2nd Presidential Debate: Transcript (10-7-08)

Barack Obama and John McCain have the second presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee. This time it was a townhall-style format. Read the transcript (NY Times) (see the video).

Obama:

It means that we are cracking down on CEOs and making sure that they're not getting bonuses or golden parachutes as a consequence of this package. And, in fact, we just found out that AIG, a company that got a bailout, just a week after they got help went on a $400,000 junket.

And I'll tell you what, the Treasury should demand that money back and those executives should be fired. But that's only step one. The middle-class need a rescue package. And that means tax cuts for the middle-class.

McCain:

You know that home values of retirees continues to decline and people are no longer able to afford their mortgage payments. As president of the United States, Alan, I would order the secretary of the treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes -- at the diminished value of those homes and let people be able to make those -- be able to make those payments and stay in their homes.

Obama:

Well, Oliver, first, let me tell you what's in the rescue package for you. Right now, the credit markets are frozen up and what that means, as a practical matter, is that small businesses and some large businesses just can't get loans.

If they can't get a loan, that means that they can't make payroll. If they can't make payroll, then they may end up having to shut their doors and lay people off.

McCain:

I left my campaign and suspended it to go back to Washington to make sure that there were additional protections for the taxpayer in the form of good oversight, in the form of taxpayers being the first to be paid back when our economy recovers -- and it will recover -- and a number of other measures.

But you know, one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis.

But you know, they're the ones that, with the encouragement of Sen. Obama and his cronies and his friends in Washington, that went out and made all these risky loans, gave them to people that could never afford to pay back.

Obama:

And so while it's true that nobody's completely innocent here, we have had over the last eight years the biggest increases in deficit spending and national debt in our history. And Sen. McCain voted for four out of five of those George Bush budgets.

So here's what I would do. I'm going to spend some money on the key issues that we've got to work on.

You know, you may have seen your health care premiums go up. We've got to reform health care to help you and your budget.

We are going to have to deal with energy because we can't keep on borrowing from the Chinese and sending money to Saudi Arabia. We are mortgaging our children's future. We've got to have a different energy plan.

We've got to invest in college affordability. So we're going to have to make some investments, but we've also got to make spending cuts. And what I've proposed, you'll hear Sen. McCain say, well, he's proposing a whole bunch of new spending, but actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut.

McCain:

I first proposed a long time ago that we would have to examine every agency and every bureaucracy of government. And we're going to have to eliminate those that aren't working.

I know a lot of them that aren't working. One of them is in defense spending, because I've taken on some of the defense contractors. I saved the taxpayers $6.8 billion in a deal for an Air Force tanker that was done in a corrupt fashion.

I believe that we have to eliminate the earmarks. And sometimes those projects, not -- not the overhead projector that Sen. Obama asked for, but some of them that are really good projects, will have -- will have to be eliminated, as well.

And they'll have to undergo the same scrutiny that all projects should in competition with others.

So we're going to have to tell the American people that spending is going to have to be cut in America. And I recommend a spending freeze that -- except for defense, Veterans Affairs, and some other vital programs, we'll just have to have across-the-board freeze.

McCain Speech in New Mexico: Transcript, Video (10-6-08)

Read the Complete Transcript and see the video of McCain's speech in Albuquerque.

In 21 months, during hundreds of speeches, town halls and debates, I have kept my promise to level with you about my plans to reform Washington and get this country moving again. As a senator, I've seen the corrupt ways of Washington in wasteful spending and other abuses of power, and as president I'm going to end them -- whatever it takes. I will propose and sign into law reforms to bring tax relief to the middle class and help to businesses so they can create jobs. I will get the rising cost of food and gas under control. I will help families keep their home, and help students struggling to pay for college. I will make health care more accessible and affordable. I will impose a spending freeze on all but the most vital functions of government. I will review every agency of the federal government, improve those that need to be improved and eliminate those that aren't working for the American people. I will confront th e ten trillion-dollar debt that the federal government has run up, and balance the federal budget by the end of my term in office.

This is the agenda I have set before my fellow citizens. And the same standards of clarity and candor must now be applied to my opponent. Even at this late hour in the campaign, there are essential things we don't know about Senator Obama or the record that he brings to this campaign.

We have all heard what he has said, but it is less clear what he has done or what he will do. What Senator Obama says today and what he has done in the past are often two different things. He has often changed his positions in this campaign, and the best way to determine where he would really take this country is to examine where he has tried to take it in the past.

My opponent has invited serious questioning by announcing a few weeks ago that he would quote -- "take off the gloves." Since then, whenever I have questioned his policies or his record, he has called me a liar.

Rather than answer his critics, Senator Obama will try to distract you from noticing that he never answers the serious and legitimate questions he has been asked. But let me reply in the plainest terms I know. I don't need lessons about telling the truth to American people. And were I ever to need any improvement in that regard, I probably wouldn't seek advice from a Chicago politician.

My opponent's touchiness every time he is questioned about his record should make us only more concerned. For a guy who's already authored two memoirs, he's not exactly an open book. It's as if somehow the usual rules don't apply, and where other candidates have to explain themselves and their records, Senator Obama seems to think he is above all that. Whatever the question, whatever the issue, there's always a back story with Senator Obama. All people want to know is: What has this man ever actually accomplished in government? What does he plan for America? In short: Who is the real Barack Obama? But ask such questions and all you get in response is another barrage of angry insults.

Our current economic crisis is a good case in point. What was his actual record in the years before the great economic crisis of our lifetimes?

This crisis started in our housing market in the form of subprime loans that were pushed on people who could not afford them. Bad mortgages were being backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and it was only a matter of time before a contagion of unsustainable debt began to spread. This corruption was encouraged by Democrats in Congress, and abetted by Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has accused me of opposing regulation to avert this crisis. I guess he believes if a lie is big enough and repeated often enough it will be believed. But the truth is I was the one who called at the time for tighter restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could have helped prevent this crisis from happening in the first place.

Senator Obama was silent on the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his Democratic allies in Congress opposed every effort to rein them in. As recently as September of last year he said that subprime loans had been, quote, "a good idea." Well, Senator Obama, that "good idea" has now plunged this country into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Palin Florida Speech Transcript (10-6-08)

Sarah Palin made no mention of the government bailout, healthcare, Iraq, Wall St. greed, people losing their homes, or Bush. Read the complete transcript.

This is a moment when principles and political independence matter a lot more than just the party line, as Senator Lieberman just told you. It matters a lot more than just the party line. John McCain is his own man. He doesn't run with the Washington herd. And he and I don't just talk about change, we're the only candidates in this race with a track record of actually making change happen.

(Applause.)

As mayor and as a governor, I reminded people that government is not always the answer. In fact, government too often is the problem. So we got back to basics and we put government back on the side of the people.

As mayor, I eliminated taxes on personal property and I eliminated taxes like small business inventory taxes. Those burdens on our small businesses, we got rid of them. Property taxes were too high. Every year that I was in office I reduced that (mill levy ?).

And as governor, I brought the same agenda of positive change on a state level. I came to office promising to control spending, by request if possible, but by veto if necessary. And today, our state budget is under control and we have a surplus. And I put the veto pen to nearly half a billion dollars in wasteful spending.

(Applause.)

We suspended our state fuel tax and I'm returning a chunk of our surplus money right back to the people of Alaska. It's their money and they can spend it better than government can spend it for them.

(Applause.)

Imagine that. Imagine that, having that principle. And that's what we're going to bring on a national level also. That principle of knowing that -- no, the people, our families, our businesses they know best so let them keep more of what they earn and produce and not have this government take trying to quote, "solve" all the problems for our families and our businesses. No, we're not going to do that.

I've always known that I was accountable to the people who hired me. There, it was the people of Alaska. And in a McCain-Palin administration I promise you that we will never forget that we'll be there in D.C. to work for you the people of America.

(Applause.)

So one mission of a McCain-Palin administration will be to set this nation firmly on a course of energy independence.

(Applause.)

Across Florida and all across America, high gas prices is making a full tank at the pump seem like a luxury. And the cost of living, of course, is going up. And the cost of groceries is going up. Everything is going up, but the value of your paycheck is going down. And that's because of high energy costs. So, to meet America's great energy challenge we're going to need an all of the above approach. And that, in a McCain-Palin administration, will mean developing new alternative energy sources. And it will mean requiring to build more nuclear power plants. And in Florida, it means alternative sources of energy like wind and solar. God has so richly blessed you here.

(Applause.)

Look at these sources of energy here in Florida that are still sitting untapped. And we'll tap into them, along with environmentally friendly off shore production. We do need to drill here and drill now. Now you can chant the drill baby drill.

(Applause.)

It's as simple as this, Florida. In a McCain-Palin administration we will achieve energy security for our country. It is a matter of national security and economic prosperity. That means American energy resources brought to you by American ingenuity and produced by American workers.

(Applause.)

And we're also going to bring tax relief to every American and cut taxes for businesses so you business owners you can hire more people. That's how jobs are created.

(Applause.)

Here again, John McCain is the real reformer. In this election, he is the real reformer and he can do this and he has a record to prove it. And so do I, as a mayor, as a governor who cut taxes for the people of Alaska. You know, in this campaign, in this election, I think the phoniest claim in a campaign that's been full of them, is that Barack Obama is going to cut your taxes?

(Boos.)

I mean, think about it. He's built his whole career on doling out tax money, first as a Chicago politician, and then raising taxes as a senator. He's voted 94 times to raise taxes.

(Boos.)

Even on middle class every day working Americans making $42,000 a year, he voted to raise those taxes. And he tried to waste a million dollars a day just on his requested earmarks. And now, he's committed to almost a trillion dollars in new government spending. And yet, he never bothers to explain where all that's going to come from to pay for all of that. And dog gone it, no one seems to be asking him how is he going to pay for the huge government growth that he wants. No one is asking him. So you all, just do the math. Either do the math or just go with your gut. In either way, you're going to come up with the same conclusion, Barack Obama is going to raise your taxes.

Obama Speech in North Carolina: Transcript (10-5-08)

Read the complete transcript of Barack Obama's speech in Asheville,North Carolina.

In 30 days you are going to elect the next president, and you need and deserve a president who is going to wake up every day and fight for you, and fight for the middle class, and fight to create jobs and grow our economy again -- not another president who doesn't get it. Not another President who ignores our problems. Not more of the same.

Senator McCain and his operatives are gambling that he can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance. They'd rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up. It's what you do when you're out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time.

I want you to know that I'm going to keep on talking about the issues that matter - about the economy and health care and education and energy. I'm going to keep on standing up for hard working families. We're not going to let John McCain distract us from what we need to do to move this country forward.

Because November 4th, you and I are going to turn the page on the disastrous economic policies of George W. Bush and John McCain.

And one of the issues we must face and can't ignore is the explosion of health care costs that is crushing families and businesses across our country.

Understand, this is very personal to me.

I'm thinking today about my mother. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 53. She fought valiantly, and endured the pain and chemotherapy with grace and good humor. But I'll never forget how she spent the final months of her life. At a time when she should have been focused on getting well, at a time when she should have been taking stock of her life and taking comfort in her family, she was lying in a hospital bed, fighting with her insurance company because they didn't want to cover her treatment. They claimed that her cancer was a pre-existing condition.

So I know something about the heartbreak caused by our health care system.

I know something about the anxiety of families hanging on by a thread as premiums have doubled, and debt piles up, and more than half - half - of all personal bankruptcies are caused in part by medical bills.

I know about the frustration of the nearly 40 percent of small business owners who can no longer afford to insure their employees - folks who work day and night, but have to lay people off, or shut their doors for good, because of rising health care costs.

I know the outrage we all feel about the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance - kids who can't see a doctor when they're sick; parents cutting their pills in half and praying for the best; folks who wind up in the emergency room in the middle of the night because they've got nowhere else to turn.

But I also know that this is not who we are.

We are not a country where a young woman I met should have to work the night shift after a full day of college and still not be able to pay the medical bills for her sister who's ill. That's not right - and it's not who we are.

We are not a country where a man I met should have to file for bankruptcy after he had a stroke, because he faced nearly $200,000 in medical costs that he couldn't afford and his insurance company didn't cover. That's not right - and it's not who we are.

That is not who we are, and that is not who we have to be. Enough is enough - it's time for change.

CBS' 'Face The Nation' Transcript (10-5-08)

Read the complete transcript.

SCHIEFFER: So that was Sarah Palin yesterday out in California. Let’s start with Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Do you agree with that line of attack, that Barack Obama does not see America as a force for good?

REP. HEATHER WILSON (R), NEW MEXICO: He has actually -- you know, he goes over to Germany and talks to the Germans about America and the need to tear down the walls between the United States and our European allies as if it’s all America’s fault, that we’ve -- you know, we’re in the situation that we’re in. That’s not what we expect from our president.

We expect someone to stand up for America and to realize that America is a force for good in the world and has been for a century.

SCHIEFFER: Well, that sounds like you’re saying that he’s somehow unpatriotic, which seemed to be the underlying theme of what she said yesterday, Congresswoman.

WILSON: Well, he has talked down about America. And you know, we’ve always had this history of saying, well, you know, politics end at the water’s edge. And it didn’t for Barack Obama . He has been critical not only of the president but of American policy and hence has kind of a negative view of America in the world.

That’s not unusual, frankly, among liberals in kind of post- Vietnam America to say that America is the problem. I think Sarah Palin believes that America is part of the solution. We are an exceptional country. We are a force for good. And we need to talk about the good things we do.

SCHIEFFER: Well, let’s see what Senator Feinstein would say about that. The ad also suggested that he is a pal of a terrorist... That refers, of course, to Bill Ayers who was part of the anti-Vietnam underground Weatherpeople (ph) I think was the name of it. He’s now a professor in Chicago.

She suggested that they’re pals. What about this whole thing, Senator?

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Of course, when Bill Ayers was active in the Weather Underground, Barack Obama was 8 years old. So I think that’s really a stretch. I found it very shocking. And then I thought, you know, Barack Obama has gained a great deal of credibility and trust of the American people.

He’s leading in the polls. He’s leading in most of the battleground states. And this is going to be a month, I think, of character assassination. And so the Republican position is to try to assassinate Barack Obama ’s character and try to place him in a position where the trust that he has built dissipates, the credibility that he has dissipates.

And I hope it isn’t successful. And we must not let it be successful. Too much is at stake in this election. And you know, it’s a hard thing for me to listen to this when you know the major problems that this nation faces. And that’s what we ought to be talking about, not slamming one’s character like this.

[...]SCHIEFFER: Here in the studio with me is Congressman Roy Blunt , the majority whip -- or minority whip in the House. He carried the water for the Bush administration, did the heavy lifting, was instrumental in getting the bailout passed in the House and then being signed into law.

What about that, Congressman Blunt? Was John McCain erratic or was he trying to change the subject here?

REP. ROY BLUNT (R-MO), MINORITY WHIP: Well, I don’t think he was erratic at all. And we’re trying to shift, of course, from talking about what this really is to what it was described as, the bailout that turned out to be really a workout where the government has no reason to lose money.

But John McCain , in, I thought, a very selfless and cool way, began to talk to Republicans and others about why this had to be done. During the week this week, as we had that disappointing vote on Monday and then came back on Friday with a winning vote, he was in contact with me every day about who he could call, who he could talk to.

I think he came back and changed the discussion. We were headed toward a bill that would give a lot of money to these activist political groups like ACORN. We were headed toward a bill that would really make it harder for Americans in the future to get loans because bankruptcy judges could be able to rewrite.

And he came back and did a lot of good. I didn’t see him as erratic at all. In fact, I saw him as very purposeful, very selfless in what he was trying to do and dedicated to it. He called me at 10:15, Bob, one night last week and said, OK, who can I call now that’s on the West Coast so it won’t be too late for me to keep calling?

And he had been calling all evening members, some of which he didn’t get them to vote for it but he got them to think about why it really mattered.

ABC 'This Week' Transcript (10-5-08): McCain's 'Politics of Personal Destruction'

Gov. Edward Rendell, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Mel Martinez Interviewed on ABC’s “This Week.” Read the complete transcript.

STEPHANOPOULOS: ... talking about William Ayers is going to -- is what it’s going to take to turn it around? Senator Obama has said he deplored what Ayers did when he said he was 8 years old. And he says they are friendly but they have not been especially close.

MARTINEZ: I think the important part is whether they’re truthful charges or not. Not about what Barack Obama did when he was 8 years old, but what occurred when he was 35 -- 38 years old and was initiating his political campaign. It’s about his judgment and who he associated with during those years and right on into his political campaign.

But the bottom line on Florida is that for having spent $13 million, that race is still within the margin of error in all the polls. And in fact, until a few days ago, McCain was well ahead.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Brown, is this issue going to cut in Ohio?

SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D), OHIO: Well, you have seen a 26-year Senate veteran morph into an angry, desperate candidate in the last few weeks, especially in the last few days. And it just kind of makes me sad, George, that he is -- that John McCain and Sarah Palin are resorting to these tactics when I have done about -- more than 100 roundtables in Ohio, in most of the 88 counties in the last year-and- a-half.

And people are talking about the privatization of Social Security, people are talking about trade, what trade has done to Ohio, 200,000 loss of manufacturing jobs in the last eight years, people want to go and talk about issues and what we do.

They want to see the difference between the two candidates. And I think that’s why polls in Ohio are showing increased support for Barack Obama , because voters are paying attention to the difference on John McCain wanting to privatize Social Security, wants to continue these job-killing trade agreements, wants to privatize health care the same way that he supported the deregulation of the banking system.

On all of these major issues, there is such a sharp contrast between John McCain , who wants to continue the policies we’ve seen in the last eight years, and Barack Obama , who has very different ideas of a very different direction.

BROWN: On all of these major issues, there is such a sharp contrast between John McCain , who wants to continue the policies we’ve seen in the last eight years, and Barack Obama , who has very different ideas of a very different direction.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Pawlenty, it sure does sound -- when Governor Palin says of Obama, this is not a man who sees America as you do, it sure does sound like she is questioning Senator Obama’s patriotism.

GOV. TIM PAWLENTY (R), MINNESOTA: George, I think it goes to the issue of judgment. And you know, this individual, Bill Ayers, is an unrepentant domestic terrorist, and as you noted and as other news organizations have noted, he was involved in the bombing of the Pentagon -- or attempted bombing of the Pentagon, the Capitol, and plans for other domestic terrorism.

Now Barack Obama at the time was 8 or 9 years old, or whatever, but that’s not the point, the point is this same individual, Bill Ayers, hosted some sort of political event at his home for Barack Obama when Barack was running for state legislature in Illinois when he was well into his 30s.

So this isn’t about Senator Obama being 8 years old, this is his judgment when he was starting his political career in Illinois in the mid 1990s. And I think when people realize this is about, you know, 10 years ago, 14 years ago, it goes to the issue of what kind of judgment would allow an unrepentant domestic terrorist to host a political event for your in his home, in the terrorist’s home?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Rendell, what’s your response to that?

GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, let me say this, it is, as Senator Brown said, very said. In March when he became the presumptive nominee, Senator McCain said he would run a decent and honorable campaign. He hasn’t and it’s going to get worse.

First they lied about Senator Obama’s position on taxes, and now they’re starting to do the politics of personal destruction. The American people and here in Pennsylvania, we’re not going to buy that.

The issues are too important, the economy, health care, what’s going on abroad, Social Security. The issues are what people are focusing on and that’s why this has gone bad for the McCain campaign.

And no matter what they talk about, Reverend Wright, Mr. Ayers, you name it, it’s not going to wash because when this country is in trouble, people are focusing on who has got the best plans to get us out of it. And that’s Barack Obama.

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Ayers Hypocrisy: Palin, Husband Members of Anti-American Political Party

Sarah Palin is going around saying Barack Obama is "palling around" with former domestic terrorist, Bill Ayers:

"Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country," Palin told a rally of about 10,000 gathered at a tennis stadium in Carson, a suburb of Los Angeles.

There she goes again, questioning Obama's patriotism.

"This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," Palin said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."

The problem is that there is no evidence for the charge.

While it is known that Obama and Ayers live in the same Chicago neighborhood, served on a charity board together and had a fleeting political connection, there is no evidence that they ever palled around. And it's simply wrong to suggest that they were associated while Ayers was committing terrorist acts.

What about Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, being a member of an anti-American secessionist group. Turnaround is fair play. Has Ms.Palin dissociated herself from her husband's political views?

Sarah Palin attacked Obama's patriotism today over his association with former Weatherman Bill Ayers -- a move that makes it perfectly legitimate to raise questions about the Palins' associations with a group founded by an Alaska secessionist who once professed his "hatred for the American government" and cursed our "damn flag."

What about Ms.Palin herself: didn't she "associate" herself with this anti-American political movement?

And though Sarah Palin herself was apparently not a member of this group, there's no doubt that she repeatedly courted this secessionist organization over the years. In 1994, Palin attended the group's annual convention, according to witnesses who spoke to ABC News' Jake Tapper. The McCain campaign has confirmed she visited the group's 2000 convention, and she addressed its convention this year, as an incumbent governor whose oath of office includes upholding the Constitution of the United States.

The founder of the AIP was a man named Joe Vogler. Here's what he had to say in a 1991 interview, only a few years before Palin attended its convention: "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government."

He also said this: "And I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."

Vogler has also said: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

In fact, Ms.Palin might have been a member of the party at one point. Now which is worse? Ayers or AIP? Daily Kos quotes the LA Times:

Video footage shows AIP Vice Chairman Dexter Clark describing Palin at the 2007 North American Secessionist Convention as an "AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town -- that was a nonpartisan job. But you get along to go along. She eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won't go into that." ...Apparently with Palin in mind, Clark then went on to urge AIP members to "infiltrate" the major parties.

Meet The Press Transcript (10-5-08): Noonan Critical of Palin Populism

This week appearing on Meet The Press: Paul Begala, Mike Murphy, Chuck Todd, David Gregory, Gwen Ifill, Peggy Noonan and David Yepsen. Read the complete Transcript.

MS. PEGGY NOONAN: I—I’ll be frank. She convinced the American people that though they had seen her crater in interview after interview in the previous few weeks before that debate, that she was capable of coming forward and simply debating, simply going forth on her own. I think she showed that she is a woman of a great and natural competence about the show business of politics, if you will, the ability to look over the camera, to think that the camera is your friend. All of that stuff. There are questions about other areas.

MR. BROKAW: Well, are you satisfied about those questions, the other areas, because that’s really the critical part of it. The show business part of it can be learned...

MS. NOONAN: Sure.

MR. BROKAW: ...and demonstrated by a lot of people.

MS. NOONAN: Oh, but some people are naturals. She is a natural. I, I will tell you, I, I feel increased concern about her, I think, what she thinks of populism, as her populist approach. There are two ways—you know, her stuff about “I’m Main Street, you’re not, you’re the elite. I’m not the East Coast, I’m Joe Six-Pack.” She actually says, “I’m the Joe Six-Pack candidate.” This left me thinking, “Gosh, would Lincoln say, ‘I represent the backwoods types?’ Would FDR say, ‘Yeah, the New York aristocracy deserves another moment in the sun. Vote for me.’” It—there’s something weird about it. But there’s also something, for me, concerning populism as a tactic is justified often in politics. “I need this program, the people want it.” Populism as a strategy, “We’re the good guys, you’re the bad guys,” is not good, and, and if that’s the road they’re going, that’s not a good road to be on. It’s not helpful to the country.

Begala warns McCain of going negative: two can play at that game.

MR. BEGALA: Well, no. Obama was—he was asked about this in a debate in a primaries with Hillary Clinton sitting there; George Stephanopoulos of ABC asked him about it. He answered it. He pointed out that the despicable acts this guy committed were committed when, apparently, Barack Obama was eight years old. And, and I think Governor Palin here is making a strategic mistake. This guilt by association path is going to be trouble ultimately for the McCain campaign. You know, you can go back—I’ve written a book about McCain. I had a dozen researchers go through him. I didn’t even put this in the book. But John McCain sat on the board of a very right-wing organization. It was the U.S. Council for World Freedom. It was chaired by a guy named John Singlaub, who wound up involved in the Iran-Contra scandal. It was an ultraconservative right-wing group. The Anti-Defamation League, in 1981, when McCain was on the board, said this about this organization. It was affiliated with the World Anti-Communist League, the parent organization, which ADL said, “has increasingly become a gathering place, a forum, a point of contact for extremists, racists and Anti-Semites.” Now, that’s not John McCain. I don’t think he is that. But, but, you know, the problem is that a lot of people know John McCain’s record better than Governor Palin, and he does not want to play guilt by association or this thing could blow up in his face.

Even the Republican analyst says that it comes down to the economy.

MR. MURPHY: Maybe. But Ayers has kind of gotten off a little easy in Chicago. A lot of people say what a good guy he is. The problem is the one person who hasn’t really condemned William Ayers enough is William Ayers, and I think that’s a real problem. And Obama, while, he’s clearly not the same. He still also has pulled his punches, I think, a little bit about it. And this will be a kerfuffle, it’ll do a little damage to Obama, but fundamentally this campaign’s going to be about the economy.

MR. BROKAW: Yes.

MR. MURPHY: So Obama will take some damage on this, but then it’s going to pivot back to real life, and that’s where I think McCain has to connect.

Chuck Todd: McCain campaign is "lacking a strategy."

MR. TODD: But, Tom, this goes to something, and I think if you look and go back to the first presidential debate where John McCain was lecturing Obama about the difference between a tactic and a strategy, and when I heard him say that, I thought, “Boy, that is the debate going on inside your own campaign is you’re a series of tactics with no strategy.” This William Ayers stuff, I talked to one Democrat who says, “Why didn’t they do this when they did celebrity?” You know, why weren’t they setting this up for months? And what’s happened is—and we’ve said this before—the McCain campaign chases the news cycle. They are going to look at today and say, “Hey, they mentioned William Ayers on MEET THE PRESS. They talked about William Ayers,” and they’re going to consider that a success. But did they move—is this about a bigger picture that they’ve been painting for three months? And right now it’s not, it’s just a series of tactics, and I think they are lacking a strategy.

SNL's Tina Fey Spoofs Palin, VP Debate: Transcript, Video (10-4-08)

This is the third hysterical installment of Tina Fey's playing of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live(SNL). This time she is poking fun at the VP debate. See the video and read the complete transcript of the show.

TINA FEY AS GOV. SARAH PALIN: "Can I call you, 'Joe?'"

JASON SUDEIKIS AS SEN. JOE BIDEN: "Of course."

FEY AS PALIN: "OK, 'cause I practiced a couple of zingers where I call you Joe."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Now tonight's discussion will cover a wide range of topics including domestic and foreign policy matters. Each candidate will have 90 seconds to respond to a direct question and then an additional two minutes for rebuttal and follow-up. As moderator, I will not ask any follow-up questions beyond 'do you agree?' or 'your response?' so as not to appear biased for Barack Obama in light of my new book (holding up book) 'The Breakthrough: Politics of Race in the Age of Obama,' coming out on inauguration day and available for pre-order on Amazon.com. And finally, we would like to remind our audience that due to the historically low expectations for Governor Palin, were she simply to do an adequate job tonight, and at no point cry, faint, run out of the building or vomit you should consider the debate a tie. Alright, let's begin. Senator Biden, how, as Vice President would you work to shrink the gap of polarization that has sprung up in Washington?

SUDEIKIS AS BIDEN: "Well, I would do what I have done my whole career, whether it's been dealing with violence against women or putting 100,000 police officers in the streets. I would reach across the aisle. Like I've done with so many members of the other party. Members like John McCain. Because look, I love John McCain. He is one of my dearest friends. But at the same time, he's also dangerously unbalanced. I mean, let's be frank, John McCain -- and again, this is a man I would take a bullet for -- is bad at his job and mentally unstable. As my mother would say, 'God love him, but he's a raging maniac...' and a dear, dear friend."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Governor Palin. How will your administration deal with the current financial crisis?"

FEY AS PALIN: "Well first of all, let me say how nice it is to meet Joe Biden. And may I say, up close your hair plugs don't look nearly as bad as everyone says. You know, John McCain and I, we're a couple of mavericks. And gosh darnit, we're gonna take that maverick energy right to Washington and we're gonna use it to fix this financial crisis and everything else that's plaguin'
this great country of ours."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "How will you solve the financial crisis by being a maverick?"

FEY AS PALIN: "You know we're gonna take every aspect of the crisis and look at it and then we're gonna ask ourselves, 'what would a maverick do in this situation?' And then, you know, we'll do that." (SHE winks.)

- Related Posts:

• Tina Fey Plays Sarah Palin, Again: Video (9-27-08)
• Tina Fey as Palin on SNL: Transcript, Video

Obama Speaks in Pennsylvania: Transcript (10-3-08)

Read the complete transcript.

Because it was just reported that America has experienced its ninth straight month of job loss. Just since January, we've lost more than 750,000 jobs across America, 7,000 in Pennsylvania alone. This is the economy that John McCain said - just two weeks ago - was fundamentally strong. This is the economy that my opponent said made great progress under the policies of George W. Bush. And those are the economic policies that he proposes to continue for another four years.

So when Senator McCain and his running mate talk about job killing, that's something they know a thing or two about. Because the policies they're supporting are killing jobs every single day.

Well, Abington, I am here to tell you that we cannot afford four more years of this. Because where I come from, there's nothing more fundamental than having the sense of meaning and purpose that comes with showing up at work in the morning. There's nothing more fundamental than being able to put your kids through college, or having health care when you get sick, or being able to retire with security. There's nothing more fundamental than a good paying job.

That's why we're here today - because we need to do what we did in the 1990s and create millions of new jobs and not lose them. We need to do what we did in the 1990s and make sure people's incomes are going up and not down. We need to do what a guy named Bill Clinton did in the 1990s and put people first again. That's why I'm running for President of the United States of America.

- Previous Posts:

• Warren Buffett on the "Rescue Package": Transcript (10-3-08)
• Palin on FOX News: Transcript (10-3-08)
• Biden, Palin Vice Presidential Debate Transcript (10-2-08)

Warren Buffett on the "Rescue Package": Transcript (10-3-08)

Buffett appears on CNBC to talk about the rescue package and how it won't be a panacea. Read the transcript.

ERIN BURNETT: Mr. Buffett, wonderful to have you with us. I'll just throw out the first question here and that is this. You said you wouldn't have gotten into GE or into Goldman Sachs if it weren't for this bailout deal. Now it is done. Are you looking actively to put more money to work right now or is this going to be a period of pause for you?

WARREN BUFFETT: Well, that all depends on what's available. We don't have as much money around as we had a few weeks ago, but we still have a little. It all depends on what I see and what's being offered.

BECKY QUICK: Hey Warren, I just want to jump in with this. We watched the House bill being passed today, and I know this is something you've been counting on, passage of this bill in the Congress, on several of these deals that you've done. What do you think now that the bill's actually passed?

BUFFETT: I always said that I thought in the end the Congress would do the right thing on something this important. This is not a panacea. This does not solve all our problems. It just would have been a, it would have been a total disaster if it hadn't of passed and it gives some tools to reducing the impact of this recession on the economy. But it's not a panacea.

Palin on FOX News: Transcript (10-3-08)

Read the complete transcript.

CAMERON: Congratulations. You're not formally -- you've pulled off your first vice presidential debate. What do you think happened?

PALIN: Well, first it was a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity to get to speak directly to Americans. That's how I looked at it when I walked into there saying, you know, we're not going to be filtered.
There's not going to be the cutting and pasting and editing of any of our comments. Right on. Let me just talk to Americans.

CAMERON: How soon after the debate did you speak to Senator McCain? Did he give you the "atta girl?"

PALIN: He sure did. Yes, immediately afterwards. And I had thanked him in that phone call for giving me a pep talk before I went out there. And he had some simple advice and it was, just go out there and be yourself and have fun.

CAMERON: So, when folks were watching it through their TV screen, when they sometimes see the (INAUDIBLE) to the reaction of the candidates, what were you thinking during the course of all of this?

Did you think that you surprised Joe Biden? Did you catch him off guard? Was there eye contact between you and he that he didn't see?

PALIN: There was a lot of eye contact and it was pleasant. It was, hey, you know, we're both in this together. We both understand what each other would be going through at this time. Kind of wondering, what's coming next, what's Gwen going to ask us next? So, that connection, it was some good chemistry. And again, at least I had a ball. It was fun.

CAMERON: Democrats put out 18 news releases last night and said that you committed 18 lies. The "L" word is pretty common this time around.

Anything you want to revise from last night? Anything that you said that you think on record (INAUDIBLE) you want to --

PALIN: Oh, I mispronounced General McKiernan, called him a
(INAUDIBLE) and I apologize for that.

Other than that, nope.

CAMERON: There was a lot of criticism that you misstated when you talked about us being at pre-surge levels in Iraq. Walk us through your math and what you were thinking you were talking about.

PALIN: Just -- well, as victory's getting closer and closer, we know that we're going to be able to draw down those troops. Send them to Afghanistan, not specifically that --(INAUDIBLE) we'll have more resources to be able to put into Afghanistan, and start what I believe, and what I believe our commanders have referred to also as, the principles of a surge there also in Afghanistan, in a counter-insurge strategy that should work.

Not specifically the cookie cutter approach that had been used in Iraq, (INAUDIBLE) of course in Afghanistan. But, the principle, we're going to be able to do that with more resources and literally, more troops.

Biden, Palin Vice Presidential Debate Transcript (10-2-08)

Read the complete transcript and see the video of the VP debate.

IFILL: You both would like to be vice president.

Senator Biden, how, as vice president, would you work to shrink this gap of polarization which has sprung up in Washington, which you both have spoken about here tonight?

BIDEN: Well, that's what I've done my whole career, Gwen, on very, very controversial issues, from dealing with violence against women, to putting 100,000 police officers on the street, to trying to get something done about the genocide in -- that was going on in Bosnia.

And I -- I have been able to reach across the aisle. I think it's fair to say that I have almost as many friends on the Republican side of the aisle as I do the Democratic side of the aisle.

But am I able to respond to -- are we able to stay on the -- on the topic?

IFILL: You may, if you like.

BIDEN: Yes, well, you know, until two weeks ago -- it was two Mondays ago John McCain said at 9 o'clock in the morning that the fundamentals of the economy were strong. Two weeks before that, he said George -- we've made great economic progress under George Bush's policies.

Nine o'clock, the economy was strong. Eleven o'clock that same day, two Mondays ago, John McCain said that we have an economic crisis.

That doesn't make John McCain a bad guy, but it does point out he's out of touch. Those folks on the sidelines knew that two months ago.

IFILL: Governor Palin, you may respond.

PALIN: John McCain, in referring to the fundamental of our economy being strong, he was talking to and he was talking about the American workforce. And the American workforce is the greatest in this world, with the ingenuity and the work ethic that is just entrenched in our workforce. That's a positive. That's encouragement. And that's what John McCain meant.

Now, what I've done as a governor and as a mayor is (inaudible) I've had that track record of reform. And I've joined this team that is a team of mavericks with John McCain, also, with his track record of reform, where we're known for putting partisan politics aside to just get the job done.

Now, Barack Obama, of course, he's pretty much only voted along his party lines. In fact, 96 percent of his votes have been solely along party line, not having that proof for the American people to know that his commitment, too, is, you know, put the partisanship, put the special interests aside, and get down to getting business done for the people of America.

We're tired of the old politics as usual. And that's why, with all due respect, I do respect your years in the U.S. Senate, but I think Americans are craving something new and different and that new energy and that new commitment that's going to come with reform.

I think that's why we need to send the maverick from the Senate and put him in the White House, and I'm happy to join him there.

Obama Speech on Senate Floor: Transcript (10-1-08)

This Obama's speech on the Senate floor arguing in favor of the bailout package. Read the complete transcript.

Now, the fact that we’re even here voting on a plan to rescue our economy from the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street and some in Washington is an outrage.

It’s an outrage to every American who works hard, pays their taxes, is doing their best every day to make a better life for themselves and their families.

And understandably, people are frustrated and they’re angry that Wall Street’s mistakes have put their tax dollars at risk. And they should be. I’m frustrated and angry, too.

But while there’s plenty of blame to go around -- and many in Washington and Wall Street who deserve it -- all of us -- all of us have a responsibility to solve this crisis, because it affects the financial well-being of every single American.

There will be time to punish those who set this fire, but now is not the time to argue about how it got set, or did the neighbor sleep in his bed, or leave the stove on. Right now we want to put out that fire, and now’s the time for us to come together and do that.

When the House of Representatives failed to act on Monday, we saw the single largest decline in the stock market in two decades.

Over $1 trillion of wealth was lost by the time the markets closed. And it wasn’t just the wealth of a few CEOs or Wall Street executives.

The 401(k)s and retirement accounts of millions became smaller. The state pension funds of teachers and government employees lost billions upon billions of dollars. Hard-working Americans who invested their nest egg to watch it grow saw it diminish and in some cases disappear.

And while that decline was devastating, the consequences of the credit crisis that caused it will be even worse if we do not act now.

We’re in a very dangerous situation, where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money. And if all that meant was the failure of a few banks in New York, that would be one thing, but that’s not what it means.

What it means is, if we don’t act, it will be harder for Americans to get a mortgage for their home or loans they need to buy a car or send their children to college.

McCain Des Moines Register Editorial Board Interview: Video, Transcript (9-30-08)

See the video of McCain losing his cool. He looks like he's ready to blow. You can also read a partial transcript here.

Obama Speech in Wisconsin: Transcript (10-1-08)

Read the complete transcript.

On Monday, over the course of a few hours, the failure to pass the economic rescue plan in the House led to the single largest decline of the stock market in two decades. Over one trillion dollars of wealth was lost by the time the markets closed. And it wasn’t just the wealth of a few CEOs or Wall Street executives. The 401Ks and retirement accounts that millions count on for their family’s future are now smaller. The state pension funds of teachers and government employees lost billions upon billions of dollars. Hardworking Americans who invested their nest egg to watch it grow are now watching it disappear.

But while the decline of the stock market is devastating, the consequences of the credit crisis that caused it will be even worse if we do not act and act immediately.

Because of the housing crisis, we are now in a very dangerous situation where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money. If all that meant was the failure of a few big banks on Wall Street, it would be one thing.

But that’s not what it means. What it means is that if we do not act, it will be harder for you to get a mortgage for your home or the loans you need to buy a car or send your children to college. What it means is that businesses won’t be able to get the loans they need to open new factories, or hire more workers, or make payroll for the workers they have. Thousands of businesses could close. Millions of jobs could be lost. A long and painful recession could follow.

Let me be perfectly clear. The fact that we are in this mess is an outrage. It’s an outrage because we did not get here by accident. This was not a normal part of the business cycle. This was not the actions of a few bad apples.

This financial crisis is a direct result of the greed and irresponsibility that has dominated Washington and Wall Street for years. It’s the result of speculators who gamed the system, regulators who looked the other way, and lobbyists who bought their way into our government. It’s the result of an economic philosophy that says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else; a philosophy that views even the most common-sense regulations as unwise and unnecessary. And this crisis is the final verdict on this failed philosophy – a philosophy that we cannot afford to continue.

But while there is plenty of blame to go around and many in Washington and on Wall Street who deserve it, all of us now have a responsibility to solve this crisis because it affects the financial well-being of every single American. There will be time to punish those who set this fire, but now is the moment for us to come together and put the fire out.

I know that many of you are feeling anxiety right now – about your jobs, about your homes, about your life savings. But I also know this – I know that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because that’s who we are. Because this is the United States of America. This is a nation that has faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges – not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. With resolve. With confidence. With that fundamental belief that here in America, our destiny is not written for us, but by us. That’s who we are, and that’s the country we need to be right now.

McCain on 'FOX and Friends': Transcript (9-30-08)

McCain gets interviewed by the Republican parties propaganda arm, FOXnews, by those three airheads, Doocy, Kilmeade, and Carlson. Read the complete transcript.

MCCAIN: I have talked to the president this morning and recommended an increase from $100,000 to $250,000 FDIC-insured on deposits. I also strongly recommended that the exchange stability fund that the Treasury has has available $250 billion to shore up these institutions. Also the Treasury has at its disposal about $1 trillion that they could begin without congressional authority buying up some of these terrible mortgages and help stabilize the situation.

So I’ve talked to the president. I know that we have to act. Even though we failed yesterday, even though I went back and was able to get more Republicans on board, or help get more Republicans on board, we will go back to this, and I will be engaged always where I think America needs engagement.

CARLSON: So, Senator, are you saying that you went back to get more Republicans on board, so then you were in favor of voting “yes” yesterday, and in essence, then, going back to...

MCCAIN: Oh, absolutely.

CARLSON: OK, well, then, going back on last week did not change enough Republicans’ minds?

MCCAIN: No, it didn’t change enough Republicans’ minds. We’re going to have to change enough Republican and Democrats’ minds. It was 95 Democrats that voted against it.

CARLSON: Right.

MCCAIN: People’s credit is at risk here. The ability to buy a car, to make your home loan payments, to -- for small businesses to get credit. Look, this is affecting Main Street, America. And we’re going to have to resolve it, and we’re going to have to act.

$1.2 trillion of American savings, pensions, IRAs, mutual funds, investments, et cetera, was wiped out, and that hurts Main Street. I’ve got a plan for cutting spending, for keeping taxes low, for making sure that people can keep -- stay in their homes, and a long- term plan.

In the short term, we’ve got to take these measures I just outlined to you, and let’s go back, and let’s make Americans understand, who are opposed -- I was watching your program earlier -- how this affects not Wall Street, but Main Street and working families of America.

They Put Politics over Patriotism

Representatives yesterday chose to put fear of voters at the poll booth in November over doing the right thing. And it wasn't a partisan issue since 40% of Democrats voted against it. If you listen to the politicians they make it sound as if it were the fault of one party over the other. Nonsense. Both are to blame. We have a Congress that has failed the American people for decades. The mess we've gotten into was because that body failed to curb the excesses of big business. The same big business that lobbied them and paid them off. Because it is the lobbyists whom control our government.

Then there is this disastrous President. He is principally to blame. This psycho has bought great harm to our country.

But there is plenty of blame to go around. How about a press that chose to ignore the greed on Wall St. Then again, they wouldn't criticize something that pays their salaries. Real journalists would've warned about the fragile economy sustained by debt and a housing bubble.

The politicians running this country should've have put their country first and kept their mouths shut. Instead we had politicians appearing in the press as the negotiations were going attacking the other party, and some cases Bush's plan. You even had a presidential candidate threatening to pull out of a debate so that he could save his floundering candidacy. In the process he poisoned the negotiations helping to the voting down of the bailout. The debate should have gone on in private. It should have included the best people on Wall St., economists, and representatives from abroad. This is a worldwide crisis. No grandstanding. And then the Congressmen and women should have done a better job of explaining the plan to the public, which would've decreased opposition to the plan. The people opposed it because they didn't understand it.

The politicians should have followed the example of founding fathers whom put their pride and prejudices aside and gave us a great document and nation.

McCain, Palin Interviewed Together by Couric: Transcript, Video (9-29-08)

This essentially part 3 of the ongoing interview done by CBS' Katie Couric of Governor Palin. This segment includes the running mates together. Read the complete transcript and see the video (below) of the interrogation interview.

Katie Couric: Over the weekend, Gov. Palin, you said the U.S. should absolutely launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan to, quote, "stop the terrorists from coming any further in." Now, that's almost the exact position that Barack Obama has taken and that you, Sen. McCain, have criticized as something you do not say out loud. So, Gov. Palin, are you two on the same page on this?

Sarah Palin: We had a great discussion with President Zardari as we talked about what it is that America can and should be doing together to make sure that the terrorists do not cross borders and do not ultimately put themselves in a position of attacking America again or her allies. And we will do what we have to do to secure the United States of America and her allies.

Couric: Is that something you shouldn't say out loud, Sen. McCain?

John McCain: Of course not. But, look, I understand this day and age of "gotcha" journalism. Is that a pizza place? In a conversation with someone who you didn't hear … the question very well, you don't know the context of the conversation, grab a phrase. Gov. Palin and I agree that you don't announce that you're going to attack another country …

Couric: Are you sorry you said it?

McCain: … and the fact …

Couric: Governor?

McCain: Wait a minute. Before you say, "is she sorry she said it," this was a "gotcha" sound bite that, look …

Couric: It wasn't a "gotcha." She was talking to a voter.

McCain: No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth. And … I'll let Gov. Palin speak for herself.

Palin: Well, it … in fact, you're absolutely right on. In the context, this was a voter, a constituent, hollering out a question from across an area asking, "What are you gonna do about Pakistan? You better have an answer to Pakistan." I said we're gonna do what we have to do to protect the United States of America.

Couric: But you were pretty specific about what you wanted to do, cross-border …

Palin: Well, as Sen. McCain is suggesting here, also, never would our administration get out there and show our cards to terrorists, in this case, to enemies and let them know what the game plan was, not when that could ultimately adversely affect a plan to keep America secure.

- Related Posts

• Palin Interview with CBS' Couric: Transcript (9-24-08)
• John McCain Interviewed by CBS' Katie Couric: Transcript (9-24-08)

'FOX News Sunday' Transcript (9-28-08)

Campaign surrogate Senators John Kerry and Lindsay Graham were interviewed by Chris Wallace. Read the complete transcript.

WALLACE: Let's start with a tentative agreement on a financial rescue plan.

Senator Graham, what's better about this proposal than the deal that was rejected at the White House on Thursday?

GRAHAM: The House is on board. The best thing that could happen for all of us up here politically is to hold hands across the aisle and bicamerally.

If you can get House Republicans saying, "This is a good product for the country," then confidence will be built around the product. And having everybody inside the deal politically is much better.

I would not want my Democratic colleagues, quite frankly, to have to walk off a cliff in the House and have no Republicans on board. So I think it's a better deal for the taxpayer. There's an insurance component that didn't exist before. It's a phased-in product.

But the main thing is that the House is involved now. Then every corner of American political life is embracing this deal, which will help us as a nation.

WALLACE: Senator Kerry, let's talk about a little bit of the details. As Senator Graham mentioned, instead of buying all the securities, now the government will just insure some of them.

And there's also a provision that if the government doesn't get its money back within five years, a fee is imposed on financial security companies. Isn't that a better deal for taxpayers?

KERRY: Well, it's very important -- well, these -- the four principal components of this deal, Chris, represent the exact four principles that Senator Obama laid out two weeks ago. They represent the exact principles that we put forward and almost agreed on last Thursday before politics entered into this.

Now, I agree with Lindsey. Let's go beyond that now. It is important to have everybody there. But those principles are number one. We wanted to protect the taxpayers.

We were not going to turn billions of dollars over to any institution connected with Wall Street, given the experience of what had happened without protecting taxpayers. We have done that in this.

Secondly, we were going to limit executive compensation. We weren't going to turn money over and have millions of dollars paid out to executives. That's been done.

Thirdly, there's a very important concept here about helping homeowners. There had been no talk about the homeowners. We want to keep people in their homes. This specifically helps to keep them there.

And finally, oversight. The administration came and said, "Just give us $800 billion." And we said, "No, not given this experience," so we're going to give first the 250. There'll then be a letter from the president requesting another 100, and then there's another 350, depending on how it goes.

So I think we have accountability. We have the principles that Senator Obama offered leadership on.