A More Aggressive McCain Tries To Get Back Into Race

By: John Bentley
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley:

(HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.) – John McCain is not going down without a fight.

In his most spirited debate yet, McCain did as his supporters asked and criticized Barack Obama on everything from Bill Ayers and ACORN to health care and out-of-control spending.

"He was not going to let Barack Obama get off with his pretty words. He is an articulate, eloquent, speaker, there is no question. Senator Government knows how to string a sentence together, there isn't a question about it," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds after the debate. "But what he doesn't do, is he doesn't know how to cut taxes, he's never done it, he doesn't know how to control spending, he's never done it, he doesn't know how to work in a bipartisan fashion, he's never done it. That's why the American people are going to choose John McCain."

The crux of the McCain camp's argument is that Obama will irresponsibly raise taxes.

"Sen. Obama is going to spend the country into a depression with the massive amounts of money that he's talking about spending," McCain's campaign manager Steve Schmidt said.

But Obama's campaign said McCain came off as angry, and that's not what voters want.

"We all read this morning that two-thirds of the American people believe that Sen. McCain is running a negative campaign. It feels as if he came in here tonight to try and persuade the other third that he's running a negative campaign as well," said Obama senior adviser David Axelrod. "He was edgy and seemingly angry for much of the debate."

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by harbinger09 October 16, 2008 10:22 PM EDT: Well, my friendz I%u2019M NOT GEORGE BUSH!!%u201D
%u201CIF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR GEORGE BUSH, THEN YOU SHOULDA VOTED FOR HIM 4 (and, maybe 8) YEARS AGO!!%u201D

Posted by Mattcat25 at 09:33 AM : Oct 16, 2008

Obama rejoinder: "IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP COMPARING YOU TO GEORGE BUSH--THEN ACT DIFFERENTLY FROM BUSH--ALL YOUR PROPOSALS, STANCE ON THE MILITARY ETC--ARE THE OLD BUSH POLICIES--YOU CAN SAY YOU ARE DIFFERENT ALL YOU WANT--BUT IF YA WALK LIKE GEORGE BUSH AND TALK LIKE GEORGE BUSH--YOU MAY AS WELL BE GEORGE BUSH. LOL

Obama: Here''s what the fine for health care to small businesses is: ZERO.

McCain: (deer in headlights look) ZERO?

Obama: Yes, ZERO, as I mentioned to you in the last debate John...

Forgive McCAin, Obama, he was not actually at the last debate--he was keeping his pledge of not debating until the bailout crisis was resolved and was really in DC.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 October 16, 2008 12:33 PM EDT: %u201CWell, my friendz I%u2019M NOT GEORGE BUSH!!%u201D
%u201CIF YOU WANTED TO VOTE FOR GEORGE BUSH, THEN YOU SHOULDA VOTED FOR HIM 4 (and, maybe 8) YEARS AGO!!%u201D; Reply to this comment


by john43218 October 16, 2008 12:28 PM EDT: Obama supporters are severly brainwashed. It is actually so pathetic they do not want to acknowledge the truth about Obama, they''d rather sink their own ship because it has a "D" on it than face reality that Obama is not qualified. Wow, amazingly stupid.; Reply to this comment


by oldguy4truth October 16, 2008 11:53 AM EDT: "MR MCCAIN KICKED REAR END"
Yes, but unfortunantly, it was his own.; Reply to this comment


by oldguy4truth October 16, 2008 11:51 AM EDT: The media manipulation and mind control of
America is scarey, and reminds me
of cold war days and sends chills
about our future.

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

Posted by dragonfly125

Wow. Do you still hav a bomb shelter?; Reply to this comment


by sincityscott October 16, 2008 5:41 AM EDT: I gotta say "dragonfly", that I don''t think my mind is being controlled at all- In fact, I head to barackobama.com and click ''issues'' and ''learn'' and get facts w/ proof on what Senator Obama will do as President...and then I visit johnmccain.com and attempt to do the same there. Although McCain''s site is more designed to get out the anti-Obama stuff.
This is how modern Democracy works; voters are responsible for research and making up their own minds! Anyone who simply reads the papers or watches TV for their opinions is going to still be ignorant and as I think you''re saying ''purposefully misinformed''!; Reply to this comment


by sincityscott October 16, 2008 5:35 AM EDT: "Whiner", you''re screen name says it all! Btw, head to barackobama.com and click issues and try the cool tax calculator for yourself.
That writing IN ALL CAPS is a dead giveaway that you''re a web neophyte and I don''t think it makes anyone believe more so that you know what you''re talking about.; Reply to this comment


by puppetry17 October 16, 2008 4:01 AM EDT: McCain doesnt need the media to portray him as a negative campaigner. He comes across as arrogant, disrespectful, disdainful - what''s with those facial expressions ?? He was on a downward spiral as soon as Palin was nominated.; Reply to this comment


by roc2341 October 16, 2008 3:16 AM EDT: And with all his aggressive tactics McCain still doesn''t want the rich to do the same thing regular Americans will/have always done "pay their fair share", whether it''s in taxes/send their loved ones to war!!!; Reply to this comment