McCain and Obama in first debate: No big moments

Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama appeared in tonight's first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. After a turbulent week of economic and political drama, viewers are left not knowing who really hit it out of the park at the debate.

It would appear that Sen. McCain started out soft and ended strong. It would also suffice it to say that Sen. Obama started out strong and ended intellectually strong, but lacking in actual expertise to draw from. This is natural given that the debate spent about the first 30 minutes parsing the recent economic crises of the nation on Wall Street as well as Main Street and the last hour debating foreign policy and national security, both of which McCain capitalizes on voters' confidence.

The contenders discussed Iraq in depth, but didn't exactly stipulate their plans for the bailout package currently on the table at Capitol Hill. Moderator, Jim Lehrer of PBS, had to repeatedly ask the senators to specify whether or not they are yea or nay for the rescue plan. Sen. Obama though, did enumerate his plans for what needed to be done with the bailout. This is really the area Sen. McCain needed to come out on top of, with his latest proclamations and his failed history of wooing voters with his economic comprehension.

My question is: What do ya'll think of tonight's debate? Who do you think came out on top? For me, it was pretty lackluster.

Coming up next: Vice Presidential Debate: Sen. Joseph Biden vs. Gov. Sarah Palin - Thursday, October 2 - Don't forget to tune in!

[Source: Bethany]

Letterman tears McCain an even newer asshole

It's all good, we're sure he wears Depends, anyway.

Please do watch the clip above. It's a nice mix of snark, passive-aggression and everyone's favorite leftist, wire-rimmed glasses wearing fill-in host, Keith Olbermann.

"Someone's putting something in his Metamucil."

[Source: gawker.com]

Bush warns of 'long and painful recession' without financial rescue

President Bush addresses the nation on the financial crisis from the White House. He says the $700 billion bailout package is "aimed at preserving America's overall economy."

Though he says his "natural instinct" is to oppose intervening in the market, he claims "these are not normal circumstances."

"Any rescue plan should also be designed to ensure that taxpayers are protected," Mr. Bush said. "It should welcome the participation of financial institutions, large and small. It should make certain that failed executives do not receive a windfall from your tax dollars. It should establish a bipartisan board to oversee the plan's implementation. And it should be enacted as soon as possible."

[Sources: thepage.time.com, nytimes.com]

Obama rebuffs McCain's plea to delay Friday's debate

Check out his response below.

In all honesty people, there's no reason the candidates can't do both. They can address the financial crises AND address the nation in the presidential debate Friday night. Grand gestures aren't needed for us to feel they are putting our economic woes to rest. Don't crap out of your obligations, your obligation to the University of Mississippi, who's been planning and orchestrating this event for months now, to the Commission on Presidential Debates, to Barack Obama, to the American people, who NEED to hear your positions on the issues, and we need to hear them NOW. Time is running out. Election day will be upon us in a matter of weeks (have you registered to vote yet?). As president of this nation, you will need to multitask and multitask with aplomb. Get your ass in gear mister!

[Source: thepage.time.com]

Campbell Brown tears McCain a new one

Amen sista'!

I urge you all to listen to the following clip below. I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with Brown and immediately thought this in response to a post I wrote yesterday. 

Free Sarah Palin!

Katie Couric interviews Palin

In her third interview - that's right, they can still be counted on one hand - Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin sits down with Katie Couric of CBS to discuss the current financial crises and Senator John McCain's plans to assuage them.

We get to hear about McCain's maverick image, Palin's inability to articulate any real specifics even when asked more than once to elaborate and get a great sign-off that should basically have a voiceover of "Errrrrr..."

Palin Power!

McCain suspends campaign and seeks to delay Friday's debate!

Egads!

Senator John McCain just announced that he plans to suspend campaigning on Thursday, and seek a delay in this week's planned presidential debate Friday, so that he could return to Washington to try to forge a consensus on a financial bailout package.

Shortly after, the Obama camp issued a statement saying the two candidates had spoken on the phone this morning about issuing a statement on the financial difficulties facing the nation, but it did not address canceling the debate.

McCain and Obama have been under pressure to enact some kind of significant change regarding the proposed $700 billion bailout package. 

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

It's all very phoenix in the rising, Mr. McCain trying to appear as the one spearheading this call to action, but it was actually Sen. Obama who began the exchange with the Arizona senator.

"At 8:30 this morning, Sen. Obama called Sen. McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal," said Bill Burton, the spokesman for the Obama campaign.

Democrats reacted skeptically to Mr. McCain's surprise announcement (as they should have), accusing that it seemed like a political ploy to try to gain the confidence of voters concerned about the economy.

"What, does McCain think the Senate will still be working at 9 p.m. Friday?" Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania said, referring to the start time of the debate. "I think this is all political - I wish McCain had shown the same concern when he didn't show up in the Senate to vote on the extension of the renewable energy tax credit."

It all seems to be a game and an attempt to put Mr. Obama between a rock and a hard place. If he shakes his head no to ol' Mac and goes ahead with the debate, some will think Sen. McCain is the one concerned with solving the financial problems on Wall Street this week and if he acquiesces and agrees to postpone the debate, then he's still simply a follower.

So, here we go again, with McCain going to all lengths to appear bipartisan and maverick in the strangest of ways. Use some sense people. I certainly hope you can multitask, and deal with both things.

Not to mention, this kind of puts a hole in the latest article I've written that goes to print today. Thanks Mac!

FTW.

[Source: msnbc.msn.com]