Debate Is On - McCain Will Attend
WASHINGTON (Sept. 26) - Republican John McCain agreed to attend the first presidential debate Friday night even though Congress doesn't have a bailout deal, reversing an earlier decision to delay the forum until Washington had addressed the financial crisis.
With less than 10 hours until the debate was scheduled to start, the McCain campaign announced that the Arizona senator would travel to the University of Mississippi. The campaign said that afterward McCain would fly back to Washington to continue working on the economic crisis. ... More
Can you imagine the reaction if Barack Obama had said "I have to suspend my campaign because the economy is in a complete mess, although less than 10 days ago I did promise the American public that the "fundamentals" of our economy were strong.
And I can't debate right now and my Vice Presidential pick can't debate right now either. Must. Focus."
Just imagine the unanimous criticism if Obama made a move like this.
And the Democratic party leadership has been critical:
For what it's worth, the man who is leading congressional Democrats in negotiating the bailout deal with the administration isn't impressed with Sen. McCain's announcement.
Rep. Barney Frank told a group of reporters outside the House chamber:
"It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys."
"I'm delighted that John is expressing himself on this issue," said Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. "I have heard form Obama numerous occasions these last couple days. I have never heard from John McCain on the issue... I'm just worried a little bit that sort of politicizing this problem, sort of flying in here, I'm beginning to think this is more of a rescue plan for John McCain and not a rescue plan for the economy."
Next thing you know, perhaps in an attempt to offer John McCain some cover, President Bush requested that both John McCain and Barack Obama appear at a meeting this afternoon. And as Dodd said in the quote above, this is not the time to inject more politics into the negotiation of bailout terms.
This morning, the market is up and Democrats are saying that they were very close to a deal yesterday before John McCain and President Bush cried 'crisis.' Even the often conservative Politico.com is reported that some Republicans found McCain's presence unnecessary.
My opinion is McCain and Obama should just let the legislators at the Capitol work. By all accounts they have been moving toward accord. We'll see what happens now.
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Comments: (54)
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By: alicia on 9/25/2008 10:29AM
umm, yeah. McCain is punking out. I am volunteering at an Obama voter drive on Saturday to get these morons out of office.
alicia
http://todaystyle.today.com/
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By: Mary Small on 9/25/2008 10:37AM
Whoaa!! Democrats Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are the two big reasons we are in the mess now. Five years ago when the adminstration tried (they tried 12 times) to fix Fannie and Freddie those two blocked it in committee. Barney even said that they were "fundamentally sound". Even McCain introduced legislation to fix the situation but the Democrats voted enmasse to do nothing. Now McCain wants to make sure it's done right while Obama will go along with whatever his party decides. After all he has voted the party line 97% of the time. As usual he will let someone else do the heavy lifting and then claim credit.
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By: Madu63 on 9/25/2008 12:51PM
Whoa, hold up. Will somebody get Mcshame a bottle of China made baby formula, 'cause he's shamefully full of himself.
Now, if Senator Barack Obama had request a timeout before the first scheduled presidential debate, all hizzell would break loose. I'm an independent--always have been, always will--voter who can't wait until November 4th to do my civic duty! :-`D
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By: jonnybullet on 10/02/2008 10:34AM
Sarah Palin admittedly hasn't had much of a track record when it comes to acknowledging -- let alone promoting -- diversity during her short tenure as Alaska governor. She's on record with a terse utterance on hate crimes legislation and on cultural diversity. But Palin's skimpy track record and paucity of words on diversity is relatively tame compared to the far more damaging accusation that's making the rounds.
On April 29, 14 black leaders in Alaska, including prominent ministers, NAACP officials, and community activists, met with Palin to voice their complaint over minority hiring and job opportunities. During the meeting she allegedly said that she didn't have to hire any blacks. Even more damning, she purportedly said that she didn't intend to hire any.
Gwen Alexander, president of the African-American Historical Society of Alaska, initially reported Palin's quip. This charge is so racially incendiary that it sounded like yet another one of the legion of Palin urban legends that have fueled the cyber gossip mill from the moment Republican presidential contender John McCain put her on his ticket. The charge had to be confirmed or denied. If Governor Palin or any other public official flatly said that they had no intention to hire blacks, that would be politically unpardonable. And for a potential vice-president, it would and should be the kiss of death.
In a phone message to this writer, Megan Stapleton, a Palin spokesperson with the McCain-Palin campaign committee, vehemently denied that Palin ever said that she would not hire blacks. Sharon Leighow, communications spokesperson in the Alaska governor's office, also disputed the allegation. She said that Palin's press secretary was part African-American and that two of her senior advisors were Filipino and Korean.
Leighow was also adamant that Palin did not hire staff persons based on color, but solely on talent and skill. As she put it, "Governor Palin is totally color-blind."
But in a phone conversation, Gwen Alexander of the African-American Historical Society of Alaska stuck by her contention that Palin made the racially charged retort. She also charged that Palin did not support or even officially acknowledge the group's annual Juneteenth Commemoration.
June 19 is celebrated as the date of slave emancipation in Texas. Alaska is one of 13 states that has designated it an official holiday. Other Alaska governors have sent the traditional greetings and acknowledgements to the Society. Alexander says Palin snubbed the group.
The unofficial charge, then, is that Palin is insensitive to the state's African Americans, and that includes refusing to hire and appoint African Americans. That charge is hotly disputed by Palin's staff and they cite names and numbers to back it up. But apart from the veracity of the charge and the denial, Palin's statement that she's absolutely color-blind when it comes to hiring does set off warning bells.
The color-blind argument strikes at the heart of the continuing debate over what and how far public officials should go to insure that their staffs and their appointments truly represent the broadest diversity possible. Officials must make a concerted outreach effort to make that happen. A color-blind posture more often than not has been nothing but a convenient excuse not to seek out, hire or promote African Americans and other minorities in their administration, no matter how qualified.
Diversity is a major issue this election. It's implicit in Democratic rival Barack Obama's White House run. It's explicit in Ward Connerly's anti-affirmative initiative on the ballot in three states this November. Obama opposes it. McCain backs it, and so does Palin.
Palin's commitment to diversity is no small point in Alaska. According to the 2000 Census figures, blacks make up officially about 4 percent of the state population. But those who self-identify as at least part African-American bump up the percentage much higher. When American Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos, and Asians are taken together, minorities make up about one quarter of Alaska's population. This makes the state one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. Diversity must be more than a word that an Alaska governor pays campaign lip service to and then ignores.
Palin's campaign and gubernatorial spokespersons say the charge that she is hostile to blacks and minorities is unfair. That may well be true. But according to those black leaders in Alaska who challenged Palin on her administration's minority hiring practices, the charge is much deserved.
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By: Janice on 9/25/2008 1:06PM
Let's face it folks, Obama is a politician, plain and simple. He's a product of the Chicago political machine who hope, through him, to extend their power nationwide. Obama doesn't give a damn about the American people, of any color, and has made that quite plaine. And I'm quite tired of black people supporting him simply because he's half-black. He's also half white -- or doesn't that matter? He is NOT descended of slaves, he is not representative of American black people, or American white people either for that matter. He is representative of himself only. And, of course, the Chicago political machine.
Barack Obama is not going to Washington because he is incapable of thinking past his own personal interests. McCain stated early on that he would "rather lose an election than lose a war". This is a war, whether anyone likes it or not. It is an economic war and regardless of who started it or caused it the fact is that it's what we have to handle NOW! Pointing fingers isn't going the solve the problem, action is.
The fact that Obama doesn't particularly see any reason to take action speaks a lot about his ability to rise to an emergency.
The difference between Obama and McCain is that Obama is a politician and McCain is a statesman. A politician thinks of the next election, a statesman thinks of the nation. McCain has been mocked for being older. Well, in most societies (not the American one which is besotted with youth as though we could somehow forever remain teeny boppers) those who have lived a long time, experienced much, and lived to tell about it and advise the young, are honored not chastised. If all Obama has to offer is the fact that he has a black skin and fewer years, and obviously the unwilling to rise an emergency, he's not worthy of being president.
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By: omar daniels on 9/25/2008 2:02PM
i am getting ready to vote for obama my self i think he has done alot so far in making a lot of chaning and great ones at that, but this year has been well u know.
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By: omar daniels on 9/25/2008 2:02PM
I stil am waiting for george bush too answer my question about, college and social security and be forward about it as well and whats going to happen to it because i don't think he did on the tv.
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By: omar daniels on 9/25/2008 2:02PM
I really want to hear what obama has to say on the issue, well that is the reason my i look at the talks on the election and the economy problems.
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By: omar daniels on 9/25/2008 2:02PM
I also want to understand the investment issues as well because and besides i think obama is the best candidate for the job that my opion.
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By: dan on 10/12/2008 9:28PM
Deer in the headlights!!!
This is just a political ploy McCain will use to trick the public into thinking he's on top of the financial crisis. There is no urgency for McCain to return to Washington because he has no input or position on the committee. The debate should go on as scheduled!
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