McCain, Obama Sound Call To Serve

McCain Says He Would Have Pressed Americans To Serve After Sept. 11, Addresses Palin Comments On Community Organizing

(CBS/ AP)  Republican John McCain declined to disavow Thursday the tough criticism by his campaign of his Democratic opponent's experience as a community organizer, saying politics is "tough business" even as he praised Barack Obama's service.

At a live, televised forum on public service timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, McCain said he respected Obama's decision after law school to forgo a lucrative career path and become a community organizer in downtrodden Chicago.

"I respect people who serve their community," McCain said. "And Senator Obama's record there is outstanding."

CBS News' Jamie Farnsworth reports that McCain was asked to respond specifically to running mate Sarah Palin’s criticism of Obama’s community organizing days. “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities,” Palin said at the Republican National Convention last week.

“Look, Governor Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience and her job as a mayor in a small town," McCain said. "Of course I respect community organizers.”

Later, Obama noted that "we've had an awful lot of small town mayors at the Democratic convention."

"The mayors have some of the toughest jobs in the country because that's where the rubber hits the road," he said. "We yikety yak in the Senate. They actually have to fill potholes and trim trees and make sure the garbage is taken away."

McCain paid tribute to Obama for inspiring "millions of Americans who otherwise wouldn't have been involved in the political process," while giving himself credit for attracting voter turnout with "my record of service and my vision for the future."

He said the negativity that has infused the presidential race - on hiatus for one day in honor of the Sept. 11 anniversary - could have been avoided had Obama accepted his proposal for the two to tour the country together doing town-hall meetings, a format in which McCain shines best.

"I think the tone of this whole campaign would have been very different," the GOP nominee said during the Service Nation Presidential Candidates Forum, held at Columbia University.

At one point, McCain criticized the university for not allowing the ROTC program on campus. Farnsworth reports that McCain's comments brought a loud cheer from the crowd of students gathered on steps near the hall to watch the event on a projector. (Later, Obama also called for ROTC to be allowed on the Columbia campus.)

McCain was followed to the stage by his Democratic opponent. They shook hands before McCain departed.

The event amounted to back-to-back live interviews of the two candidates - the forum was broadcast live on some cable networks - by Judy Woodruff of PBS' "NewsHour" and Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time magazine. The 1,000-member audience included relatives of Sept. 11 victims, veterans, policy leaders, students and celebrities such as Caroline Kennedy, R&B singer Usher, and actors Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Recently, McCain campaign surrogates derided Obama's experience as too thin to qualify him for the White House. But that line of attacked subsided somewhat after McCain chose Palin, a former small-town mayor who has been Alaska's governor for less than two years, as his running mate.

"This is a tough business," he said. "Has it been rough? Of course."

He added: "The people make the final judgment with their votes."

McCain also said he would have asked Americans to serve after the 2001 terrorist attacks by joining neighborhood watches or helping guard nuclear plants, offering an implicit criticism of President Bush's approach seven years ago.

Bush has been criticized for a speech given about two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, in which he exhorted the public to "do your business around the country, fly and enjoy America's great destination spots, get down to Disney World in Florida." Though Bush emphasizes the importance of volunteerism and service, he didn't ask Americans to respond to the attacks - or to participate in the Iraq war - through personal sacrifice.

Obama has promised that a call to service would be a cornerstone of his presidency, and also has criticized Bush for asking Americans eager to pitch in after the attacks merely "to shop."

The expansion of government national service programs he has proposed would cost $3.5 billion a year, including a new "Green Vet Initiative," increasing the all-volunteer military, expanding AmeriCorps, doubling the size of the Peace Corps, expanding service programs involving retired people, and creating a tax credit making the first $4,000 of college tuition free for students who conduct 100 hours of public service a year.

McCain, asked about Obama's proposal, said: "I'd be glad to spend money." But he quickly added that "it doesn't always have to be run by the government."

[boycot-china]

Freedom is worth the fight. Please watch the link and pass it on to everyone you know. After watching the video, I wondered if Senators Obama and Biden personally know what sacrifice really means? I have posted this link on 50 different sites today. Do the same and please say thanks to someone in uniform today. God bless America!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

God bless our Vets

[ragnar30066]

I am glad that McCain spoke well of Obama''s service as a community organizer.

Can anyone tell me what in the devil he did as a community organizer? He says he talked to people who had lost their jobs, but so do I and everybody else I know. Was he a social worker? A psychologist? An employment counseler? If so, why didn''t he work for the Department of Unemployment?

Palin has been in the race for less than 20 days and we practically know everyone she and her oldest daughter ever slept with. Obama has been in for 20 months and we still don''t know what the hell he did for a living, or how he managed to grow it into an income of $4 million last year.

Dont we have a news media any more?

[wevehadenuf]

Watch Obama on Bill O''Rielly I really enjoyed this although I rarely watch these things

[wevehadenuf]

Neither Mccain or Palin have even the educational credentials for these positions as Obama does. This will be shown in the debates. One more thing, Americans need to think seriously about the political maneuver Mccain is using by selecting Palin. Just a magic show to temporarily disorient you. Let''s face it, if they were elected there is a very immenent and serious danger that she could end up being President. Hillary was smarter than Palin and deserved this. BUt really you don''t want a beauty queen who has no experience in foreign policy and had no knowledge of the Bush Doctrine in an interview with Charlie Gibson to be President. This is a very scary thought. Please understand the position Mccain is putting us in for his own political gain demonstrates his lack of ability to make good decisions for our country

[wevehadenuf]

I can''t wait for the upcoming debates. I encourage anyone with a brain who actually reads this stuff to please watch and focus very clearly on the issues. Mccain/Palin will falter here. You see, Obama is the only one offering real change. The policies of Mccain/Palin on Ecomony, Education, Healthcare, Taxes, and most important Foreign Policy all mirror that of Bush. But Obama has always been against the war, and had a different stance on the issues. SO don''t be fooled, being a "maverick" who does nothing differently will not help us. This why all the Republicans have this year is petty name calling and trying to convince us Obama is some kind of flag burning Muslim LOL.

[wevehadenuf]

Go ahead ask yourselves WWJD? Jesus would not have endorsed the Bush Doctrine. He did not support war ideology. He was against it. THere is no good reason for this war. For those who are glad Saddam is gone, fine, its over. Time to stop. Too many of you know better, you know better. Please wake up. I am a Christian. I know that Obama is not a Muslim but if he was I don''t care. Let''s remember Muslims did not attack us, there are no "terrorists" its a fear tactic to manipulate you into war-mongering mentality. They are just a small group of gangsters and from their perspective we have screwed everyone. Again for the simple-minded who mean well and just not getting it, use you basic common sense, this war is wrong and UNNECCESSARY. Obama understands that which is the number one issue in this election and why he is getting my independent vote.

[wevehadenuf]

Mccain is a warhero...guess what? I know soldiers and admire their service, would not nominate them for president. Mccain must have learned a lot from his experience in the army since he is all in favor of sending our troops over to die for oil and continue the war on "terrorism" which as Ron Paul said is nothing more than criminal gangsters, a war we will never win, because there is no clear objective, a fascist concept to rid the world of all who disagree with capitalist greed, an objective to trick to 98% of the (North)American population so we will support sending our sons and daughters to the slaughter to put money in some *** pocket, Jesus was not a Republican! Wake up people!!Get Real!

[wevehadenuf]

Great idea do read Obamas books, Sarah Palin has not read these (or the Bush Doctrine) but has fired a librarian who did not want to ban books...in her defense she went to six schools for five years to get her journalism degree obama only went to one imagine her being president hockey mom against Putin that will stand the test of time (sarcasm)

[xliberalcomi]

Everyday I learn something radical about Obama. I dont think I can stand it anymore.

1. Rev Wright Hamas Bulletin in Church

2. Rev Wright and Obama involvement in ISM

3. Obama work with Bill Ayers, annenberg, woods

4. Obama sal Linsky style of Community Organizing

5. Obama kicks off his campaign with a known terrorist

6. Obama is involved with PUBLIC ALLIES, radical leftist group.

7. Obama made a land deal with Rezko earmarking him 14 million dollars.

8. Both of Obama pastors have anti-american Teachings.

9.Obama spent 20 years learning Black Liberation theo.

10. Michelle Obama essay in Princeton.

11. Obama 800+ Billion dollar poverty bill.

12. Obama doing cocaine, mentor was a communist.


Folks, Most of this stuff , you can find out from reading both of Obama books. He thinks there is nothing wrong with being a leftist radical socialist. Go read Obama Books. Obama will truly bring us the OBAMA NATION.

[lalabradle]

Oh yeah, Palin has more experience. She has been Governor for a year and a half. She''s been at home for 312 days using the per diem fund which was intended for work. That''s a lot of experience.

[lalabradle]

Palin has more experience than Obama? Like Bush had the experience to run this country? Yeah run it into the ground.

[lalabradle]

Most Americans are not taking polls. They are watching, waiting and ready to vote for OBAMA08. The polls mean nothing. And the only hype when it comes to Americans, so it seems in the media, is who the whites and blacks are voting for. There are a whole lot of races in between. More than black or white. If their countries want Obama, they are going to comply with that on the ballots.

[ktgilb1]

We talk about who has the most experiance to lead the country, well isn''t "experiance that got us into the situation that we are in now? We don''t need experiance. All experiance means in politics is a new way to get around doing what needs to be done. We need new ideas, a new look at old problems, To me experiance is old school politics. If thats what Mcain/Palin is offering, then we need to go another way.
Go Obama/Biden08

[presjfk]

JOHN MCCAIN IS NOT A WAR HERO
By his own admission Senator Mccain
Broke, under his Vietnamese interrogaters,
During his Capture in Vietnam-
Posted by web6242a"

I am no McCain supporter but your comments are outrageous and do nothing to help Obama.

McCain is clearly a war hero. He fought for his country, got captured and was tortured. His injuries show to this very day as he cannot lift his arms past his shoulders due to being bound and tortured for years by his captors.

Any man, tortured like McCain was would break in some fashion or another. I undertsand he gave names at one point - the names of pro-football players. My guess is that you would have screamed like a little girl and told anything and everything the enemy wanted to hear. Luckily, you will never know what it is like to be tortured.

But being a war hero is not the only criteria to be President. His decisions and actions in congress and in support of Bush-Cheney in my opinion disqualify him for the job as President. Bush-Cheney-McCain policies cannot continue for the good of America and the free world.

[presjfk]

.. Wake up America..don''''t get stuck on party lines or ideology. ..PhillyLatina "

I applaud your call for America to wake up! But you are one of those people.

Don''t get stuck on party lines? Have you seen what the Republicans have done to this country over the last 8 years? George Bush,the head of the Republican party got EVERYTHING HE WANTED FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS! A Republican Congress, every bill he introduced put into law, got his war, got his tax cuts, got his environmental policies and an infinite number of his people appointed into government; most incompetent cronies, and spent $9 trill all on credit.

The result? I will not insult your intelligence to state the obvious.

Now we are supposed to believe that McCain, the #3 man in the government behind Bush and Cheney for the last 8 years, and at the top of the republican party for 20+ years will reform government? Are you kidding me? You just got to be.

Obama is not a Socialist. He is intelligent, well spoken. He has fresh new ideas that have never occurred to the Republicans. One example, an energy policy.

Yes, America needs to wake up and look at the 2 candidates and elect Obama. If McCain is elected, we will have another 4 years of Bush politics. McCain doesn''t deserve the Presidency after what he has done in partnership with Bush and Cheney.

[tejasdemo]

I listened to McCain. I listened to Obama.

There is no contest. Obama has the answers. McCain looks uninspired.

[presjfk]

"McCain, Obama Sound Call To Serve"

A call from 2 politicians for Americans to serve their country. Well, you know which Americans above all others could start serving their country before everyone else? Congress.

[presjfk]

"McCain, Obama Sound Call To Serve"

A call from 2 politicians for Americans to serve their country. Well, you know which Americans above all others could start serving their country before everyone else? Congress.

[presjfk]

"McCain, Obama Sound Call To Serve"

A call from 2 politicians for Americans to serve their country. Well, you know which Americans above all others could start serving their country before everyone else? Congress.

[gfields1911]

Did anyone see McCain say on CNN Presidential Forum (when answering the community organizer question) "it''s easy for me to go to Washington and frankly be somewhat divorce from the day to day challenges people have." Now answer this...how can McCain be this change agent if he doesn''t know what our problems are? You can go to CNN and see the clip for yourself. I would take that clip and slam him with it.