain Because McCain already said he was coming and Bush want to try to make Obama look bad. With the economy in the shape it is in, Bush/McCain have politicize this to the hilt.

2. The debate is supposed to be on foreign policy. Did the war on Terror end? N.Korea just announced it was restarting its nuclear reactor. It is reported that Iran is a year away from a nuclear weapon. 18 Americans have died so far in Iraq this month and there are over 200 terrorist attacks in Iraq a month. Russia is still in Georgia. The war in Afghanistan is being lost and Secretary Gates says we can't get any U.S. troops there until April because we are all tied up in Iraq. There are real, serious, and immediate foreign policy issues that need to be address. McCain's desire to postpone the debate (and, by the way, Palin's debate too - big surprise) is shameful. We had presidential debates during the Iranian hostage crisis. We had them right after the Cole bombing. They have never been postponed. McCain is a coward and desperate. Just the termperment we need in the White House. Read George Will's column yesterday where he said McCain is too erratic and dangerous to be President. Yes, George Will!

Barack may translate to "lightning" in hebrew, but Mccain translates to
"disfunctional" in english!

Senator McCain has a 26-year record of disdain for oversight and regulation of financial institutions. He calls off the presidential debate as to offer his "day late & a dollar short" oversight for the bailout
of said institutions that have crashed due to lack of political oversight and regulation created by hacks like himself!

Does anyone see the sick irony here?
Shakespeare couldn’t write this stuff!

Mccain are you strong enough, are you mentally fit and is your health capable to endure the demands of the job?
Evidentially not!

McCain/Palin Supporter ?????????

If you folks are not seriously considering jumping ship , and having feelings of embarrassment ( you should be ). Your McCain/Palin ticket is quickly becoming the laughing stock in American politics. McCain wanting to suspend the first debate is nothing more then saying he is not ready and Palin is not ready for prime time.

Listen there really isn't a soft way to put this; Palin on the Katy Couric interview just verified the fact that she takes stupid to a whole new level. This ticket is just way to Risky and not ready to lead ( Period ).

Did Jesus Claim Barack Obama is SATAN?

In Luke 10:18 Jesus I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven. How does a Jewish Rabbi, which Jesus is credited with being (John 1:38), say in HEBREW, that Satan is like LIGHTNING from heaven?

Barack, also transliterated as Baraq in Hebrew, is LIGHTNING (Strongs Hebrew word 1300). Even in Greek, Barak is LIGHTNING (Strongs Greek word 913) for the name of a person!

The ONLY WAY, a Jewish Rabbi can say in Hebrew that SATAN is LIGHTNING is, SATAN BARACK!

This is what McCain removed from Obama's proposed joint statement. So I assume he doesn't believe in any of this. Who do you agree with?

/>>

First, there must be oversight. We should not hand over a blank check to the discretion of one man. We support an independent, bipartisan board to ensure accountability and complete transparency.

Second, we need to protect taxpayers. There should be a path for taxpayers to recover their money, and to turn a profit if Wall Street prospers.

Third, no Wall Street executive should profit from taxpayer dollars. This plan cannot be a welfare program for CEOs whose greed and irresponsibility has contributed to this crisis.

Fourth, we must help families who are struggling to stay in their homes. We cannot bail out Wall Street without helping millions of families facing foreclosure on Main Street.

Fifth, we both agree that this financial rescue package should move on its own without any earmarks or other measures. We have different views about the need for other action, but this must be a clean bill.

This is a time to rise above politics for the good of the country. We cannot risk an economic catastrophe. This is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem - this is an American problem. Now, we must find an American solutions.

What can a man who has staff like Carly Fiorina possibly have to say about the economy?

He obviously supports multi-million dollar golden parachutes for failure heads of corporations, and he's been in bed with lobbyists in the past, so he's very much pro-big-business and could care less about the average American.

$5 Million as a cutoff for the rich? Come on! This guy is seriously out of touch. Just another politician in it for the power and money.

Anoy wrote;

What a joke of a paper this Washington Post outfit is;

Conduct a "Poll", contact 18% more Democrats than Republicans. "Poll" more African Americans who are voting 95% for Obama, higher than the relative percentage of African Americans of the total US Population.

That's not a poll.

That's a campaign commercial for their candidate.

Does the Post have an ounce of Morality or Ethics present,...anywhere.....from anyone who 'works' there....anyone.......anybody.....?

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 10:56 PM

-------

You must still be under the impression that this a "news organization", you are mistaken.

The post is an all Lib Club where you have to check your brains at the door.

Laugh it off. their polls are always way off and everbody knows it.

They don't have any reporters over there. Just Lib Commentators.

you cannot take any poll from the post with any seriousness.

"Conduct a "Poll", contact 18% more Democrats than Republicans. "Poll" more African Americans who are voting 95% for Obama, higher than the relative percentage of African Americans of the total US Population."

Hey, moron, learn to read. More blacks are polled so that they can still do a statistically significant breakout. The oversample is not included in the general populace numbers, only when the split says "AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS"

What a joke of a paper this Washington Post outfit is;

Conduct a "Poll", contact 18% more Democrats than Republicans. "Poll" more African Americans who are voting 95% for Obama, higher than the relative percentage of African Americans of the total US Population.

That's not a poll.

That's a campaign commercial for their candidate.

Does the Post have an ounce of Morality or Ethics present,...anywhere.....from anyone who 'works' there....anyone.......anybody.....?

McCain knows he is getting killed on the economy and is desperate to put it behind him.

McCain's hope is that showing a command of international issues at this Friday's "international issues" debate will give him a boost. BUT he knows that won't happen if the economic issue is still out there. If that is the situation, the debate on "international issues" will be diluted by economic issues, which will further hurt McCain. By getting a deal in place before the debate, McCain hopes to take the bailout off the table.

So, at the end of the day, this isn't about country first for Sen. McCain -- its about campaign first.

That's leadership?

Suspend your campaign? Great!

Pass up the debate and give Obama a two-hour nationally televised interview? Fantastic!

Say hi to the loser's circle, Sen. McCain.

He's 72, he's had a recurrence of melanoma 8 times, he's tired, his diaper is full of poop, as he is also, his money is suddenly running low, he's off message , he's dropping like limestone in water, and they've just discovered the Wasilla Wonder is not a Phi Beta Kappa. Oh , why didn't we choose Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She also a right wing nut, but at least she's informed.

It's sickening that Obama supporters would denigrate McCain's service in VN and even that of other vets. Just like what the Bushies did to Kerry.

Different sets of followers, different ideologies, same kind of people.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 10:34 PM
---------------

by Col. David H. Hackworth
John McCain is being hailed by the press as a "genuine war hero." But is he a war hero in the conventional sense like Audie Murphy and John Glenn?
Or is his "war hero" status the creation of a very slick publicity campaign that plays on flag, duty, honor and country?
For sure, McCain has the fruitsalad a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars , two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service gongs.
On a purely medal count basis, he outweighs Murphy and Glenn, who both for years repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds on the ground or in the air against an armed enemy.
McCain's valor awards are based on what happened in 1967, when during his 23d mission over Vietnam, he was shot down, seriously injured, captured and then spent 5 1/2 brutal years as a POW.
In an attempt to find out exactly what the man did to earn these many hero awards, I asked his Senate office three times to provide copies of the narratives for each medal. I'm still waiting.
I next went to the Pentagon. Within a week, I received a recap of his medals and many of the narratives that give the details of what he did.
None of the awards, less the DFC, were for heroism over the battlefield where he spent no more than 20 hours. Two Naval officers described the awards as "boilerplate" and "part of an SOP medal package given to repatriated (Vietnamera) POWs."
McCain's Silver Star narrative for the period 27 October 1967 the day after he was shot down to 8 December 1968 reads: "His captors… subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly towards the eventual abandonment…" of such harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese.
Yet in McCain's own words just four days after being captured, he admits he violated the U.S. Code of Conduct by telling his captors "O.K, I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."
A Vietnam vet detractor says, "He received the nation's third highest award, the Silver Star, for treason. He provided aid and comfort to the enemy!"
The rest of his valor awards issued automatically every year while he was a POW read much like the Silver Star. More boilerplate often repeating the exact same words. An example: "By his heroic endeavors, exceptional skill, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces."
Yet McCain's conduct while a POW negates these glowing comments. The facts are that he signed a confession and declared himself a "black criminal who performed deeds of an air pirate." This statement and other interviews he gave to the Communist press press were used as propaganda to fan the flames of the antiwar movement.
Accounts by McCain and other writers tell of the horror he endured: relentlessly beatings, torture, broken limbs. All inflicted during savage interrogations. Yet no other POW was a witness to these accounts. 
A former POW says "No man witnessed another man during interrogations… We relied on each other to tell the truth when a man was returned to his cell."
The U.S. Navy says two eyewitnesses are required for any award of heroism. But for the valor awards McCain received, there are no eyewitnesses, less himself and his captors. And they're not talking.
Our POWs in Vietnam were treated appallingly. The Viets would either break a POW or kill him. POWs provided info beyond name, rank and serial number or they didn't come back.
Based on these stalwart men's horrific experiences, the Code of Conduct has been changed. A POW says, "Now the training is to give them something… don't risk permanent damage to health, mind or body." 
McCain refused an early release. An act of valor? Three former POWs told me he was ordered to turn it down by his U.S. POW commander and he "just followed orders."
McCain certainly doesn't appear to be a war hero by conventional standards, but rather a tough survivor whose handlers are overplaying the war hero card.
David H. Hackworth died in June 2005, he was a much-decorated and highly unconventional former career Army officer who became a combat legend in Vietnam. Col. Hackworth received 78 combat awards — including a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and eight Purple Hearts — during his 25-year military career which spanned the Korean and Vietnam wars..

It's sickening that Obama supporters would denigrate McCain's service in VN and even that of other vets. Just like what the Bushies did to Kerry.

Different sets of followers, different ideologies, same kind of people.

TURN YOUR BACK ON MCCAIN AND HE'LL STAB YOU IN THE BACK...FLASH BACK MAYBE?

Another Rove move distract them from the Rick Davis issue ! tell them the country needs you and you must react, paint your opponent as uncaring and insensative to the needs of every day people.

Come America if McCain can't figure out how to have a debate and make decisions impacting the nation ! do you really want him to be POTUS !!! He has already stated the economy is not his thing ! what good will he be in this debate.

It seems to me that the only thing Obama does is talk about change. He has never even said what that "change" might be.
I bet 100% that the change will be for the "worse".

Mccain down another 4 points on Intrade in just an hour.

McCain wants Charles Keating out of today's news.

I've said before that Barack Obama, if he were a company, would be at the top of the Fortune 500. Two years ago hardly anyone knew who he was. Now,he is poised to become president. He has put together a nationwide campaign organization better than anyone ever has. He has raised almost $400 million, mostly from small contributions. He has brought in advisors from both sides of the aisle. He has impressed foreign leaders, and has been cool under fire. No one can truly say he doesn't have experience. John mccain's been running for president for 9 years and has turned himself into a revolving door joke. I salute his five years of captivity, but ask, what the heck has he really done in the 35 years since? Voted against regulations before he was for them.

SORRY REPUBLICANS. BUT, BOTH MCCAIN AND PALIN ARE CREEPS.

Good point, you get an A+

=======
Interesting that Obama doesn't feel the need to suspend his own campaign while he meets with Bush and McCain tomorrow..... Perhaps because Obama has confidence in his own running-mate, Biden, to be able to carry on while he is away?

McCain's ill-thought-out decision to suspend his campaign while he heads to DC only highlights the ineptitude and inexperience of his VP pick.

If she can't take over for a few days, how in the world will she help run the country?
Posted by: VAreader | September 24, 2008 10:01 P

>> Please Believe me, flying combat in Viet Nam was a cake walk to flying combat mission in ww2.

Yeah? Then explain why the navy felt the need to establish the top gun program?
Here's the quote:

According to the US, the results were dramatic as the Navy kill-to-loss ratio or exchange rate against the North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) MiGs soared from 3.7:1 to 13:1, while the Air Force, which had not implemented a similar training program, actually had its kill ratio worsen for a time after the resumption of bombing, according to Benjamin Lambeth's The Transformation of American Airpower - wikepedia

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2

Its already been explained, read the whole comment. No VietNam pilot had to endure 8 to 10 hours flying to a target or facing 100 enemy aircraft in the skys at once. Vietnam was not an Airwar, what don't you understand. You are simply questioning some kill rate ratios which has nothing to do with actual flying conditions. That would come under tactics.

Interesting that Obama doesn't feel the need to suspend his own campaign while he meets with Bush and McCain tomorrow..... Perhaps because Obama has confidence in his own running-mate, Biden, to be able to carry on while he is away?

McCain's ill-thought-out decision to suspend his campaign while he heads to DC only highlights the ineptitude and inexperience of his VP pick.

If she can't take over for a few days, how in the world will she help run the country?

soccermom, it was Obama's idea to have a joint statement on the bailout with mccain. He called mccain this morning and they agreed. But mccain came out with his own statement so it could look like he took the initiative. Obama stayed in Fla. because he believes mccain was trying a politcal ploy. And he was. Canceeled Letterman (can you say "celebrity"?) appearance at last minute because he had to fly to DC, yet was being interviewed by Katie Couric at the same time. Also, he's meeting with Indian minister tomorrow morning. So much for rushing back to DC. The man is a fraud, trying to make up for all his flip-flops on the economy. While it appears that both Obama nd mccain will meet with bush tomorrow, Rep. Frank is correct in saying that neither one has anything to do with the bailout discussion as neither are on the banking committees. Obama is looking more presidential because he is the unflappable one, as suggested by conservative Post columnist George Will. Mccain is running aroud like the proverbial headless chicken trying to make people, like you, believe he knows what he is doing.

The Commander in Chief must be able to keep many balls in the air, comportably and successfully, at the same time!

Both presidential candidates have their private campaign jets and can be from Oxford, Mississippi and Washington in two hours, if needed.

Since Sarah Palin is only a heart beat away from the presidency if they are elected and must jump in in the case of crisis perhaps she should stand-in and bebate Obama at Ole Miss.

How is McCain going to "solve" the bailout bill? He isn't in the majority, he isn't in the executive branch, he isn't in Republican leadership, and he isn't on the relevant committees. As far as I know, there is no plan for Congress and the exec branch to meet from 8-9:30 pm on Friday night to work on the bailout and even if they were, McCain isn't needed there to figure it out. I frankly don't want a man who thought the fundamentals of our economy were sound 8 days ago directing or even giving input on how to fix the very obviously broken economy.

"I see Obama will do what McCain does! Hillary was right. The man is not ready to lead.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 9:48 PM "

If you think Shillary would have done anything different, you are dreaming.

McCain is flailing. He is so desperate. And so transparent. If he feels his input is so vital to this process then why is he just going to Capitol Hill tomorrow? Why not earlier this week? Or today? He is still in NYC and will be attending a Bill Clinton event tomorrow morning in the Big Apple. So why the delay, John?

re: Experience comments ---

Bush has eight years of experience being President. Look at the fine job he's doing.

"Buddy, can you spare a dime...?"

--- an Independent for Obama
Posted by: wolf | September 24, 2008 9:50 PM
----------

THE EXPERIENCE MYTH OF OBAMA

I have worked with the Obama campaign on a local level since December and have met and spoken with Obama numerous times. Anyone who thinks Obama is not prepared for the office of president does not know Barack Obama. I don't think the campaign has spoken about it, although there have been articles written, maybe because it may have seemed kind of presumptive doing all this so many months before he even had the nomination, but that is not how Obama works.
Little is left to chance. So here is what the deal is:

Does Obama have the experience to be president, is he ready? It would be hard to say anyone is ready to be president, but what prepares one for the job?

Obama has been getting ready when his nomination was still no more then a dream. Obama has an advisory staff of over a 300. Most all are the top people in their fields. 4 of his staff are the top people on middle east politics in the world. He has numerous people on pretty much everything you could think of from global warming to world economics to energy and foreign policy to the military. Generals to scholars you name it, he has been working with these people for more then a year. Obama is a brilliant man, who easily knows more right now then any candidate who ever ran for the office of president. He is so up to speed it is astounding. John Mccain does not know or grasp a fraction of what Obama does. Mccain is in effect, a dinosaur, compared to Obama now. Mccain has no real practical experience or understanding in many of these areas at all. Just being in Washington for many years does not necessarily make you an expert nor knowledgeable in "Anything".
Bill Clinton said it best when he said,
"No one is really prepared to be president".
He was right and Obama understood that better then anyone long before he even began his journey for the presidency. So for over a year he has been quietly preparing. Like anything such as being a doctor or lawyer or any profession, your first introduction is academic, you go to school. Obama will by no means be learning on the job, he has been in school for more then a year. When enters office, Obama will be the most well prepared and ready president to ever walk into the white house.
He will also be surrounded by the finest staff ever assembled by any president in history.

If you do not want to vote for Barack Obama I can respect that, but by no means think he is not ready to be president. He will be the most ready man to ever win the office.

Thanks for listening
A Florida Obama worker

re: Experience comments ---

Bush has eight years of experience being President. Look at the fine job he's doing.

"Buddy, can you spare a dime...?"

--- an Independent for Obama

Rick Davis threw another "Flash Bang Grenade" I told you in previous posts that he would do this. Here is the reason for todays grenade.

NEW YORK TIMES 9/24/08

"...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...

"....As president of the Homeownership Alliance, Mr. Davis received $30,000 to $35,000 a month. He, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have characterized the alliance as a coalition of many housing industry and consumer groups to promote homeownership, but numerous current and former officials at both companies say the companies created and bankrolled the operation to combat efforts by competitors to rein in their business. The companies dissolved the group at the end of 2005 as part of cost-cutting in the wake of accounting scandals and, at Freddie Mac, a lobbying scandal that forced out its top Republican lobbyist....

On Monday, the McCain campaign attacked The Times for its account of those payments to Mr. Davis, saying the paper was “150 percent in the tank” for Mr. Obama. Mr. Davis said that he had worked not for the two companies but for the advocacy group, which included other organizations as well and, he said, was focused only on promoting homeownership....

..After the Homeownership Alliance was dissolved, Mr. Davis asked to stay on a retainer, the people familiar with the deal said. Hollis McLoughlin, who was chief of staff to Richard F. Syron, Freddie Mac’s chief executive, arranged for a new contract with Davis Manafort at the reduced rate of $15,000 a month, they said..."

The unintended victim is...well, remember George F. Will's comment "McCain has lost his head"

"Where does Obama stand on the $700 Billion dollar givaway that the republican morons cooked up last week?

Right beside McCain and all the other piggies at the trough."

I see Obama will do what McCain does! Hillary was right. The man is not ready to lead.

"This is Bush's last scare tactic of his Presidency..."

-------------------------

Oh goodness... I hope, you're right. Unfortunately, I have not seen one economist say, that this 700 billion dollars will actually FIX the problem. They all seem to treat it as a temporary solution to the next crisis.

Most Americans are already losing their shirts... and now, we're expected to bail out the criminals who first stole from us.

Oh right. I forgot about the experience a candidate needs. It's true, very true that Obama lacks the proper experience becoming a representative of our proud government:

He has had so little time. Give him a chance and he may surprise you. Who knows? In time he might be cruising for gay sex in Minneapolis airport restrooms or he may even aspire to turn a blind eye to the shenanigans in the real estate and credit markets like McCain did for so many years. He may even get a chance to rack up some sweet pork like McCain did over his illustrious career.

Just give him a chance to shine.

>> Please Believe me, flying combat in Viet Nam was a cake walk to flying combat mission in ww2.

Yeah? Then explain why the navy felt the need to establish the top gun program?
Here's the quote:

According to the US, the results were dramatic as the Navy kill-to-loss ratio or exchange rate against the North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) MiGs soared from 3.7:1 to 13:1, while the Air Force, which had not implemented a similar training program, actually had its kill ratio worsen for a time after the resumption of bombing, according to Benjamin Lambeth's The Transformation of American Airpower - wikepedia

"I was also, where were you deployed?"

1st,2nd and 7th Cavalry Division and ASA. Korea 9th Div Vietnam

If you're really a vet I won't argue with you. Too much horror shared.

Where does Obama stand on the $700 Billion dollar givaway that the republican morons cooked up last week?

Right beside McCain and all the other piggies at the trough.

This is Bush's last scare tactic of his Presidency. If Bush was serious about fixing Wall Street he would have done this years ago when it would have an impact. His shameless move now is insincere and too late. Now id McCain what to jumb when McCain Pulls his string thats up to him. The debates should go on with an empty chair representing McCain/Bush/Schmidt/Rove which would represent the last 8 years and the shameless way they forcing themselves on a complex problem without accountable.

Maybe McCain knew he was going to run out of money with the hit his rich patrons took on Wall Street speculation.

Maybe McCain is running to protect the interests of his millionaire friends and backers -- which is now far more important to them than his presidency or the campaign.

Prisoner of war? How about prisoner of his wealth and puppet of his wealthy powerbroker associates --- who show themselves to be no friend of his?

Like Bush Senior threw his re-election away by not campaigning til it was too late to stop Clinton, the Republican powers-that-be are throwing this election away.

Rob the Treasury, make a getaway, and leave a big mess in a deep hole for the Democrats to fix.

Are you kidding?

Nobama said "I'll be in Florida, I told them to call me if they need me."

McCain is smart - again he's putting this country before his own political aspirations. He'd rather lose an election than lose this country's financial future.

He loves this country, and Obama only loves himself.

Obama was flat-footed today when McCain suspended his campaign.

And now, guess who's going to Washington with McCain? You guessed it. Going with his tail between his legs. I'm sure he's fuming because McCain got the better of him today.

He's a senator from Illinois, and he should be there representing the people from his state, not himself.

See ya Obama. Just lost the election.

Posted by: soccermom | September 24, 2008 9:32 PM
-----------

JOHN MCCAIN, TRAITOR TO HIS COUNTRY, COLLABORATOR WITH THE ENEMY, MILITARY DISGRACE.
Ted Sampley, a Vietnam Veteran and former Green Beret, issued a CHALLENGE to John McCain "If you can show us that the information presented in our mailer is untruthful . . . we will Stand Down" This CHALLENGE was issued during an interview with INSIDE EDITION on January 17, 2008.
John, family members of Vietnam POW/MIA(s) have been waiting for more then 14 years for you to have the courage to face them eye to eye in front of the American Public - Here is your opportunity for some "STRAIGHT TALK." Stop hiding behind your fabricated "War Hero" persona. You know we can prove your collaborations with declassified government documents . . . It is time for the American people to get to know the REAL John McCain - the John McCain that the POW/MIA families witnessed during the 1991-93 US Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs .
Bring It On John! HERE IS OUR NUMBER 252-527-0442
*********** ************* ************** *********** ***********
Activists accused McCain of stonewalling the release of POW records because they contained evidence he had collaborated with the North Vietnamese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MUY9S6iCvk

Biggest Gimmick of all time. McCain is the worst. I am so glad I decided to support Obama.

McCain was shot down on his 23rd mission. During WW II they retired you after 25 missions for fear of pushing your luck or pushing you over the edge mentally!

All of you who scoff at McCain's POW record try getting blown out of the sky once.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 9:21 PM

Please Believe me, flying combat in Viet Nam was a cake walk to flying combat mission in ww2. Vietnam was nowhere near the airwar as ww2. Vietnam pilots were mostly flying close support missions of bombing here and there. WW2 pilots sometimes flew 8 to 10 hours just to get to the target, on top of that they had to face sometimes 50 maybe 100 enemy aircraft in the skys at one time. So please don't even make that comparison again, its an insult to the ww2 pilots who really fought for survival. Lame Brain McCain spent his time crashing into telephone wires while flying trying to showoff flying low.

Better yet... I challenge anyone on this board to enumerate the various talents and qualities they imagine McCain has that make him a better candidate for the job of president than, say, Oprah, Britney Spears, Bozo the Clown, Colonel Oliver North, or that creepy, old alien Larry King?

Thank you.

You tell us why a man who has served for less than 4 years in Congress, two of which he spends running for president, is qualified to be commander in chief! What major legislation has he pushed thru to become law?

Talk is cheap. Where does he stand on the 700 billion giveaway. Will he vote yes no or present?

Are you kidding?

Nobama said "I'll be in Florida, I told them to call me if they need me."

McCain is smart - again he's putting this country before his own political aspirations. He'd rather lose an election than lose this country's financial future.

He loves this country, and Obama only loves himself.

Obama was flat-footed today when McCain suspended his campaign.

And now, guess who's going to Washington with McCain? You guessed it. Going with his tail between his legs. I'm sure he's fuming because McCain got the better of him today.

He's a senator from Illinois, and he should be there representing the people from his state, not himself.

See ya Obama. Just lost the election.

McCain blown out of the sky? Make that man president. POW? He's got the right stuff for the job. Right?

Without mentioning Obama and his obvious lack of military experience, please explain to our dear readers how exactly a military background is more valuable preparation for an individual to succeed as the president who can best address ALL the problems we suffer as a nation RIGHT NOW, than perhaps other types of backgrounds and preparations one might bring?

Posted by: Angry GenX | September 24, 2008 9:28 PM
-----------

It's not.

FACT SHEET: Unremarkable Military record of John Sidney McCain III
Both McCain III’s father and grandfather were Admirals in the United States Navy. His father
Admiral John S. ”Junior” McCain was commander of U.S. forces in Europe - later commander of
American forces in Vietnam while McCain III was being held prisoner of war. His grandfather
John S. McCain, Sr. commanded naval aviation at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
McCain III, like his father and grandfather, also attended the United States Naval Academy.
McCain III finished near the bottom of his graduating class in 1958.

McCain III lost five U.S. Navy aircraft
1 - Student pilot McCain III lost jet number one in 1958 when he plunged into Corpus
Christi Bay while practicing landings.
2 - Pilot McCain III lost another plane two years later while he was deployed in the
Mediterranean. ”Flying too low over the Iberian Peninsula, he took out some power lines
which led to a spate of newspaper stories in which he was predictably identified as the
son of an admiral.
3 - Pilot McCain III lost number three in 1965 when he was returning from flying a Navy
trainer solo to Philadelphia for an Army-Navy football game. McCain III radioed, ”I’ve got
a flameout” and ejected at one thousand feet. The plane crashed to the ground and
McCain III floated to a deserted beach.
4 - Combat pilot McCain III lost his fourth on July 29, 1967, soon after he was assigned to
the USS Forrestal as an A-4 Skyhawk combat pilot. While waiting his turn for takeoff, an
accidently fired rocket slammed into McCain Jr’s. plane. He escaped from the burning
aircraft, but the explosions that followed killed 134 sailors, destroyed at least 20 aircraft,
and threatened to sink the ship.
5 - Combat pilot McCain III lost a fifth plane three months later (Oct. 26, 1967) during his
23rd mission over North Vietnam when he failed to avoid a surface-to-air missile. McCain
III ejected from the plane breaking both arms and a leg in the process and subsequently
parachuted into Truc Bach Lake near Hanoi. After being pulled from the lake by the North
Vietnamese, McCain III was bayoneted in his left foot and shoulder and struck by a rifle
butt. He was then transported to the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton.

1973 New York Daily News labeled POW McCain III a “PW Songbird”
On McCain III’s fourth day of being denied medical treatment, slapped, and threatened with
death by the communist (they were demanding military information in exchange for medical
treatment), McCain III broke and told his interrogator, ”O.K., I’ll give you military information if you
will take me to the hospital.” U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973 article written by former
POW John McCain.
It was then that the communist learned that McCain III’s father was Admiral John S. McCain,
the soon-to-be commander of all U.S. Forces in the Pacific. The Vietnamese rushed McCain III to
Gai Lam military hospital (U.S. government documents), a medical facility normally unavailable
for U.S. POWs.
By Nov. 9, 1967 (U.S. government documents) Hanoi press was quoting McCain III describing
his mission including the number of aircraft in his flight, information about rescue ships, and the
order of which U.S. attacks would take place.
While in still in North Vietnam’s military hospital, McCain III gave an interview to prominent
French television reporter Francois Chalais for a series titled Life in Hanoi. Chalais’ interview with
McCain III was aired in Europe.
Vietnamese doctors operated on McCain’s Leg in early December, 1967.
Six weeks after he was shot down, McCain was taken from the hospital and delivered to a
U.S. POW camp,
In May of 1968, McCain III allowed himself to be interviewed by two North Vietnamese
generals at separate times.” May 14, 1973 article written by former POW John McCain
In August 1968, other POWs learned for the first time that John McCain III had been taken
prisoner.
On June 5, 1969, the New York Daily News reported in a article headlined Reds Say PW
Songbird Is Pilot Son of Admiral, “ . . . Hanoi has aired a broadcast in which the pilot son of
United States Commander in the Pacific, Adm. John McCain, purportedly admits to having
bombed civilian targets in North Vietnam and praises medical treatment he has received since
being taken prisoner . . .” The Washington Post explained McCain III’s broadcast: “The English-
Language broadcast beamed at South Vietnam was one of a series using American prisoners. It
was in response to a plea by Defense Secretary Melvin S. Laird, May 19, that North Vietnam treat
prisoners according to the humanitarian standards set forth by the Geneva Convention.”
In 1970, McCain III agreed to an interview with Dr. Fernando Barral, a Spanish psychiatrist
who was living in Cuba at the time.
The meeting between Barral and McCain III (which was photographed by the Vietnamese)
took place away from the prison at the office of the Committee for Foreign Cultural Relations in
Hanoi (declassified government document). During the meeting, POW McCain sipped coffee and
ate oranges and cakes with the Cuban.
While talking with Barral, McCain III further seriously violated the military Code of Conduct by
failing to evade answering questions ”to the utmost of his ability” when he, according government
documents, helped Barral by answering questions in Spanish, a language McCain had learned in
school. The interview was published in the in January 1970.

McCain III was released from North Vietnam March 15, 1973
In 1993, during one of his many trips back to Hanoi, McCain asked the Vietnamese not to
make public any records they hold pertaining to returned U.S. POWs. McCain III claims, that
while a POW, he tried to kill himself.

McCain III was awarded “medals for valor” equal to nearly a medal-and-a-half for each
hour he spent in combat
For 23 combat missions (an estimated 20 hours over enemy territory), the U.S. Navy awarded
McCain III, the son of famous admirals, a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished
Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a
dozen service medals.
“McCain had roughly 20 hours in combat,” explains Bill Bell, a veteran of Vietnam and former
chief of the U.S. Office for POW/MIA Affairs -- the first official U.S. representative in Vietnam
since the 1973 fall of Saigon.
“Since McCain got 28 medals,” Bell continued, “that equals to about a medal-and-a-half for
each hour he spent in combat. There were infantry guys -- grunts on the ground -- who had more
than 7,000 hours in combat and I can tell you that there were times and situations where I’m sure
a prison cell would have looked pretty good to them by comparison. The question really is how
many guys got that number of medals for not being shot down.”
For years, McCain has been an unchecked master at manipulating an overly friendly and
biased news media. The former POW turned Congressman, turned U.S. Senator, has managed
to gloss over his failures as a pilot and his collaborations with the enemy to become America’s
POW-hero presidential candidate.
For more information: www.againstmccain.com www.usveterandispatch.com

McCain blown out of the sky? Make that man president. POW? He's got the right stuff for the job. Right?

Without mentioning Obama and his obvious lack of military experience, please explain to our dear readers how exactly a military background is more valuable preparation for an individual to succeed as the president who can best address ALL the problems we suffer as a nation RIGHT NOW, than perhaps other types of backgrounds and preparations one might bring?

"The move is an obvious attempt by McCain and his campaign to paint the Arizona senator as above politics, willing to put aside his campaign for the good of the country.... Obama, however, refused to allow McCain to dictate the terms of the campaign's next few days during a press conference in Florida just before 5 p.m. ET."

How cool that you can now read minds when reporting on these candidates.

You have stopped writing like a reporter and are now writing like a novelist with an omniscient perspective.

Now that Bush himself called and asked Obama to attend a meeting on the crisis at the white house & Obama has accepted will you post a news item that describes how Obama is obviously posturing for attention and leadership points, too?

MCCAIN WAS INVOLVED IN MORE JET CRASHES THAN ANY OTHER PERSON WHO FLEW A JET!

"Well sorry for trifling with your trifling debate, Anonymous."

Iy's ok China doll.

I was also, where were you deployed?

-------
I was in Nam when you draft dodgers cut and ran.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 9:22 PM

McCain is so eager to get back to work in Congress, then let them have the debate Friday night and start work Sat morning!

Thats why the Republican Party is trying to hide Palin...

Palin will be grilled about messed up events in her life. "WITCHCRAFT" WTF...

"TROOPERGATE" "UNWED PREGANCY" What else is she trying to hide? It just get uglier and uglier!

MCCAIN has no scruples!

Bring on Rev. Wright can't be as bad as this sh*t!

Posted by: The Pres. | September 24, 2008 9:02 PM

-------------

FROM THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT JOHN EDWARD'S, THEY NOW BRINGS YOU: "TRACK PALIN"
THE COKE HEAD WHO BEAT GOING TO JAIL BY GOING IN THE MILITARY AND HIS WONDERFUL PARENTS WHO RAISED SUCH A FINE FAMILY.

The NATIONAL ENQUIRER’S exclusive ongoing investigation of GOP VP Nom Sarah 'Barracuda' Palin’s goes far beyond a mere teen pregnancy crisis this week!

The Enquirer’s team of reporters has combed the Alaskan wilderness to discover the hidden truth about Gov. Palin’s family, which has become a central part of her political identity.

The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that Sarah's oldest son, Track, was addicted to the power drug OxyContin for nearly the past two years, snorting it, eating it, smoking it and even injecting it. And as Track, 19, heads to Iraq as part of the U.S. armed forces, Sarah and her husband Todd were powerless to stop his wild antics, detailed in the new issue of The ENQUIRER, which goes on sale today.

THE ENQUIRER also has exclusive details about Track's use of other drugs, including cocaine, and his involvement in a notorious local vandalism incident.

“I’ve partied with him (Track) for years,” a source disclosed. “I’ve seen him snort cocaine, snort and smoke OxyContin, drink booze and smoke weed.”

The source also divulged the girls would do anything for Track and he’d use his local celebrity status to manipulate other guys “to get them to steal things he wanted.”

“He finally did what a lot of troubled kids here do,” the source divulged. “You join the military.”

And as Gov. Palin has billed the state of Alaska for various expenses related to her children, as reported by The Washington Post, The ENQUIRER's investigation reveals that she was so incensed by 17-year-old Bristol's pregnancy that she banished her daughter from the house.

Another family friend revealed pre-prego Bristol was as much of a hard partier as Track was.

“Bristol was a huge stoner and drinker. I’ve seen her smoke pot and get drunk and make out with so many guys. All the guys would brag that the just made out with Bristol.”

When Sarah found out the teen was pregnant by high schooler Levi Johnston, she was actually banished from the house. As part of the cover-up, Palin quickly transferred Bristol to another high school and made her move in with Sarah’s sister Heather 25 miles away!

And the ENQUIRER also learned that Levi Johnston, the baby mamma’s future wedded dada, who was glad handed by John McCain at the GOP Convention, isn’t too happy about his impending shotgun nups either.

“Levi got dragged out of the house to go to Minnesota,” Levi’s friend told The ENQUIRER. “Levi realizes he’s stuck being with Bristol because her mom is running for Vice President.”

The friend also confided that both Bristol and Levi “broke up a few times and they definitely messed around with other people.”

Meanwhile, as members of the Palin family’s war viciously over “Trooper-Gate” and claims of Sarah’s extramarital affair have turned the political race into a chaotic arena of threats, denials and vicious attacks by political black ops, The ENQUIRER has discovered shocking new details about the red-hot affair scandal!

For the full story of the secrets Sarah Palin is trying to hide – pick up the new ENQUIRER!

This Just in! The Nation Calls McCain's Bluff!
Debates on as scheduled. The man can't fy planes with any skill, graduates in the bottom 5 of his class and can't even call a good bluff. He is such a national treasure.

I was in Nam when you draft dodgers cut and ran.

"commanding officer of a training squadron stationed in Florida."

You've got to be kidding. Medals courtesy of his father.

Yes, and then after being passed over for promotion, he decides to commit adultery with a younger blonde heiress and move into politics.
Don't you kids have any sense of morals any more?

Now Obama actually has a good excuse ducking his head from being accountable, "absent", which is a good thing that brings not a shame like "present", he's runnig for president.

Is Obama really ready to be President? Will he able to handle the daily pressure of making difficult decisions? Or,.. do I feel good about this...?

During the last several days of this economic crisis, he was silent for a while and later repeated himself, "We need a plan..... We need a plan..."
We all knew that,.. but what plan?

But it's Obama. he knows how to sweat-talk the crowd with his eloquent sense of empathy with our needs. Of course, most of the time, we feel fine if we find someone who empathizes with us in difficult times.... ..
So, at the end of the elegant speech and the emotional heap, when the lights are out, we, on our way home, wonder what he said, "Solution?? What solution??? the problem?? uh, uh, nothing..."

And it's still Ok. "Obama ain't goin' nowhere near that White House..,to be sure."
He's just fine,with me, keep'n that sweat talk.

I think Obama should come out and say, "Hey, I don't have to be physically in Washington to monitor what's going on and be involved. We have computers, we have emails. Why can't John just keep in touch via ema... ooooooooooooh."

McCain was shot down on his 23rd mission. During WW II they retired you after 25 missions for fear of pushing your luck or pushing you over the edge mentally!

All of you who scoff at McCain's POW record try getting blown out of the sky once.

HEY REPUBLICANS...YOU HAVE TO LEAVE OBAMA SOME MONEY WHEN HE TAKES THE WHITE HOUSE!

Well sorry for trifling with your trifling debate, Anonymous.

But seriously, I think you may want to read the REST of my comment before you jump out at the first apparent disagreement you may have with it, MR. (or is it Ms.) self appointed protector of the democracy.

"Oh you served for six years? And now you are with the guy who in all his talk about Iraq never ever mentions the word "victory" once?"

Again, when and where did you serve to speak so lightly of war? Armchair general? Are you even 18? You say victory. Tell me what you won Anon.

Having been rehabilitated, by late 1974, McCain had his flight status reinstated, and in 1976 he became commanding officer of a training squadron stationed in Florida.[53][56] He improved the unit's flight readiness and safety records,[57] and won the squadron its first-ever Meritorious Unit Commendation. - Wikipedia

Osama bin Laden is almost as accessible to the media as the McSame/Palin team.

=-----

I suppose that's why Barack sat down with the right-wacko O'Reilly?

McCain and Palin are terrified of the media.

Big difference.

And now he's afraid of debating.

Yellow.

If only "one" candidate shows up? Invite the libertarian candidate, whoever that is. He can bring Alan Greenspan with him to show how the elites would NEVER do anything to hurt them so government is responsible for this mess. So there.

AINT THIS A B*TCH?

BUSH BURNING THE BRIDGES OF DUDES WHO MADE HIM MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

BUSH LOOKS A LITTLE WORRIED.

BUT LIKE CLINT EASTWOOD SAID.

A MAN HAS TO KNOW HIS LIMITATIONS!

SO I SAY TO YOU WALL STREET CEO'S AND EXECUTIVES GET YOUR ASSES UNDER THAT BUS!

GOOD JOB PRES. YOU GO BOYEEEEEEEEEEEE

The clown is on can't stand to see his mouth move without saying anything. The man belongs in an orange jumpsuit with DOC on the back not the white house.

"McCain was commanding officer. Obama was community organizer. Not exactly the same kind of CO!"

OK. Now you're just being ignorant. McCain was a POW and bottom of his class.

Mccain neber commanded men other then a token job he had running a training base in Florida a job his father got him. Are you going to tell me to tell me John Mccain with his high school education and next to last in his class navel academy finish, you want for the leader of the country?
He has never held a job in his life or even brought home a paycheck.
He never built a business ran a company in fact did anything on his own without someone else doing it for him. First his family, then his wife, whose father by the way, bought him his political career.

The man is in such an intellectual rut, he can't even turn on a computer. Heck, I would like to know how he manages his senatorial duties being to technologically illiterate? This is the man we want to lead our country? A man who even lacks the curiosity or initiative to even keep up with the times. Lets be honest, he is a moron and it would take an even bigger moron to vote for him.

John Mccain is a complete and utter dunce. Totally lazy and unaccomplished his whole life all the way back to his high school days. I won't even get into his years as an admitted drunk confirmed by everyone who knew him. Please give me a break. John Mccain, they really scrapped the bottom of the barrel when they nominated this loser.

=========
McCain was commanding officer. Obama was community organizer. Not exactly the same kind of CO!

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 9:05 PM

Our economy is sound and strong. That's why you should not give away 700 billion dollars. Only gullible Dems would buy that dog and pony show. And it looks like they will.

Who's the bigger fool then? Bush or the guy who will hand Bush the money?

For any doubters, McCain and his economic team clearly have a proven economic track record to bring to Washington. As McCain said a few months ago about Phil Gramm: "He’s probably the smartest – not just economist, but politician – there is."

Phil Gramm (in July):
"We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy.

"You've heard of mental depression? This is a mental recession."

Old news, right? By the way, how many of you Republican posters out there voted for our current Economist-in-Chief?

"Can anyone imagine him dealing with the Iranian thug, Korea, China, Russia, Chavez et al??"
Unlike McCain with Spain, he'd know who our allies were and he wouldn't be singing Bomb,bomb Iran. Get serious.

WAIT!
MR. BUSH...DID YOU SAY THAT OUR ECONOMY IS IN JEOPARDY.

MCCAIN JUST LAST WEEK SAID OUR ECONOMY WAS SOUND AND STRONG!

FACE IT AMERICA THE HONORABLE SENATOR MCCAIN IS TRULLY A GREAT PATRIOT, A MAN OF IMPECCABLE COURAGE A MAN OF UNQUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY A MAN WE CAN DEPEND ON IN TIMES OF HUGE DISASTERS AND LIKE MY MYSELF
A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY SECOND GUESS!!!

McCain was commanding officer. Obama was community organizer. Not exactly the same kind of CO!

If, if McCain is successful in dealing with this mess, Obama should be looked at as the naif he is. The Congressional Dems, Obama's own advisors: Raines, Johnson, Gorelik, all ought to be held responsibile for this economic mess
___________________________________________
You are ignorant. Mccain is tanking because he and his campaign staff are demonstrable LIARS. The NYT article peeled the outer layer of the reeking onion that is Mccain. If you'd bother to read you'd be embarassed to throw up the blatant falsehood about Johnson and Raines. And you run hide from shrub, the worst president ever, with the right wing trickle on mantra as the only religion the right wing has. Please tell me, from your post: how is a cranky feeble 72 year old going to resolve this? Last I looked, gramps was in the MINORITY party. Is he already annointed king in your head?

Oh you served for six years? And now you are with the guy who in all his talk about Iraq never ever mentions the word "victory" once?

What a commander in chief he will make eh?

Retreat retreat retreat! Let leave Iraq to Iran!

Let me get this straight. The economic situation is so dire that McCain believes he must suspend his campaign, cancel the presidential debate, and no-show for tonight's program on David Letterman. But .... he's available for an interview on CBS tonight and can attend the Global Initiative conference tomorrow. THEN he'll head to Washington to solve all America's economic woes, even though he doesn't "know much about the economy".

On the other hand, Senator Obama is capable of multi-tasking: monitoring and participating in the bail-out negotiations in Washington while managing his campaign operations AND preparing for Friday night's debate.

Let the debate go on. Perhaps McCain's very qualified second-in-command, Ms. Palin, can sit in for her boss. That's her role after all. So is she ready or is she not?

Thats why the Republican Party is trying to hide Palin...

Palin will be grilled about messed up events in her life. "WITCHCRAFT" WTF...

"TROOPERGATE" "UNWED PREGANCY" What else is she trying to hide? It just get uglier and uglier!

MCCAIN has no scruples!

Bring on Rev. Wright can't be as bad as this sh*t!

Present 130 of over 4000 votes. Get your facts correct. And by the way:

Do you even "KNOW", what it means to vote present? Unlike John Mccain who just never even bothers to show up and vote. To vote present means you are here and ready to vote but what you are voting on is not ready to be voted on in your opinion. There are things in it you support and things you don't. You want to see it worked on some more so instead of just voting "YES" like a lot of senators do who are too lazy to fight for what they believe in. Or voting "NO" and killing what may be a good bill if it was just worked on, you vote "PRESENT" meaning "Im am here and ready to vote but not on what has been presented to me".

IT IS A "GOOD" THING TO VOTE PRESENT, IT MEANS YOU ARE THERE READY TO WORK AND TAKE YOUR JOB SERIOUSLY BUT NOT SOME STOOGE WHO WILL JUST SIGN ANYTHING MANY TIMES THINGS THEY DIDN'T EVEN READ.

If you see someone who has no present votes, they were probably not even there half the time. "LIKE JOHN MCCAIN"

===============
How much multitasking skill does it take to vote present more than you vote yes or no?

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 8:35 PM

the 5 stages of grief:

1) Denial. I'm not losing, I'm not running away from these debates because I'm afraid. I have important business in washington where all the world will watch me expound upon my advanced economic idears. I'll pound on the table, I'll point my finger real pointy, and I'll blame Bush, you watch!

2) Anger. How dare Obama and the American people ask me, John McCain to meet this messiah in a debate, I WILL NOT LOSE! Screw you democrats, you ....sputter ... socialists!

3) Bargaining. Look, let's quit campaigning for a while, you know, until the heat is off. let's start talking about how cute Sarah is again.

4) Depression. Oh no, that Obama character is not going down in flames like Karl said. This is what I get for listening to that fat slob, he has bigger boobs than sarah, what a bummer

5) Acceptance. John! Get that gun out of your mouth!

News Flash: The candidates were invited to meet with Bush at 3:15 on Thursday. That leaves the old man plenty of time to get his sorry ass in gear and get on down to Miss. for the debate with Obama on Friday night. The American people need to see this showdown, and if McCain turns tail, he will be seen as a cowardly weakling.

"Oh so you love the military now?"

I served six years. I was shot and saved by own of those multitaskers. How about you?

Responding to McCain suspending his campaign to address the economic crisis, Obama said that if they [Congress] need me, they’ll call me.

Yes, Obama wants to continue with his campaigning and the upcoming debate rather than show leadership and fulfill his role as Senator. In what has to be the quote of the day, if not the election, Obama said:

“Apparently, this was something that, you know, he was more decisive about…”—Barack Obama speaking about John McCain action to stop campaigning.

McCain rolls up his sleeves and says ‘let’s get something done.’ And Obama says ‘call me if you need me.’

Saying the President needs to do more than one thing at a time - and yet, Obama himself was holed up in Tampa, FL, not campaigning, but preparing for the damned debate on foreign policy. In other words, focusing on the debate about foreign policy, NOT the financial bail-out. The man is total B.S. !

I say let Palin debate.

I believe she saw Russia from her window once. What more is needed?

I think there are a few other qualified folks for other border states such as Texas, Arizona, California, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michegan, New York, Maine who are similarly qualified who could also be drafted to enlighten us on Republican foreing policy views. They have peered over at Canada and Mexico and had deep thoughts.

Make it the Palin/McCain ticket and have done.

At this point the election is almost irrelevant to me. Knowing what I know, we are on the brink of an economic depression. If there is no bailout things will spiral out of control very quickly. In my opinion the bailout gives us about a 25% chance of averting a depression in the next 2 years.The outlook is not good. This started in the late 90's when the Clinton administration pushed for more minority home ownership, enlisting Freddie mac and Fannie Mae to spearhead the program. It then spread throughout the mortgage industry due to weak regulations of mortgage brokers, appraisers and lenders. The selling of portfolios was the fuel for the fire to spread.

Get a grip. The Republican rank and file are just waiting for the signal from McCain. They don't want this socialist bailout. If McCain says no deal 90 percent of the Republicans will also vote no. Pelosi, Reid and Obama will then be left in the most awkward position of standing side by side with Bush on a bailout the public clearly disapproves.

This is another attempt to throw Obama off his stride--based on the poll results noted above. Do we want a President who lurches into bizarre directions, trying to shake things up (see George Will's latest column)? Or do we want a thoughtful, steady hand?

I think the debate should go on. If McCain can't make it, Sarah Palin can substitute. Since she has foreign policy experience (she can see Russia from Alaska) and has met the Mayor of Kabul (I mean the President of Afghanistan), she is fully qualified to debate foreign affairs.

lets see the debate would reach 40 million viewers seems like the perfect place to discuss the worst financal disaster since the depression great place to agree or disagree what should be in that proposal.

You dont have to be in DC to get your point across dont be scared face the people
the debate only takes 2 hours tops.

Osama bin Laden is almost as accessible to the media as the McSame/Palin team.

Please do not ask me any questions, McSame said. Please... only photograph my $5,583.00 face.

McCain can hop in his wife's jet anytime and make the debate. Who are you people trying to kid other than yourselves.

Look like the bail out will replace "the dog ate my homework." I guess baseball games will now be canceled for this reason. As will trials, real estate closings and who knows what else. What BS? McCain is not a member of any committee with jurisdiction, is totally lacking in relevant expertise, and has yet to say one word of substance on the present financial crisis.

"A presidential debate with only one presidential candidate?": if sen. McCain is not willing to debate with sen. Obama, why not Sarah Palin instead of him?

Mccain is tanking on Intrade. Down 10 points in a day. People are not buying his BS.

"Do you honestly believe that surgeons don't multitask? Some of the best doctors came out of MASH units. Or do you just hate the military?"

Oh so you love the military now? You need to keep up with the time then. There are no MASH any more. They are Combat Support Hospitals now.

And what the hell does MASH doctors have to do with multitasking? You must be watching too many reruns of that old show where Hawkeye is flirting with the nurse while cutting the soldier up. Doesn't work like that in real life dude. Your surgeon does that you die.

"Who are we to demand trifling debates from him?"

We are American citizens who have a right to know more about the candidate's positions before we elect them. These candidates are public servants. "Trifling debates?" You feel theses debates have little importance? What country are you writing from, China? Yes, perhaps we should put the debates off until after the election.

McCain / Palin
Unstable / Unable *

*sources:
George Will / Laura Bush

It is amazing to my wife and I that so many Americans cannot see through the illusion of this socialist pacifist faux Messiah. Can anyone imagine him dealing with the Iranian thug, Korea, China, Russia, Chavez et al?? He has no experience with economic issues except to raise campaign funds. If, if McCain is successful in dealing with this mess, Obama should be looked at as the naif he is. The Congressional Dems, Obama's own advisors: Raines, Johnson, Gorelik, all ought to be held responsibile for this economic mess. The FBI might actually find that out. As to the MSM ABC driven polls finding a 9% lead for the Messiah: Dems were overpolled by a 3-2 margin. Polls such as Ras, RCP and the Battleground polls show the true race: so close that this act of leadership by McCain may give him back the lead.

3. McCain is a humble patriot. He doesn’t like to toot his own horn. Contrary to what you may have heard, McCain is one of the top economists in the world. His deep understanding of the most recondite subjects of global finance and economics is well known. But alas, his solemn prognostications about the fragile state of our economy fell on deaf ears for years. Had we just taken him more seriously for the past 8 years we may have narrowly avoided this impending disaster.
Now is not the time to prevent this man from his selfless efforts to rescue his constituents, and possible the nation.
Please. Please give this beautiful human being a chance to (as Sean Pdiddy Coombs once remarked) do his “beautiful mind thing” when he gets to Wash D.C. before you all rip into him for trying to duck out of a scheduled debate with Obama. Ok?
Posted by: Angry GenX
___________________________________________
If your post was not just snark, my apologies for missing the serious point in the obvious humor in it. If you are at all serious then I understand why you are angry, belief system collapsing and all.

Obama promised the people of Illinois that he would be their voice in Washington. Where has been? Practically anywhere other than Washington.

Obama is now trying to tell the American people that he will be working hard in Washington to solve all of their problems. Where is now? Practically anywhere other than Washington.

It would be nice if Senator Obama would do the job he was elected to do before trying to get a promotion. This citizen of Illinois has no confidence that he can manage the country when he has shown no ability to manage the affairs of our state. His indifference to the current national crisis is appalling.

I'm not sure what kind of president McCain will make, but I appreciate that he has his priorities in order. Of course, the liberal haters would be saying just the opposite if Obama went back to Washington and McCain attended the debate alone. It is beyond most of them to admit a conservative is right, even when it is obvious.

McCain's grandstanding is pathetic and stupid. He would also love to cancel the debates for him and his cipher as a twofer. He's trying to seize the "presidential high ground" by acting like he is fixing things, ala Bush... ACTING LIKE HE IS FIXING THINGS HE F*CKED UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Things are tough over people, and I know how hard it is for you to wake up each morning and not stick a gun in your mouth.

I know, I feel the same way, especially now. I want to show all of you how I'm suffering from my own stupidity, just like many of you - see, I'm the kind of guy you'd like to share a suppository with.

I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

"Well if you are dying on the operating table do you want the surgeon to focus on you or do you want him to multitask? Duh!"

Do you honestly believe that surgeons don't multitask? Some of the best doctors came out of MASH units. Or do you just hate the military?

I can’t understand why people are up in arms about McCain’s debate delay request. We should gracefully accept that McCain must return to the hard work of helping to solve the impending crisis. Who are we to demand trifling debates from him?

Of these two champions of our well being, I must say that John McCain’s conscientiousness is unsurprising.

If any man is needed more in Washington to save us now it surely must be John McCain.

Here’s why:

1. The man was on the front lines this war on credit crunch, he fought deep in the trenches working hand-in-hand with consumer advocacy groups to stem the growing abuses in the real estate market, fighting for the people long before the bubble burst.

2. He was an effective ally in insulating his home state, Arizona, from over-speculation, unscrupulous and even criminal lending practices, poor investment or any other nastiness this boom and bust are having on the rest of the country. In fact, Arizona to date has one of the most stable and prosperous real estate markets in the world. Arizona should be proud of their native son. Right?

3. McCain is a humble patriot. He doesn’t like to toot his own horn. Contrary to what you may have heard, McCain is one of the top economists in the world. His deep understanding of the most recondite subjects of global finance and economics is well known. But alas, his solemn prognostications about the fragile state of our economy fell on deaf ears for years. Had we just taken him more seriously for the past 8 years we may have narrowly avoided this impending disaster.

Now is not the time to prevent this man from his selfless efforts to rescue his constituents, and possible the nation.

Please. Please give this beautiful human being a chance to (as Sean Pdiddy Coombs once remarked) do his “beautiful mind thing” when he gets to Wash D.C. before you all rip into him for trying to duck out of a scheduled debate with Obama. Ok?

More from "Behind the McCain Move" . . . .

"Well I fooled "anonymous" who posted at 8:33 PM, so why can't I fool the rest of America too?"

Well if you are dying on the operating table do you want the surgeon to focus on you or do you want him to multitask? Duh!

I'm not sure. Something about McCain's decision doesn't pass the smell test.

MCCAIN YOU ARE TRULY THE GREATEST MEDIA FEEDER OF ALL TIME TO BAD IT HELPS OBAMA AND NOT YOU! FEED ME BABE! FEED ME!

The news media should get a backbone! Call McCain's debate delay tactic what it is, a political stunt to look presidential and bi-partisan when it comes to his political weakness, the economy.

The McCain campaign saw how the polling numbers were turning back into Obama's favor on the economy combined with Joe Biden's fiery foreign policy speech today and pulled out another late "major political stunt".

This whole financial market crisis happened 10 days ago! If McCain wanted to appeal presidential and bi-partisan, he would have suggested this action 9 to 10 days ago. But after stating that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong" and he was against the AIG bailout but did a 24-hr 180 degree turn and was for the bailout, McCain realized he was falling again in the polls.

McCain and Palin can't hide forever from the media and the electorate! The most insulting part of the McCain campaign backing out of the debate is that they wanted to move the Friday Sept. 26th debate to the same date as the VP debate on Oct. 2nd and then reschedule the Biden-Palin at a later date.

How insulting is this to the American people?

Behind McCain's Move?

Well, it's something like this:
"I wonder just how stupid the American people are . . .
Do you think that if I pretend to be more concerned with the nation than with my presidential campaign, they will warm to me and give me their votes?"

"Whaddya mean, NO! ?"
"They are NOT that stupid?"
" . . . . Oh, my giddy aunt . . . . "

McCain is a Punk!!! Anyone can see this phoney is stalling cuz he knows nothing about what the hell is going on especially regarding the economy. The phoney war hero punk is even trying to shield Palin from questions for fear she will say or do something stupid. He picks a VP running mate then tries to hide her from the public. This guy is a BIG loser idiotttt! I am not Democ-RAT or a Republi-CON but an independent, but anyone can see the BS McCain is putting forth. The BS is thick with John McCain! Whew it stinks!

How much multitasking skill does it take to vote present more than you vote yes or no?

From:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-suspending-my-campaign-actually.html

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What "Suspending My Campaign" Actually Means

From the Chicago Tribune:

John McCain's sudden "suspension'' of his campaign and his call for a postponement of the premier campaign debate Friday night has sparked a round of criticism from people asking why the presidential candidate cannot manage a financial crisis and a debate at the same time.

"Among them: "Late Night's'' David Letterman, who told his own audience in taping at CBS today that he was hoping to see the Republican nominee for president but McCain called him to say that he had to rush back to Washington to deal with the nation's financial crisis. Then, as Letterman told it, he got word that in fact McCain was down the hall sitting for an interview with his colleague at CBS, Evening News anchor Katie Couric, which aired this evening."

And the Top 10 most cynical methods for avoiding a drop in the polls tonight are...

Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-suspending-my-campaign-actually.html

McCain has been a huge disappointment so far .... and to think I respected the guy in 2000. McCain if there is any prayer of hope for you on Nov. 4th, fire your team of Karl Rove wannabe's and stop this circus.
If you say "Country First" mean it.

This is such an obvious political ploy only the McCain true believers or those easily duped by transparent propaganda will give him any political acclaim. As has been widely reported, Congressional leaders have come close to agreement with the Bush administration on key aspects of the proposed bailout bill. Representative Barney Frank said this afternoon he believes a bill will be passed within "a few days."

McCain is completelely irrevelant to the negotiations between leaders of Congress and Secretary Paulson. Yet McCain wants to create a potential major photo-op and propaganda ploy by making a bold entry, claiming he helped broker a deal, saving the global financial system.

The vast majority of informed Americans will easily see through this phony "suspension" of his campaign and this obvious political stunt.

"McCain would rather save the country than save his election. That's why I am voting for him, and am now writing my first check of this campaign."

Ha...just getting round to that? One of McCain's many devoted supporters.

Well if you are dying on the operating table do you want the surgeon to focus on you or do you want him to multitask? Duh!

It should be more than obvious who really cares about our Country and the people and who just wants to be a politician with little or no basis. I hope obama is the only idjut who shows up at the debate. Where would you want your leader to be; standing alone at a political debate blowing their horn or trying to resolve a national financial disaster that is impacting all of us?

So, the Democrats are like little rabid Chihuahuas going after Sarah Palin but nobody seems to be talking about Biden's recent gaffes-- did not know who was president during the Great Depression and thought TV was invented then, lol. Check the vid clip in my blog:

http://www.mccain08-hillary2012.blogspot.com/

If Dems are so smart how come they are even talking about giving Bush 700 billions to give away four months before his term is over? Who's the bigger fool?

While we are full ourselves commenting on this trick political play by the McCain camp...who is paying attention to the 700 billion? Where is that money going to go, Folks? The Federal Reserve is not a governmental institution. We gotta wake up...our attention is being redirected.

"Part of the president's job is to deal with more than one thing at once."

Ouch! Extremely well played, Mr. Obama.

He saw the polls. He's not ready to debate, and neither is Palin. I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt and extra time to think about things, but this is ridiculous. Besides, Barack's right. Sometimes the president might just need to think fast and multitask. Gee.

One can only watch McCain and wonder what the GOP leadership thinks about the future of this republic.

Best possible case for them. No debates; no Palin press conference; go negative, stoke the racism thing and hope for the best.

Pathetic.

Pop Quiz

(time limit-3 seconds)

What do John McCain and Colonel Sanders have in common?

Obama is in a hurry to to be president.He would rather see our credit situation worsen over the weekend to take advantage of it.Goes well with his suggestion to Iraqi leaders to postpone troop withdrawals till elections.What an opportunist.Does this man even care about our country?

Hi, I'm not much on talking. I don't really no to much. Heck I am the first to admit that I am not the brightest bulb in the lamp. But I like many other McCain supporters know that to vote for McCain is the right thing to do because we don't have to think. McCain is the man who will do all of our thinking for us. Our only job is to vote McCain and then just sit back and put our trust in McCain and Palin. Sure some say McCain is old, if something happens Palin will step in, she is right for the job especially in dealing with Russia. Remember she is from Alaska and she can see the coast of Russia from Alaska so that should stand for something. Obama being from Chicago can't see Russia so how can he be qualified? The democrats are voting for a man they know nothing about. We know all about Palin now since its all been reported on the news the last 2 weeks. Palin/McCain 2008!

Country first??? Nope. It's McCain first. So let's get this straight. McCain told an interviewer earlier this year that he didn't know much about economics but was reading Greenspan's book! And yet McCain feels HE is needed to rescue the country from economic disaster? Right! Come on! This is a PLOY to DELAY BOTH McCain and Palin from having to debate. CNN is reporting that McCain's camp wants the Presidential debate to be Oct. 2, thus postponing the VP debate! (until...umm... maybe NEVER?!) What a joke.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once"

Julius Caesar II, Shakespeare

SurveyUSA says that only 10% of Americans support a delay of the debate. Sorry McCain, we see through your political gimmick!

EXTRA-LEGAL GOV'T "TARGETING" OF AMERICANS:
A ROOT CAUSE OF WALL STREET MONEY MELTDOWN?

Once again, Congress is being asked to rush through emergency legislation -- to cede effective control of the economy to the government.

Officials continue to blame lax lending policies on the part of the mortgage industry for spawning this crisis. But is that entirely true?

Is a network of extra-judicial programs "targeting" American citizens by offering them "easy credit" a root cause of the mortgage meltdown?

Consider this:

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/targeting-u-s-citizens-govt-agencies-root-cause-wall-street-financial-crisis OR
members.nowpublic.com/scrivener

JUST READ IDSW BLOG AT 7:55 9-24 08
SOUNDS LIKE GOOD SOUND ADVICE HOPE MCCAIN DOESN'T READ IT AND PRETEND ITS HIS, ANYWAY I THINK YOUR STATEMENTS MAKE MUCH SENSE MORE THAN THE CANDIDATES , EXPRESSING HOW SWEDEN HANDLED A SIMILAR MELT DOWN CRISIS...IDSW FOR PRESIDENT!!

I've read most off all these comments and the one thing that no one has really hit on is the fact that McCain is not multi-tasking here. This would be the classic situation in which to do so. It would put to bed the age factor. But instead he's pandering to the undecided b/c he's down in the polls. The last time we had a president who was governed by the polls was Richard Nixon. For those of you who don't remember his years as POTUS, he was referred to as King Richard...ala Richard III. He too had a bad relationship with the press and lied and procrastinated with the Watergate investigation. And eventually had Capitol Hill in an uproar until he sealed his fate with the 16 minute gap in the tapes requested by Judge Sirica. He did open the doors to trade with China...and now we deal with tainted goods from there....autism is suspiciously high amongst infants today. And now they own our debt...except for this $700B which has yet to be allocated.

I'm not so sure I understand why the VP nominees who are inasmuch seeking the role of President of the Senate aren't rushing to DC instead of the Presidential nominees. The VP has more legislative responsibilities as opposed to the President.

McCain admitted months ago that the economy isn't his strong suit so what good does he think he will do in crafting a $700B rescue package. Both he and Obama should be there for open debates and voting in the senate but they are not needed before that and will only further politicize an already volatile situation. We do need to hear from our candidates on the issues, McCain could have suggested that they swap the order of the debates to focus on the economy first but I suspect that this might be as much about trying to avoid the debates on foreign policy as anything else.

People trust Obama on the economy and when he does well in the debate on foreign policy as well he'll have the election sewed up and McCain just might want to avoid that. Just a thought.

O must, must, must show up on Friday!!!!

Bill Clinton will not be happy about Mac suspending his campaign: because it helps BO. Because if O sticks to his guns and appears at the debate on Friday regardless of whether Mac does, O probably closes out the election for good. For Mac, it would be the political equivalent of a Roberto Duran "No Mas."

Read this great excerpt from Paul Slansky's piece in HuffPo today, "Note to Clinton" complaining about Bitter Bill's past week of campaigning on TV and elsewhere AGAINST Obama:

"Oh, and stop talking about how much you like Senator McCain. Have you forgotten the vile joke he told a decade ago at your wife's and daughter's expense? Let me remind you: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? She's the child of Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton." Are you saying, Bill, that you can forgive McCain for calling Chelsea "ugly" but you can't forgive Obama for defeating Hillary?

If Obama loses a close election -- one in which even one state where you could have made a difference goes for McCain because you sat home and pouted -- it will be on you. We will remember that you couldn't be bothered to rise above your petty resentments for something as trivial as saving your country from the enemies of everything you profess to believe in. We forgave you for Monica, Bill, but we won't forgive you for this." END

Obama is p-ssed because he's been totally focused on prepping for the debates, and like always he couldn't care a rat's @ss about doing his job and earning his salary as a Senator, or attending to the needs of this country before the need to feed his ambition.

McCain would rather save the country than save his election. That's why I am voting for him, and am now writing my first check of this campaign.

McCain's "suspension" of the campaign is what one would expect of a Communist when things aren't going well. Stop the competition.

McCain wants to suspend the debate because in doing so gives him credit for thinking about suspending the debate which was Obama,s suggestion on working out the details and Ole man Cain jumps on television to announce it as if it (were his own concern only born of his idea) what a heel. He would like the people to think the republicans are in control when if fact they are manifesting a new can or worms- read here:
http://action.credomobile.com/blog/

McCain/Palin
Unstable/Unable*

*sources:
George Will/Laura Bush

Last time I checked this debate is about foreign policy, are the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan going to get a time out too for the economic crisis?

CORRECTION: R M Gopal meant to say "the first Obama-McCain debate" (NOT "the first Biden=Palin) debate." (7:56PM, Sep 24.) mea maxima culpa.

In was Obama's idea, not McFlip's. In any case, McFlip wants to be seen as wheeler and dealer but came out as a pathetic little man desperately trying no to loose more terrain. And this garbage wants to be president of my US of A?

John McCain and Sarah Palin.......
Incontinent and Incompetent

BREAKING NEWS

McCain says he WILL attend the debate if the Senate solves the problem by Friday.

This is getting funnier by the minute!

McCain is a dangerous old fool.

Republicans are going to be out of power for a generation.

Rope-a-dope!

McCain has fallen back to playing "prisoner of war". Put on a smile while you are getting beat up! Pretend you are winning. Try to make the other guy look bad.

Maybe his health can't take the stress and strain and this is just a coverup for his failing health.

If you read the conservative press like National Review, you'll learn the real reason McCain did this:

Some conservatives like Gingrich are trying to get McCain to come out against the bailout and force the Dems to pass it themselves. To forestall that, the Dems are insisting that McCain must take full responsibility for the bailout in exchange for their voting for it. Otherwise they won't vote for it and they'll just let America face the economic consequences.

So this puts McCain on the side of Bush and against the conservatives like Pence and DeMint. It's just like the immigration bill all over again in that regard.

McCain/Palin
Unstable/Unable

McChicken lost his nuggets.

He needs a time out to huddle with Phil and Carly for advice.

John McCain & Sarah Palin.......
Incontinent & Incompetent

How stupid does McSame think the American voter is? Oh wait...we are pretty dumb. We've fallen for things more transparent than this.

Second act with McCain's desperation...first choosing Sarah Palin the day after the Democratic Convention...and now with McCain's poll numbers heading south fast he pulls this stunt. Considering his self confessed limited knowledge of economics what on God's earth can he contribute to these compex negotiations already taking place in Washington. McCain is part of the problem, his call for deregulation and less government oversight is what got us into this mess in the first place. Now Mr. Deregulator is going to Washington as Mr. Regulator? What a joke!

Did Rick Davis say this election will not be about the issues?

wrong again

Desperate men make desperate moves....

McCain just discovered the economy? Stunt.

Rick Davis threw another "Flash Bang Grenade" I told you in previous posts that he would do this. Here is the reason for todays grenade.

NEW YORK TIMES 9/24/08

"...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...

"....As president of the Homeownership Alliance, Mr. Davis received $30,000 to $35,000 a month. He, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have characterized the alliance as a coalition of many housing industry and consumer groups to promote homeownership, but numerous current and former officials at both companies say the companies created and bankrolled the operation to combat efforts by competitors to rein in their business. The companies dissolved the group at the end of 2005 as part of cost-cutting in the wake of accounting scandals and, at Freddie Mac, a lobbying scandal that forced out its top Republican lobbyist....

On Monday, the McCain campaign attacked The Times for its account of those payments to Mr. Davis, saying the paper was “150 percent in the tank” for Mr. Obama. Mr. Davis said that he had worked not for the two companies but for the advocacy group, which included other organizations as well and, he said, was focused only on promoting homeownership....

..After the Homeownership Alliance was dissolved, Mr. Davis asked to stay on a retainer, the people familiar with the deal said. Hollis McLoughlin, who was chief of staff to Richard F. Syron, Freddie Mac’s chief executive, arranged for a new contract with Davis Manafort at the reduced rate of $15,000 a month, they said..."

The unintended victim is...well, remember George F. Will's comment "McCain has lost his head"

Sean: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." (Moynihan) So only by McCain, the De-regulator, stopping everything to attend a meeting in DC, will our deep financial crisis then be resolved? Last week, McCain declared our economy was still fundamentally "strong". Instead of him showboating, how about a frank debate on how each presidential nominee would handle further economic abuses without the taxpayer's taking the hit?

McCain is sinking in the polls. Rick Davis is the latest in a string of advisors to be in hot water. The Palin honeymoon is over. She did a dreadful job tonight with Katie Couric. So McCain is trying to duck the debate. Oh, and possibly postpone the VP debate too. How convenient. How obvious. What a sham.

Here's FUN question...

On which Senate committees does McCain have a seat? Answer:

- ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
- INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
- COMMERCE/SCIENCE/TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

How the f*ck is McCain going to help with this crisis? He's not a member of ANY senate committee addressing the issue.

It's painfully obvious that McCain sincerely believes he can help his colleagues solve this problem by roaming the halls of the Senate looking for photo ops.

John McCain is a dangerous old fool.

Republicans are going to be out of power for a generation.

um. This Economic Whiz, John McCain, is needed to craft a bi-partisan bill? Yeah. Right. Is he bringing along Phil Graham?

Come November 10 daman is going to be one of these disgruntled PUMA people!

daman don't say I did'nt say...told you so!

Palin having the demons praised out of her..WTF!

Hmmm...and why can't McCain debate from Washington using video conferencing?

Funny, I seem to remember that the worst of this mess started a week and a half ago and only now its time to suspend the campaign. John McCain needs to stop the gimmicks.

Rick Davis threw another "Flash Bang Grenade" I told you in previous posts that he would do this. Here is the reason for todays grenade.

NEW YORK TIMES 9/24/08

"...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...

"....As president of the Homeownership Alliance, Mr. Davis received $30,000 to $35,000 a month. He, along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have characterized the alliance as a coalition of many housing industry and consumer groups to promote homeownership, but numerous current and former officials at both companies say the companies created and bankrolled the operation to combat efforts by competitors to rein in their business. The companies dissolved the group at the end of 2005 as part of cost-cutting in the wake of accounting scandals and, at Freddie Mac, a lobbying scandal that forced out its top Republican lobbyist....

On Monday, the McCain campaign attacked The Times for its account of those payments to Mr. Davis, saying the paper was “150 percent in the tank” for Mr. Obama. Mr. Davis said that he had worked not for the two companies but for the advocacy group, which included other organizations as well and, he said, was focused only on promoting homeownership....

..After the Homeownership Alliance was dissolved, Mr. Davis asked to stay on a retainer, the people familiar with the deal said. Hollis McLoughlin, who was chief of staff to Richard F. Syron, Freddie Mac’s chief executive, arranged for a new contract with Davis Manafort at the reduced rate of $15,000 a month, they said..."

The unintended victim is...well, remember George F. Will's comment "McCain has lost his head"

One thing noticed,, all but just a few blogs support poor mr mcsmall guy and his concepts of a campaign thats a well oiled machine further positive blogs by republicans during treats like this only help undecided's bite the hands of the ones whom feed them!
So in saying that carry on as usual boys see you in mcduckville I'll have my bells on !

I hope McCain doesn't show up for the debate. I'd rather just hear Obama anyway.

Hey, what's next, if Mccain still trails before November why not declare Martial Law and postpone the elections, it is the only patriotic thing to do for this country's greatest patriot! Postpone them at least until the polls swing in McCain's favor. Anyone who votes for the con-artist must be certifiable, just like this demented old man. I would just love to hear the Republicans if Obama pulled this stunt, the venom and the vitriol would be amazing. Yet the trailer-trash of America and their Alaskan Beauty Queen, the true patriots who hold up pregnant unwed teens as the future leaders of this country will all be down at the corner gro buying smokes, beer, hunting licenses and cheering their American War Hero on. McCain is willing to lose his dignity right along with the election. The world has to be scratching their heads, I know I am.

CNN has reported that the McCain camp has already asked for a postponement of the first Biden-Palin debate by proposing that it be moved to the date originally ear-marked for the vice presidential contest. This was the real reason for McCain's unilateral decision to skip the Presidential debate Friday. Ms Palin is approaching her quest for (Vice) President of the US as if she's preparing for the SAT: her handlers can see how unprepared she is and they are scheming to get more time for her to cram for the debate-test. McCain is simply buying her time in an artful, convoluted way.

THESE DEBATES ARE GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING...AND FUNNY!

OBAMA.."HEY JOHN, YOU COMPARED ME TO HILTON AND SPEARS REMEMBER?" McCain "yeah i remember" Obama.."come here you little b*tch" Obama has McCain in a head lock. Obama.."now talk that sh*t you little gimpy ass fool" McCain "ow ow ow stop!"

Obama "slap slap slap slap slap slap"
McCain "uncle...tom!" Obama.."you mother f*cker get your ass back here" "slap slap slap slap" McCain "KARL KARL!"

I think you folks have been living inside the Beltway bubble for too long. Just like those losers Gore and Kerry, Obama is going to lose. America doesn't elect liberal posers for President. Get ready. It will be fun to watch!

Even the people in Sweden are scratching its collective heads (the government officials, that is), since their country has experienced a similar meltdown in the banking and real estate industries. Why aren't Bush the deregulator and his congressional followers looking at the lessons learned in Sweden? Arrogance? Stupidity? Showboating (I know better than you do about these things)?

Back on point - How did Sweden get to the point where its economy nearly blew up during its banking and real estate implosion?

* Financial deregulation in the 1980s fed a frenzy of real estate lending by Sweden’s banks, which did not worry enough about whether the value of their collateral might evaporate in tougher times. (Does this SOUND familiar to the deregulator lovers?)

* Property prices imploded. The bubble deflated fast in 1991 and 1992. A vain effort to defend Sweden’s currency, the krona, caused overnight interest rates to spike at one point to 500 percent. The Swedish economy contracted for two consecutive years after a long expansion, and unemployment, at 3 percent in 1990, quadrupled in three years. (More of the same here?)

* After a series of bank failures and ad hoc solutions, the moment of truth arrived in September 1992, when the government of Prime Minister Carl Bildt decided it was time to clear the decks. (Where we are now - trying to figure out what to do, amid the panic - or what I would call a faux emergency for something that was in plain sight all along).

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/business/worldbusiness/23krona.html?scp=2&sq=sweden&st=cse):

Here's what Sweden did to solve its crisis - without extracting ransom from its taxpayers (exact text from the article:

* [The Swedish] government announced that the Swedish state would guarantee all bank deposits and creditors of the nation’s 114 banks. Sweden formed a new agency to supervise institutions that needed recapitalization, and another that sold off the assets, mainly real estate, that the banks held as collateral.

* Sweden did not just bail out its financial institutions by having the government take over the bad debts. It extracted pounds of flesh from bank shareholders before writing checks. Banks had to write down losses and issue warrants to the government. That strategy held banks responsible and turned the government into an owner. When distressed assets were sold, the profits flowed to taxpayers, and the government was able to recoup more money later by selling its shares in the companies as well.

The result from the move by Sweden? The final cost to Sweden ended up being less than 2 percent of its G.D.P. Some officials say they believe it was closer to zero, depending on how certain rates of return are calculated.

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/business/worldbusiness/23krona.html?scp=2&sq=sweden&st=cse

* * *

So, why is Bush and supporters in Congress are pushing for picking OUR pockets and raiding OUR personal bank accounts to rescue his Wall Street buddies? Is this only thing that the Bush administration can come up to address this issue? Looks too much to me that that a bunch of folks in the White House and in the halls of Congress are trying to pull a fash one on the taxpayers -- while trying to help their friends hold on to their cash.

Enough of the privatizing profits and socializing risks and loss. The folks in Congress who are on the side of the taxpayers MUST hold firm because Bush and his followers are obviously not going to stand up against Wall Street. Congress must push for other remedies that require that the people who created this mess to take on the burden of paying for the clean up.

No wonder John McCain is running back to the Hill...he has plenty of experience with this type of mess, since his front line experience extends from the savings and loan crap from the corrupt Lincoln Savings & Loan that was run by Charles Keating during the 1980s.

Anyway, what can McCain possibly add that he hasn't since April of this year? And why two days before a major debate in your area of strength -- foreign policy? Would that be because the European and South American countries called out Bush on this financial fiasco? Because the world no longer sees Bush as credible? Or is that the world now sees the United States as hypocritical? McCain does not head committees that directly impact this issue. He's only one voice out of one hundred. Besides, we have a President Bush who is supposed to be on the job to take leadership over finding a solution. We've been through a meltdown with a President Bush I -- once again, with Jr. trying again to carry out another heist in a massive transfer of wealth.

McCain putting country first? Yeah right. If you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell to nowhere. A President has to be one who knows how to chew gun and walk at the same time. Apparently, McCain doesn't show that he can accomplish that feat at the moment.

Now McCain regrets picking Palin. She will prove that she is not a good pick for VP in the debates, so some kind of stall was necessary to save face.

My guess it the closed door meetings with foreign officials earlier this week did not go well. She crossed culture lines, possibly spoke in an annoying raspy voice, or didn't expect to see so many foreigners after years of pleasantville in Alaska [few brown skinned people in them hills thar].

Now is the fall of Republican Discontent, for having to surrender four years to Democrats, after 8 years of their failed regime, so tragic! [not really]. Get over the ideal.

Republicans and undecideds, please, make the right choice, be graceful and give change a chance, if it fails, it will only last for 4 years, half of the suffering we've faced thus far... Think about it...

Realize that sticking to someone because of race, religion, and party affiliation is an ignorant move. The world stage dosen't care about race as much as we do, your president and VP will have to understand that and act gracefully under fire and in difficult situations. McCain has betrayed public trust with this shoddy and flimsy excuse for a "Country First" campaign. He does not respect your intelligence and he can't pick a VP worth a damn or judge the economy correctly, just imagine how shoddy his cabinet will be? Remember Michal Brown? The horse trainer picked by bush for FEMA? [That worked out great!]

McCain has shown he would sell his soul and lie, cheat, and steal to win, as his biography on the campaign trail shows. What does a man have to gain when he's already sold his soul? 8 houses and a 5 million dollar spot in the middle class.

Drudge says O is saying the debate on. But do we know in fact O is manning-up and going forward with the Friday date? O HAS to man-up. He can't back down on this one. This is a batting practice pitch down the middle of the plate for O. Show up sitting next to Mac's empty seat, but be there on Friday ready to roll. Mac way overplayed his hand here with this circus stunt.

the wall street "crisis" is like 9/11?

someone should be objecting to that analysis.

Typical Repug move. They always bellow that a "bipartisan" effort is needed every time they get in a losing position.

McCain knows this is exactly his economic plan that is tanking. He is afraid of the beating he will likely take in a debate and so he tries to make the best of it by cutting and running back to his beloved Washington to see if he can coax along his greed based trickle down bs.
He is using the same logic on himself that he used on puppet Palin. Hide from the light and maybe the sunshine will go away.

At 7:42pm on my local ABC TV station, who's political ad did I see? You are correct! McCain CHANGE IS COMING! This whole thing is unbelievably disgusting. These liars have got to stop keeping our country hijacked. I will walk all over my precinct tomorrow night and tell anyone who will listen. This has to stop. America is heading for utter disaster unless we all wise up and fast. It's time that wealthy white men step aside for the rest of us. Obama may not be perfect, but his intelligence and demeanor are needed now.

"This is a GREAT move for McCain. Demonstrates true leadership in a crisis. Where is Barry?? Where's his plan? Cowboy up, John!"

This must be one of the "brain children" of McCain's campaign. No wondering he's losing.

McSame wanted to change the headlines! He has a tainted campaign manager who has been accepting 15,000 per month from Fannie/Freddie. Caught red-handed with their hand in the cookie jar while preaching something else on the campaign trail. Unfortunately, someone who is vying for the highest office in the land should know that ***t happens! McSame is showing his weakness. Run, Lassie, Run.. from the debates. Time-outs are for LOSERS!!!

Normally when you get on a plane, the one like Obama is the pilot, the one like McCain is the funny guy behind making jokes and flirting with the female crew.

I usually take a seat near McCain and have some fun while the pilot brings me safely home.

The GOP can't defend 'anything'. McCain has lost it. Palin can't answer questions. I look forward to President Obama. regards

McSCAM trying to save PALIN's BUTT

(CNN) — McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis.

In this scenario, the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin would be rescheduled for a date yet to be determined, and take place in Oxford, Mississippi, currently slated to be the site of the first presidential faceoff this Friday.

Graham says the McCain camp is well aware of the position of the Obama campaign and the debate commission that the debate should go on as planned — but both he and another senior McCain adviser insist the Republican nominee will not go to the debate Friday if there's no deal on the bailout.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/24/mccain-camp-to-propose-postponing-vp-debate/

listen to Nancy Pelosi's NPR Radio interview today and you will know why Democrats will lose the Whitehouse and the Senate in 08. Unfortunately, this great country will likely have to endure at least 2 more years of Nancy, the least effective speaker ever but most dishonest, Pelosi and her attempts to lie her way out of her own ignorance.

My friends, I respectfully suggest we reschedule the presidential debate for a later more appropriate time given the dire economic crisis facing the Nation to which I must devote my full attention. How about Wednesday, November 5?

JSMcC

"What a laugh! I'm sure he called McCain because his campaign people, his in-house ad agency, said that if he didn't do it, he'd look like a chump yet again."

Lol...that doesn't make any sense. McCain is the one behind in the polls. He's the one that jumped ship on the bi-partisan conference just to get some extra attention and move up Palen's V.P. debate date.

After 26 years in Congress, why would McCain make such a fundamental political error? He has allowed his campaign to be hijacked by the Democrats: McCain's campaign is on hold until legislation is passed, yet the Democrats control Congress and will determine if and when legislation will be passed. McCain may have postponed not only his campaign. He may have also postponed the date legislation will be passed. How is this in the best interests of the country? Democrats are now more likely to dither a few extra days to keep McCain in DC. Each day legislation is not passed, the McCain campaign will not be in operation (if you can believe McCain's promise and sudden political altruism).

Suspend the debate, suspend the campaign...these crooks better not try to suspend the election.

LETS SUSPEND DEBATE AS I MUST GO POO POO.

McCain would rather play politics in DC than talk to the American people. Chicken!

daman..I wish I would be there to watch your tears fall. baaahhahahahhahahaha. not laughing at you , just laughing with you!

can't wait to see this debate. McCain knows nothing on economy, foreign issue's.

Spain being part of south america. laundry list goes on and on and on!

danan have your reaction of the dabate on youtube!

This is a GREAT move for McCain. Demonstrates true leadership in a crisis. Where is Barry?? Where's his plan? Cowboy up, John!

bri wrote

"I missed the McCain statement, but it sounds like a good idea. I did see Obama response which was as mealy mouthed I've seen. I had no idea what he was talking about, and he was giving a one-sided version of a conversation with McCain that sounded like a talk meant to be private."
================

Now that you've seen a couple of newscasts and the timeline of the conversations between the campaigns, you think differently now, don't you? Of course not. You fools will blindly follow a loser simply because of his party affiliation.

McCain is no hero. He's a coward. Unable to win an election in his own right, now he's going into hiding from the voters just as Palin is doing.

The American voter is not falling for this "hurry up and spend 1 trillion dollars" scheme and they're not falling for McCain's bluster.

The best news is that Obama annouced that he's going to the debates whether McCain is attending or not. And the Commission on Presidential Debates announced this evening that the debate will be held as scheduled.

McCain is going to change his mind once he figures out that Obama will have the stage and the millions in the audience all to himself. What a doddering, old fool McCain is.

Republicans are going to be out of power for a generation.

McCain put a nice bet on the table but Obama called his bluff. McCain cannot survive a debate and is using this mess as an opportunity to get out of the debate pickle. However, right now really is the time for the debate. From that perspective Obama is correct.

If McCain fails to show up then the folks running the debate should use McCain statements from the last week and allow Obama to respond to them or to lead the discussion elsewhere. We very much need to finally hear where Obama stands on many issues. That is something that has been lacking on the Obama side of the campaign since the beginning of the primaries. I don`t like him because of this secretiveness. Howver, McCain put the nail in his coffin from this voters perspective when he selected Palin is his VP. No way will I vote for him now. Still up to Obama to convince me to vote for him though.

The wool has been pulled over the eyes of the sheeple once again. Boy, do they know how to play you. Wow! I actually feel sorry for you.

Obama/Biden08

We need stability, confidence, prudence, calmness, reflectiveness.

I really like McCain, but not now, not as President, not as Commander in Chief.

Obama is right, a President should be able to muti-task and handle more than one crisis - after all, it's a whole country, not a city or a state.
--

What do you expect from a man who cannot send an email?

Obama called McCain because he was afraid of yet another media fiasco stealing the limelight from his phony talk-talk-talk-talk-talk. Obama puts country first? What a laugh! I'm sure he called McCain because his campaign people, his in-house ad agency, said that if he didn't do it, he'd look like a chump yet again. That was a good one about the liberal brown shirts, spreading propagada, whoever posted that. The Dems have become the new Goebels, with lies and mis-information to smear anyone else, as long as their phony candidate doesn't have to actually iterate what "change" means.

It appears that the intent of the Community Reinvestment Act will now be fully realized via the bail-out.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sweet Jesus of Nazareth!Can you believe this guy? What a pussy willow!Get a pair or just go home,McCain!
I thought we had to wait a week for October surprises.Now,we get two at the same time...in September!
Mr.Deregulator/Mr.Regulator is the greatest act since Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.I can't wait to see the next act when the poll numbers show him behind by double-digits.
The 'so-called' war hero has turned into our country's greatest coward.The 'maverick' has branded himself the biggest loser.
Welcome to 'The Vagina Chronicles'...Part II.

Hmm, McCain didn't feel the GI bill was important enough to return to Washington for. (He opposed it, Obama supported it and was in Washington to vote on it.) McCain also missed the votes for funding Iraq and Afghanistan--and was missing in action for much of the 110th Congress.

Then Bernanke announces the bailout last Friday. After mulling it over for 5 days--and seeing his poll numbers sinking--McCain leaps into action!

Someone get him a map of Washington so he can find the Capitol building!

kingofzouk said: "the newcomer is outfoxed again."

Not only the newcomer (Obama), but even old, corrupt Democrats, like Harry Reid. Yesterday, and which was fogotten by the this WaPo post, Harry Reid demanded Republicans and McCain get behind this proposal (funny how he didn't mention anything about Obama):

"We now need Republicans to stand up...We need the Republican nominee for president to say what he's for."

Like I said, it's amazing the WaPo conveniently neglected this fact (link to story is here: http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0908/Reid_says_Republicans_better_get_behind_bailout.html ).

Now that McCain said he was going back to work on the bill, and trying to get Obama to do the same, which Obama refused to do (since he has only done what his Democratic elders tell him to do, and Reid didn't say anything about Obama yesterday). So what does Reid do? He says (link here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/reid-to-mccain.html ):

"But it would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy."

So Dinghy Harry demands McCain's presence, without even mentioning Obama, then changes his mind? And then Reid has the gall to say this:

"We need leadership; not a campaign photo op."

Obviously, leadership is a concept that Reid knows nothing about.

So, Why isn't the WaPo reporting on any of this? Don't they have...you know...questions for Reid? Like, what did he tell Obama?

McCain makes another desperate play. Hey, why not push back the debate and that way we can cancel the vp debate and never show the world how desperate our last desperate play was.

Oh and Chris, nice spin. Did Drudge tell you how to spin it?

John McCain
You can run, but you cannot hide under your 96 year old momma's dress.
Obama is gonna kick your a$$!

I am a pissed off Republican at about right now! Did'nt John McCain read the tea leaves four years ago. This so-called MAVERICK is handing over the WHITE HOUSE to that damn Democrat. This is why I voted for Bush. McCain is blundering idiot. Hello Independants here I come!

McCain will be at the debate on Friday and he will clean Obama's clock. Obama is a lousy debater...too many umm's and ahhs. And he parses every word, afraid to slip up without his speeches prepared by Axelrod. Remember what happened at the Saddlebrook forum? McCain is a leader, Obama a phony.

I just remembered--McCain said Obama is like Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter pulled this debate ducking dodge in 1980, using the Iranian hostage crisis as his excuse.

Hmmm......

Former Democrat - was never a democrat. Democrats can't hold a candle to republican and lying.

I just came back from several hours in the future. MSNBC's Keith Olberman aka. Obamaman critized McCain and praised Obama.

Posted by: Doc Brown | September 24, 2008 7:12 PM

I could have saved you the trouble Doc. Obaman always does that.

Posted by: Marty | September 24, 2008 7:20 PM

Marty you sad sack, do you really need someone to explain that lame joke? Please tell me you don't have a voter registration card.

They call this a squeeze play! The President will be on @ 9:00 to make his sales pitch, McCain dodges the debate to create the illusion of crisis. They hope MIddle America, White Women, Working Class Whites, Rural un-educated Whites will be frightened enough to panic. And take this up the yazoo! This tragedy belongs in Shakespeare or broadway! Wake Up! Ya'll are being had! Country first my A$$!

Who cares about debates? Palin's hot. Not bad. Not bad at all. Palin for President.

WJC

Just read a post on Politico.com that said Lindsey Graham (McCain buddy) is suggesting that the Presidential Debate scheduled for this Friday be postponed until next Thursday and REPLACE the VP debate!!! Then the VP debate would be held at a LATER date! Ha! Do BOTH McCain AND Palin need more time to cram?? This is just absurd! And so very transparent. Apparently Palin did quite poorly tonight with Katie Couric. (per Politico) Just one thought - if McCain thinks it is SO critical to be in Washington WHY is he still in NYC?? And why will he not return to DC until AFTER he appears with Bill Clinton at an event tomorrow in NYC? Very obviously a political move.

I guess Mr. McCain's ploy didn't work. The debate is on again.

Obama is right, a President should be able to muti-task and handle more than one crisis - after all, it's a whole country, not a city or a state.

After voting for eight Democratic candidates and zero Republican candidates, I'm breaking ranks this year. I don't know what happened to the Democratic party, but there seems to be this really awful, vindictive and hateful air permeating everything I hear in a discussion of the presidential race. The stuff on these comments on the news articles is the worst. I can't believe the paranoid lies and insinuations, it's like the Democrats have become Richard Nixon or something.

A few months ago, John McCain said this..

"The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," McCain said. "I've got Greenspan's book."

NOW, he thinks that Congress cannot survive a few hours without his presence and wealth of knowledge ??

BTW, please leave Greenspan's book at home... any one of the seven homes. Four years ago, Greenspan suggested homeowner take out adjustable rate mortgages.
AND they did.... about 2 years before the bottom fell out.
In 2004...
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Monday that Americans' preference for long-term, fixed-rate mortgages means many are paying more than necessary for their homes and suggested consumers would benefit if lenders offered more alternatives.
Americans should have told Greenspan.. thanks, but no thanks. Why don't you retire?

The Rick Davis lobbying story more than polls is what prompted this media stunt.

You'll notice that Davis has been put on media lock-down as of this morning. The McCain campaign wanted to get the very damaging story out of the public eye. More than poll numbers -- it's those revelations that have prompted the McCain campaign's PR maneuver.

Wow. Real presidential, McNutjob.

I want you on point in a crisis.....NOT!

MCCAIN YOU REMIND ME OF A LITTLE BOY TRYING TO STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL TO AVIOID A SURE WHOOPING THAT YOU DEFINITELY DESERVE!
I HOPE SENATOR OBAMA SHOWS NO MERCY !
AND FURTHER BLACKENS THE EYES OF YOUR FALTERING CAMPAIGN AND THIS WILL PROVE THAT THIS COUNTRY IS TRULY RESERVED FOR THE HOME OF THE BRAVE ! mcsmallville inc.
YOU CAN RUN FOR IT BUT YOU AIN'T GONNA SUCCEED BY MC HIDING FROM THESE DEBATES!

Either McCain or Obama are going to inherit the agreement that our Congress makes relative to giving a minimum of $700 billion of taxpayers' money to bail out Wall Street. Since both of them are senators and have a vote, I would think that both of them would want to play an active part of the process and be there to cast their vote. McCain is willing to go back to Washington not knowing whether or not a vote will be taken while he is there. I guarantee you that Obama won't go anywhere near Washington when the agreement comes up for a vote. He has a record of dodging votes on important issues, and this issue is REALLY important.

This action by McCain is for pure politics. I hope the American people dont fall for another lie of the many lies by this guy.

I've heard that combat pilots are by nature risk takers. John McCain, a former pilot, is certainly taking a risk. This time however, events are beyond his control and the whole thing is too obviously political to work as well as he hopes. He'll still have to show up on Friday night, and he knows it.

THIS IS A PRESIDENT IN THE MAKING:

“It’s my belief that this is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible with dealing with this mess ... What I think is important is that we don’t suddenly infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics ... Presidents are going to have to deal with more than one thing at a time. It’s not necessary for us to think that we can do only one thing, and suspend everything else." (obama)

Who has put country first?

Obama called McCain this morning to invite him to issue a joint statement meant to put pressure on the government to come up with a better bailout plan for the country. Politically, this would be a stupid move for Obama --- he is now ahead in the polls and in public perceptions of economic leadership so he really didn't need to cast McCain as his equal on economic issues. But he put country first and give McCain a call. He waited hours before McCain got back and indicated his agreement. During the several hours he was waiting for McCain's response, he didn't go public with his joint statement suggestion. He was obviously sincere about putting politics aside and solving the grave financial crisis.

What did McCain do? He got extended a "country first" branch and, instead of taking it to show unity, sincerity and seriousness, he went public with an announcement unilaterally suspending his campaign and pushing for postponement of the debate, all in the name of national interests. With this gimmick, he showed once again all he cares about is political gains.

Shame on you, John McCain!

Thank God at least Sen. McCain is willing to put country first. I hope he calls for the immediate investigation (jailing?) of Schumer, Dodd, Barney Frank, and Franklin Raines for setting in motion the rape and pillage of Fannie and Freddie. This is a Democratic scandal and sewer and when the dust clears it will be traced back to 1999 and Clinton's scheme to let inner city folks with no means to buy houses. And why has Obama become the third highest recepient of money from Fannie and Freddie in only 2 years??? Let the investigations begin!

mccain frightens me. he is waaaaayyyyy too erratic to be president. he's not thoughtful, but jumps before he knows all the facts. he was told "not to come" he was not needed. he's hopeless. it frightens me to think that so many people believe that this guy has a country first attitude. the country needs him to do what he's supposed to be doing, debating on friday night with his opponent.

As Ben Smith in politico.com pointed out, Mac's begging for a delay of the debate is all about the Post poll this morning showing him 9 behind and the Faux News showing him 6 behind -- and about Mac's inability to further protect Palin from legit media questions and scrutiny.

If O "mans-up" and sticks to the Friday debate (i.e., shows up even if Mac doesn't), this thing may be over.

This is worse than a "senior" moment for Mac ; it is total brain lock. It's admitting: I can't do more than one thing at a time. It's admitting total panic.

If O DOESN'T man-up and caves in to Mac's juvenile stunt (by agreeing to a delay) it will cost O dearly.

Hating all of this (because it helps Barack) are the Clintons.

Maureen Dowd's take on Bill's camapigning against Obama the last two days is awesome and brillant. Dowd in NYT:

"Even if [Palin] blows off the First Amendment — and lets McCain’s Rove, Steve Schmidt, demonize the press even though she disdains women politicians who whine — Bill Clinton is still a fan.

Besides talking about what a great man John McCain is on “The View” and “David Letterman,” Bill praised Palin at his Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York and will receive her there on Thursday.

“I come from Arkansas. I get why she is hot out there,” he said authoritatively, adding: “People look at her, and they say, ‘All those kids. Something that happens in everybody’s family. I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl’s going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married.’ ” He said voters would think: “I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They’re wonderful. ... And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy.”

On “The View,” he said he understood that some women might vote for Palin on the basis of gender, even if it was against their economic interest.

“You can’t tell someone else that the ground on which they make their voting decision is irrational,” he said primly.

Well, actually you could, if you weren’t still sulking and plotting for 2012." END of Dowd column

Everyone in the Western World knows the Clintons are campaigning AGAINST O (who hasn't reported that?), except O. But no one is telling O.

Bill Clinton was rooting so hard against O on "the View" and later on Letterman, Chris Rock (on Letterman) turned it into a full comedy routine. It got sillier today: Bill said he was going to wait until the Jewish holidays are over before REALLY campaigning for O -- the problem is Bill is Baptist.

WJC and his missus are clearly hatin' and not appreciatin' O. Part of their "secret" HRC 2012 strategy that has been exposed about 500 times in the Internet media.

Note to David Axelrod: Get Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Clinton off the campaign trail and out of O's life NOW, at least before COB tomorrow.

Oy.

I'm getting tired of this crap. I can't even watch the news anymore. McCain will do anything he can to win. All these tactics him and his party pull make me sick. How can anyone vote for McCain's party after what they've done these past eight years is beyond me.

Um, wrong. He's trying to push back the VP debate so nobody gets an unfiltered look at Palin. I almost want to build her up so Biden can knock her down, but honestly the two soft-focus interviews she's conducted to date with Gibson and Couric have been train wrecks.

I can't trust or vote for a candidate that seems to make 'radical' decisions.

McCain's 'maverick' style is not what is needed for the people at this time in history.

We have had enough of this type of behavior by the Bush administration. We need someone who uses intelligence and rational thinking at a time of crisis.

McCain may be okay for the Senate but not for president.

A comment worth sharing;

Our Troops Don't Get a Time-Out for the Financial Crisis

Jon Soltz

So, because there's a financial crisis, Senator McCain cannot take 90 minutes to address how he will face challenges around the world, including how and when he will send American troops to fight, and possibly die.

Wow. Troops would sure love that luxury.

Unfortunately, though, insurgents in Iraq don't stop shooting at us, or setting IEDs, because our Commander in Chief needs a breather to figure out Wall Street.

Al Qaeda in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border region don't send our troops notes that read, "Hey, I hear you guys are tied up with Wall Street. Your President needs to concentrate on other things, so we'll give you a break. So, to make things easier on you, here's our coordinates."

Nor do our troops get a few days to figure out how to hold onto an area we've secured, if there's an unexpected attack. Sometimes we need to deal with multiple flare-ups at once in any warzone. We'd sure love a time-out, but sadly, the world isn't such a nice place that it gives us that kind of pity.

When you're Commander in Chief, I don't think there'd be a worse signal to send to our troops in harm's way than to say, "Hey, hold on guys. I know you're getting killed over there, but I have to get a time-out here to deal with Wall Street."

If troops need to multi-task without a break, is it so wrong that we demand that a potential President-in-waiting prove that he can manage a financial crisis, and still address crises around the world for 90 minutes? And, if a potential President-to-be can't manage that, is it wrong to think that maybe he ought not just suspend a debate and the campaign, but move aside and get out of the race?

Just something to think about.

Crossposted at VetVoice.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-soltz/our-troops-dont-get-a-tim_b_129055.html

How stupid does the McSAME campaign think we are... The move looked totally political and he looked really scarey to me today... Who is running this show the Adams family?

The party of trickery. Does anyone find it strange that, true to form, the republicans are playing games with the american public. I read the e-mail and it called for republicans to increase their congressional numbers by crying foul on the bail out in order to appear to be the public champions - then McCain comes in and saves the day by appearing to bring both sides together- never mind those republicans crying foul is just a ruse. What a load of crap. If he felt the crisis was so important he could have suspended his campaign last week or Monday, Tuesday even Wednesday. They seem to consistently think the public is stupid. It's not country first, it's John McCain first and it's always been John McCain first, party second, american gets what's leftover.

I think he needs to be there to remind everyone that the fundamentals of the economy are strong and that they are just a bunch of whiners.

It is a political move by McCain. The crisis has existed since last year. If McCain cared so much, he would have postponed his campaign during the primaries. He is behind now and needs another rash move to change the dynamics of the race. It is also rather convenient that a postponed presidential debate would require the Wednesday VP debate to be postponed...Based on what spin is the VP debate on Wednesday affected by all this? How is a governor in Alaska involved in congressional hearings? McCain isn't even a chairman of any of the committees drafting legislation on the bailout. What does he hope to accomplish by arriving late in the week after all the essentials players have been moving forward on reaching a compromise? Obama is right. Presidential politics should not be infused in this crisis. McCain is using a crisis to fix his flailing campaign. Country first?

McCain as usual is impulsive, over-reacting, irrational.

These are exactly the qualities we don't need right now.

Suppose you get on a plane, whom will you prefer as your pilot?
I mean without taking into consideration McCain's personal record.

It may get lost in all the hype and hoopla over who has the best "change" or the best VP choice or the most hot air in their "soaring oratory", but McCain is a man who knows how to get to work and accomplish things. He doesn't come off as the media darling, such as Obama. This may not make his campaign look very sexy, but in these uncertain times, I would much rather have a "can-do" man like McCain as President, than some phony, made-for-the-media do-nothing, like Obama. If we want a figurehead who can talk and who offers nothing else, then I would suppose that Obama might actually be the man for the job. I would tend to think that we actually need someone who can lead and get things done, in Washington, across the country and around the world. Hot air billowing from an empty shirt in a "historic candidacy" whose merits are skin color is not enough to get it done.

I love how the minions of "Dr. Goebbels" Ploufe, those ubiquitous and nasty brown shirt trolls on the message and comment boards, out to wage a propaganda war for their boy, Obama, are working so tirelessly in service to their Fuehrer, Obama.

I'm a Democrat for McCain. Nobama for me.

Let's just wait and watch McCain change his mind again. "I've decided I will attend the Presidential debate because I have been informed that the deal being brokered is close at hand." Or something to that effect. He's turned this into a sideshow just to score imaginary points. Like he's the economic giant. The real giants are already there and working it out without John's help. Let's not forget that it was also an excellent way to bump up Sarah's V.P. debate.

The McCain campaign...losers in every respect...

have thrown up their hands. ONly thing to do with their dysfunctional, foggy demented candidate is THROW THINGS UP IN THE AIR!!! SEE WHERE THINGS LAND.

It's called a Hail Mary pass, and you can
get thrown to the ground pretty hard when it fails.

What a lousey bunch of neocon rats McCain chose to run his presidential campaign.

His judgement was just as keen with Palin.

Eeeewwwuuu, nasty mess all around, lipstick or not.

ORIN HATCH SAY'S JOHN MCCAIN WAS ASK TO COME TO WASHINGTON TO HELP ECONOMY CRISIS.

ORIN HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF APRIL FOOLS?
AND MCFOOL TOOK THE BAIT!

IF MCCAIN WANTS TO RISK HIS PRESIDENCY BY GOING TO WASHINGTON.

APRIL FOOLS MCCAIN YOUR WINNING THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE!

A few days ago John McCain said "The fundamentals of our economy are strong"

A few months ago John McCain said "I don't understand economics as well as I Shoul do. I still need to be educated"

Now the same John McCain suspend his campaign two days before the first debate, the same John McCain who said he doesn't understand the economy now wants to solve this crisis? come one!

why now? why two days before the debate and not at the beginnig of this week or the end of the last? pathetic!

and for all of you who know claim that for mccain its "country first":

Of all Senators, John McCain has been the most absent. There have been 643 votes taken in the current Senate session: McCain has missed 412 of them.

McCain has not voted in the Senate since April 8th. Since March, he has missed 109 of the last 110 votes.

Is McCain for real?!!
He wants to stop EVERYTHING to help cram another 700 Billion dollars of debt down our throats without properly checking it out first. "Hurry, Hurry, Stop Thinking, Just do what I say Now!" has always been the Bush administration's way of doing things,......Why is it so imperative to act immediately? This screw up has taken time to develop, so think about what it is and the long term effects of ALL of the solutions before jumping blindly into it like Bush and friends would have us do. His guidance hasn't been exactly stellar so far has it? But McCain's already on the bus and honking the horn.

Remember,...If it smells like Bovine Feces,...........

SLOW DOWN AMERICA!

IT almost looks like McPalin is about to join the Dollar Menu as a low budget election two-piece! He will lose the eventual (though certain) debate, and so will the "pretty lil' lady". THey are outmatched, and unfortunately, they think they are contenders. Wrong competition for a 'time-out', he's developing Reaganic Senility, and she's just eye candy! Notice McCain looking over her goods as they deplaned last week together! His wife is LIVID! Wait until all the losers go home...he's gonna' die broken hearted from losing the two loves of his life-"wifey" and the public's interest! Go home McPalin-it's over!!! (Seriously) Suspend all you want, we're still voting and you're still doomed! 9/11? To quote my favorite politician, "Is that the best he's got?" -Barak Obama

It's noble of Sen. McCain to suspend his campaign and concede the race to Sen. Obama. His country thanks him for helping us avoid the disaster of another four years of Republican government.

Typical Republican- change the rules or just take your ball and go home when you don't like what you previously agreed to.

And why is his trailer trash VP in "public relations protective custody"? LOL!

Hey Mc Goo, don't cut and run from the debate you agreed to. They really don't need you in Washington that badly. Take a day and honor your commitments, even if it does mean you'll get hammered in the polls when you come off like a clueless GOP hack.

Could someone please remind Senator McCain - THIS IS NOT A SEPT. 11th MOMENT. period. Why can't he handle a 90 minute debate?? Give me a break.

I just came back from several hours in the future. MSNBC's Keith Olberman aka. Obamaman critized McCain and praised Obama.

Posted by: Doc Brown | September 24, 2008 7:12 PM

I could have saved you the trouble Doc. Obaman always does that.

His decision to put the campaign on hold is an obvious scam. Just like his choice of Palin is an obvious scam. Wake up America. You can't be that stupid. Anyone who plans to be president better be able to handle more than one crisis simultaneously. McCain is showing us he's not fit to lead.

It takes galls to do what McCain is doing. Not advertising could hurt him, but he cares more about this crisis. Whether i will agree with his solutions or not is to be seen. But one thing is for sure: I do appreciate his courage and boldness in stopping ads.

The reason the MSM is attacking him is simple: no advertisement, no millions of dollars in ads for them.

Two Questions:

1. What does John McCain or Barack Obama have to do with the Banking Committee?

2. Will McCain stop running ads on Fox if they don't charge him for the advertising?

What's your response to those questions?

Eh McCain, no one's a full here. Stick to the rules, and to what's your duty now: let the Americain built a real opinion of both candidates' worth: don't even try to escape from the debate.

Plain manipulation here. We got that.

I agree with Obama that multi-tasking is important. I think they should both multi-task by being United States Senators and running for President at the same time. In this situation however, making sure the deal happens is more important that running for president. If they focused on their current jobs for awhile, maybe that would allow the voters to better see how they would both perform as President. Talk is cheap.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 24, 2008 6:15 PM

___________________________________________
Saying the President needs to do more than one thing at a time - and yet, Obama himself was holed up in Tampa, FL, not campaigning, but preparing for the damned debate on foreign policy. In other words, focusing on the debate about foreign policy, NOT the financial bail-out. The man is total B.S. !

McCain said that he talked with Bush and now wants to participate in the "stalled" negotiations. He's effectively admitting that he's going to work on Bush's behalf on their version of the bailout. The one that lets the CEO's and Wall Street firms off the hook totally.

REPUBLICANS...CONGRESS DON'T NEED YOU IN WASHINGTON...READ NANCY'S LIPS..YOU ARE NOT NEEDED!

STAY AWAY FROM WASHINGTON...AGAIN..YOU ARE NOT NEEDED.

BUT REPUBLICANS ARE STILL BLOWING THAT HORN. LETS STAND DOWN AND HELP FIX OUR ECONOMY...HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

FACE IT REPUBLICANS ...YOU ARE SOCIALIST!

Posts from earlier in this thread:

"How pathetic John McCain is. This financial disaster happened a week ago. Why didn't he rush back then? Isn't it interesting that this rush back to Washington happened just after it was proven that Rick Davis' firm was still receiving money from either freddie mac or frannie mae (not sure which one)."

“Rick Davis gets $15,000 a month from Fannie May until last month for what?
Now the polls skyrocket for Obama and McCain wants to suspend his campaign and postpone the scheduled debate to "focus" on the financial crisis. I think that he is really focusing on the fact that his campaign is going down in flames...”

“Yesterday, the NyTimes reported that McCain's top advisor, Rick Davis was on the Fannie May and Freddie Mac payroll up to a month ago although McCain and Davis had previously stated he had not been. THAT is the reason McCain has suspended his campaign. Let's no tsuspend our common sense.”

You hit the nail on the head my friends. That was the top headline just a few hours ago. Now it's been trumped by McSame's next circus sideshow. And a moratorium on campaign ads is just a tactic to prevent Obama from running with this story. All of this after McHypocrite's campaign tried to do the same thing by linking Obama to Fannie/Freddie. This move by McCantMultiTask to rush back and fix the economy (something that he previously considered “fundamentally strong” which I guess you can think when you are an old rich white guy) is smoke and mirrors. It is not about being above politics or working for the good of the country, it's about strategery, isn’t it McBush?

McCain ain't ready, ain't able, ain't coming to the debates. Let's declare victory and go straight to the election. McCain won't be there to interrupt the vote counting.

Posted by: whatagain08 | September 24, 2008 7:05 PM
==============================
whatagain08: Between the debate and Wall Street problems, I pick Wall Street problems. Also, a good friend of mine has some of his retirement money in an annuity at AIG, and that friend is really worried. Everyone should be worried about their financial health. Since you favor the debate, you must not have any financial worries.

Obama needs this debate to seal the deal on the one question people (or those who get polled) still have reservations about: foreign policy. If he merely holds his own, that will be enough for a lot of swing voters. What better strategy than to keep this from even happening?

Sequence of events...Obama calls McCain first to suggests the idea of a bi-partisan statement. McCain then calls a press conference and begins his game of one upmanship. Does McCain have any original ideas? I don't think so!

OMG!! The real reason for all of this, is that McCain wants to reschedule the presidential debate on the day of the VP debate!!!

This is nothing but a political stunt to protect Palin from scrutiny! They just announced it on CNN and it makes perfect sense!

CAan we scour the nation to see if there's a POW from the viet nam war, or any other
who would run the country/

Among those are undoubtedly fine men with a resonanable, secure and stable temperment. I mean if that's the only criterion for the GOP

someone whi isn't a liar, when his mouth moves, who has an idea of principle and
can pick a vice president, of any gender who isn't a complete disaster.

I think McCain should learn from Obama. Obama is great at multi-tasking.

While a senator in Illinois, he was able to find time to buy a mansion from Rezko under the table, he has been able to get every agency in this country to hide his records, all of them: birth certificate, Harvard records, masters thesis, etc, etc, etc.

While running for Illinois senate, he multi tasked to have every vote of his opponent picked and nulled.

Really, multitasking is an Obama strength.

And lying too.

My boy Anonymous keeps it real. Obama is a cheat. Not a cheat on your disfigured wife cheat, but a cheat nonetheless...

Check it out... A little fodder for you smart guys of the Fix...Seperate the Fact from Fiction...

** High Priority **

Let me see if I have this straight.....
- If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
-Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

-If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
-Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, things are much clearer now.

"McCain is doing the right thing. The campaign is not as important as our economy, he just wins points for going there first. If Obama goes to Congress as well now, he loses some face to McCain."
------------
LOL... If McCain was having a good week, he would NOT be suspending the campaign for 30 seconds. His campaign would not want to lose positive momentum. How does running a television ad prevent someone from working on a bill???
Right now.. his campaign is going down almost as fast as those 5 planes did.

Who are we kidding. McCain is trying to push back the debates so Palen can get some more study time in.

I missed the McCain statement, but it sounds like a good idea. I did see Obama response which was as mealy mouthed I've seen. I had no idea what he was talking about, and he was giving a one-sided version of a conversation with McCain that sounded like a talk meant to be private.

I just came back from several hours in the future. MSNBC's Keith Olberman aka. Obamaman critized McCain and praised Obama.

JOHN (Keating-Five) McCAIN DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE CHAMPION OF DEREGULATION HAS HAD TO PERFORM A 180 DEGREE TURNABOUT IN

ONE WEEK AND I BELIEVE HE TWISTED SOMETHING IN THE PROCESS (Could it be his logic that got twisted).

IT’S FRAUD - ITS FRAUD - ITS FRAUD - ITS FRAUD

WHY DOES WALL STREET WANT THIS BAIL-OUT, NOT NOW, BUT RIGHT NOW? IT’S FRAUD, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. WHEN YOU SELL SOMETHING

(Credit Default Swaps, etc.) AND YOU KNOW, AS A “BANKER” THAT THE VALUE OF THE ITEM YOU ARE SELLING IS WORTHLESS, YET YOU

ASSURE AND CERTIFY TO THE BUYER THAT THE ITEM YOU ARE SELLING IS WORTH ‘X’ DOLLARS YOU ARE ENGAGED IN ‘FRAUD’. HOW DO YOU GET

OUT OF THIS MESS BEFORE A NEW ADMINISTRATION COMES IN AND STARTS SENDING EVERYONE INVOLVED TO JAIL. YOU GET THE GOVERNMENT TO

BUY THESE WORTHLESS ITEMS, AND IN DOING SO THE GOVERNMENT PLACES A VALUE ON THE WORTHLESS ITEM IN QUESTION AND BECOMES A

PARTNER IN THIS FRAUD UPON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THE LONGER CONGRESS TAKES IN EVALUATING THIS UN-HOLY CON-JOB AND THE COUNTRY DOESN’T CRASH AND BURN, THE MORE PEOPLE WILL

REALIZE THE QUALITY OF THE WOOL THAT IS BEING PULLED OVER THEIR EYES.

ONE OTHER COMMENT, JOHN McCAIN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS BAIL-OUT BILL. HE IS NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, HE IS NOT REQUIRED OR

NEEDED TO DO ANYTHING BUT VOTE, ONCE A DECISION AND THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL HAS BEEN DECIDED. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING

ON. ...........DOES ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THAT THIS DOES NOT PASS THE "SMELL" TEST?

Hey, Chris -- McCain turning tail from Obama is like Shanendoah against Catholic's field hockey team.

It's that bad.

It's hard to take grandpa McCain seriously.
At least in the 21st century.

Don't be fooled. This entire stunt has one purpose and one purpose only: to abort the VP debate. They just announced that they want to "reschedule" the Palin debate. She is going to sink him and they know it.

There is no way to understand the american public.

McCain decided to STOP advertisements, to stop the political non sense in order to pay attention to what most American have being demanding from their "representatives": to work together and find a solution.

His Highness can't do that. He is too afraid of the consequences of him stopping for a moment to take care of the people.

It takes galls to do what McCain is doing. Not advertising could hurt him, but he cares more about this crisis. Whether i will agree with his solutions or not is to be seen. But one thing is for sure: I do appreciate his courage and boldness in stopping ads.

The reason the MSM is attacking him is simple: no advertisement, no millions of dollars in ads for them.

Come to think of it, it's not Obama's strong suit either. An undergraduate degree in basket weaving and an JD in law are hardly economic credentials.

But being chairman of the Commerce committee for years is...

Whoever wrote this is awesome. A JD in law, especially one from Harvard is cake. i'm sure this poster could be Coif, Robe, Barrister's, and EOC of the LR as well. McCain's academic background is much more suited than Obama's! You don't take any type of business law at that Mickey Mouse law school at Harvard anyway! That poster is great!

TUCKER BOUNDS IS A STRAIGHT OUT CREAP. HE WOULD SELL BAD STOCK TO HIS OWN GRANDMOTHER.

John McCain, if all else fails, ask Bush to put out a terror alert... so that you can put on your uniform and address the nation.

The article was nice. It explained the reasoning behind McCain's choice to go back to the senate to try and help out, and does an objective job of showing Obama's reasons. Obviously the main subject matter of the article is on McCain going back to Congress, but a well written, objective article.

The comments, however, are what I've come to expect from people posting on politics online. Mainly democratic zealots posting, complaining about things that happened that have nothing to do with the article itself, or are only briefly acquainted with the subject matter. The occasional Republican that posts only does a little better, responding to the attack comments while defending McCain on what is arguably the better move.

McCain is doing the right thing. The campaign is not as important as our economy, he just wins points for going there first. If Obama goes to Congress as well now, he loses some face to McCain.

The debate can be rescheduled, but our economy cannot be put on pause while we argue. Fix the problem, find a solution, then get down to business. We still have 39 days to argue this out, that should be more than enough time to debate everything that they could possibly be contested on.

McCain ain't ready, ain't able, ain't coming to the debates. Let's declare victory and go straight to the election. McCain won't be there to interrupt the vote counting.

If the nominees make a joint statement, as BHO suggested, it could have an extraordinary effect on the shape of the legislation. This would probably be a good thing.

If they do not, they may then be characterized as "too many cooks", adding baggage to the issue.

If they make a joint statement but must work their caucuses, they should go back to DC and postpone the debate. McC is running behind, he needs the debate, and it will not go away if they postpone it.

If there is no joint statement then many of us will think "a pox on presidential campaigns". I do not know which nominee will look worse. To me, probably McC, but perhaps my view is not universally held. For example, McC could be in DC looking workmanlike and bipartisan while BHO is alone in Oxford, Mississippi, looking partisan.

In any event, McC can go to the debate now having cleared the deck of his unwise statements of last week, an excellent political outcome for him, and his current position on the matter is reasonable.

Leave it to McCain to throw in a reference to 9/11. It never ceases to amaze me how much he preys on fear!

Where is Palin and first dude. First dude say's postpone your speech today baby. I need some!

The debate should go on.(PERIOD).
Millions of voters are waiting for the debate. The financial crisis aint going to be fix "instantly" just because John McCain, nor Obama showing up in Washington D.C. Get on with the debate ! And Be Like a Leader not a Runner.>

Mcworried he is about falling flat on his face in a debate with someone more cabable to handle the duties of the presidency as himself, Don't allow this to happen Sen. Obama drag mcwortless to those debates and let his feeble blabbering further weaken his already crumbling foundation and use it to your advantage by advancing your lead in the polls and then and only then let old feeble one scurry off to help our nation which he has no intentions what so ever! The nation is fully aware of the situation provided by the spinners in the gop camp,,, we are not about to fall for this ploy , It is time for mcgirly boy to
MC MAN -UP MC WEASEL

To anyone who actually buys McCain's statement that this is "suspending" his campaign, I have a bridge (to nowhere) to sell you. When we stop hearing from Tucker Bounds, I'll believe the campaign has been suspended.

McCain suspending his campaign and wanting to postpone the debate is nonsensical. The fact is John McCain or Barack Obama are not involved in the negotiations for the bailout. He is irrelevant. Further, as the nominee's of their respective parties they have a duty to tell the American people where they stand on the issues. The debate is the perfect opportunity to do this. McCain is engaging in a political stunt and it shows he doesn't have the character to be president.

@WRONG McCain said it wasn't his strong suite. He didn't say he didn't understand it more than Obama.

Come to think of it, it's not Obama's strong suit either. An undergraduate degree in basket weaving and an JD in law are hardly economic credentials.

But being chairman of the Commerce committee for years is...

I think McCain should learn from Obama. Obama is great at multi-tasking.

While a senator in Illinois, he was able to find time to buy a mansion from Rezko under the table, he has been able to get every agency in this country to hide his records, all of them: birth certificate, Harvard records, masters thesis, etc, etc, etc.

While running for Illinois senate, he multi tasked to have every vote of his opponent picked and nulled.

Really, multitasking is an Obama strength.

And lying too.

John McCain is on record as saying that the economy is sound. So is he not needed in Washington. It is a ploy to buy time for a self-centered campaign that is only filled with lies, radical views, that are not for the good of all but for a few, and negative attacks that Cindy McCain is on record as saying would not take place in her husband's campaign.

He picked Palin and doesn't know what to do with her but use her to try to win. Every time she opens her mouth she makes ridiculous mistakes.

Why would someone who doesn't know how many homes he owns care about the economy?

This is about McCain being in no shape to debate.
This is about his campaign being well aware of it.
This is about a nearly disabled man, mentally.

Even at his best, which is long past, this man does not have the temperment or personality or stability to be president.

His choice of Palin only part of that
dysfunctional person. So his campaign mangers, liars and not committed to the man...but to their neocon takeover of him...let him look like the unable fool he is. They don't care much, theyve .ost and they know it. Their next jobs?

Is this an attempt, on the part of the McCain campaign, to protect Sarah? If they postpone the VP debate to accomodate a rescheduled presidential debate, maybe the VP's dont have to debate at all and we can spare Sarah from this terrible ordeal !!!!!!

After all, we all know she is ready to lead this country and deal with complex issues like the financial debacle we are witnessing: why would we want to doubt her?

BIN LADEN CAN YOU SUSPEND YOUR TERRORIST ATTACKS FOR 25 MINUTES? I HAVE TO GO POO-POO

I'M JOHN MCCAIN AND I ENDORSE THIS AD!

This just in:

Update: David Letterman mocked McCain during the show's taping Wednesday afternoon McCain, who canceled his appearance on the show

"In the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sara Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

McCain & Palin are intent on avoiding hard questions until November. What are they afraid of?

Hopefully, McCain will be a no show on Friday - his absence will be more eloquent than anything he could say. He cannot face the American people - because he has nothing to face them with. Obama can then go forward answering the questions that the American people have for him.

At least one candidate is willing to put the country and the American people first - and it isn't McSame. Does the man have no idea how to delegate? Besides, all he ever does in Senate meetings is lose his temper and flounce out of the room.

The Republicans have picked the best of their bunch - and it ain't much. From their postings here they don't even know the meaning of the word "accountable" - far less how to actually practice it.

Oh and puhlease, to those right wingers who now want civility - just remember how you cackled when your Veep used the F word to describe Democrats. We're civil - but we're justifiably furious. The Republican majority took a surplus and peacetime and landed us in a new depression and two endless wars in less than 8 years. Stop bleating about patriotism and practice it - this is no way to love your country. Enough already.

"The GOP has been in the White House for 8 years... and controlled the House and Senate for 12 of the past 14 years. "

Guess you have already forgotten about Tom Daschle, LOL, I can understand why.

I do not see why McCain cannot go to Washington if he wants but still do the debate via Satellite. To me this is just a political move.

@ HawaiianGecko

McCain is NOT a Senate leader when it comes to the economy. Do YOU know anything about the economy? As much as John McCain? Maybe YOU should go to Washington to help too! Maybe we ALL should!

And we can ALL run for VP too like miss main street Palin!

"Despite the widely held belief that Republicans are the party of economic prudence -- a belief that does not stand up to scrutiny -- voters traditionally have turned to Democrats when they're hurting economically."
---------

Just like Americans did when they elected FDR... after Hoover. The GOP had been in controll for eight years before 1929. Clinton also cleaned up after the 12 years of Reagan and Bush.

And why shouldn't Obama show up in Oxford all by himself? Then the assembled liberal pressies can make love to him on national television without the insult of having to entertain Senator McCain.

Canceling the debate will cost the University of Mississippi 5.5 million dollars.

Well, at least the Senator is consistent. He's got a whole history of fiscal disasters he's createdincluding the current one, What's one more (and such a small one)?.

If our congress wanted to do the right thing (and obviously they don't) they would not bail out these companies that made greedy inappropriate decisions. Instead they would help you and I the people of America. Set up a lottery giving people up to $200,000 to pay off or toward their home loans. Wait two years and then start making payments back to the US Government when things are better for everyone.

This issue is not big enough that McCain has to continue to do the theatrics he has done thus far. Becoming President is NOT a Performance as John McCain said to Chris Wallace just before Palin's introduction to the sharks of Politics. Pit Bull Palin should be put in the pound like all the rest of the Pit Bulls, and face Troopergate!!!

The intent behind McCain's "surprise" announcement peeked through a little while ago when his camp floated the trial balloon that the debate be made up on October 2nd, effectively kicking Palin's debate with Biden to an as yet to be decided date. It is clear that with the republiCONS they want to hide Palin's stupidity and lack of integrity from being shown to the great American public. Who really wants a criminally oriented whack job from Alaska a heartbeat from the presidency?

Poor John can't multitask, and Sarah conveniently can't debate against Joe Biden on their scheduled date. This might be as transparent as the McCain/Palen ticket ever gets.

This is really pretty simple. McCain is a senate leader and is needed in Washington to push this legislation to passage.

Obama is NOT a senate leader, and in fact hasn't really ever been there, so his presence isn't really required.

Therefore, they are BOTH RIGHT in the decision they each made.

John McCain is telling us that he's setting politics aside to go to Washington to work on the economic crisis. This is one of the most ridiculous concepts I have ever heard.

The four most politicized individuals in the U.S. today are John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. For any of these people to start mucking about with these negotiations politicizes the issue. McCain is acting recklessly, forcing campaign politics into a process that requires political cover so that legislators can, you know, legislate.

His mere presence will turn the bailout into a political football, making it impossible for Congress and the White House to create an effective solution.

There are 98 other senators to do that work, and both candidates have phones and email that work from anywhere.

If you want the big desk in the oval office you had better be able to multitask, Senator McCain, and you said it yourself, sir, you dont know much about economics.

BRING ON THE DEBATE.

"Yet now you still blame Republicans by saying "This all happened under Bush""
---------

You are correct. The GOP has been in the White House for 8 years... and controlled the House and Senate for 12 of the past 14 years.
You want to blame Putin?

Despite the widely held belief that Republicans are the party of economic prudence -- a belief that does not stand up to scrutiny -- voters traditionally have turned to Democrats when they're hurting economically. Hopefully American voters are still intelligent enough to work out that after 8 long years of unfettered Republican rule, we simply can't afford more of the same.

THE ONE AND ONLY believes that, because he's running for president, he is no longer a senator. So, instead of working with his colleges in the senate to discuss a solution to this "crisis", as McCain is doing, The messiah wants to continue with his campaign.

His lame excuse, " I don't want to inject [!] politics into the process", is not only laughable, but insulting to the intelligence of the few of us who still use it.

He is still a senator. His job IS about politics.

He is, simply, a wuss.

The comments of these McCain supporters listed below are a reflection of their frustration in knowing nothing.

Posted by: dennis urbano | September 24, 2008 6:42

PM Posted by: kingofzouk | September 24, 2008 3:24 PM
Posted by: Andrew Boyle | September 24, 2008 3:37 PM

The presidential candidates can share ideas, contribute suggestions about the thebailout with their party at congres by e-mails, fax or by telephone. Mc Cain like to avoid debate; that is irresponsible with the voters.

I would propose protesting McCain's return to D.C. by the usual picketing and sign-holding, but I'd be afraid he'd get the police to open fire on everyone like he did at the Republican National Convention.

On second thought if Sarah Palin is ready to step in as president then she should be able to step in Friday night.

Adam Bonin, Attorney and Chairman, Netroots Nation:
Like the selection of Sarah Palin, this feels like a panicky move borne of political expediency rather than anything which will lead to better governance and policymaking.

Celinda Lake, Democratic strategist:
Audacious but makes him look like a coward.

Calling off the presidential debate cannot possibly make sense --when the candidates can just call off preparing for the debate and have it DC.

There is a lot of media manipulation going on and it isn't coming from the media! There is much from the RNC that the rest of the country did not hear about or see. I live in the Twin Cities and the protests weren't the half of it!! The manipulation of what the media saw, the phony "handmade" signs passed out at the convention, the lobbyists in town, women walking around in $5G Chanel dresses treating the locals like riff raff. If things like this were happening in Denver I'd want to know about that too, and I'm sure both sides manipulate. I just had a front row seat so to speak and I was discusted by what I witnessed in my own town.

Damn. I should have voted for Romney.
But I didn't trust him beacause he's a Mormon. If I wasn't such a bigot...

mccain can run but he cant hide... he cancelled his campain to stop the debate because he is running scared... its his own fault picking palin, he can only blame himself.. americans are not stupid.

a new Washington Post-ABC News poll that showed Barack Obama leading John McCain 52 percent to 43 percent nationally

Joe Lockhart, Democratic strategist, former Clinton White House :
John McCain and his campaign obviously think the American people are not very smart. In fact he’s betting his whole campaign on it. Here’s what they’re hoping no one figures out.

Report: Freddie Mac paid $15,000 a month to McCain aide's firm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_freddie_mac

McCain is admitting that he can't walk and chew-gum at the same time

Polls show that the American people have already seen through this pander. The McCain ads are still up, so he isn't suspending his campaign. McCain again shows he's a puppet to Rove.

"NEWS NETWORK REPORT THAT BARACK OBAMA LEADS JOHN MCCAIN IN POLLS.

ALL EXCEPT FOR FOXNEWS? "

FOXNEWS had a 6 point lead for Obama.

From:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/lets-move-palins-debate-to-this-friday.html

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Let's Move Palin's Debate to This Friday!

McCain wants to cancel the first debate and move it to the Vice Presidential debate. Moving that debate into the future.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone--in addition to McCain's avoiding his debate in the face of falling poll numbers, after Palin's day of near-silent photo-ops at the U.N., attempting to also give Palin more time to prepare.

As suggested by Dana Milbank on CNN, there's an easy solution--just let Palin debate this Friday night!

The fundamentals of the debate are strong!

Cite:
Head of State
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/lets-move-palins-debate-to-this-friday.html

This ploy of McCain borders on the horrible. Next would be to POSTPONE the ELECTIONS and GIVE Bush an "emergency" extension.'
It's FIRST DEGEE Cynism!

JOHN MCCAIN: NOT READY TO LEAD!

John the $700 bil is in trouble. Get back here.
I wonder if he'll be taking Phil Gramm with him?
I wonder if he'll be taking Sarah Palin?

Being a POW in Vietnam does not give John McCain carte blanche to be a SOB in the United States.

Ironic that so many will defend him in an online arena he doesn't even know how to access.

John McCain wouldn't know how to solve this country's problems if the answers were emailed to him.

"BUT!", you say, "He doesn't NEED to know how to use the internet to run this country!" Well maybe he doesn't need to know how to debate either? In fact, maybe John McCain doesn't need any credentials at all, maybe just enough uneducated people who are afraid of electing a colored guy to office, but too afraid to openly admit it.

Posted by: yamen | September 24, 2008 6:37 PM

Your comments are a reflection of your frustration in knowing nothing.

After 911 BUSH took advantage of the chaos to pass repressive laws and take the US into a war in the WRONG place.
Today McCain and Bush are trying to do it all over again: they want to use the crisis on wall street to give our money away to corrupt bankers.

What would jesus do?

Obama beig Obama.... "he had no plans to re-schedule Friday night's presidential debate in Oxford, Miss" or "I plan to withdraw from Irak in just 36 monhs after beign elected, not mather what". Sound it similar.... that is the same No Leadership logic....

SO MCCAIN IS GOING TO WASHINGTON FOR A DAY OR TWO TO GET HIS ECONOMIC EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS, JUST LIKE HE SENT PALIN TO GO TO THE UN TO GET HER INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS....I GUESS SENILITY IS IN FULL BLOOM....HE MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN HE SPENT 26 YEARS THERE AND VOTED FOR MOST OF THE THINGS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM TODAY-----SILLY, SILLY, SILLY----AND HE INSULTS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO HEAR SOLUTIONS, NOT HIS POSTURING!!!

Granted McCain doesn't have any economic policy expertise now... but I know that after he takes that Kaplan test prep course he will be ready. In other words, he will have that "readiness".

Uh, WaPo, think you'd better pull that big old animated CNN "Friday Night Fight" ad on this page! It really makes McCain look foolish.

Looks like John Pinocchio McBush is afraid to debate the big bad Obama...

Just take "Mommie" McCain with you. She will print the answers to the questions on your cue cards. Just read them. Nobody expects you to answer any of the questions all by yourself. This debate could not be any more difficult than sending an email.

No matter what (President) McCain does, they liberal media and the democratic public affairs machine will spin it as campaign rhetoric. That is exactly what they did when (Presiden) McCain picked (Vice President) Palin as his running mate. The Dems will not go down without the most significant fight for the White House in in the last 100 years. They are hungry to be in a position of power despite majority congressional presence for the last 2 years. It is understandable but will not come to pass. When John McCain and Sarah Palin take the oath of office, only then, will reality set in for the Dems. Right now, they are reveling in their historic bid for the White House and I can't blame them. However, as record expenditures on campaigning are made apparent in the liberal media, they are somehow being viewed as a measure of bona fide success. This is not the case at all. It is a measure of the fund raising machine put forth by the Dems, not of Obama's success. In fact, in terms of money raised, Obama has not garnered the success that he should have. He is running neck and neck with (President) McCain, not at all reflecting Obama's private fund raising success.

McCain just announced he will definitely not show up for the debate on Friday. Well Mr. McCain, having said that I say, don't bother showing up at the White House either.

Posted by: KIMMO | September 24, 2008 6:34 PM

McCain's suspending his campaign because he's trying to conserve limited financial resources! IF he simply pulled his TV ads now, you'd report he was running out of money -- not unlike Hillary Clinton loaning her campaign money.

Do any of the Obamamites understand that Congrees plans to recess this weekend so that they can go back home and campaign for their own jobs? It is not only a presidential election we have, it is Congress too (the entire House and 1/3 of the Senate). All of Congress should be in Washington this week and get to some resolution on this matter, even if it is a temporary one. If some want to be holed up in a hotel in Tampa to cram for a debate, then we know where their priorities are.

I'm sorry. Did everyone forget what this argument is about?

John McCain would rather run back to DC to help the GOP pass its version of a Bail out that is essentially a no oversight give away to the rich!

that ain't what a real maverick would do...

Look at all these people who obviously would claim "Obama is a true visionary", if he did the same. Yet when it the opposing party, its "McCain only cares about himself." You idiots are the same people who got into risky loans forcing the sub-prime crisis, which is having a domino effect and the economy, yet are crying victim while pointing the finger at everyone but yourself. I worked in the loan industry. I saw how Democrats in my state refused to pass laws to safeguard the industry, while idiots like you would say "Republicans are trying to control things by not allowing a free market." Yet now you still blame Republicans by saying "This all happened under Bush", you ignore that under Clinton the economy was stealing profits from the future as credit was easy to come by. Now we are paying for it, now that your loan is resetting and you cant pay the extra $700 a month. Now that the bubble, creates by a lose credit market, reality is hitting and most leveraged investments are crashing. Yea thats right, instead of feeling your way through politics with idealism and ignorance, try learning learning the long-term effects of economic policy and tax manipulation. Look, your stupid, and I'm going to prove it: Obama(who I will vote for)is going to win, but since the economy is likely going to suck for the next 2 years, you not going to blame Obama, your going to blame Bush. However, if the economy is good, your going to credit Obama. Do you feel stupid not? Now you know how I take your money. Your brain dead and stupid and I can call your next move before you even make it.

McCain is being impulsive again. What will be next, not having an election so he won't lose the presidency.

Sarah Palin, now this: not the reasoned actions of a mature, stable personality. We have had eight years of one-trick pony Bush. What, now we want a more versatile clown?

Palin looks like an ignoramus. We know Bush is an ignoramus. Please, Republican pattern of failed and failing leadership is getting hard to take.

The presidential candidates can share ideas, contribute suggestions about the thebailout with their party at congres by e-mails, fax or by telephone. Mc Cain like to avoid debate; that is irresponsible with the voters.

McCain just announced he will definitely not show up for the debate on Friday. Well Mr. McCain, having said that I say, don't bother showing up at the White House either.

Posted by: KIMMO | September 24, 2008 6:34 PM

Geraldine - are you two years old? Do you know what either candidate or party would do if they are elected, or do you just listen to right wing spin and recycle it like old sewage?

McCain is a coward. He's scared to face Obama on Friday.

mister senility himself mccain is HILARIOUS!

obama calls mccain first thing this morning to suggest a joint news briefing re this crisis, and johnny boy doesn't take his call.. and before you know it.. john "the penguin" mccain goes WADDLING to the camera making little quacking noises and saying, "ME ME ME" and then pretends obama never even called.

mccain is such a friggin little worm it's disgusting.

maybe john boy should asks sarah what to do... after all, she's AWESOME!

The most intelligent post of the afternoon. Please read it carefully to understand the motives at play. Bravo, Mr. Weiss. I would only add that the NYT is reporting that Obama initiated the discussion this morning with this very thought in mind, but the McCain camp jumped the gun, for reasons that couldn't be more obvious.

------------
Hey McCainiacs: If this were really a gesture of bipartisan leadership, McCain would have consulted with Obama before this announcement and asked him to make it jointly. He didn't. It was a calculated political move from a guy who's struggling. McCain hasn't cast a Senate vote since April--he's not superman; he's not going to go flying back to DC to solve the problem; he'll just inject presidential politics into delicate negotiations.

This isn't suspending the campaign; it IS the campaign.

Posted by: Matt Weiss | September 24, 2008 5:37 PM

"DO YOU demoCRITES really NOT REALIZE THAT THIS VOTE WILL PROBABLY BE THE BIGGEST SINGLE VOTE IN THE CAREER OF EITHER SENATOR ?"

---------------

Oh! the drama!

stop wetting your pants. canceling the debates will have NO effect on solving this economic problem. It WILL help us choose a leader.

there is NO GOOD REASON to stop the debates or the campaigning. Leaders MUST juggles several crises at the same time.

McCain simply cannot handle the stress, and Repubs are desperate to find some explanation for his cowardice. Reminds me of what sophomores would do in high school to avoid a big test.

Thank God we have a calm mature level-headed leader in Barack.

He has just proven his true nature. Pure leadership.

McCain just announced he will definitely not show up for the debate on Friday. Well Mr. McCain, having said that I say, don't bother showing up at the White House either.

Congressman Barney Frank told MSNBC that Congress has made great strides toward reaching a compromise on the bailout. McCain is trying to take credit for the work done by others. McCain is a know-nothing.

Socializing corporate losses is on your team's watch, tojoley. How sickening that you assume those who dissagree with you are not students of history. You must be a genius.

This is another shocking example of John McCain’s erratic temperament.

Campaigning for President IS Obama and McCain's job right now. The election is only six weeks away. It's important for the voters to figure out who they want to lead the country for the next four years. These debates are far more important than some political stunt designed to make one more "presidential."

McCain is just a little shock & awe machine - with Palin, with false ads, now with this "no debate" stunt. Heaven forbid that people actually settle down and pay attention to what and who he represents. He has no policy other than a slight variation from the Bush policies (see his voting record, support for uber wealthy tax cuts, privatized social security, no health care) and is suddenly making noises as though he's a populist reformer. He has a Freddie Mac lobbyist running his campaign, paid through last month, the Sen. Phil Gramm slimebag who helped cause this financial crisis by deregulating banks as his close friend and advisor. This guy does not want people to understand anything real about where he has been coming from for the past decades, so why not shock & awe and distract?

Obama should remember that he is, first and foremost a U.S Senator. He aint the President yet. His BUTT should be in D.C w/ MCain working with the rest of 'em to fix this MESS. Or...maybe he dont want nothing to do with in case the fix fails, then he can blame everyone else.

McLame just announced he cannot juggle two crises at once. One crisis is the making of McLame's party president and the other is a crisis manufactured by Karl Rove to cancel the debate. Obama should go to the debate surrounded by the former chairmen of the Federal Reserve who back him and by Warren Buffett. Let McLame pretend he is needed in Washington where he has been absent the past year.

I see. Now Obama supporters are "not americans"? That does not sound like the gop being bi-partisan. It sounds like more of the same old incomptence and bullying.

Lets thrown these chumps out of office, yes?

If Obama can cause "the oceans to recede and heal the planet," why does he not just fix the economy by Friday so we can have the debate?

zeroBama thinking: "I've spent so much time preparing for the debate under the premise that uncertainty is ruling the day with the rescue package up in the air. I am prepared to tie McCain to all the dead squirrels and gunned down black children in the South Side of Chicago. I certainly want the enonomy to collapse. I am surrouned by all the former Clinton economic A-team who are 110% behind globalization and free trade. I am just so confused as to who is saying what. I am so upset that no one reminded me that there are not 57 States plus Alaska and Hawaii in the U.S. I also truly believed 10,000 people died in the Kansas twisters in a single day---too bad FoxNews taped my saying that and it ended up on YouTube. But I just have to do ahead and have it over with. The reason that I didn't write a single piece for the Harvard Law Review was my lack of logic. Hillary won't be there to answer all the questions first. I just have to go ahead. Besides, all my supporters in the media will kill their own wives to sleep with me, like Chris Matthews. Head, I win. Tail, McCain loses."

Barbie speaks?

Well, besides that nauseating repetitious lie telling congress thanks but no thanks?

keep the debate as scheduled but we should have the two veep candidates take the places of the two presidential candidates. the public will get a good idea as to their readiness to step in when needed.

If Obama is REALLY winning as claimed in the inerrant WashPo today, why all the Dem hysteria over postponing the debate?

Obama's losing.

And he knows it.

Obama desperately needed a Media infusion of worship to shore up his campaign in crash and dive mode.

Please, please, PLEASE let Obama Lite show up alone for a debate...

The article states:

"It was not immediately clear what the fate of the debate will be if only Obama decides to show up on Friday night."

RESPONSE: It would be undisputed--OBAMA loses!!

It would appear that McCain was just trying to put the country first if not for the fact that he was contacted by Obama FIRST to do a joint statement. NOT wanting to look like he was following Obama's lead(ership) he went out and made it appear he was taking charge of the situation. Total Political maneuver!!!! Putting your country first would be contacting each other in private as Obama tried to do, getting a joint statement together and THEN making a joint NON-political public statement. It is all about making himself look good on the day of crisis for McCain.
"The Sky IS Falling, The Sky IS Falling" Heard all this before. First we must "Rush" to approve a war to "save us" from real danger to our country and it's safety. Now we must "Rush" to approve a 700 Billion bailout we know no details about, at our expense, to again "Save us" from total economic melt down. Obama shows so much more leadership by wanting to wait and get a good handle on what "WE" the American people want as well as what is really best for this country. NO ONE knows the answer to this mess and it is going to take more then a mere 4 days to figure this out. This is no time to rush into anything. I think we as Americans have evolved beyond the “ride through the saloon door, guns a blazing” era. The economy is not going to collapse any further then it would have regardless if they approve this thing by the weekend.
Rush judgments = Unaccountability

McCain pushed hard and successfully for the very deregulation that caused the major part of the problem. Now he wants to ride back to Washington like a knight in shining armor to save the day! What a total creep. What a farce.

This is so clearly yet another tawdry amoral Rovian political stunt...

God help our young people, who are being taught day by day that gross deception and flagrant lies are the way to succeed in public life. That is the true crime of the Rovian Republicans, the true debt that our children will pay and pay and pay.

But thank God, also, that the majority of our young people are enlightened enough to see Rovian trash for precisely what it is.

What a joke, McCain...George W. Bush has spent eight years causing the problem with your help, and you decide the American people don't need a full and fair campaign for this election to hear what the candidates positions are in debates....Your old worn out ideas have caused the problem, so your Senate appearance will not change those errors...We deserve better....We deserve people who will work on the solutions, instead of your posturing...I'll work to put OBAMA in a position to provide solutions.

Obama and Biden should go back to work too and stop stuffing political contributions in their pockets.

"The move is an obvious attempt by McCain and his campaign to paint the Arizona senator as above politics, willing to put aside his campaign for the good of the country."
*******************

Right on, Chris. That's exactly what this is: a cheap political stunt by a shameless politican.

"His presence now is not going to change things."

This is correct.

If anyone bothered to look at or track what has been going on, (Paulsen folds on the CEO pay issue, agrees to equity positions via warrents, agrees to mortage restructuring, agrees to oversight panel) a lot of the flaws in what Paulson wanted are being ironed out, and both the dems, the repubs and the administration are converging on a bill.

Looks McCain will be riding into Dodge after most of the shooting is over and the smoke has begun clearing.

That (of course..lol!) will not prevent McCain from making grand pronouncements and trying to take credit for what already happened... which is McCains real agenda.

The assertion McCain could add much to the debate (mostly thoses of his fellow repubs) given his self-confessed weakness's concerning economic matters was perposterous on its face anyway. Everyone knows the situation is serious... what else is new.

Hey Kansas,
Enough already with that coded, bible-covers up for racism garbage.

The fact is that McCain wants to RUSH the Bush bailout through congress without oversight. His own banker buddies will benefit and every american will have to pay 7,000$ more in taxes.

Think before you speak.

McCain outsmarts Obama again!

news bulletin;

DO YOU demoCRITES really NOT REALIZE THAT THIS VOTE WILL PROBABLY BE THE BIGGEST SINGLE VOTE IN THE CAREER OF EITHER SENATOR ?

(answer; no, you do not because you have no sense of historical perspective OR priorities)

HOW COULD YOU NOT TAKE IT MORE SERIOUSLY ?

ANSWER : because you do not really care about your country - you just want your rock star to get elected

obamiden may win but America will pay a serious price for many generations IF he does

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 700 BILLION DOLLARS HERE WHEN WE ARE ALREADY IN DEBT - THIS COULD WELL BE A MAKE/BREAK VOTE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION'S VERY EXISTENCE AND ALL YOU demoCRITES WANT TO DO IS HAVE A DEBATE PARTY SO YOU CAN SMOKE SOME MORE WEED !!!

(p.s. mccain was right when he said that aspects of the economy such as the employment rate are fundamentally strong - he KNEW he would get criticized for saying it but he said it anyway - because a true statesman has to say things like that from time to time to stave off a panic - so he's already played a role in stabilizing the situation or the sell off could have brought everything down early last week just like way back when biden thought FDR was president)

MCCAIN / PALIN 2008

I'd love to see Sarah Palin do an actual press conference with real questions. It's sad that it bears repeating.

If the Dems were manipulating the press like this, with phony "handmade" signs and no candidate access you would cry foul all day and night. But these lies suit you nicely.

None of the comments here seem to understand how serious this financial meltdown really is and how time sensitive it is. We all need to stop the shouting and let our representative reach a quick agreement. Buying some gold is also a good idea if agreement isn't reached soon.

Like previous "bailouts" over time, the govenment may get it's money back; lose a little or even make a profit.

I wish the media would stick to the facts.

McCain, but isn't the economy fundamentally sound? He is not the first person I would want negotiating a quick solution proposed by GWB.

Does each and every citizen want $2000 of their money spent bailing out these companies... ask a family (that only owns one home) if that amount of money would be noticed? ... each citizen, not each family.

If Obama had been brave enough to face McCain in the beginning when McCain challenged him to numerous debates which Obama refused, it would be coming down to this one debate. Now Obama conveniently says the American people deserve a debate while McCain is bound by his principles. Political opportunism at its best.

.

Deborah Harry:
"will you get off your lazy butt and stop voting "present" Mr. Obama!!"

He might miss a few appearabce and the "rock star" applause...

.

what is all this talk about voting. everyone knows my response already:

PRESENT

This is pure politics and attention getting. The patronizing repartee is getting annoying. This rush rush hurry hurry fear tactic GOP thing has only ever meant trouble. Rush rush, we don't have time to recount the votes in Florida, the Supreme Court has to decide (betcha 9/11 never would have happened if it wasn't for another Bush in office) Rush, rush hurry hurry we don't have time for the inspectors to determine if Sadam has weapons of mass destruction we need to invade right away. (no WMD) Rush rush the whole world is going to collapse if John MCCain doesn't get to Washington this very weekend.

It's all Monica's fault. Ha ha Strategy less the sincerity.

McCain is chicken.

When I first heard about McCain's latest political stunt, I could not help but grin. What does a candidate do, someone who was almost last in his class in college, during a major personal crisis? Roll up his sleeves and solve the problem? No, he throws the dice and with a brazen step attempts to hit "reset."

McCain is absolutely not suspending his campaign! This is pure fiction! Choosing Palin was his first desperate move. His latest gambit, the so-called "suspension" of his campaign, is the second Hail Mary in just a few weeks.

Would McCain have everyone believe that his entire campaign staff are stopping work, too?

McCain's problem writ large is that the current environment puts him and all Republicans in an unfavorable light. They produced this mess with their wreckless laissez faire economic policiies. Bush has been in office 8 years and the Republicans ran Congress for 6 of those years. They own Wall St.

Mark my words: Bush will be remembered as a Herbert Hoover president. Barack Obama will be rightly seen as the next Franklin Roosevelt and McCain will be a footnote.

McCain will issue some statement of support for his colleagues on the hill, trusting, convinced and confident (as George Will so aptly put it: "his reservoir of endless certainties") that they will do the right thing for "Main St".

...and that he will debate Obama as scheduled.

Nothing to see here, folks. Just move on, go on about your business, everythings' taken care of.

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Bush could postpone the elections....reason is that a while back a 'seer' predicted the election would be called off. While being 'delayed' isn't quite the same as 'called off' it still gave me chills.

John McCain is not playing any kind of games here, folks. This guy is on the level. He was on the housing commission a while back and in 2005 gave a speech to the Congress that said FNEMAE and FRDEMAC were in serious difficulty and that an oversight committee needed to be pulled together forthwith. There was so much scam going on with the leaders even back in 2005.

The Congress we have didn't do a thing despite repeated warnings from George Bush as well - 17 as a matter of fact.

Go McCain!

Just what the heck does Mccain think Congress will be doing at 9PM on a Friday night? I guarantee they won't be in session. Members of Congress love their weekends.

This is a blatant rouse to make it seem like McCain has some sort of power to do something, and perpetuate the lie that he reaches across the aisle more than Obama.

Debate: Be There or Be Square.

Several days ago Mr. Obama made his statement about the things that are necessary in such a bailout. They include, in part, that there be oversight, that the taxpayers get an actual stake in the companies, that regulations be put in place to prevent the banks from continuing to do the same thing that put us in this mess, that the people responsible not be rewarded for their negligence. This was issued before McCain ever came up with anything and should be enough to make his position known. Those who claim that Mr. Obama is negligent are just repeating talking points issued from the Rove undisclosed location and have no idea of what they are talking about.

Given that Mr McCain has absolutely no credibility in economic matters, I shouldn't have to point out that for him to mess with this situation will only make matters worse. After all, it is his advisers who set the stage for this fiasco and he himself who has been voting to deregulate. Furthermore, he can't seem to make up his mind even now about whether or not there should be regulations. How long ago was it that he last said that the fundamentals of our economy are strong? How can he blame Mr. Cox for not regulating when Mr. McCain himself did away with the regulations. And does anyone actually think that in a couple days he has all of a sudden learned enough about the situation to do any good?!

Anyone who believes that his action is not an attempt to flee from a confrontation with Mr. Obama believes that oil had nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq.

Now McLame says he wants to “suspend” the campaign and delay the debates, and wants Obama to join him to address the economic crisis. Options -

1) Obama agrees and it looks like McCain is the leader

2) Obama does not agree and it makes McCain look like he puts the country ahead of the election (the Maverick)

I say he says no thanks, we do not need to work with Bush and the party responsible for this disaster. I have my own plan to undo the damage the Republican Party did to America.

A President has to be able to MULTI-TASK. Every working mom knows how to do that. A debate should be small potatoes that will barely cause a leader to break stride.

Cancelling the debate is a pathetic ploy to avoid questions while trying to look like Gary Cooper, ironically fighting the very guys he has been cosy with for years. It has the reverse effect on me.

Dern, I sure wanted to see Mr. McCain stomp a new hole in B.O.'s rear-end during the debates. It would have been SO funny!!!

But McCain, being the Public Servant he has been all his life(which is more than can be said of Barack Obama), is ONCE AGAIN BEING A LEADER INSTEAD OF playing movie-star for politics like Mr. Obama.

Hooray for McCain / Palin, TRUE LEADERS IN 2008!!

this is kinda like bush deciding not to go to the republic convention using a hurricane as an excuse. geez- mccain keeps saying he going to "fix" washington...for cripes sakes-he's been in washington for over 25 years! cut the crap john and have the balls to admit you have no idea what to do and are scared to death to face obama.

So if, God forbid, McSame were the next President and there were more than one crisis at a time- say a hurricane, two wars, and the Wall Street Billionaire Boy's Club wanted to take more of our money- so he would just call a time out? Time Out? There is no time out in the White House.

This isn't baseball.

In just reading Obamas remarks he leans towards 40 days before handeling this crisis. Looks like to me we don't have 40 days

McCain pushed hard and successfully for the very deregulation that caused the major part of the problem. Now he wants to ride back to Washington like a knight in shining armor to save the day! What a total creep.

This is so clearly yet another tawdry amoral Rovian political stunt...

God help our young people, who are being taught day by day that gross deception is the way to go...

McCain is not president yet and is not a leader of the Republicans in the Senate. By canceling the Presidential Debate, McCain is politicizing the financial crisis the country is facing. This is currently a battle by the Bush Administration and Congress. To date, Congress has handled this as a bipartisan issue. By McCain unilaterally injecting himself into the bargaining process, he is implying he does not have faith in President Bush's team and the leadership of Congress to debate the issue and compromise on the features of the Bush plan. He is grandstanding in another "maverick" ploy to recover ground he has lost in the campaign this week.

"I am very upset at Democrats for hailing John McCain in the 2000 election and now persecuting him as if he were George Bush the third."

---------------

Why? It's McCain who betrayed himself and embraced the far-right, Rove and Bush...flip-flopping on torture, eavesdropping, regulation...and the big betrayal: picking Palin.

He has sold his soul. He is no longer the man he was in 2000.

And now, he runs in fear from the first debate...using "patriotism" as his cover. The behavior of a true coward and traitor to this country.

Obama will be on a plane to DC this evening and will be in Oxford, Mississippi on Friday night, with or without McCain.

McCain's experience with Keating and the Savings and Loan crisis should come in really handy.

"Not only is his decision to get intimately involved in the plan the wrong thing to do, he doesn't really even know enough about the crisis to be in a position to know one way or the other what the right thing to do is."

I don't mind open debate, but I wonder how you can judge his experience and knowledge level on a topic based on sound bites and partial quotes. I can only hope you have at least an MBA and have spent a fair amount of time both studying our complex economy and discussing it with the senators. I think then you would be more credible when you say that one senator is more or less qualified than another to discuss the solutions to our current "crisis".

Now McLame says he wants to “suspend” the campaign and delay the debates, and wants Obama to join him to address the economic crisis. Options -

1) Obama agrees and it looks like McCain is the leader

2) Obama does not agree and it makes McCain look like he puts the country ahead of the election (the Maverick)

I say he says no thanks, we do not need to work with Bush and the party responsible for this disaster. I have my own plan to undo the damage the Republican Party did to America.

Now McLame says he wants to “suspend” the campaign and delay the debates, and wants Obama to join him to address the economic crisis. Options -

1) Obama agrees and it looks like McCain is the leader

2) Obama does not agree and it makes McCain look like he puts the country ahead of the election (the Maverick)

I say he says no thanks, we do not need to work with Bush and the party responsible for this disaster. I have my own plan to undo the damage the Republican Party did to America.

BUSH & MCCAIN
same policies

OSAMA & OBAMA
same policies

Pelosi, Reid, Obama will be left holding the bailout bag with BUSH when McCain comes out against it. Watch and learn from the master!