The Candidates On Lying To The Public

CBS Evening News: Obama And McCain Answer Katie Couric's Presidential Questions

(CBS)  In November, Americans decide whether Barack Obama or John McCain becomes the 44th President of the United States. In the series "Presidential Questions," CBS News anchor Katie Couric asks questions that move the candidates well beyond the usual sound-bites. Some questions concern policy. Others are more personal. All will give you a better sense of who these men are - and what has shaped them. What follows is Couric's question - and the candidates' full answers.

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Couric: Describe a situation when you think it's appropriate to lie to the American people.

Obama: I don't think it's appropriate to lie to the American people. I mean … you can put together a hypothetical where there is a national security emergency that is imminent. And you don't want to provide, for example, the location of our troops. You don't have to lie in those situations. You simply say, "we're not answering questions."

I don't think it's appropriate to lie. And I think that one of the things I want to change about the culture of Washington is, not just the "big lie," but also the "soft lie." The fudging, the manipulation, the spin. If we can restore a sense of trust between the American people and their government, we're going to go a long way to changing the country for the better.

McCain: I can't imagine it, to start with, because … I just think that the one thing you have to have, as president, is your credibility. I guess you could draw a scenario where Americans were facing a threat to our very existence and you had to not have them panic or something. I'm thinking out loud here. You know ... but frankly ... I don't know of any reasonable or logical scenario where you would feel compelled to lie to the American people.

Couric: What about in a national security situation?

McCain: Yeah. I was trying to imagine that. But if you deceive the American people and you want their support, and you want them to beat back this national security challenge, and you don't tell them the truth about it then I think they become disillusioned. That's happened in the past.

Couric: Vietnam, for example

McCain: Yeah. the Vietnam War. "The light is at the end of the tunnel," and it turned out to be a train. I think one of the reasons why America came out of the Great Depression is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt went on the radio all the time and had the fireside chats and said "here's what we're facing but here's what we're going to do." And every time the great presidents including some I really admire have not told the American people the complete truth, then they've paid a price for it.

[skyeyesds]

McCain only dropped (almost) everything to go to Washington to save the day.But it only backfired in front of America. He done everthing he could to get out of this debate. He wanted people see him drop everything and go and hold up the vote.Just to make himself look good.
I honestly believe the world can''t take another 4 to 8 years of upholding the rich and forgetting the poor, and do away with the backbone of American, the middle class.

[rightvswrong]

OK Katie (and CBS News, and your Producer, and your Agent) -

You want the American public and Network News viewers to take YOU seriously?

You need to apologize and express your regret for Mr. Letterman hijacking your internal CBS closed feed in order to make jokes about a presidential candidate.

Would Uncle Walter have allowed such an egregious abuse of Network News for such clearly partisan political humor?
Would Ed Murrow?
Would Dan "What''s the frequency kenneth?; "National Guard forgery" Rather have permitted his video to be used to abuse the image of a presidential candidate?

I DON''T THINK SO!

Whether you or your producers or CBS News management support John McCain or not -- the use of his video image for abusive comedy was unprofessional, partisan and plain wrong!

You and CBS News owe us an apology....

(But I doubt you will...Once again your Nielsen #s will continue to drop...and you just don''t get it!)

regretfully,

RIGHTfromtWrong
Redding, CT

[noel4824]

I believe the real answer is that politicans are too busy thinking of answers to give to the media and are not looking at the real issues. The media was so busy criticizing President Bush and did not look at what was going on in the economy and what corporations were hiding. They all have let us down-The President, Congress and the media. NO ONE is taking responsibly for this MESS. ALL the corporate leaders that have deceived the American people should be fired and put in jail. It seems that the only people who have to pay for stealing are the middle class and the poor. These corporate leaders have robbed and deceived from all of us? IF you are a corporate leader and you make millions of dollars and the corp that you are leading is going bankrupt you should be fire and your bank account and personal assets should be seized. Robbing from old people''s retirement funds is a crime that should be pay for by the people that have raped all of us. In my job, if I do not fulfill my job description I will be fire. It is time for good old fashion retribution. How many more Erons have to happen before the President, Congress and the media wake up and make people accountable for their actions. Stop worrying about who gives a good interview and look at what these people in high offices are doing. This should be the issue.

[birdlikebld]

'' .. small capitalist countrys lose to big ones (more volunteers loitering about) .. big ones to big demographics (like little kids) .. little kids lose out to sick beds, and sick beds to mutant sick beds .. so parents can stop praying scarce old nebraska laws aren''t the only thing left standing between them and their possesive compulsive offspring .. ''

'' .. one nit paying soldiets to lock up poor folk seeking free meal or lodgeing .. next: they are suing soldiets for forceing them to deny free meals and lodgeing to poor folk .. ''

'' .. atoms are energetic, not only when and where they are weak enough to be pushed toegether and pulled apart but when and where they are not weak enough to be pushed together and pulled apart .. ''

'' .. tomorrow they''ll be voting to ban lazy naked lusty dopey kids, and they intend to force parents and preachets and teachets to lay the letters of the law upon the wretched bodys and hearts of little evil blights near and far, day and night .. ''

'' .. they also banned the barbequeing of trillions dollars of nuclear biological chemical stealth ray war babys with government taxed funds; and, clearly: it has worked .. ''

[voters2008]

Well, I am looking very forward to real change, not the Republican type of system that takes care of large corporations and trying to be "Presidents of the World." We (America as a country) are in real dire need for a real President of and for the United States and the American people. One that looks more at the American peoples problems, the economy, the unemployment rates. Not a President that wants to "put on an artificial face just to impress other countries of the world"! Sorry John McCain and Sarah Palin but your Republican Party does not know how to do anything but raise the deficit, take care of large corporations and put America in Great Depression II. OBAMA YOU''VE GOT MY VOTE!

[voters2008]

Well, I am looking very forward to real change, not the Republican type of system that takes care of large corporations and trying to be "Presidents of the World." We (America as a country) are in real dire need for a real President of and for the United States and the American people. One that looks more at the American peoples problems, the economy, the unemployment rates. Not a President that wants to "put on an artificial face just to impress other countries of the world"! Sorry John McCain and Sarah Palin but your Republican Party does not know how to do anything but raise the deficit, take care of large corporations and put America in Great Depression II. OBAMA YOU''VE GOT MY VOTE!

[jerkytree]

Holding our public official accountable is lo ng overdue. America wake up! We, the working class are measured by our employer every day. It is high time that our poleticians are held accountable in a measurable way. Take the Congressman from New York, he didn''t pay taxes on a luxury villa qand now he claims" I did nothing wrong". This man is sick, corrupt and belongs in jail.

[packmanager]

TO: Katie Couric the candidates need to have their feet held to the fire. Stop the lies! They''re both lying! Look at factcheck.org! I''m beginning to leave that 18% of the undecided and not vote at all and so are many of my friends.If only there was someone else to vote for that would tell us the truth.Even though the truth comes out they keep on lying. The SNL skit about John McCain was hilarious,but the same could be done for Barack Obama. But you just ask the same old questions. Tell them the public are tired of the lies and want the "straight talk" and tell them they are lying! Why do you think they avoid press conferences? Because some one is going to ask that question and embarrass them if they keep lying. it has to be you or one of the other big league to ask this and not let them dance around.

[ladyraestewa]

That is hilarious --- McCain saying "I can''t imagine it." Are you serious? Dude if I was standing in the middle of a thunderstorm and rain was falling all around me, I wouldn''t take McCain''s word it was raining! Him and that putz Palin who makes Dan Quayle look supersmart are going to destroy this country if the nimrods and the morons get them into office.

[shackewyc1]

How about we force Congress to adopt single subject bills with no amendments, riders or attachments unless they are germaine to the subject of the bill and the bill''s subject must be specific. That way we can truely know exactly where each and every member of our Congress stands on the issues. Even better, create a secure government website so that the registered voters of this country can vote on the bills before Congress does. That way OUR VOICES would be heard and not SOLD OUT. Did you know that above the entrance to the House of Representatives is painted prominently , Alexander Hamilton''s statement, "Here, sir, the people govern." That is now totally covered in dust these days. I am sick and tired of the rhetoric that the Congress throws out. They refuse to stand up and say they are responsible for the US economy. What a bunch of cowards. It is Congress'' responsibibilty to look out for WE THE PEOPLE. Here''s another idea, lets change Congress'' current retirement and medical system to the same as our military''s. I guarantee you that our troops will be well taken of then.

[birdlikebld]

'' .. if they weren''t little kids, they could have *** & newsdesks & stages, if they weren''t little kids they could have markets & moneys, alas they are little kids, raped baked starved slaved tortured mangled little vulnerable liabilitys with no place in real society, that''d be like putting women in the army to watch them converted to husband beatets & child rapists .. it makes more sense to put men in the kitchens, baking the lunches & driving the kids buses all over .. ''

[birdlikebld]

'' .. paid most little kids nothing: they bloomed eternitys of bouquets silly, paid a few little farmet kids next to nothing: they grew enough to feed worlds, gave all to little soldiet kids: they forced retailets & wholesalets to recycle half of food for no one has money; and, baked more trillions dollars war babys than all combined .. said ''we didn''t do it, but we got most that did'' .. ''

'' .. is pretty duh, lil girls & boys that solely hide in woods & beat each other yield a combined / averaged / most folk most time academic score less than those what frolic in meadows dancing dances & singing songs about academic & other self industrys .. so kids can download curriculums & proceed to frolic while beat by under-cover instructots when & where they beat each other .. ''

'' .. don''t dance get well feed world get sick tax world hike naked dance dressed hike dressed dance naked porn songs partyd rallyd round sick beds what swim drift spore bloom weed dragon trail fickl firs aid lunch farm cottage studio trail crossing yseedsberry trail group subsistence farms .. ''

'' .. u pay me $1 of your gift certificates, i''ll maybe loiter 20 mins around your sick beds, i''ll maybe participate or otherwise song dance skit kit and / or bloom, and when i need a bed: it''ll be one yours and when i need some lunch: it''ll be some of yours .. ''

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Please provide to All Candidates & to ask them if they agree with this and response
Part 1. Foreclosure Reform
Foreclosure reform, This Package would consist of filing with the Bankruptcy clerk a form listing all assets and liabilities and the cost can be deferred this would include the cost of a appraisal of the property and filing or clerk fees. Also by filing with the clerk this does not get reported to the credit agencies or harm your credit. This is not bankruptcy but just a way to help you stay in your home without losing it.
A. The way to do this is to defer the payments and incurred finance charge but no late fees.
B. A payment plan to cover all court, clerk, filing fees and appraisal cost and inspection cost and reports, then improvement cost as outline below. Paying off in that order. This could be a reduce amount at first and later a larger amount when = of the credit cards are paid off.
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Please provide to All Candidates & to ask them if they agree with this and response
Part 2. Foreclosure Reform
C. Done with restrictions that person pay some amount to pay off their credit cards, with no mortgage to pay their should be money to cover the credit cards in full and only be allowed to use one credit card while in the process are paid off the other Credit Cards.
D. They cannot move from their home to another home. Their home is under a lien enforceable at the time of death if not recaptured soon. At the time of the appraisal their must be a plan of action for problems that need to be addressed to keep the home in good working order and hopefully taken care in seven years. If the cost is due to structure you can seek assistance of Federal government for those repairs for EMG Repairs as proposed above.
E. Once that # 2 and #3 are paid off with the except of one credit card then double the amount of the mortgage payment is paid to catch up the mortgage payments.
F. The end result is that your back on track and you still have credit and your home does have improvements for resell value or better living.
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Please provide to All Candidates & to ask them if they agree with this and response
Part .3 Foreclosure Reform
As to the 700 Billion Bailout I believe it should be a loan or a buyout with the federal government control it. We need a to have a cap set on how far a stock can drop in one day when it comes to panic and how much it can rise. You would have to do both to keep from over inflating value of them.
As for the government helping with GM let do it in a way that is productive, lets say for every gas gosling vehicle that the government will match the dealer on a trade in bonus offer or go to your local gm dealer and find out what that would be and the government would supply a check to create better fuel efficiency and pollution control for your vehicle.
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]

[arthurpendra]

McCain''s comments on lying have to be balanced with this from Newsweek.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/160561/output/print

Freddie Mac continued checks to McCain campaign chief''s firm.
Michael Isikoff
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 23, 2008 | Updated: 7:39 p.m. ET Sep 23, 2008
Since 2006, the federally sponsored mortgage giant Freddie Mac has paid at least $345,000 to the lobbying and consulting firm of John McCain''s campaign manager, Rick Davis, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement.

Freddie Mac had previously paid an advocacy group run by Davis, called the Homeownership Alliance, $30,000 a month until the end of 2005, when that group was dissolved. That relationship was the subject of a New York Times story Monday, which drew angry denunciations from the McCain campaign. McCain and his aides have vehemently objected to suggestions that Davis has ties to Freddie Mac%u2014an especially sensitive issue given that the Republican presidential candidate has blamed "the lobbyists, politicians and bureaucrats" for the mortgage crisis that recently prompted the Bush administration to take over both Freddie Mac and its companion, Fannie Mae, and put them under federal conservatorship.
By the Way this should have lead the news tonight and you Katie ignored it.

[arthurpendra]

McCain''s comments on lying have to be balanced with this from Newsweek.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/160561/output/print

Freddie Mac continued checks to McCain campaign chief''s firm.
Michael Isikoff
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 23, 2008 | Updated: 7:39 p.m. ET Sep 23, 2008
Since 2006, the federally sponsored mortgage giant Freddie Mac has paid at least $345,000 to the lobbying and consulting firm of John McCain''s campaign manager, Rick Davis, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement.

Freddie Mac had previously paid an advocacy group run by Davis, called the Homeownership Alliance, $30,000 a month until the end of 2005, when that group was dissolved. That relationship was the subject of a New York Times story Monday, which drew angry denunciations from the McCain campaign. McCain and his aides have vehemently objected to suggestions that Davis has ties to Freddie Mac%u2014an especially sensitive issue given that the Republican presidential candidate has blamed "the lobbyists, politicians and bureaucrats" for the mortgage crisis that recently prompted the Bush administration to take over both Freddie Mac and its companion, Fannie Mae, and put them under federal conservatorship.
By the Way this should have lead the news tonight and you Katie ignored it.

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Please provide to All Candidates & to ask them if they agree with this and response
Part 1.
The idea of wage increase is to get everyone over the $30,000.00 a year.
My Universal Health Care Plan is a must we need it. It covers all one plan anyone make less than $30,000.00 a year it is free. The cost starting at $30,000.00 would be $120.00 a month Single, $240.00 a month Married and for each child addition cost would be add on of $10.00 up to nine children. This cost amount could be lower later. And the employer would also pay as a benefit.
The only way that I see to measure fairness is in income levels
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Please provide to All Candidates & to ask them if they agree with this and response
Part 2.
Universal Health Coverage
with a permanent built in stimulus package
Covers every medical need - NO CO-PAY
$29,999.99 free coverage eliminates the need for other plans
For workers under $29,999.99 they can purchase the extra coverage%u2019s based on what they can afford or want.
$30,000.00 & above Mandatory coverage of working class
Paid on sliding scale of income level
Employer pays their share also as a benefit
Covers No Co-pay: Hospitals, Doctors, Specialist, Med Supplies, Prescription Drugs, Home HealthCare, Vision, Hearing & Accessories, Dental & Accessories, Transportation, Ambulance Service included and other medical needs.
Medical in & out of Hospital Drug Dental Vision Cosmetic All in One
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]

[racercj30]

To: Katie Couric 09-24-08
Part 3.
Long term care and living quarters and home care included
We do not attach your assets to any outstanding balances if it is medically necessary that you cannot live on your own.
The only exception is if there is any monies left and there is no heirs or no will.
%u201CAccident Insurance to cover: wages & PPI per injury rating, pain & suffering payout for that injury & the monthly payment of the Insurance.
Worker Comp is free but they won%u2019t pay what good is it.
Guarantee pay out and assistance with forms from home if need be.
The only case is if a doctors claims that it was self inflicting and it would call for a second medical opinion to valid the first of a Independent Doctor.
Which could lead to charges to defraud the Insurance Company.
Worker Compensation is include a since there is a duplication
PPI coverage you are covered for the maximum amount for injury
Combine Worker Comp & Accident Insurance & that has a $1 million dollar Accident & death coverage 24/7%u201D paid for by = & =
This should cover all veterans who have died and left love ones behind going back to 125 years minus any other compensation that they receive.
Kevin S. Gerig / [e-mail]