From The Road
October 6, 2008 3:59 PM

McCain Unloads on Obama's Character, Record

By
John Bentley
Topics
John McCain
(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley:

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) – Unleashing a barrage of attacks at Barack Obama today, John McCain sought to link his Democratic opponent to the current financial crisis as well as accusing him of being less than honest about his background.

"I don't need lessons about telling the truth to American people. And were I ever to need any improvement in that regard, I probably wouldn't seek advice from a Chicago politician. My opponent's touchiness every time he is questioned about his record should make us only more concerned," McCain said.

"All people want to know is: what has this man ever actually accomplished in government? what does he plan for America? In short: who is the real Barack Obama?"

McCain also said that Obama and Democrats in Congress "encouraged" the corruption at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to the subprime mortgage meltdown.

"Sen. Obama has accused me of opposing regulation to avert this crisis. I guess he believes if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough it will be believed. But the truth is I was the one who called at the time for tighter restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could have helped prevent this crisis from happening in the first place," said McCain.

"As recently as September of last year he said that subprime loans had been, quote, 'a good idea.' Well, Sen. Obama, that good idea has now plunged this country into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression."

The Obama camp has charged that McCain is trying to charge the subject away from the economy, as McCain's poll numbers have been sinking along with the Dow Jones average. But Obama said today that the economy should remain front and center on the campaign.

"I've got news for the McCain campaign – the American people are losing right now, they're losing their jobs, they're losing their health care, they're losing their homes, they're losing their savings," Obama said today.

"I cannot imagine anything more important to talk about than the economic crisis, and the notion that we'd want to brush that aside and engage in the usual political shenanigans and scare tactics that have come to characterize too many political campaigns, I think is not what the American people are looking for."

Add a Comment See all 60 Comments
by newslink October 7, 2008 6:26 PM EDT
The MCcain Camp has dropped to an All time Low. finger pointing, name calling and making Racist Slurs. Will not get you in the White House. This Election has been a Disgrace to this Country, and to the Free World.
Reply to this comment
by tangouniforn October 7, 2008 2:54 PM EDT
McCain is taking a terrible risk in going negative. The Obama people are looking at McCain and Palin as a target rich environment.

McCain lost five military aircraft and was saved only because his father was a 4 star admiral.
McCain aircraft incident killed 134 sailors.
McCain had numerous adulterous relationships.
McCain divorced his first wife because she was not pretty enough, not young enough, not rich enough.
McCain has ties to right wing death squads in Latin America.
Senior officers in his POW camp doubt that he was tortured.
Senior officers in his POW camp say that he is not qualified to Commander In Chief
McCain made propaganda statements for his captors.
McCain graduated in the bottom one half of one percent of his Annapolis class.
McCain has ties to Savings and Load disaster.
McCain said the economy was strong and when it became obvious that it was not the economy he was talking about the work force.
McCain said that he knows nothing about economics.
McCain knows little about science, when such knowledge is a necessity in a modern world.

Palin has ties to group that wants to secede from the US.
Palin has ties to oil groups
Palin thinks that a state with the same population of the city of El Paso (600,000) qualifies her to govern a nation with a population of 305,000,000.
Palin believes in witches and witchcraft.
Palin believes that dinosaurs and people lived at the same time.
Palin knows nothing about science.
Reply to this comment
by usavnclub October 7, 2008 2:51 PM EDT

HUSSEIN OBAMA IS A RUNNING TALKER ,
HE WORKED AT SENATE FOR 126 DAYS : HE TALKED , VOTED ,RAN...SAY NO , SAY YES , OR PRESENT...IT''S OK. ENOUGH
EXPERIENCE FOR TO LEAD SUPER POWER USA. VOTE HIM...VOTE HIM
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood October 7, 2008 2:44 PM EDT
John McCain is a pathetic little man. He is fond of saying he''d rather lose an election than lose a war.

If only he also felt that he would rather lose an election than lose his honor and dignity.
Reply to this comment
by usavnclub October 7, 2008 2:37 PM EDT

HUSSEIN OBAMA IS A RUNNING TALKER ,
HE WORKED AT SENATE FOR 126 DAYS : HE TALKED , VOTED ,RAN...SAY NO , SAY YES , OR PRESENT...IT''S OK.
VOTE HIM... VOTE HIM
Reply to this comment
by tonyd_31 October 7, 2008 2:31 PM EDT
John McSame is an embarrassment. He is a nothing more than a LIAR who would do or say anything to win this election. The only way he would ever get my vote is if he was running against LUCIFER. I hope he gets his behind kicked in this election. Never did I think an ex-military guy would stoop so low. Especially considering that he came from one of the service academys that adhere to a strict honor code. This man would make a worst president than GW Bush and then one has to think who is waiting in the wings if something adverse happens to him. Picking that airhead Sarah Palin to be his running mate is another reason that this senile old nut should not be win.
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 October 7, 2008 2:30 PM EDT
The People of Alaska should recall their corrupt Governor.
Reply to this comment
by timoteotk October 7, 2008 2:26 PM EDT
Good for her...they have bashed Palin since she came out of the gate...time for her to do some BASHING...average citizens know that the Mainstream mass media mind manipulators are for Obama-they think if they get some Hollywod stars to tell people to vote they will vote democratic- they have to use crude comedians to "INSPIRE" people to vote- one comedian- who looks like the twin of Amy Winehouse says she will take her bra off under her clothes while she waits for you to register to vote...umm...she will also have to wait til I am done puking...Ellen"God Bless America"Degeneres asks the potential voter to stop looking at internet porn long enough to vote??? WHAT HAVE WE COME TO?? THIS IS THE WAY THEY INSPIRE CITIZENSHIP????
Reply to this comment
by whosaid1 October 7, 2008 2:17 PM EDT
Truthmatterz: sounds to me like you don''t know much about the truth! Or maybe it''s just that you don''t care enough about the truth to forget the talking points provided by Obama and do some real research!
Reply to this comment
by whosaid1 October 7, 2008 2:13 PM EDT
John43218: huffingtonpost. !!!!! Everyone knows she''s an idiot...and her site is all about Obama....why would anyone beleive anything on that site???
Reply to this comment
See all 60 Comments
.

Follow From The Road

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...