From The Road
June 12, 2008 9:03 PM

With No Rival At Town Hall, McCain Attacks Oil Companies

(CBS)

From CBS News’ John Bentley:


NEW YORK – After John McCain pushed for over a week for an un-moderated, town hall debate between himself and Barack Obama, tonight’s event notably lacked a key participant. “I think this town hall meeting probably would have been a little more interesting if Sen. Obama had accepted my request to be here,” McCain said. “I’ll block out a day every week from now until the conventions,” he added, hoping to encourage participation from his Democratic rival.

Earlier at a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, McCain told the audience that Obama would not be joining him. “I understand that, that he couldn’t do it,” McCain said.

The assembled crowd here bore little resemblance to the group at his earlier town hall in Nashua. The roughly 200 people at Federal Hall in Manhattan were well-dressed, with the majority in suits, except for one woman who wore a t-shirt that read “Obama bin Lyin’.” Most of the audience members had been invited by the McCain campaign, according to a staffer.

While the group didn’t hear from Obama, they did hear McCain make some of his strongest comments yet about oil companies lack of progress in developing alternative fuel sources. “I’m very angry at the oil companies, not only because of the obscene profits they make, but for the failure to invest in alternative forms of energy,” McCain said. “It’s an abrogation of their responsibility as citizens.”
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by moronpolitics June 15, 2008 11:55 PM EDT
Exxon Mobil has a profit margin of 10.85 percent and an operating margin of 16.45 percent. Meanwhile Budweiser has a profit of 12.46 Percent and an operating margin of 17.21 percent. Why isn''t McStupid calling for windfall profit taxes on Breweries? Because his wife supports him in high style as a BREWERY HEIRESS. Get it now?
Reply to this comment
by rgrxx175 June 13, 2008 4:59 PM EDT
mccain is such a flip flopper, he could debate himself in a little town hall and still lose... i feel sorry for the little old man...
Reply to this comment
by nanc12 June 13, 2008 4:45 PM EDT
ID LOVE TO HEAR OBAMA DEFEND THIS CHOICE IN A TOWN HALL. LOL
Posted by jack3213

Actually, I''d love to hear McCain defend his stance. How is it that America, a bastion of liberty, can defend imprisoning people indefinitely, with no charges filed against them. We''re supposed to be better than that.
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 June 13, 2008 3:00 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - John McCain criticized a Supreme Court decision Thursday granting constitutional rights to foreign terrorism suspects, a ruling that was applauded by rival Barack Obama.
ID LOVE TO HEAR OBAMA DEFEND THIS CHOICE IN A TOWN HALL. LOL
Posted by jack3213 at 11:36 AM : Jun 13, 2008

Why are prisoners being held indefinitely?
Shouldn%u2019t there be evidence, a trial, and then a formal sentencing?

Why is the Republican Right Wing so adamant on bypassing human rights? (like China, and the former Soviet Union)

The Supreme Court has upheld our Constitutional Right under the Writ of Habeas Corpus. Why has the Bush Administration strayed away from the law? (again).



Reply to this comment
by jack3213 June 13, 2008 2:36 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - John McCain criticized a Supreme Court decision Thursday granting constitutional rights to foreign terrorism suspects, a ruling that was applauded by rival Barack Obama.

ID LOVE TO HEAR OBAMA DEFEND THIS CHOICE IN A TOWN HALL. LOL
Reply to this comment
by nanc12 June 13, 2008 1:10 PM EDT
Obama had his own town hall meeting in Kaukauna, WI.

Speaking at a town hall meeting at Kaukauna High School, Obama had the crowd cheering his answers and even making suggestions for an Obama administration.

From one man: make President Bush an ambassador . . . to Iraq. Obama offered a sly grin before a joking reply.

%u201CHonestly,%u201D he said. %u201CWe need somebody really good in that job.%u201D
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 June 13, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
Most of the audience members had been invited by the McCain campaign, according to a staffer.

+

Carefully set dressed, planned, screened audience, a total staged presentation?
Who would%u2019ve thought???
Reply to this comment
by DCropp June 13, 2008 12:33 PM EDT
Leave it to McCain to think of town hall means Manhattan, NY with wealthy people.

In 2005, Bush and McCain turned their back on residents of Stoughton, WI after a tornado ripped through the town. They offered no relief.

McCain continues the Republican policies of only listening to the wealthy.

It''s a disgrace the way the Republicans have refused to help out states in the midwest.

After yesterdays major rainfall, we''re desparate. Tens of thousands of families have been forced from their homes. Roads all over the place are closed. These aren''t just rural roads, but the major Interstates in Wisconsin.

Think how you would feel about the Republican party if they repeatedly turned their back on your state and allowed Interstates in your state to close.
Reply to this comment
by hardball222 June 13, 2008 12:30 PM EDT
LOL, REPUBLICANS JUST VOTED 100% FOR OIL COMPANY PROFITS AS 100% REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR EVERY GW BUSH COMMUNIST RIP OFF PROPOSALS!

MCCAIN IS TWO STEPS FROM THE GRAVE ANYWAY! VEGAS ODDS ARE 50/50 HE WILL DROP DEAD BEFORE ELECTION ANYWAY! LOL!!
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso12 June 13, 2008 12:28 PM EDT
Senator Obama is embarrassing to the American people.

He gives speeches, that''''s it.

He has no experience so what does he really have to talk about.
We can''''t talk about his wife
We can''''t talk about his muslim father
We can''''t talk about his pastor
We can''''t talk about his friend Rezko
We can''''t talk about his friend William Ayers
We can''''t talk about his church supporting Farrakhan


Posted by alicerea1 at 07:46 AM : Jun 13, 2008

HRC lost--get over it. You could try learning about his policies and talking about those or dissect his speeches, talking about people he knows is petty and we need more than that. If we are not going to dissect Cindy McCain''s drug addictions or the fact McCain called her a trollop and **** in public--then we don''t need to discuss Michelle Obama--maybe you do--it is a well known fact that the penchant for gossip and engaging in pettiness then later being vindictive is one of the main reasons women are not taken seriously and are eschewed in any position of power. (who wants that nightmare?)

Superior minds talk about idea.

Average minds talk about events.

Small minds talk about other people.

It must suck to be you. LOL
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso12 June 13, 2008 12:23 PM EDT
Even Fox News, who covered the farce, didn''''t buy it. SMITH: "I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."


Posted by nanc12 at 01:27 AM : Jun 13, 2008

McCain should learn from Hillary--once it was known in Iowa that she planted both questions and questioners in the audience, she finished dead last and her campaign began the slow slide to the slow death. Stacking questions or audiences point to dishonesty, cheating and show that one candidate fears something--if what is written here is true--McCain better take a long look at what happened to Hillary--it won''t be Obama that beats him it will be the disgust of Americans to lies and deceit that will beat him--like it beat Hillary.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso12 June 13, 2008 12:20 PM EDT
Obama 2008! Anything other than amnesty for illegals 2008!

Posted by TRBundro1277 at 12:43 AM : Jun 13, 2008


In the Texas debate, both Obama and Clinton said they would protect and make the present illegals citizens--that is amnesty too.
Reply to this comment
by toldyouso12 June 13, 2008 12:18 PM EDT
Would that be the same Oil Company that the Republicans in Congress refused to raise higher taxes on? LMAO
Reply to this comment
by alicerea1 June 13, 2008 10:46 AM EDT
Senator Obama is embarrassing to the American people.

He gives speeches, that''s it.

He has no experience so what does he really have to talk about.
We can''t talk about his wife
We can''t talk about his muslim father
We can''t talk about his pastor
We can''t talk about his friend Rezko
We can''t talk about his friend William Ayers
We can''t talk about his church supporting Farrakhan

He just keeps throwing everyone under the bus. It''s getting crowded under there wouldn''t ya think?

All candidates should be transparent.
If Senator Clinton or McCain had these friends or attended a church that supported the Ku Klux Klan, shouldn''t we question their values?

This man is running for President of our beautiful country. We really should know everything about him.
Reply to this comment
by nanc12 June 13, 2008 4:27 AM EDT
Hey Senator Obama, you want to join me at a town hall meeting where the people attending have been carefully screened and given questions to ask?

Even Fox News, who covered the farce, didn''t buy it. SMITH: "I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."

Howard Dean got it exactly right: "Once again John McCain''''s campaign is trying to mislead the American people. Senator McCain should understand that after seven years of a President who has divided Americans and pursued a scorched earth policy full of misleading propaganda campaigns, we need a leader who understands he is the President for all Americans not just his supporters. Copying the Bush campaign model of stacking events with his prescreened supporters is not the transparency Americans are looking for. If that is Senator McCain''''s idea of straight talk, the American people are in for a long and disappointing campaign season."
Reply to this comment
by shingles1 June 13, 2008 3:58 AM EDT
''Most of the audience members had been invited by the McCain campaign, according to a staffer.''

Well, no wonder Obama wouldn''t appear. That''s not a town hall meeting, that''s a rally of country club golfers.

Maybe they ate Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw.

And Bentley dutifully amplifies the McCain talking point of the day. Good job, Bentley...pat pat.
Reply to this comment
by trbundro1277 June 13, 2008 3:44 AM EDT
People ought to either wake up from their fog, start reading non biased news, or open your eyes to the truth because McCain is not Bush- and Obama is not experianced. The Democrat will raise your taxes, has not been to Iraq, and has never talked to Petraeous. The USA needs a leader, not a boy who wants to learn on the job. Obama is nothing more than an unqualified hypocrit.
Posted by jack3213 at 10:19 PM : Jun 12, 2008
*** I''d rather have an unqualified hypocrit, rather than more war, debt, and amnesty for illegals that would happen under Juan Mccain! I hate Amnesty Mccain! Anyone other than Mccain 2008!
Reply to this comment
by trbundro1277 June 13, 2008 3:43 AM EDT
With No Rival At Town Hall, McCain Attacks Oil Companies...yeah, sure, I believe that...LOL! Oil companies and Walmart will wind up being his top contributors! Talk about bitting the hand that feeds you! LOL! If Mccain came out against Amnesty for Illegals, and against more tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, that would be the only way he could or would deserve to win this election, however, that won''t happen! Obama 2008! Anything other than amnesty for illegals 2008!
Reply to this comment
by omaar-101 June 13, 2008 1:59 AM EDT

How is Israel Threatened ?

Israel has 150 Nuclear Weapons, that could DESTROY the WORLD Times OVER an thats without Jimmy Carter Exposing this fact, NPR, Rueters & PBS Knew Israel had Nuclear Weapons, Noone knew the Exact NUMBER, Now they DO.

So the Helpless & All Alone Image has been EXPOSED FOREVER !!

You go DIE for Israel, they are not Helping in Iraq or Afghanistan are they.

Is Israel, Laying down its Flesh, Bone, Blood & Spirit ?

NOOOO


If I have (150) AK-47''S & (150) Mac-10''S and my Enemy has (50) 38 Specials & (20) 44 Magnum Revolvers.

Trust Me, My Enemy is AFRAID of ME, Not ME being AFRAID of My Enemy.

Enough of this Holy Land, Bibilical, Torah & Quran Bull Spit !!

This is about Money, Power, Might Makes Right and Humanity, on either Side, DOES NOT MATTER.

Leave your Religous & Racial hate at the Door, its Over Played & Played Out.

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by omaar-101 June 13, 2008 1:57 AM EDT

Republican members who have NOT endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.).


Throughout his career in the House and Senate, McCain has been at odds with his party on a range of issues, including campaign finance reform, earmarks, immigration, healthcare, taxes and energy.


Some Senate Republicans were especially irked with McCain%u2019s role in the %u201CGang of 14%u201D deal on judicial nominations.


Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who has been sharply critical of McCain on immigration, told The Hill in February, %u201CI don%u2019t like McCain. I don%u2019t like him at all.%u201D


Tancredo spokesman Mac Zimmerman said Tancredo won%u2019t endorse McCain because he fears the senator would repudiate it like he did with the formal backing of controversial pastor John Hagee.

However, Tancredo told ABC News this week he will reluctantly vote for McCain.



Jones, who has voted repeatedly with Democrats on Iraq, said he can%u2019t back McCain until he gets %u201Ca better explanation of the plans for Iraq and more discussion on the economy.%u201D Jones added that no one from McCain%u2019s campaign has reached out to him.
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