McCain And Obama Mix It Up

Presidential Candidates Clash On Financial Crisis And Foreign Policy During First Debate

(CBS/ AP)  Barack Obama and John McCain clashed over the financial crisis and foreign policy in a wide-ranging presidential debate Friday night at the University of Mississippi.

Neither man delivered a knockout blow and neither man made a major gaffe during the 90-minute encounter.

“Having been asked to engage one another directly by the moderator, both candidates complied, with vigor,” said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. “On issue after issue, McCain went back to familiar territory, casting himself as the experienced hand in contrast to Obama’s youth something that could work against the Republican if this election is about change.” (Read Ververs' analysis of the Debate)

The financial crisis initially took center stage with a spirited exchange between the two men. Moderator Jim Lehrer then moved on to foreign policy and national security issues.

McCain accused Obama of compiling "the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate." The Democrat shot back, "Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies."

Obama said his Republican rival has been a loyal supporter of the unpopular president across the past eight years, adding that the current economic crisis is "a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain."

"And we can't afford another four," he added moments later.

The most dramatic exchange came over Iraq.

McCain accused his younger rival of an "incredible thing of voting to cut off funds for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," a reference to legislation that cleared the Senate more than a year ago.

Obama disputed that, saying he had opposed funding in a bill that presented a "blank check" to the Pentagon while McCain had opposed money in legislation that included a timetable for troop withdrawal.

Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2002, before he was a member of Congress, while McCain voted in the Senate to authorize the war.

"You were wrong" on Iraq, Obama repeated three times in succession. "John, you like to pretend the war began in 2007."

McCain replied that Obama has refused to acknowledge the success of the troop buildup in Iraq that McCain recommended and Bush announced more than a year ago.

The two presidential candidates stood behind identical wooden lecterns on stage at the performing arts center at the University of Mississippi for the first of three scheduled debates with less than six weeks remaining until Election Day. The two vice presidential candidates will meet next week for their only debate.

The 47-year-old Obama is seeking to become the nation's first black president. McCain, 72, is hoping to become the oldest first-term chief executive in history - and he made a few jokes at his own expense.

"I've been around a while," he said at one point. "Were you afraid I couldn't hear him?" he said at another after moderator Jim Lehrer repeated a phrase.

But he also sought to turn his age into an advantage. "There are some advantages to experience and knowledge and judgment," he said. "And I honestly don't believe that Sen. Obama has the knowledge or experience" to serve as commander in chief.

McCain also made a point of declaring his independence from Mr. Bush. "I have opposed the president on spending, on climate change, on torture of prisoners, on Guantanamo Bay, on a long - on the way that the Iraq War was conducted. I have a long record and the American people know me very well ... a maverick of the Senate."

It was a debate that almost didn't happen. McCain decided a few hours in advance to attend, two days after announcing he would try to have the event rescheduled if Congress had not reached an agreement on an economic bailout to deal with the crisis now gripping Wall Street.

The two men were pointed but polite, although at least once McCain sought to depict his rival as naive on foreign policy. That was in response to Obama's statement that it might become necessary to send U.S. troops across the Pakistani border to pursue terrorists.

"You don't say that out loud," retorted McCain. "If you have to do things, you do things."

He also criticized Obama for having said he would sit down without precondition with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"So let me get this right, we sit down with Ahmadinejad and he says 'we're going to wipe Israel off the face of the earth' and we say, 'no you're not.' Oh please," McCain said.

He also seemed eager to demonstrate his knowledge of foreign policy, recalling the names of three former leaders of the Soviet Union in one sentence.

"If McCain's mission was to come out in this debate and demonstrate his command of foreign policy while putting his opponent on the defensive, he succeeded," said CBSNews.com's Ververs. "And if Obama’s goal was to rise to that and demonstrate he was up to the challenge, he met that as well."

The two men also differed on federal spending. McCain said a freeze on most government spending was worth considering, except for veterans, defense and "some other vital issues."

Obama said the problem with that was that some programs needed more money. He mentioned early childhood education as an example.

Moderator Lehrer's opening question concerned the economic crisis. While neither man committed to supporting bailout legislation taking shape in Congress, they readily agreed lawmakers must take action to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and their homes.

Both also said they were pleased that lawmakers in both parties were negotiating on a compromise.

McCain jabbed at Obama, who he said has requested millions of dollars in pork barrel spending, including some after he began running for president.

As he does frequently while campaigning, the Republican vowed to veto any lawmaker's pork barrel project that reaches his desk in the White House. "You will know their names and I will make them famous," he said.

Immediately after the debate, CBS News interviewed a nationally representative sample of nearly 500 debate watchers assembled by Knowledge Networks who were "uncommitted voters" - voters who are either undecided about who to vote for or who say they could still change their minds. Thirty-nine percent of these uncommitted debate watchers said Obama won the debate. Twenty-four percent said McCain won, and another 37 percent thought it was a tie.

But while 66 percent think Obama would make the right decisions about the economy, 56 percent think McCain would do so about Iraq. (Read more from the poll)

The two presidential hopefuls are scheduled to debate twice more, at Belmont University in Nashville on Oct. 7 and at Hofstra University in Hempsted, N.Y., on Oct. 15. Vice presidential contenders Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are to square off in a single debate Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.

[nc_indy_girl]

HAVE ANY MONEY LEFT???

MARXIST HUSSEIN PLANS TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THE WORLDS POOR,,,
GLOBAL POVERTY ACT
http://www.google.com/search?hl=e
n&q=OBAMA+GLOBAL POVERTY ACT
YOU CAN KISS YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY GOOD BYE,,,
HUSSEIN SAYS THE WORLD POOR NEEDS IT MORE THAN YOU DO,,,
HUSSEIN PREFERS FOREIGNS OVER AMERICANS,,,
******************************************
To trrrorislamj:

FYI, there''s no taxpayer money left to send overseas - the Bush administration just gave it all to Wall Street fat cats. I believe this may be called, um, corporate socialism. Privatizing profits, socializing losses.

Bwahahahahaha.

Did anyone catch McSame saying "horse sh*t" during the debate?

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Gca95tOKOZg

What a f**king moron. He knew he''d been caught out by Obama.

[dj282008]

If Obama thinks he can change things, why doesn''''t he change his brother George''''s starving life? Does Obama not like his brother because he is an out of the closet muslim? Help! George has No Hope Obama!


WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE ELECTIONS?

[livewire190]

I am writing this message to inform people of the injustice being perpretrated by Fox News against Barack Obama. For the past two weeks there has been nothing but negative reporting against senator Obama by the Fox News network, which is unfair to listeners and the candidate. This networks seemingly biased opinions are not of interest to us viewers. My concern is that negative reporting like this will influence voters that are undecided of which candidate best express their wishes. I depend on these news stations for fair, accurate and just reporting regardless of the outcome whether it be a debate or any other current event and if that cant be accomplished I feel that it is grounds for that station (Fox News network) to be boycotted until they learn and understand that those types of injustices will not be tolerated. If anyone else can relate to the unfair reporting of Fox News I suggest that you join us in a boycott of this news station. PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG.




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

Posted by dicktracy200 at 04:06 AM : Sep 28, 2008

Know what I was just thinking the same way lately. I''ve already expected it from people like Hannity and the like but its like lately they turned up the heat. I''ve tried to give them a chance but they blew it for me mabey about a week ago. I will to be Boycotting.

[trrrorislamj]

HAVE ANY MONEY LEFT???

MARXIST HUSSEIN PLANS TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THE WORLDS POOR,,,

GLOBAL POVERTY ACT

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=OBAMA+GLOBAL POVERTY ACT

YOU CAN KISS YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY GOOD BYE,,,

HUSSEIN SAYS THE WORLD POOR NEEDS IT MORE THAN YOU DO,,,

HUSSEIN PREFERS FOREIGNS OVER AMERICANS,,,

[trrrorislamj]

HUSSEIN PLANS TO STEAL THE ELECTION

WILL YOUR VOTE COUNT???

OR WILL ACORN VOTER FRAUD STEAL THE ELECTION???

HUSSEINS OTHER RADICAL MARXIST HATE AMERICA ASSOCIATION

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=OBAMA+ACORN VOTER FRAUD

The Acorn Indictments
A union-backed outfit faces charges of election fraud.
http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009189


ACORN Workers Indicted For Alleged Voter Fraud
http://www.kmbc.com/politics/10214492/detail.html

Inside Obama''s Acorn
http://www.aina.org/news/20080529155204.htm

[trrrorislamj]

Economists not keen on DEMONIC-RAT bailout

NO NO NO,,, GOD DAMNN THE DEMONIC-RATS,,,

DEMONIC-RAT CORRUPTION IS KILLING AMERICA,,,

MORE FAILED SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST POLICIES OF THE PAST,,,

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH--o

COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACThttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=COMMUNITY+REINVESTMENT ACT
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT

Timeline shows Bush, McCain warning Dems of financial mess
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM&feature=related

S. 190 [109th]: Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-190

http://www.opensecrets.org/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

Covering Your Fannie, Who Really Caused Our Economic Crisis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiEWCnpNnBQ&feature=user

HUSSEIN AND THE DEMONIC-RATS ARE BAD FOR AMERICA,,,

[kojipham]

JOHN MCCAIN is a PROLIFIC GAMBLER with the lives of average folks. Why else would he pick Sarah Palin as his VP pick and make her a "72 year-old heartbeat away from the presidency", he picked her to win the election and for no other reason. He also wants to gamble your employer provided health insurance by taxing your health insurance benefit and therefore force your employer to push you off their health insurance roll and on to the free market to buy your own health insurance (this will scare the living daylights out of people once they KNOW the details - for your sake, I would suggest you look it up and say bye-bye to your employer provided health-care under president mcsame). John Mcsame also wishes to gamble Social Security in the stock market and we have all seen how well the markets have worked lately. Please get educated about what john mcsame really has in store for average folks. Really, your future and those of your children depend on it. Footnote: John McSame is also a constant gambler with his money and that of gambling lobbyist. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/us/politics/28gambling-web.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

[kojipham]

John Mcsame is a prolific gambler with the lives of average folks. Why else would he pick Sarah Palin as his VP pick and make her a "72 year-old heartbeat away from the presidency", he picked her to win the election and for no other reason. He also wants to gamble your employer provided health insurance by taxing your health insurance benefit and therefore force your employer to push you off their health insurance roll and on to the free market to buy your own health insurance (this will scare the living daylights out of people once they KNOW the details - for your sake, I would suggest you look it up and say bye-bye to your employer provided health-care under president mcsame). John Mcsame also wishes to gamble Social Security in the stock market and we have all seen how well the markets have worked lately. Please get educated about what john mcsame really has in store for average folks. Really, your future and those of your children depend on it. Footnote: John McSame is also a constant gambler with his money and that of gambling lobbyist. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/us/politics/28gambling-web.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

[nirak2-2009]

www.huffingtonpost.com
Finally the truth is coming out about the real McCain

[slayrre007]

Barack Hussein Obama is another politician...a fraud... the only real difference between him and McCain is John knows how to get things done and knows all the politics in Washington. Barack Hussein Obama will rely on advisors to make his decisions. God help us if Barack "the Fraud" Obama gets into office.

[slayrre007]

Barack Hussein Obama folks #16-20:

16th) In his first two years in Washington, Barack Obama has voted "present"
over 130 times instead of committing himself to a real vote.

17th) Michelle Obama wrote papers while at Princeton that were highly racial in
nature and later said "this is the first time she is proud of this country" in
reference to her husband running for office.

18th) Barack Obama gave his pledge to the American people that he would not
accept public financing and that he would challenge any Republican rival to do
the same....only to break his own pledge less than a year later when it suited
his campaign goals.

19th) Barack stated on many occassions how he would meet foreign leaders without
preconditions (ala Jimmy Carter).

20th) Barack Obama has received more money from big companies during his
Presidential run than John McCain. (let me help you on this one: http://www.open
secrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?id=N00009638&cycle2=2008&goButt2.x=9&goButt2.y=8)

[slayrre007]

Barack Hussein Obama folks #11-15:

11th) Barack had personal, financial, and political ties to William Ayers the
American terrorist who bombed the Pentagon.

12th) A few days after a nationally televised debate between Barack Obama and
Hillary Clinton, in which Obama slams NAFTA and says he will change NAFTA, it is
leaked to the media that one of Obama top advisors sent a letter to a top
Canadian government official days before the debate stating that Obama is in
firm support of NAFTA and that the Canadian government should not give any value
to what he would say in the debate because his comments regarding NAFTA would be
made for political reasons only. (This means this *** lied to millionso of
Americans on national tv).

13th) Both of Barack''s fathers were Muslim and his mother was an athiest (great
upbringing for the next President of the United States). Yes...his name is
Barack Hussein Obama.

14th) Barack attended a Muslim school in Jakara when he was a child.

15th) Barack has minimal foreign policy experience and minimal economic
experience.

[slayrre007]

Barack Hussein Obama folks #6-10:

6th) Barack has the most liberal voting record in Congress meaning he is the
least example of a bi-partison democrat in all of Washington DC.

7th) Barack pork barrelled over $900 million dollars to his home state which is
about $1 million dollars of pork money for every single day he has been in
Congress.

8th) Barack has not authored a single piece of legislation during his entire
time in Congress that mirrors any single one of the promises he is making now.

9th) Barack said that he can no more disown Rev. Wright than he can throw his
grandmother under a bus...only for him to disown Rev. Wright three weeks later
after Americans get a whiff of who Rev. Wright is and what he has been preaching
for the past 20 years.

10th) Barack had personal, financial, and political ties to the indicted Tony
Rezko (the corrupt Chicago lobbyist with whom Barack''s legal firm represented,
whom Barack received financial contributions for his political campaign, and
whom Barack bought the land next to his home for hundreds of thousands of
dollars less than it''s true value).

[slayrre007]

Barack Hussein Obama folks #1-5:

1st) Barack and/or his entire family were members and sat in the "unabashedly
black church" of Rev. Wright for the past 20 years.

2nd) Rev. Wright subscribed to many of the philosophical teachings of Louis
Farhakkan.

3rd) Rev. Wright said to a supportive congregation "Not God Bless America...No
No No...God *** America" and that the "chickens have come home to roost"
suggesting that American deserved 9/11 (that *** should be shot for even
suggesting that the men, women, and children deserved to die that day...but
hey...this is who the good Rev. Wright is).

4th) Rev. Wright married Barack, baptized his children, and was his spiritual
advisor that also gave Barack the title of his memoire "The Audacity of Hope".

5th) Barack campaigned in front of Scranton, PA crowds asking for their vote
only to demean those same people in a locked campaign fund raising dinner in San
Francisco, CA weeks later by saying those small town people "cling to their guns
& religion because they are bitter".

[ioweign]

John McCain is a hot-head and can not be trusted...

[ioweign]

I agree with you. Obama is a liar. He said yesterday that his brother Muslim OSAMA BIN LADEN keeps sending video tapes, but we havent seen any video tape for the last 4 years, thats because OBL is dead although his followers hide it from us.

Posted by j-whitman3 at 10:05 PM : Sep 27, 2008

McCain Voted Against 2005 Amendment to Provide Guaranteed Funding Stream for Veterans'' Health Care.[S.Amdt. 1937 to H.R. 2863]

McCain Voted Against Establishing $1 Billion Trust Fund to Provide Improvements to Military and Veterans'' Health Facilities.[S.Amdt. 2735 to S.Amdt. 2707 to H.R. 4297]

McCain Voted Against Adding $1.5 billion to Veterans'' Medical Services in FY 2007 by Closing Corporate Tax Loopholes. McCain Voted Against a Democratic Amendment to increase Veterans'' medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes. [S.Amdt. 3007 to S.Con.Res. 83]

McCain Voted Against Mandatory Funding of $6.9 Billion in FY 2007 and $104 Billion Over Five Years for Veterans'' Health Care. McCain voted against a Democratic amendment to provide a mandatory stream of funding of $6.9 billion in FY 2007 and $104 billion over five years for veterans'' health care; and offsets by restoring the pre-2001 top rate for incomes over $1 million and closing various corporate tax loopholes. [S.Amdt. 3141 to S.Con.Res. 83]

[ioweign]

I agree with you. Obama is a liar. He said yesterday that his brother Muslim OSAMA BIN LADEN keeps sending video tapes, but we havent seen any video tape for the last 4 years, thats because OBL is dead although his followers hide it from us.

Posted by j-whitman3 at 10:05 PM : Sep 27, 2008

McCain Voted Against $19 Billion for Military Hospitals. In February 2006, McCain voted against a Senate amendment that would have provided for at least $19 billion for these military health facilities, paid for by eliminating tax cuts for the wealthiest earners.

McCain Voted Against Amendment to Provide $2.8 Billion For Veterans'' Medical Care. McCain joined his Republican colleagues in voting against a 2006 Democratic amendment that would have provided $2.8 billion to increase veterans'' medical care. [S.Amdt. 149 to S.Con.Res. 18]

[iowa-jay]

I think McCain is not well. Check out the video below...

John McCain in his own words:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

[iowa-jay]

Check out the videos below with information about the relationship between Palin and Alaska First -- a radical group of America haters that want to form their own country.,.

Joe Vogler, founder of the AIP says in the video below, "The fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government, and I won''''''''t be buried under their damned flag!" Listen for yourself...

Unrepentant liar Palin claims she did not support ''Alaska First'' -- but, watch youtube to see her support speech at their convention. Todd Palin a member 1995-2002. She regularly attends their conventions...

Palin and the AIP:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmYqRfp6-x8


www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Re0vmbtHK8


Could any Republican possibly defend her long term and deep support for Alaska First?

But, at least she is funny: When questioned on foreign policy experience? She says 17 times..."I won''t blink!" -- But, when pressed notes mostly that she has seen the Russian coast from Alaska. Ha, ha, ha...

She probably calls the ''''''''lower 48'''''''' a foreign country like the rest of the Alaska First crackpots...

Then there is the Anti-Semitism in her church (they *can* be saved)...the Alaska end-times mumbo-jumbo prophacy (keep this nutcase far away from the Button)...the book banning (and lies about it)...

Then there is the corruption and cronyism. Even the right wing National Review is calling for her to resign.