Graham: Obama Is Not A Centrist

(CBS)  Painting the Democratic presidential candidate as one whom independents should not trust, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that Barack Obama was "masquerading as a centrist."

Graham said that this Wednesday's debate between Barack Obama and John McCain would allow McCain to speak to the differences between how each candidate would address the growing economic crisis, "where John can be able to show the public where he will take this economy that's hurting by keeping your taxes low and not increasing spending, and compare the records of Senator Obama, when it comes to taxing and spending."

Appearing on Face The Nation, Graham said America needed to know that "this candidate, Senator Obama, who's masquerading as a centrist, is anything but a centrist when it comes to taxing, spending and social policy. And at the end of the day, I think we're going to be choosing between two candidates who have a different view of where to take America."

McCain's plan, according to Graham, would be "to lower tax rates for investors, capital gains tax, dividend tax rates, to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started."

Nonetheless, Obama is leading in the polls, including in most of the key battleground states. However, Mayor Douglas Wilder of Richmond, Va., a Democrat, warned Obama's campaign against taking that lead for granted.

"The one caution that the Obama people ought to have today is not to be over-confident, not to believe that anything is won, it is not won," Wilder told host Bob Schieffer.

Wilder also disputed Graham's charges that Obama would raise taxes on the middle class or small businesses. "To the contrary, they will be having some relief," he said,

Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., said that while the economic crisis has hit Florida hard, there is a deep well of support for McCain in the Sunshine State, particular among retired servicemembers.

"Obama has had a good couple of weeks and has opened up a small lead," Putnam said, "but we have a long way to go. And I think John McCain is going to retake that momentum with this upcoming debate. He is going to retake the momentum in Florida because of his specific proposals that will improve the economy, that will support small businesses."

The backing of independent voters (key in any state) is especially important in Colorado, where a Democrat has won the state only once in recent years (Bill Clinton in 1992). Gov. Bill Ritter, D-Colo., said that the election "is going to be decided by independent voters, and independent voters care about the economy."

Ritter said Coloradans have watched McCain "behave erratically where the economy was concerned and where his response was concerned.

Obama on the other hand, has shown just a steady, consistent way of responding. He's thoughtful. He is specific. And I think that's really, not just in Colorado but around the country, where you see these swing states trending for Obama, it's because of the great contrast in their different styles of leadership as they campaign."

But where is the economy headed?

(CBS)

Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (left), said that the U.S. is almost certainly in a recession," but he did not think today's crisis was any comparison to the 1930s and the Great Depression.

"I don't think we're headed toward a world recession, though were clearly slowing down," Bergsten told Schieffer. "What we are is in the midst of a crisis of confidence. The financial markets are near panic. They need reassuring steps from the governments and the central banks to get them back into a positive mode. The governments and central banks need to take a series of very specific measures to get the credit markets functioning again, to get the banks lending again, to get the economy moving forward again. We need those decisions in the next day or two to get confidence back on track.

"I think there is still bad news ahead, particularly in terms of the economic turndown, but I think the market may be near a bottom. If the governments can be seen now as getting on top of the issue in a comprehensive way, I think we can have a turnaround. In fact, I think we could have an explosive upside rally in the market as we did for most of the day in the stock market here on Friday."

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Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.

By CBSNews.com producer David Morgan.

[aquilaevans6]

Why is it with every major election the democratic nominee is a person of mystery and ill repute. Could it be at all possible that because a person aligns themselves with conservative views that they are endowed with sainthood? Probably not. Stop it people!!!!! Pay attention.

No one has gone through life and haven''t made some bad decisions, some bad character judgements. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, etc. As humans we are flawed. My political views as well as religious beliefs have developed over the years. Why couldn''t Barack Obama''s. What the "right " doesn''t understand is people on the left evolve. Their on the left because they''re open to growth and development. Those on the "right" think that their perceptions are always "right". If one is always "right" it leads to the inability to improve. How can you improve on perfection. Obama is not perfect but he is capable of self improvement.

[vfutral]

I was impressed with Barak Obama when he spoke at the democratic convention in 2006. He is truly a gifted speaker. I have been troubled though with the information that is coming out about him-not from your network. Reverend Wright- how could someone sit in a pew for 20 years and listen to this ranting unless he believe the trash too? Ayers...he was associated with this man who is a radical. Acorn- he worked for them and paid them money. Tony Rezsco- a Syrian who helped by Obama''s house. You dont'' do that for free. I flip around alot on TV and have come to the conclusion that I can not get the hard hitting investigative journalism of the CBS in the past such as with 60 minutes. This man may be president and we don''t know a thing about him, really. Why aren''t you doing your job? I am a democrat but cannot vote for someone I know nothing about. At least John McCain has been checked out and is an honorable man even if I don''t agree with everything he proposes.

[lauriegobama]

2008 Presidential Debate question for John McCain

Webster''s New World Dictionary defines "MAVERICK" in two ways;

1. one who takes an independent stand, as in politics
2. a lost calf

It has become increasingly clear to me that Sarah Palin''s participation in this presidential election can be defined, at best (using Webster''s verbiage) a lost calf.

Senator McCain you''ve stated the most important decision a United States Presidential Candidate makes is their choice of Vice President and that he/she be ready to Serve as President on Day One. Can you tonight, in front of 70+ million television viewers, share why the American people should be comforted and not afraid, with a potential Sarah Palin presidency?

[more0ver]

In regard to Obama at Harvard, he was president of the Harvard Law Review, an extremely prestigious position. At boston.com, there''s an article titled "At Harvard Law, a unifying voice," citing memories of him from fellow Harvard students and a professor.

Re his wife and Ayers'' wife in the same law firm, there were *500* lawyers working in that firm!

In regard to his associations, an article here in the CBS site, titled "McCain''s False Claims On Bill Ayers, clarifies that "The foundation they are referring to is the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), set up in the early 1990%u2019s with funding from the Annenberg Foundation to reform public schools. Walter Annenberg is a well-known philanthropist and conservative Republican.

The programs worked on teacher training, music education, support for new school council candidates, afterschool programs, education research, improvements for literacy and arts programs and initiatives to strengthen parental involvement in public schools.

Political editor, Mike Flannery, says others in the CAC with Obama and Ayers were "business types and Republicans." And "Obama chaired the board of the CAC but he did not serve on the board with Ayers. Ayers served on a separate advisory board." Flannery adds that the negative attention to the CAC mystifies Chicago reporters: "Those of us who have covered politics in Chicago the way I have for 35 years simply don''t recognize the caricatures and the ridiculous descriptions of this group."

[glady1930]

I am so sick and tired of listening to these tirades.
If one stupid Republican can tell me where George W. Bush, Lindsay Graham, Mitch McConnell and the rest of these people in Washington have tried to do one thing to help the average American who is working hard, trying to feed their families and buy enough gas to get to work...especially in the South where there is little public transportation...then I want to know when it was. I am 78 years old, female, white and a God loving American who has just lost one-third of mine and my husbands retirement because of greedy politicans and crooked lobbyist. I don''t have anybody looking out for me and the way I figure things, is that it can''t get any worse. I will never, ever, vote for another Republican for city, county, state and federal office. My husband and I worked for every nickel we have. No one gave us anything, but I am more sick of corporate welfare in this country than anything else. I have voted in every election since 1952 for both Republicans and Democrats, but you won''t catch me making that mistake again.

[majthj]

Hey tax and spend guy - you might want to drop Obama a line or two - he has promised to give the UN Anti-Poverty Organization $50 BILLION when he takes office - most of the money goes to African countries..
Charity should begin at home - he''s already giving money away and not in office yet....Instead of replacing the bowling alley in the white house with a basketball court( he announced that weeks ago) - maybe he''ll have printing presses set up to print new money from the white house 24/7..

[majthj]

Obama DID spring his political career from Willam Ayers living room, wrote the forward in Ayers book - who is a unrepented terrorist by his own words as well as Ayers wife whome Michelle Obama worked in a law firm with - Ayers wife was not able to be board certified as a lawyer because she is a convicted felon who served time in prison - William Ayers got a free pass on a technicality..If you''re unrepented for the bombings against america and want to do more - you are still a terrorist. There''s not one person in Obama''s circle of 20 plus years of associations that are not questionable.
I think the american people have lost all common sense unless you think Obama is the answer to you being able to resume your free style spending and he will make everything all better - sure he will, until he''s elected then he''ll come up with more excuse than we all have rear ends. You''ve been sucked into the biggest smooth-talking scheme that there ever has been..Good luck - I''m not holding my breath waiting for "The Miracle"..

[majthj]

TAWABILL: Can we get off the mud slinging and you tell me what Obama''s qualifications are to be President? Education: He won''t release his transcripts from Columbia or Harvard - his grades - who knows.He may have bought a mail-order degree.. He wrote the forward in (his neighbor) William Ayers''s book. Obama''s Community Organization skills were honed by working with and training ACORN
memebers - who are under investigation in 8 plus states for voter registration fraud.
Unless you are privy to an inside track - 99% of americans know nothing about Obama except the little tidbits here and there he throws out and his well-staged programed rallies and speeches and teleprompters..We would like some information of substance, please..

[indianaman13]

How dare someone call a presidential candidate a communist because he wants to help the middle class. I thought helping your neighbor was patriotic and the Good American Way. I thought the President was supposed to help the people. If I was running for President, and the majority of the people were being used and cheated, why wouldn''t I try to help the downtrodden. The rich only make up 10% of the population, and I''d rather **** off 10% of the population and help the 90% simply because i believe that is what God would want me to do. Love thy neighbor, be your brothers keeper and help those less unfortunate. The Good American Way.

[john43218]

It is of course jaw-dropping that the left are claiming the McCain camp is inciting hatred when that is precisely what they have done year in, year out, to President Bush, neo-conservatives, the Republican party and anyone and everyone on what they denounce as %u2018the right%u2019 whom they vilify as fascists, insane, bloodsuckers, a cancer and the like. And unlike the information about Obama%u2019s radical links, that onslaught by the left is not based on facts and the questions arising from those facts but on character assassination, smears, lies, distortions and gratuitous insults. Michelle Malkin assembles some of this filth here.

But of course to the left, these vile falsehoods which truly incite irrational hatred are nothing of the kind because they believe them all to be axiomatically true. Actual truth on the other hand must be suppressed. They cannot tell the difference.

Terrifying.