'Face The Nation' Transcript (10-26-08)

Campaign surrogates for Obama and McCain appeared on FTN with Bob Schieffer. Also appearing representing the 2 presidential candidates, Governor Tim Pawlenty and Governor Ed Rendell. Read the complete transcript.

SCHIEFFER: Well, when you talk about a stimulus package, are you talking about some sort of massive public works program like President Roosevelt put into effect during the Great Depression?

Or are you talking about something like we’ve seen recently where you just give people a check, a government check?

RUBIN; Bob, I would say it’s neither of the two, quite the way you described it. I think what we need to do is to have a very large program of -- and people have been talking -- some of the numbers around are $150 billion, perhaps more than that. And it should consist of -- and Senator Obama has talked a lot about this. In fact, he started talking about it a few months ago, and strongly advocated it, and I think rightly.

And it could consist of help for cities and states that are now running into difficulties, so they could continue with their programs.

It could have infrastructure in it, as long as the infrastructure is ready to go right now. Because these have to be programs that give you a very large return, in terms of economic demand relative to the cost, and also that go into effect very quickly.

But you could do all of that -- and it needs to be done in a very short period of time, in order to stimulate economic demand in a time of a weakening economy.

As I said a moment ago, it’s a measure that Senator Obama has been calling for, for a long time. And I think that you can combine that with the other kinds of measures I have just mentioned, and then an effective use of the remainder, which is the predominant part of that very large program that was put in place a little bit ago, $700 billion.

And I think you have an enormous aggregate of public policy. In addition, continued cooperation around the world is imperative.

[...]SCHIEFFER: All right. Well, Mr. Rubin, we want to thank you for joining us this morning.

We’re going to turn now to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the McCain campaign senior policy adviser.

Let me just start where Mr. Rubin left off. Do you think it is going to be necessary to bail out, give more money to the auto industry?

HOLTZ-EAKIN: I think the top priority, the one that Senator McCain has endorsed, is to take the $25 billion that the Congress has already put out there for loans to build facilities for next- generation automobiles, the kinds of autos that will not only keep Detroit running but which will keep us from having to import so much oil, expose us to the dangers of international oil markets. That money needs to get out the door, and the top priority should be to get it out quickly, not take 18 months, which seems to be the current plan.

SCHIEFFER: What about Mr. Rubin’s idea that what we need is a big stimulus package, $150 billion? Where would McCain come down on that?

HOLTZ-EAKIN: I think if you step back, the real big difference in this crisis situation is sort of where do you place your faith? Do you place it in the institutions that have failed us, which quite frankly are in Washington and on Wall Street, or do you put the money in the places where we know we can get effective results? And John McCain has not advocated sticking the money into Wall Street banks and the like.

Let’s put the money into the housing market. That’s where this problem started. Let’s get people in mortgages they can afford. Let’s get the bad mortgages off the books, so there’s cash on those books and banks can make loans. And let’s take care of the small businesses.

A remarkable fact is that in this bad economy -- and let us stipulate that it is a very bad situation -- small businesses have created 331,000 jobs this year. Don’t raise taxes on them. Don’t make their lives harder. And, you know, let’s take care of the institutions, the small businesses, the home owners, that have been successful in America. And that’s the McCain strategy. SCHIEFFER: What about this idea, though, of a stimulus? Giving people a government check, some sort of a rebate? Or some sort of a public works project?

'FOX News Sunday' Transcript (10-26-08)

Tim Kaine, Democratic Governor of Virginia appeared FNS with Chris Wallace. Read the complete transcript. Also the usual appearance by Karl Rove.

WALLACE: Governor Kaine, Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, made a remarkable statement last Sunday. Let's listen to it.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BIDEN: We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here. If you don't remember anything else I said, watch, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WALLACE: Governor, here is his own running mate saying, "Elect Obama and expect an international crisis."

KAINE: Well, listen. If you ran that clip a little bit longer, what you would hear Senator Biden say is, "This is a guy who's got steel in his spine and he's up to the challenge."

I think the comment was pretty much what most Americans, frankly, understand, which is the world is going to throw a lot of challenges at whoever the next president is.

With two wars, significant challenges in energy and food prices, and economic challenge here at home, there are going to be major tests on inauguration day. I think this will be the most challenging inauguration day since FDR was inaugurated in March of 1933.

The issue, then, is if we know the next president will face challenges, let's make sure we put the right person in. And I go back to...

WALLACE: But, Governor...

KAINE: ... what General Powell said last week. You've got to pick somebody with very, very steady and sober judgment who has good people around him and can negotiate through very difficult times...

WALLACE: But, Governor, respectfully...

KAINE: ... and I think Senator Obama has demonstrated he is.

WALLACE: Governor, I know — I know that that's been the Obama camp spin — "Oh, well, he was saying any president — any new president will be tested." But that isn't what Biden said.

I mean, if you listen to it — and you're quite right, he did say that Obama has a spine of steel, but he also said, "Here's a 47-year- old guy and they're going to want to —" and I've got the quote, "that if you don't remember anything else I said, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy," not the new president, this guy.

KAINE: Well, and that — you know, and that is, Chris, what all Americans are wrestling with as they make their choices for president. They want to have somebody who's got the right judgment to steer our economy back in a positive direction and deal with these international challenges.

And again, as General Powell said last week, on both the steadiness in dealing with these economic challenges and the capacity, really, to be a great leader on the world stage — I think Senator Obama has demonstrated to the American people that he's ready to take on that mantle at a very difficult time.

Even the hardcore Republican Rove admits McCain is in trouble.

ROVE: Yeah. And from Thursday — last Thursday was the most recent map before this one, and from Thursday there were 46 individual state polls in less than 48 hours, and they moved Indiana from being toss-up into the Obama column, giving him his largest lead thus far this campaign.

In order to — in order for McCain to win, he's got a very steep hill to climb. He's got to win all of the toss-up states, 64 electoral votes, all the yellow-shaded states on the map.

Then he needs to strip away Ohio and Indiana with 31 electoral votes to get him to 252. And then he needs to either win Colorado and Virginia, which gets him to 274, or win one of them plus Pennsylvania, which would get him to 282 or 286. It's a steep uphill climb.

John McCain on Meet The Press: Transcript (10-26-08)

Read the complete transcript.

MR. BROKAW: Senator, in the last of the presidential debates moderated by Bob Schieffer, you drew greater distinction between yourself and George Bush. You said, "I am not George Bush." And then this past week in The Washington Times, a newspaper in Washington, this was the account, "Senator John McCain blasted President Bush for building a mountain of debt for future generations, failing to pay for expanding Medicare, and abusing executive powers, leveling his strongest criticism to date of the administration whose unpopularity may be dragging the Republican Party to the brink of a massive electoral defeat.

"`We just let things get completely out of hand,' he said of his own party's rule in the last eight years." But then we have an account of you on MEET THE PRESS going back to June 2005.

SEN. McCAIN: Yes.

MR. BROKAW: And this is what you had to say about your relationship with President Bush at that time.

(Videotape, June 19, 2005):

SEN. McCAIN: The fact is that I'm different, but the fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I have been totally in agreement and support of President Bush. So I strongly disagree with any assertion that I've been more at odds with the president of the United States than I have been in agreement with.

(End videotape)

(Videotape, March 5, 2008):

SEN. McCAIN: Well, I'm very honored and humbled to have the opportunity to receive the endorsement of the president of the United States, a man who I have great admiration, respect and affection. I intend to have as much possible campaigning events and--together as--in keeping with the president's heavy schedule, and I look forward to that opportunity.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW: Senator McCain, both in tone and language, you are very close with President Bush in those appearances. The Congressional Quarterly did a review of your votes, 92 percent of the time you voted with President Bush. So it's a little hard for the public to separate you from this administration, isn't it?

SEN. McCAIN: Well, it may be the way you describe it. And, by the way, the last interview that I did with The Washington Times, of course I've been repeating for the last eight years that the spending was out of control. That's why I voted against these projects--these pork barrel spending. I was the harshest critic of the failed strategy in Iraq and pointed it out in hearing after hearing and fought against it. I've supported action to address climate change, from--since 2000 and said we've got to do something about it. There were sharp disagreements there. There were a number of disagreements on general overall philosophy. I am a Republican. I respect the president of the United States. Of course we let spending get completely out of control, and I've been talking about it for a long, long period of time.

Now, I know how it is on this show. You show various segments and comments that we make thousands of, and I understand that. But the fact is I am not George Bush. The fact is that I was not popular within my own party. The fact is that when I said that we were failing in Iraq and we were going to lose, I was criticized by Republicans. The fact is when I did campaign finance reform with Russ Feingold, I was opposed by my own party and my own president. So do we share a common philosophy of the Republican Party? Of course. But I've, I've stood up against my party, not just President Bush, but others; and I've got the scars to prove it, including taking up, with Ted Kennedy, immigration reform, knowing full well that that was going to hurt my chances in the primaries. So I could go down a long list of issues with you.

Do I respect President Bush? Of course I respect him. But I pointed out we were on the wrong track in a whole lot of ways, including a $10 trillion deficit, including saying we got to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and, and propose legislation to try to fix it before that triggered the housing collapse, including today when I'm saying they should be going out and buying up these mortgages and giving people mortgages that they can afford rather than bailing out the banks.

SNL Spoof Michelle and Barack Obama: Transcript, Video (10-25-08)

Saturday Night Live continues it's parody of the presidential election. This week SNL parodies Obama's purhased 30 minute network time. Read excerpt below. Read the transcript of more of the show.

FRED ARMISEN AS SEN. BARACK OBAMA -- "Good evening, my fellow Americans. I am
Barack Obama and this is my wife Michelle. This coming Wednesday, our campaign
will run a special thirty-minute address on all four major networks.

MAYA RUDOLPH AS MICHELLE OBAMA - "This airtime was initially purchased so that
we could speak to you one last time about the issues."
ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "However, with poll numbers putting us so far ahead - we
decided now's the time to play it safe.

RUDOLPH - "Instead of a conventional address, we're going to carefully manage
our lead and well, shake things up. .

(THE LIGHTS COME UP ON STAGE. THERE IS A LARGE SILVER "O" ON THE FLOOR OF THE
STAGE)

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "With the 'Barack Obama Variety Half-Hour!' It's time to
have some fun.

RUDOLPH AS MICHELLE OBAMA - "Because we got a lead in the polls and we built it
up."

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "We built it up."

RUDOLPH AS MICHELLE OBAMA - "We built it up."

ARMISEN/RUDOLPH (TO THE TUNE OF "SOLID" BY ASHFORD & SIMPSON)
"AND NOW IT'S SOLID,
SOLID AS BARACK,
THAT'S WHAT THIS LEAD IS,
THAT'S WHAT WE GOT,GOT, GOT, GOT, GOT"

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "All your favorites from the campaign will be stopping by for
songs and skits. Including House Democrats, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, and
Rahm Emmanuel.

KRISTEN WIIG AS PELOSI (TO THE TUNE OF: C.S.N.Y.'s "OUR HOUSE"):

"OUR HOUSE, IS A VERY, VERY FINE HOUSE,
WHEN THE REPUBLICANS WERE IN CHARGE"

ANDY SAMBERG AS EMMANUEL/BOBBY MOYNIHAN AS FRANK:
"LIFE USED TO BE SO HARD"

WIIG AS PELOSI:
"NOW EVERYTHING IS EASY,
'CAUSE OF YOU"

ARMISEN AS OBAMA
And of course, a party is never complete without Bill Clinton.

DARRELL HAMMOND AS CLINTON:
(SINGING TO THE TUNE OF SIMPLE MINDS' "DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME")

"DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME,
DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T"

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - It's been a long campaign, so let's have some good
old-fashioned fun with Senator Joe Biden.

SUDEIKIS AS BIDEN - "Thanks for inviting me to dinner, Barack."

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "So, Joe, I'm gonna ask, why did you say that if I was
elected a foreign power would test me with an international crisis? Hey, what
are you eating?"

SUDEIKIS AS BIDEN - "Oh this? (HOLDS UP A RUBBER FOOT) It's my foot...in my
mouth!"

(THEY LAUGH LONG AND HARD)

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "You'll even see Reverend Jeremiah Wright and University of
Illinois at Chicago, Professor Bill Ayers."

(TO THE TUNE OF: "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley)

KENAN THOMPSON AS REV. WRIGHT (with BILL HADER as AYERS on keyboards):

WHITE DEVILS BE CRAZY!
WHITE DEVILS BE CRAZY!

RUDOLPH AS MICHELLE OBAMA - "And some serious moments like Barack meeting the
spirit of John F. Kennedy."

JON HAMM AS THE SPIRIT OF JFK - "Barack Obama. Over the years there have been
many pretenders in the Democratic Party but you truly are the heir to my
legacy."
HAMMOND AS CLINTON - "Guys, I'm standing right here."

ARMISEN AS OBAMA - "Bill Clinton, everybody!"

RUDOLPH AS OBAMA - "So join us this Wednesday for the 'Barack Obama Variety Half
Hour.' I promise it will be...

Palin Interviewed by Brian Williams pt3: Video (10-24-08)

This is part 3 of the interviews done by NBC's Brian Williams of John McCain and Sarah Palin. The final segment (shown Friday) is an interview done with Palin about her medical records, press coverage of her, and her future plans.

Palin, McCain Interview by Brian Williams Pt.2 Transcript (10-23-08)

Read part two of the interview done by John McCain and Sarah Palin with NBC's Brian Williams. Read the full transcript. See the video here.

WILLIAMS: Are we changing--it's been said that to gives it a vaguely post-9/11 hint, using that word that we don't normally associate with domestic crimes. Are we changing the definition? Are the people who set fire to American cities during the '60s terrorists in--under this definition? Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under this definition, Governor?

Gov. PALIN: There's no question that Bill Ayers, via his own admittance, was one who sought to destroy our US capital and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There's no question there. Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that it would be unacceptable to--I don't know if you're going to use the word terrorist there, but it's unacceptable, and it would not be condoned, of course, on our watch. But I don't know--if what you're asking is if I regret referring to Bill Ayers as an unrepentant domestic terrorist, I don't regret characterizing him as that.

WILLIAMS: No, I'm just asking what other categories you would put in there, abortion clinic bombers, protesters in cities where fires were started, Molotov cocktails were thrown, people died?

Gov. PALIN: I would put in that category of Bill Ayers anyone else who would seek to campaign, to destroy our United States capital and our Pentagon and would seek to destroy innocent Americans.

WILLIAMS: Senator McCain, the head of your campaign...

Senator JOHN McCAIN: Let me--let just mention one thing in addition to that. It's not the unrepentant terrorist who stayed on the run from and said, as short time ago as 9/11, that they wished they'd have bombed more.

Gov. PALIN: More.

Sen. McCAIN: His wife was on the top 10 FBI most wanted list. It's the relationship with Mr. Ayers which Senator Obama has not been forthcoming. That's what Senator Clinton said in their debates. That's what I say.

WILLIAMS: Are you going to keep your promise not to involve Reverend Wright in the campaign?

Sen. McCAIN: Look, I have not involved Reverend Wright, and people can make up their minds as, again, I say about Mr. Ayers, is the full extent of the relationship with Senator Obama is not known. And Senator Obama has not been forthcoming. He has not told the complete truth to the American people, nor did he tell the truth to the American people when he said he would take public financing and signed a piece of paper if I would, back when he was a long shot candidate.

Gov. PALIN: And also, it is not mean spirited. It is not negative campaigning to ask someone about their record. And Barack Obama does have a record of association with Bill Ayers. I don't think of that as off base. In fact, Barack Obama challenged you to bring up Bill Ayers in the debate.

Sen. McCAIN: Yeah, he asked me to. He asked me to.

Gov. PALIN: Yeah, yeah.

WILLIAMS: Governor, what is an elite? Who is a member of the elite?

Gov. PALIN: Oh, I guess just people who think that they're better than anyone else. And John McCain and I are so committed to serving every American, hard working, middle-class Americans who are so desiring of this economy getting put back on the right track, and winning these wars, and America starting to reach her potential. And that is opportunity and hope provided everyone equally. So anyone who thinks that they are, I guess, better than anyone else, that's my definition of elitism.

McCain, Palin Interview by NBC's Brian Williams pt.2: Video (10-23-08)

- Related Post:

• NBC's Brian Williams Interviews Palin and McCain: Transcript, Video (10-22-08)

Will Ferrell, Tina Fey on SNL: Video, Transcript (10-23-08)

Will Ferrell returns to Saturday Night Live (Weekend Update) playing George W. Bush. In this skit he endorses John McCain (Darrell Hammond) and Sarah Palin (Tina Fey). Read the transcript below.

WILL FERRELL AS PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH - "Hello, my fellow Americans. I have chosen to schedule this impromptu address at night because quite frankly every time I speak during the day, the Stock Market goes in the crapper. So, sorry, Asian markets. You take the hit on this one. I come to you tonight in the midst of a very important election between two very qualified candidates: the hot lady and the Tiger Woods guy. Both candidates are heavily patriotized and display much characterization. And yes, I did have three Xanax and a Silver Bullet about a half-hour ago. I'm out of here in a few months, so screw it. But before I leave I wanted to help Sarah Palin and John McCain by giving them what every candidate wants most: a prime-time heavily publicized network endorsement from George W. Bush. Hey, don't pinch yourself John, you are awake!"

FERRELL AS BUSH (CONT'D) -- "Now I tried to do this several months ago but somehow it kept getting pushed to a written press release or a shouted sentence as I walked to the helicopter. I began to suspect that they didn't want my endorsement to be too public. But now with the country on a big upswing and my numbers on the rise, I thought it was time to give a proper, large scale 'much love' to McCain and Palin..."

(WILL FORTE, as an AIDE enters and whispers in BUSH's ear)

FERRELL AS BUSH (CONT'D) - "What? Really? Why didn't you tell me Jeff? I've just been told by my trusted aide Jeff, that the country is actually in a horrible downward spiral and that my approval numbers are lower than ever. That one's on me. Four months ago, I declared the Oval Office a bummer-free zone. So... You know what, let's bring on Senator McCain and Governor Palin."

(TINA FEY as GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN enters smiling and waving and sits next to BUSH on the front the desk)

TINA FEY AS GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN - "So nice to meet you, Mr. President. I've seen you on TV."

FERRELL AS BUSH - "Where's McRage?"

FEY AS PALIN - "You know, John McCain and I have been so busy travelin' around this great country of ours talkin' about change and energy independence and William Ayers, and doin' a little shoppin', but unfortunately Senator McCain, upon hearing you wanted to give him a super public endorsement, cannot be found. He was last seen travelin' on foot through the Adirondacks. But my husband and two of his drinkin' buddies are in pursuit on snowmachines.

FERRELL AS BUSH - "Well, We'll smoke him out. George Bush always finds his man save for one huge exception."

FEY AS PALIN - "We are gonna get 'er done."

FERRELL AS BUSH - "My God you are folksy."

FEY AS PALIN - "Why thank you Mr. President. I like to think I'm one part practiced folksy , one part sassy and a little dash of high school bitchy."

FERRELL AS BUSH - "For a little while I was trying to be folksy but after a bit, it just came off douchey. All right, let me get into my endorsement for you as Vice President. As you know America, the office of Vice President is the most important office in the land. The Vice President decides when we go to war, how we tax the citizens and how we interpret the Constitution. The President can do nothing without checking with the Vice President. That is why Sarah Palin..."

FEY AS PALIN - "Actually, Mr. President, I don't want to go all Katie Couric on you, but I think it's actually the other way around. I think the Vice President reports to the President."

FERRELL AS BUSH - "Really? That's not what Dick Cheney told me when he sat me down on the first day."

(DARRELL HAMMOND as SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN is brought in, struggling with JASON SUDEIKIS as TODD PALIN in a snowsuit.)

SUDEIKIS AS TODD PALIN - "We out-mavericked the maverick!"

HAMMOND AS MCCAIN - "Good evening, my friends. Mr. President, always a pleasure."

FERRELL AS BUSH - "Good to see you, John. Hey let's get a photo of this; it'll really help your campaign out. Now let me do this: I, George W. Bush, endorse John McCain and Sarah Palin with all my heart..."

(MCCAIN tries to drift out of frame but is pulled back by BUSH) FERRELL AS BUSH (cont'd) - "John was there for me ninety percent of the time over the last eight years. When you think of John McCain, think of me, George W. Bush. Think of this face. When you're in the voting booth, before you vote - picture this face right here. A vote for John McCain is a vote for George W.
Bush. (to MCCAIN) You're welcome. So, I want to be there you, John for the next eight years."

FEY AS PALIN -The next sixteen years!

FERRELL AS BUSH - (to an off-camera photographer) "Let's get a safety. I think I blinked on that last shot. Thumbs up, everybody. But most of all I support them because...Live from New York...It's Saturday Night!!!!

NBC's Brian Williams Interviews Palin and McCain: Transcript, Video (10-22-08)

Read the complete transcript here. Excerpts and video below.

WILLIAMS: Before we begin airing the conversation, this moment first from late in our conversation that will make news tonight about the growing requests these days for Sarah Palin to release her medical records.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS (on camera): Did I hear you just agree to release your medical records?

PALIN: Ah, the medical records. So be it, if that will allow some curiosity seekers, perhaps, to have one more thing that they can either check the box off that they can find something to criticize, perhaps, or find something to rest them assured over, fine.

I’m healthy, I’m happy, had five kids. That’s going to be in the medical records. Never been seriously ill or hurt. You’ll see that in the medical records if they’re released.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: That came as a bit of a surprise to the McCain-Palin campaign. Now, the question is timing of the release.

Here now the first part of our conversation with the GOP ticket here in Ohio today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAMS (on camera): Senator, I’ll begin with your observation on the tarmac. You came in today, there’s not one but two planes with your name on the side. You immediately started reminiscing about the depths of New Hampshire. It was you and your garment bag coming off a commercial flight.

But here you are, you’re down, you’re down in money.

MCCAIN: Yep.

WILLIAMS: How do you stay up?

MCCAIN: Down in money, down in the polls. We got ‘em just where we want ‘em.

WILLIAMS: What do you mean by that?

MCCAIN: I mean, that’s when we do best, really, Brian. I’ve always done best when we’re running some -- a little bit behind and got to catch up. And that somehow I’ve been very blessed. We seem to catch fire, and lately we have seen, in the last several days, a week, we’ve seen ever since the debate, we’ve seen some uptick, and we got about 3 or 4 points to go, and we can win this thing.

WILLIAMS: Did this campaign get out of your control? And here’s what I mean. A lot of people who know you well saw you take that microphone from that woman in Wisconsin and for the first time in a long time they said, There, that’s John McCain .

MCCAIN: Brian, they either haven’t been paying attention, or don’t want to. I -- in my speech at the convention, I spoke of my admiration for Senator Obama, the fact that he had motivated so many people. I have said continuously of my respect for him.

But that doesn’t change my view that there are stark differences. And when I’m president, there’s not going to be an international crisis that he can -- that Senator Biden can guarantee. I’m not going to raise people’s taxes in a bad economy.

Look, we’ve got very big differences. But I’ve always been respectful of Senator Obama. And he is now spending more money than any campaign in American history on negative ads against me. But that’s fine. American people are paying attention.

WILLIAMS: You mention Senator Biden’s comment the other day about a new president and a test of the new president’s mettle. One of your very closest friends in the Senate, Joe Lieberman, said on “Face the Nation,” quote, “Our enemies will test the new president early.”

And it has happened throughout modern history.

MCCAIN: Well, look, I’ve been tested. They know me, they know me very well. I’ve been tested. Senator Biden said it. What if Sarah or I had said it? Oh, my God, it would have been terrible, imagine. His own running mate said it’s because he’s young and new and untested. That’s why Senator Biden said, “Mark my words,” “Mark my words,” is what he said, that there’s going to be an international crisis. And then he compared it to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

My friend, I was in the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was on the aircraft carrier “Enterprise” in the air wing. We were close to nuclear war. I wouldn’t predict that for me -- I mean, that’s remarkable. When a vice presidential candidate predicts, because a young, untested president is going to face an international crisis like the Cuban Missile Crisis? Unbelievable.

Americans know I’ve been tested.

John McCain on CNN's 'Situation Room': Transcript (10-22-08)

McCain was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Read the complete transcript.

BLITZER: Let's talk about Issue No. 1, as we call it, the economy. Colin Powell was pretty biting in his criticism. He said you were a little unsure of how to deal with the economic crisis. You seem to have, he said, a different approach. He sensed you didn't have a complete grasp of the economic crisis the American people are going through right now. I wonder if you'd like to respond to Secretary Powell.

MCCAIN: Except to say that I'm happy to have the endorsement and support and belief of five former secretaries of state, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Jim Baker, Larry Eagleburger and Gen. Al Haig, and over 200 retired military generals and admirals that have supported my campaign.

I respect Gen. Powell, but I respectfully disagree. I especially disagree when he said the comments that he made about Gov. [Sarah] Palin, the most popular governor in America, a governor who knows energy issues, $40 billion pipeline reformer, took on the governor of her own party. And I hope that sometime Gen. Powell will take time out of his busy schedule to meet with her. I know she'd be pleased to meet with him.

BLITZER: But on the economic issues, his criticism was that you were going back and forth on some of the specific issues, and he didn't like that. He thought that Sen. Obama had a consistency in his approach.

MCCAIN: Well, all I can do is laugh. We've been very consistent about cutting spending, cutting taxes and the fundamentals of our economic message.

Sen. Obama's been all over the place, including wanting to "raise taxes on only the rich," 95 percent -- a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans, when 40 percent of them pay no federal income taxes as it is. You know, whatever it is he's changed with -- look at the positions that he held on tax increases when he was first running in the primary, and look at them now. They're vastly different.

And the fundamental difference -- and maybe Secretary Powell agrees with him; I don't know -- but to spread the wealth around is certainly not something that I would ever do, that I would ever do.

BLITZER: Do you agree with Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, who said this week -- he said that it's now a good time for a second economic stimulus package, seeming to join hands with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Is it a good time to do that, to come up with another $150 billion stimulus package?

MCCAIN: I would be glad to look at anything that could be helpful to our economy. I respect Ben Bernanke. I'm sick and tired, and the American people are sick and tired of the pork barrel spending. Why don't we cancel the $18 billion in pork barrel projects that we put in last year at a minimum and use some of that money to help stimulate the economy as well? Instead of bridges to nowhere and projectors and planetariums such as Sen. Obama asked for -- he asked for nearly $1 billion in pork barrel projects. Why don't we ask him to make sure that money that was given to pork barrel projects back to helping American families? And then I think that Americans would be more likely to support such a thing.

Approval rating of Congress at 9 percent. No wonder. We've got a $10 trillion debt to our kids, $500 billion to China. We don't want to continue that spending practices, and Americans are sick and tired of it.

Chris Matthews on the Bachmann, Palin Controversies: Transcript (10-21-08)

Read the complete transcript of the Chris Matthews show ('Hardball') in where Pat Buchanan tries to defend Sarah Palin's absurd statement on the role of the Vice President vis a vis the Senate. They also discuss the repercussions of Bachman's controversial statement questioning the patriotism of Barack Obama.

MATTHEWS: Pat, you`re laughing. And, if it was anybody else, you would be jumping on them like a vulture.

PAT BUCHANAN, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Come on. She`s talking to second- and third-graders.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: She`s talking like a second-grader.

(LAUGHTER)

BUCHANAN: Chris...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: What did -- what did -- what did she mean? What did she mean?

BUCHANAN: What is this hostility to this woman?

MATTHEWS: No, what did she mean? Don`t get into the personal stuff here, Pat.

BUCHANAN: Well, I`m not.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: What did she mean? She`s up for the vice president of the United States.

BUCHANAN: She probably -- my guess is, she meant that she`s going to work with the Republican caucus to try to change policy, kids, and make the country better. Clearly, Reid is going to run the Senate. He may have 60 votes. She ain`t going to be able to do it.

MATTHEWS: No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

BUCHANAN: She made a mistake.

MATTHEWS: The vice president of the United States is the legislative leader of the Senate?

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Don`t you have to be a senator?

BUCHANAN: Look, she`s the president of the Senate.

MATTHEWS: No, but she`s not a senator.

BUCHANAN: No, she`s the president of the Senate.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: If you`re not a senator, you`re not a member of the Senate.

BUCHANAN: You`re the president of the Senate.

MATTHEWS: What`s her role? What`s her role?

BUCHANAN: The president of the Senate.

MATTHEWS: Presides.

BUCHANAN: You haven`t read the Constitution.

MATTHEWS: Presides over the Constitution -- over the Senate.

BUCHANAN: Right.

MATTHEWS: That`s the only role, has no role, except to break ties.

BUCHANAN: Well, no, look, she`s the president of the Senate of the United States.

MATTHEWS: We`re not getting anywhere, Pat.

BUCHANAN: Well, you know, I`m saying...

MATTHEWS: You`re saying she has a legislative role?

BUCHANAN: I`m saying she`s the president of the Senate.

MATTHEWS: Does she have any legislative role?

(LAUGHTER)

BUCHANAN: Not unless she can get the Republicans and Democrats to work with her.

MATTHEWS: When in history has a vice president been given a legislative authority over the majority or the minority or any senator in the United States Senate?

BUCHANAN: Chris, she`s talking to second-graders.

MATTHEWS: OK.

Let me tell you why this is a serious question here. Because, when she was talking to Katie Couric and answering questions, she talked in a language I have never heard about some flexibility within the Constitution, Mark, about some new authority for the vice president, which has never been understood before.

Now, maybe this derives from the sense that the people around Dick Cheney have about the role of the vice president, but I have never heard anybody say the vice president has legislative authority of any kind or any consequence. It`s extraordinary for her to teach people -- she`s got a teaching role. She`s telling those kids something that`s wrong. She`s not talking down to them. She`s giving them wrong information.

The vice president of the United States has two roles, to succeed the president, if that`s a necessity, and to preside over the Senate and break ties. And that`s it, under the Constitution.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: To argue that it has a legislative authority within the grasps of the vice president is unconstitutional. Am I right or wrong?

Olbermann: Palin not Smarter than a Third Grader (Transcript, 10-21-08)

Keith Olbermann, on 'Countdown,' gives a 'special comment' blasting Sarah Palin's incredible assertion that the Vice President is in charge of the Senate. Read the show's complete transcript.

Good point. So tonight, as promised, a Campaign Comment on the continuing adventures of Governor Sarah Palin in the big leagues or "Are You Smarter Than A Third Grader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally governor, we`ve been trying to engage some local grade schoolers for the last few elections. We do a feature called `questions from the third grade.` Brandon Garcia wants to know, "What does the Vice President do?"

PALIN: That`s something that Piper would ask me, as a second grader, also. That`s a great question, Brandon, and a Vice President has a really great job, because not only are they there to support the President agenda, they`re like a team member, the teammate to that President. But also, they`re in charge of the United States Senate. So if they want to, they can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it`s a great job and I look forward to having that job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: Oh! I`m so sorry, Governor. The correct answer can be found in the Constitution of the United States.

Article One, Section Three: "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided." So, the Vice President is not in charge of Jack, Governor, let alone in charge of the Senate. And you are not smarter than a third-grader.

On the one level, it is hilarious and entertaining that the Republican nominee cannot correctly answer the question "What Does The Vice President Do?" I mean, that first reference to the Vice President comes not 600 words into the Constitution. And the other meaty references are pretty simple to remember.

Article Two, Section One: "In case of the removal of the President from Office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President."

There`s also the 20th Amendment: you`re done on January 20th, and the 25th Amendment: if the President`s incapacitated, you`re the acting Pres.

It`s so simple, really, one could memorize those four points pretty easily. It wouldn`t take long.

Brandon Garcia could do it in the third grade, probably. So, on the one level, this is pretty damn silly. The Sarah Palin material, as Tina Fey might be able to say, just writes itself. As it does, it makes stupid mistakes, but it still writes itself.

Except there are two very serious aspects to this. Governor, do you really think you`d be "in charge of the United States Senate?" Do you really want to suggest that you think if you "want to" you "can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes?"

We`re just wrapping up eight years of a Vice President who had no clue what his damned job consisted of, couldn`t even correctly find his governmental branch with both hands. The last thing anybody in this country wants, Republican or Democrat, is another buccaneer in there, making it up as they go along, and, in your case, presuming you can stride in to the Senate and change policy if you want to!

Besides which, Governor, exactly how on Earth could you not have the correct answer by now? It`s not like this is the first time you`ve been asked about the Vice Presidency and gone all Miss South Carolina on us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KUDLOW, CNBC ANCHOR: Is this police-flap state investigation going to disqualify you from becoming Senator McCain`s vice presidential candidate?

PALIN: As for that VP talk all the time, I`ll tell you, I still can`t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I`m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we`re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: That was on the 31st of July on cNBC, Governor. Even giving you the biggest benefit of the doubt, that your later claim that that was just a lame attempt at a joke, you couldn`t come up with the correct job description on the second try? What am I saying? The third try!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GWEN IFILL, PBS ANCHOR: Governor, you said in July that someone would have to explain to you exactly what it is the vice president does every day.

PALIN: In my comment there, it was a lame attempt at a joke and yours was a lame attempt at a joke, too, I guess, because nobody got it. Of course we know what a vice president does. And that`s not only to preside over the Senate, and will take that position very seriously also. I`m thankful that the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president, also, if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate, and making sure that we are supportive of the president`s policies, and making sure too that our president understands what our strengths are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: No! No, Governor, the Constitution does not allow "a bit more authority" "if the vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate." You would not be some kind of Senatorial hall monitor. You would not be a Veto, or a Censor, or a Balance.

And even if you think you would somehow obtain those powers from somebody, don`t pretend the Constitution will give them to you!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PALIN: Thankfully, our founders were wise enough to say, we have this position and it`s Constitutional. Vice presidents will be able to be -- not only the position flexible, but it`s going to be sort of those other duties as assigned by the president. It`s a simple thing. I don`t think that was a gaff at all in stating what the truth is. And that is we`ve got flexibility in the position. The president will be directing in a lot of respects what the vice president does. The vice president, of course, is not a member -- or a part of the Legislative Branch, except to oversee the Senate. That alone provides a tremendous amount of flexibility and authority if that vice president so chose to use it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: You`re wrong! The word flexibility appears nowhere near the Constitution. You`ve memorized everything else, Governor. You couldn`t memorize the job description in three months? Four tries? I mean, I`d like my President and Vice President to have memorized the Constitution, and to abide by it. Or at least, I`d like them to know more about the Constitution than I do, or than Brandon Garcia does in the third grade. Maybe I`m raising the bar too high, but at least wait until you achieve office before trying to seize power extra-Constitutionally!

"The founders," governor, were not George Bush and Dick Cheney! Give me something to work with here, Governor, or go home! And please don`t forget to take your lovely parting gifts with you, including the home version of the vice president game.

That`s COUNTDOWN for this the 2,001st day since the declaration of independence -- declaration of mission accomplished -- might as well have been the declaration of independence in Iraq. I`m Keith Olbermann, good night and good luck.

Palin Interviewed on CNN: Transcript (10-21-08)

Read the complete transcript.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: What is your role going to be as vice president?

PALIN: Well, we have talked a lot about that, John McCain and I have, about the missions that I will get to embark on if we are so blessed to be hired by the American people to work for them.

It's going to be government reform, because that is what I have been able to do as a mayor and as a governor. You take on the special interests and the self-dealings. Yes, you ruffle feathers and you have the scars to prove it afterwards, but you have to take that on to give the American people that faith back in their own government. This is their government, and we have got to put it back on their side.

So government reform and energy independence, can't wait to work on that. That's been my forte as the governor of an energy-producing state and as a former chair of the energy regulator entity up there in Alaska. So, look forward to that. And that's a matter of national security and -- and our economic prosperity opportunities.

That, though, too, the other mission that John and I are anxious for me to lead on is helping our families who have children with special needs, ushering in that spirit to Washington, D.C., where we say, we're going to give every child a chance, and -- and a good educational opportunity will be provided. That's going to be a matter, too, of prioritizing the federal dollars that are already there, and making sure that every child is given opportunity.

GRIFFIN: Governor, you have been mocked in the press. The press has been pretty hard on you. The Democrats have been pretty hard on you, but also some conservatives have been pretty hard on you as well.

"The National Review" had a story saying that, you know, "I can't tell if Sarah Palin is incompetent, stupid, unqualified, corrupt, or all of the above."

PALIN: Who wrote that one?

GRIFFIN: That -- that was in "The National Review." I don't have the author.

PALIN: Who wrote it? I would like to talk to that person.

(CROSSTALK)

GRIFFIN: But they were talking about the fact that your experience as governor is not getting out. Do you feel trapped in this campaign, that your message is not getting out? And, if so, who do you blame?

PALIN: No, I am getting my message right now out, through you, with you, Drew, to the American people who are watching CNN. And I appreciate this opportunity.

No, you know that I am, obviously, an outsider of the Washington elite and of the conventional, I think, media targets or media characters that have been a part of this for years. And I think that is final -- that it's good for the American electorate to understand, they have a choice here in our ticket of having the experience and the reputation that comes with John McCain as being the patriot and the maverick in the Senate. You have that. And you combine it with a team member who is new and fresh, with new ideas, new vision, new energy that needs to be infused into Washington, D.C., with that commitment to clean it up in D.C., put government on the side of the people, and fight hard for Americans.

You have that, that combination. And I think that some in the media, maybe in "The National Review," they don't know what to make of that. They are like, geez, she is -- you know, where did she come from? Surely, you know, it should be our job, I think they assume, is to pick and be negative and find things to mock.

And that is just, I guess, part of the political game, I guess. But we are very, very committed and focused and moving forward between now and November 4, getting that message out to the American people that our plan to get this economy back on the right track and to win the wars, put government on the side of the people, it is the right thing to do.

And I think we have the right message, despite a mocking that comes our way.

GRIFFIN: Governor, our time is very short. And I must ask you just two questions. One is on the Trooper Wooten. If there is one thing that has followed you negatively...

PALIN: Tasergate, right, right.

GRIFFIN: You call it Tasergate.

PALIN: We sure do.

GRIFFIN: Troopergate, whatever. The Branchflower report said you were perfectly in your right to fire Monegan...

PALIN: Right. Right.

GRIFFIN: ... but also found out that you violated the ethics.

Was it a mistake to allow your husband to use your office to try to pressure the Troopers to fire Mr. Wooten?

PALIN: Not at all, because, A, the -- the trooper who had Tasered his kid and had made death threats against my family and said he was going to bring the governor down and all that, my husband did exactly, I think, what any sensible, reasonable father, husband would do who was concerned about their family's safety. He...

GRIFFIN: But was it a mistake to allow him to use the governor's office to that extent?

PALIN: Not when you look at other governor's track records when they have their spouse, as, for instance, Governor Murkowski had his spouse as his top adviser. And she was in meetings. She was in the office -- so, kind of a double standard here.

But what Todd did was what any reasonable husband and father would do. He followed the instruction of the Department of Public Safety's own personal security detail, that is our personal protection. They asked, Todd, you have a problem with this state trooper. He is a threat. You need to take that to the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

Todd did exactly that. And then, of course, he got clobbered for it now in the media, because there's a misunderstanding of what he has done. Our Department of Law in Alaska has right there on its Web site -- it says, if you have a problem with an Alaska State Trooper, the paragraph says, you go to the commissioner of Department of Public Safety and you share that concern with him.

That is what Todd did. So, no, I don't think that it was an abuse of power of my office at all. And I was very thankful that that report cleared me of any illegal dealings or anything else. I replaced the commissioner because he was not doing the job that I expect of my cabinet members -- that is, you serve the Alaskan population up there -- and, of course, he's a cabinet member who was assigned to do that -- to the best of the team's ability.

And you have a lot of energy. You fulfill the vision that we have laid out for you. And he was not doing that. And that is why he was replaced.

Obama Tampa Speech Transcript (10-20-08)

Read the complete transcript.

Because one thing we know is that change never comes without a fight. In the final days of campaigns, the say-anything, do-anything politics too often takes over. We've seen it before. And we're seeing it again today. The ugly phone calls. The misleading mail and TV ads. The careless, outrageous comments. All aimed at keeping us from working together, all aimed at stopping change.

It's getting so bad that even Senator McCain's running mate denounced his tactics last night. As you know, you really have to work hard to violate Governor Palin's standards on negative campaigning.

But we're not going to be distracted. We're not going to be diverted. Not this time. Not this year. Our challenges are too great for a politics that's so small.

Now, more than ever, this campaign has to be about the problems facing the American people - because this is a moment of great uncertainty for America. The economic crisis we face is the worst since the Great Depression. Businesses large and small are finding it impossible to get loans, which means they can't buy new equipment, or hire new workers, or even make payroll for the workers they have.

115,000 workers lost their jobs in Florida this year, more than any other state in this country. Wages are lower than they've been in a decade, at a time when the cost of health care and college have never been higher. It's getting harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month. At this rate, the question isn't just "are you better off than you were four years ago?", it's "are you better off than you were four weeks ago?"

So I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried. But I believe that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis because I believe in this country. Because I believe in you. I believe in the American people.

We are the United States of America. We are a nation that's 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.

But Florida, I know this. It will take a new direction. It will take new leadership in Washington. It will take a real change in the policies and politics of the last eight years. And that's what this election is all about.

Now, my opponent has made his choice. Senator McCain's campaign actually said a couple of weeks ago that they were going to launch a series of attacks on my character because, they said, "if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." And that's a promise John McCain has kept. He's been on the attack. That's what you do when you are out of ideas, out of touch, and running out of time. Well, I can take a few more weeks of John McCain's attacks, but the American people can't take four more years of the same failed policies and the same failed politics. That's why I'm running for President of the United States.

We have tried it John McCain's way. We have tried it George Bush's way. It hasn't worked. It's time for something new. It is time to turn the page on eight years of economic policies that put Wall Street before Main Street but ended up hurting both. We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom-up, so that every American, everywhere, has the chance to get ahead. Not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on its floor. Because if we've learned anything from this economic crisis, it's that we're all connected; we're all in this together; and we will rise or fall as one nation - as one people.

Colin Powell Endorses Obama on Meet The Press: Transcript (10-19-08)

Read the complete transcript.

MR. BROKAW: General Powell, actually you gave a campaign contribution to Senator McCain. You have met twice at least with Barack Obama. Are you prepared to make a public declaration of which of these two candidates that you're prepared to support?

GEN. POWELL: Yes, but let me lead into it this way. I know both of these individuals very well now. I've known John for 25 years as your setup said. And I've gotten to know Mr. Obama quite well over the past two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who are patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Either one of them, I think, would be a good president. I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that's a choice the party makes. And I've said to Mr. Obama, "You have to pass a test of do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president."

And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, and I've had this conversation with him. I have especially watched over the last six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good measure of both. In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.

On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.

And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed-out terrorist. Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate.

Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

McCain Interviewed on 'FOX News Sunday': Transcript (10-19-08)

Read the complete transcript of John McCain's interview with Chris Wallace.

WALLACE: Let's start with where this race stands now, 16 days before the election. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of national polls, you trail Obama by seven points, 50-43.

And take a look at the latest electoral map from Karl Rove based on public state polls. He has Obama leading in states with 313 electoral votes, 43 more than he needs to win the presidency. You lead in states with 171 electoral votes.

Senator McCain, aren't you in a world of trouble?

MCCAIN: All right, look. First of all, there are polls this morning — reliable — Zogby, Rasmussen, Gallup — all those that show us in the margin of error or somewhat behind. Are we behind? Sure. I'm the underdog.

I've always — I've been the underdog in a number of races, and we're very happy with the way the campaign is going. I'm very happy with the debate — went there the other night.

And look, I've been on enough campaigns, my friend, to sense enthusiasm and momentum, and we've got it, and I — again, I don't have to look at polls, but the polling numbers have closed dramatically in the last few days.

We're going to be in a tight race and we're going to be up late on election night. That's just — I'm confident of that. I've been in too many campaigns, my friend, not to — not to sense that things are headed our way.

It's going to be tough. Sure, it's tough. I mean, Senator Obama raised $150 million in — I understand, during the month of September, completely breaking whatever idea we had after Watergate to keep the costs and spending on campaigns under control — first time, first time since the Watergate scandal.

And I can tell you this, that has unleashed now in presidential campaigns a new flood of spending that will then cause a scandal, and then we will fix it again.

But Senator Obama has broken it, and he broke his word to me and the American people when he signed a piece of paper when he was a longshot candidate that he would take public financing if I would. He signed a piece of paper.

Then, twice on national television he looked into the camera with Senator Clinton sitting there and said, "I'll sit down and talk to John McCain before I make a decision on public financing or not." He didn't tell the truth.

And finally, there's $200 million of those campaign contributions — there's no record. They're not reported. You can report online now — $200 million that — that we don't know where the money came from — a lot of strange things going on in this campaign.

The American people should know where every penny came from. They know where every penny of my campaign contributions came from.

WALLACE: Well, let me ask you about the money, because, as...

MCCAIN: Sure.

WALLACE: ... as you alluded to it — I was going to ask you about it. Obama today announced that he raised $150 million in September. By way of comparison, accepting public financing, you're getting $84 million for the entire campaign.

He's outspending you on advertising 4-1. In the key state of Virginia, for instance, he has three times as many field offices. Is he buying this election?

MCCAIN: Well, I think you could make that argument, but we're not going to let him. We're not going to let that happen.

But what I worry about is future elections, too, not only mine. I worry about — most about mine at the moment, but what's going to happen the next time around, four years from now?

What's going to happen, particularly if you've got an incumbent president, and we no longer stick to the finance — the public financing, which was a result of the Watergate scandal?

So what's going to happen? The dam is broken. We're now going to see huge amounts of money coming into political campaigns, and we know history tells us that always leads to scandal.

Palin Appears on SNL: Transcript, Video (10-18-08)

Sarah Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live last night. Read the complete transcript. See videos below.


Palin Raps

Partial transcript below:

JASON SUDEIKIS - "Good evening, I'm Tim Lydecker Sarah Palin's spokesman and we're very excited to be holding the Governor's first official press conference. Now tonight, nothing is off-limits while at the same time, I urge you guys to 'be cool.' Seriously guys just be cool. And one last thing: no recording devices and don't write anything down."

(Gathered "reporters" react)

SUDEIKIS - "Worth a shot. Can't blame me for trying. Without further ado, I present Governor Sarah Palin."

(TINA FEY enters as GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN)

FEY AS GOV. PALIN - "First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media as well as the liberal regular media. I am lookin' forward to a portion of your questions, so let's get started. Yes, you?"

FRED ARMISEN (as reporter):
"What were your thoughts on Senator McCain's debate performance Wednesday?"

FEY AS GOV. PALIN --
You know, I just thought he was great. Because the American people are angry. And John McCain is angry too. And you can tell he's angry by the way he sighs and
grits his teeth and he's always goin' like (MAKES FACE AND GROWLING NOISE). And that Barack Obama? Well if he's angry, I certainly can't tell. His voice is smooth and when he's talkin' it's like an angel whispering in your ear. He makes John McCain sound like a garbage truck unloading trash at a landfill. So to answer your question, yes, I think John McCain did great. You guy?

WILL FORTE (as reporter) - "At a rally in North Carolina this week you said that you like to visit the quote pro-America parts of the country. Are there parts of the country that you consider un-American?

FEY AS GOV. PALIN - Y'know , that was just my lame attempt at a joke. But um, yes - New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and California (SHE GIVES A THUMBS DOWN). But then also too you have states like Ohio and Pennsylvania and Florida which could be real real anti-American or real real pro-American. It's up to them. (SHE winks) And now I'd like to entertain
everybody with some fancy pageant walkin.'

(CUT TO: "SNL" Executive Producer LORNE MICHAELS and the real GOVERNOR SARAH
PALIN standing next to a monitor watching the scene)

MICHAELS - "I really wish that that had been you."

GOV. PALIN - "Well, Lorne, you know, I just didn't think it was a realistic
depiction of how one of my press conferences woulda gone."

MICHAELS - "Yes, but it's obviously it's a heightened reality."

GOV. PALIN - "Why couldn't we do the '30 Rock' sketch I wrote?"

MICHAELS - "Honestly, not enough people know that show."

(MARK WAHLBERG ENTERS)

WAHLBERG - "Hey, Lorne?"

MICHAELS - "Mark!"

WAHLBERG -I'm looking for Andy Samberg. Where is he?"

MICHAELS - "Mark, that was all in good fun."

WAHLBERG -- "Are you gonna make me bust your head open too? Because I will.
Where is he?"

MICHAELS - "Third dressing room on the left."

MW - Thank you

(WAHLBERG storms off)

MICHAELS -- He didn't like the impression we did of him on the show.

GOV. PALIN - "Tell me about it."

Desperate Republicans Makeup Ayers, Barack Obama Friendship

Senator Obama maybe showed poor judgment in going to the home of a unrepentant terrorist. But he was brought to the home of Ayers by Obama's State Senate predecessor, Alice Palmer. That is not the same as saying that they were pals. Obama was there to promote his candidacy not because he admired Ayers. And there hasn't been any evidence shown that there was much contact between the two individuals since then, 13 years later. When Ayers made those detestable remarks in 2001 ("I don't regret setting bombs. I don't think we did enough.") was Obama "associating" himself with Ayers? Does Obama even know about those remarks? If they were pals where are the pictures? Did Ayers ever visit the home of Mr.Obama, as you would expect from friends? Has Obama ever had dinner with Ayers --who lives nearby? Doesn't sound like much of a friendship.

And why hasn't anyone at the University where Ayers teaches objected to his presence there? And did anyone object to the fact that Ayers worked for Mayor Richard M. Daley? Despite his past, Ayers is a respected member of his community. He lives openly and freely without anyone objecting to his presence in their community. Why weren't Republicans objecting in 1995? And if the Obama association with Ayers is so bad why do pro-Republican news outlets like FOX make false claims that Ayers was a "mentor" to Obama?

Now even McCain supporters, like Republican Maine Senator, Susan Collins, are telling him to drop this line of attack:

The Obama campaign, meanwhile, is fighting a conservative group called the American Issues Project over a TV commercial that links Obama to Ayers. The campaign argues that the nonprofit group is violating federal laws regulating political ads by nonprofits.

The group filed a document with the Federal Election Commission last week identifying Texas billionaire Harold Simmons as the lone financier of the ad, contributing nearly $2.9 million to produce and air it. Simmons is a fundraiser for John McCain and was one of the major contributors to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which aired ads in 2004 against John Kerry.

This behavior on the part of the McCain campaign might explain why Obama is being endorsed by unlikely supporters:

Democrat Barack Obama won endorsements from two unlikely newspapers — the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

While the Tribune is the largest daily in Obama's hometown, the publication hasn't backed a Democrat in its 161-year history. And the Times hasn't endorsed a presidential candidate since 1972, when it backed President Richard M. Nixon's re-election.

In an editorial posted on its Web site, the Tribune said the country needs a president who can lead it through a "perilous time" and restore "a common sense of national purpose." Obama is the best candidate to do that, the editorial board said.

"We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions," the Tribune said. "He is ready."

Palin Interview with Indiana Reporter: Transcript (10-17-08)

"WTHR political reporter Kevin Rader had a sit-down interview with Gov. Sarah Palin after she arrived in Indiana for a rally in Noblesville Friday. The following is a transcript of his interview." Partial below:

WTHR: The last time Indiana did not go Republican in a presidential election was 1964. Do you think in these economic times, you're still gonna be able to hold this state?

Gov. Palin: I think that we will hold this state and I certainly hope so. Indiana has been a red state my entire life, since 1964 as a matter of fact, and we wanna keep it that way because the agenda that John McCain and I have for America I believe is the right agenda for our great nation at this time - to reduce taxes, to reign in government growth, get our nation firmly on a path towards energy independence, win the war, those things all packaged together, is the right agenda. It's where we should be headed right now. Our ticket represents that. We have that commitment - that commitment to reform government to allow all this to happen and I believe that Indiana voters will see that and at the end of the day November 4th it will be good.

WTHR: Your opponent's been here 46 times, partly because of the contested primary. But still, that's a lot.

Palin: Well, neither ticket will take anything for granted. Speaking for our own ticket, we will not take anything for granted. That, too, is why I am here. Wanting to speak with Indiana voters, letting them know that they count, they matter. We want to hear from them. Not just hear me speaking or hear a spokesperson for John McCain at a rally or anything else, but to hear from Indiana, what the concerns are, what the challenges are here, so we can do something about them.

WTHR: 79 percent in a recent poll that our station and The Indianapolis Star conducted said the nation is headed in the wrong direction. Change is the key issue in this debate. How do you, when your opponent has tried to paint you guys with the Bush brush, separate from that and tell us what you really want to do?

Palin: That strategy is wearing thin though, because American voters, they're smarter than that. They know John McCain is his own man and he has been the maverick of having to take on his own party and the Bush administration when need be, certainly taking shots from the other party too, and as he'll tell you, he's got the scars to prove it. He has been the maverick, never one just to go along to get along as opposed to Barack Obama - 96 percent of the time voting with his party leadership. That's not bucking the system in any way. So it's tough to know you can trust someone to change the system if they've never been willing to take on the system. McCain has.

SNL Spoofs the 3rd Presidential Debate: Transcript, Video (10-16-08)

Saturday Night Live (Thursday edition) spoofs the 3rd and final presidential debate.

Read the transcript below:

CHRIS PARNELL AS BOB SCHIEFFER: "Good evening, I'm Bob Schieffer of CBS News and
welcome to the third and final Presidential debate of the 2008 election. I'll
be your moderator tonight, for what we hope will be a lively and substantive
discussion between the candidates, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator
John McCain of Arizona. Gentlemen, let's begin. Obviously, with another
700-point plunge in the DOW today, this economy is in trouble. Each of you have
plans to address the problem, but tell us, why yours is better than your
opponent's. We'll start with Senator McCain."

DARRELL HAMMOND AS SEN. JOHN McCAIN: "Bob, let me begin by saying, a few days
ago, Senator Obama was out in Ohio, and he had an encounter with a man named
Joe, who is a plumber. We'll call him 'Joe the Plumber.' Now Joe wants to buy
the business where he's worked for many years. And he looked at Senator Obama's
tax plan, and saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes. Which would leave
him unable to employ people, and achieve the American dream. So my question is,
why would you want to do that to Joe the Plumber? What did Joe the Plumber ever
do to you, that you want to raise his taxes? Of all the people to go after in
this way, why single out Joe the Plumber?"

FRED ARMISEN AS SEN. BARACK OBAMA: "First of all, look, I don't recall meeting
the individual you're referring to. But let me say this, nearly all small
businesses earn less than $250,000 a year. And if Joe's business falls into
that category, he should know that under my plan, his taxes will not go up. Not
one cent."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Senator, I don't think most people believe that. And I
know Joe the Plumber doesn't. Because he's told me so. And frankly, I trust
Joe the Plumber a lot more than I trust your plan. Because Joe the Plumber is a
straight shooter, and one of the finest people I've ever known. And I'll tell
you something else: He's got a lot of good ideas on how to fix this economy.
And, as President, I'll be relying on his advice and expertise."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "Let's turn to a related topic. Over the last several
years, we've seen budget deficits increase dramatically, with some experts
saying this year's could reach nearly a trillion dollars. What will either of
you do to bring government spending under control? Senator Obama?"

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "Look, obviously, Bob, all government programs need to be
examined to see if they're necessary, or if they're working, or if they could do
the job more efficiently. But we've got to cut these programs carefully, with a
scalpel, not a hatchet."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "The fact is, Senator, only one of us has a record of
fighting wasteful government spending, and it's me. As President, I would go
after the bloated budgets with a giant hatchet, and then use a scalpel. Or I
might take the advice of my friend, Joe the Plumber, and use a plunger."

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "A plunger? I don't understand."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Obviously, Senator. It's not an ordinary plunger.
It's a magical plunger."

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "So, your friend 'Joe the Plumber' has a 'magical
plunger?'"

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "That's correct."

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "Would your friend Joe, be, by any chance an 'imaginary
friend?'"

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Senator, Joe the Plumber lives in a cigar box, under my
bed, with our friend Simon."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "So, Joe the Plumber would be very tiny then."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Joe stands about 3 and a half inches tall. Except when
he's upset. Then he can become as big as a house! He's my best friend."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: (AFTER AN AWKWARD SILENCE) "Alright, let's turn to a new
topic..."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Bob, could I just add, that Simon is invisible?"

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "Of course. Gentlemen, over the last few weeks, the tone
of this campaign has become increasingly nasty. Senator Obama, in describing
your opponent, your campaign has used words like 'erratic,' 'out of touch,'
'lying,' 'losing his bearings,' 'senile,' 'dementia,' 'nursing home,'
'decrepit,' and 'at death's door.' Senator McCain, your ads have featured terms
such as 'disrespectful,' 'dangerous,' 'foreign,' 'sleeper agent,' and
'uncircumcised.' Are you both comfortable with this level of discourse?"

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "Look Bob, obviously, in any campaign, harsh things are
going to be said. And certainly, both of our campaigns have now and then
crossed the line. But, I have to say; I am troubled by some of the things said
about me at my opponent's rallies. Things like 'traitor,' 'kill him,' and 'off
with his head.' And unfortunately, Senator McCain has yet to condemn these
comments."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Bob, as to the 'off with his head' comment, that was
shouted at a rally we held at a Renaissance Fair. The gentleman had too much
mead and he was removed by security. "

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "At that same event, I was also denounced as a
'sorcerer.'"

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "At any rally of nearly 75 people, you're going to get a
couple of crackers. We all know that. But just a few moments ago, my opponent
slandered my very best friend in the world, Joe the Plumber, as "imaginary."
Would the Senator like to apologize to Joe for that remark?"

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: (LOOKING INTO CAMERA) "Joe, when attempting to confirm
your existence..."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Senator, why don't you say it to his face? He's right
here." (POINTS TO TOP OF DESK)

(ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA plays along, and)

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA (LOOKING DOWN AT IMAGINARY PERSON STANDING ON DESK): "Joe,
if I in any way implied that you do not exist, I sincerely apologize."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Joe the Plumber tells me he accepts your apology...Wait
a second, what's that? No, don't worry, my tiny friend, I won't let him raise
your taxes."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "Alright. We have time for one more question. Let's talk
about the people each of you would bring into government. Specifically, your
running mates. Senator Obama?"

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "For nearly 35 years, Joe Biden has established a
reputation for honesty, compassion, and a mastery of the issues affecting this
nation. I can't think of anyone more qualified to assume the Presidency, should
anything happen to me."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "Senator McCain."

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Bob, I've known Senator Biden for nearly 25 years. And
I think he's a good man. But let me say something here. He has never been
particularly nice to Joe the Plumber. I think Joe the Plumber resents that. In
fact, I know he does. But as to my own running mate, Governor Palin, I couldn't
be more proud of her. Now, on the question of people I'd bring into government,
let me say here tonight, that, as President, I will be the first to add a
cabinet-level Department of Plumbing. And you know how I'm going to tap for
that post?"

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "Joe the Plumber?"

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Bingo. Joe the Plumber. You're damn straight."

ARMISEN AS SEN. OBAMA: "What about your mutual friend Simon, who also lives in
the cigar box under your box?"

HAMMOND AS SEN. McCAIN: "Senator, Simon cannot serve in the Cabinet, because
Simon is a unicorn. And I think you know that."

PARNELL AS SCHIEFFER: "And that concludes tonight's third and final Presidential
debate. From all of us here at Hofstra University, goodnight and Live from New
York, it's Saturday Night!!!"

Related Posts

• SNL Spoofs 2nd Presidential Debate: Transcript, Video (10-9-08)
• SNL's Tina Fey Spoofs Palin, VP Debate: Transcript, Video (10-4-08)
• Tina Fey Plays Sarah Palin, Again: Video (9-27-08)
• Tina Fey as Palin on SNL: Transcript, Video