To all posters I want to commend John McCain for suspending his campaign for Putting the USA Economy first before politics.I hope Senator Obama will do the same suspending his campaign for the benefit of the USA economy.Remember we are all Americans before we are Republicans or Democrats and we should want both candidates to help resolve this problem with a plan.

Tony, this ploy is an obvious attempt by McCain to play politics instead of seriously discuss the options available to America in front of all Americans instead of the backroom billionaires in the Bush White House.

A serious debate never did America any harm. Just ask Honest Abe, who if alive today would undoubtedly endorse the man from the Land of Lincoln who has said he's unafraid to confront enemies abroad in best Reagan/Kennedy tradition.

Ronald Reagan also was an Illinoisan who didn't duck debates. America should never run away from an open discussion of her concerns -- "open" meaning out in the open, not some made-for-Washington drama that politicians-as-usual exploit for photo opportunities to pretend they're doing something a la Katrina. America needs answers now; hopefully Obama will give us some come Friday night, whether or not McCain shows up in his forefathers' homeland of Mississippi.

quote:

Originally posted by Jethro Bodine:
Tony, this ploy is an obvious attempt by McCain to play politics instead of seriously discuss the options available to America in front of all Americans instead of the backroom billionaires in the Bush White House.

A serious debate never did America any harm. Just ask Honest Abe, who if alive today would undoubtedly endorse the man from the Land of Lincoln who has said he's unafraid to confront enemies abroad in best Reagan/Kennedy tradition.

Ronald Reagan also was an Illinoisan who didn't duck debates. America should never run away from an open discussion of her concerns -- "open" meaning out in the open, not some made-for-Washington drama that politicians-as-usual exploit for photo opportunities to pretend they're doing something a la Katrina. America needs answers now; hopefully Obama will give us some come Friday night, whether or not McCain shows up in his forefathers' homeland of Mississippi.

I disagree I think McCain showed leadership by doing what he did

quote:

Originally posted by AnthonyGrimm:
I think McCain showed leadership by doing what he did

Cutting & running & playing the "victim" is not the American way. Ducking a debate does a disservice to the hopes & dreams of a country crying out for change & seeking the best path to achieve it.

quote:

Originally posted by Jethro Bodine:

quote:

Originally posted by AnthonyGrimm:
I think McCain showed leadership by doing what he did

Cutting & running & playing the "victim" is not the American way. Ducking a debate does a disservice to the hopes & dreams of a country crying out for change & seeking the best path to achieve it.

Keith,
First off McCain is not running, he is doing what a true leader does help bring together people to solve a problem which has ramifications that effect all Americans.He said he wants to delay the debate how is that running?It shows to me that Obama is more concerned with gaining power then solving a problem that is as serious as any problem we have seen in our generation.They can still have the debate but not till there is plan to resolve this issue as you as a businessman would be personally effected and many others in the USA and people around the world.
Can I ask you a question and I want a straight answer do you want the US economy to fail just so your candidate can be elected.I hope that is not true.

quote:

Originally posted by AnthonyGrimm:
Can I ask you a question and I want a straight answer do you want the US economy to fail just so your candidate can be elected. I hope that is not true.

How & why could I ever want the US economy to fail the way it's been failing for the past year? Why would I want to pay $4 per gallon for Gasoline, & $7/bushel for Corn? In the Philippines, Tony, you must be paying far more than we in Indiana are for these basic necessities. That's not change; it's more of the same.

Like it or not, history teaches us that it's in good times that leaders often are booted out of office. For example, Winston Churchill won World War Two against Hitler but lost the election in England by a 2-1 vote before we dropped the A-Bomb on Hiroshima.

George Bush the First was the most successful military President since James Knox Polk, piling up impressive victories from Panama to Iraq (remember?). Yet he lost the Presidency to a little-known philanderer from a tiny town called Hope.

So the answer, again, is NO, Tony -- not I nor any other patriotic American wishes for further maladies to befall our country. That's why we so desperately need for our leaders like Obama & McCain to stand up proud & talk out loud rather than hide & play politics in the shadows.

How is this playing politics? McCain is trading in one of his best polling issue(foreign policy) for one of his worst(economy) John McCain and Barack Obama were elected by their states to represent them in the Senate. They would be doing their state and country a great disservice if they don't join with other leaders to carve out a solution to a very real and troubling issue.

quote:

Originally posted by jb399:
How is this playing politics? McCain is trading in one of his best polling issue (foreign policy) for one of his worst(economy) ...

There he goes again, not understanding that "polling issues" represent precisely the kind of partisan political playbooking that America longs to leave behind along w/ the Southern Strategy, questioning of patriotism, continual flailings of bombast, & other Viet Nam/Sixties-era examples of the old-boys/Baby Boomers' way of ill-running the country.

All these Neo-Conservatives know how to do, it often appears, is react to real financial & economic crises they created by fabricating political ones as smokescreens & wedges to deter us from meaningful debate of the issues that concern Americans. That's not change; it's more of the same. Obama won't stoop to governing-by-pollster.

I've come to the conclusion you really are in idiot. Can you read? I gave you reasons this isn't a political ploy from McCain. Playing politics would be for McCain to go to the debate on forgien policy(his strong suit) and ignore the economy(his not so strong suit). McCain is stepping up and doing the job the voters of Arizona elected him to do. Then again, I guess Obama is also doing what the voters of Illinois elected him to do by continuing what he started in the Illinois State Government by voting present so often.... nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by jb399:
I've come to the conclusion you really are in idiot. Can you read?

Desperate insults like jb399's latest zingers above are so morganpasse in our New Clean Forum.

quote:

I gave you reasons this isn't a political ploy from McCain. Playing politics would be for McCain to go to the debate on forgien policy(his strong suit) and ignore the economy(his not so strong suit).

I'd like to know where you got the notion, jb399, that Foreign Policy once was John McCain's "strong suit." The man's lost every war he ever participated in, relentlessly & recklessly rattles sabres at Russians & any other knee-jerk bogeyman, & chose a running mate who never had a passport until she was in her forties.

quote:

McCain is stepping up and doing the job the voters of Arizona elected him to do.

As Super Chicken would say, We knew the job was dangerous when we took it, Fred. John McCain should've thought of doing his job before taking on the added responsibility of running for President. If he can't multi-task, he'd better find someone who can operate a BlackBerry -- fast.

quote:

Then again, I guess Obama is also doing what the voters of Illinois elected him to do by continuing what he started in the Illinois State Government by voting present so often....

No Senator has missed more votes in the past year than John Sidney McCain the 3rd. His ploy to duck the debate w/ Obama sets an unfortunate example for young Americans yearning for problems to be dealt w/ in an open, upright, & mature manner.

Before Barack Obama came along Illinois sent two other favorite sons to the White House. The first, Honest Abe Lincoln, never ran & hid from an honest debate during the depths of the Civil War. The second, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan, despite advancing years & the Soviet Evil Empire to contend with managed to run the country & still show up to inform America of his views on the challenges facing us -- & Walter MonDale. Even Bush debated Kerry & could serve as President at the same time.

When faced w/ crisis, coolness & calm describe Barack Hussein Obama. Appropriate adjectives for John Sidney McCain III's performance ever since Freddie Mac folded are panic & pointing-to-Palin. Americans are getting a sneak peek at potential Presidencies of the two men. The Illinoisan will act on principle, the Arizonan will distract like a schoolboy caught in the principal's office.

Speaking of Freddie Mac, didja notice that McCain/Palin's campaign manager Rick Davis was paid $15,000 monthly by Freddie Mac for all of 2006 & 2007, up until August of 2008 -- about $500,000 in total? The New York Times did. See for yourself at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/politics/24davis.html

According to the report, One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement.

The disclosure undercuts a remark by Mr. McCain on Sunday night that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had had no involvement with the company for the last several years.


How many times can a man turn his head & pretend that he just doesn't see?

According to Center for Reponsive Politics the top 3 U.S. Senators getting big Fannie & Freddie political bucks were Democarats, and #2 was Nobama. Only been in the senate four years and beat out John Kerry and Chris Dodd the chairman of the senate banking committee. Democart Jim Johnson who headed Nobama VP search commitee hauled in millions from running Fannie Mae. Where is the change he keep's talking dont see it.

When asked about suspending his campaign Obama said that a president needed to be able to do two things at once, and he thought it was more important to let the people see who would be responsible for the problem in 40 days. I believe he doesn't realize that he is not president yet. He is currently a Senator and has not stepped down from that post. As a Senator he owes it to his his Illinois constituents to be in Washington drafting this legislation. Second whoever is elected in Nov does not take office until Jan 20 2009, 117 days from now.

Both men now lead their parties and should enter the fray to get this job done. Obama has said he is available should the Senate leaders need him. I want a Leader that grabs hold and leads. I suspect what we are seeing is the true nature of how each man has performed in the Senate. McCain as a party leader and elder, and Obama as a jr senator awaiting orders from his leadership.

To paraphrase Gene Hackman in the Replacements," a winner wants the ball when the game is on the line."

After reading JB comments that were reposted on here, I'm betting that if B.O. had suspended his campaign to take of business, JB would have behind the decision 100% while at the same time degrading McCain for not suspending his campaign. The Far Left and Far Right are never ever happy with any decision unless it makes their respective candidate look good. In this case B.O. isn't looking to good while McCain is taking the proverbial bull by the horns.

All of you should know by now that you can't carry on a respectful conversation with JB without him degrading those who disagree with him and the Republican candidate.

quote:

Originally posted by HazenWilliams:
I suspect what we are seeing is the true nature of how each man has performed in the Senate.

John McCain in review:

Since the 9th of April hasn't cast a single Senate vote.

Didn't offer the Vice-Presidency to his glib top rival evangelical Mike Huckabee

Picked Palin who's spent 85 days on the job in Juneau since leaving the Mayor's office

Cancelled the Republican Convention's Monday night presentation before the country

Prevents Palin from talking to the press

Said the economy's fundamentals were strong

Called to fire Chris Cox & appoint Andrew Cuomo, then changed his mind moments later

Now says we (presumably including the "fundamentals") are in a crisis

Agreed to work jointly w/ Obama in bipartisan fashion yesterday morning

Abruptly announced he'd skip the debate in the PM


John McCain always has been & will be one accident after another. His pattern is to break down under duress & lurch careeningly from one side of an issue to another, perpetually playing politics.

Under a McCain/Palin Presidency the world could expect the USA to abruptly drop out of time-honored commitments (the Olympics? the UN? FIFA?) & hide our heads in the sand complaining that others aren't playing politically fair.

Of course, the real reason McCain wants to duck a debate w/ Obama is to push a Palin/Biden duel further out on the schedule, or not have a VP debate at all. That's why he's asked to reschedule the Presidential debate to the same night as the VP debate.

Obama should go along w/ the switcheroo provided Palin & Biden debate tomorrow Friday night, subbing for their proposed Presidents. Then we'd get a good gander at how the Veeps would perform as first responders in a crisis. Washington could get along w/out them this weekend.

quote:

Originally posted by Jethro Bodine:


Of course, the real reason McCain wants to duck a debate w/ Obama is to push a Palin/Biden duel further out on the schedule, or not have a VP debate at all. That's why he's asked to reschedule the Presidential debate to the same night as the VP debate.

Wow, that is really good fiction.

We are to believe that McCain canceled his campaigning, called for everyone to return to the Senate and work on the most pressing problem in our country, just to delay the VP debate!

I am impressed at the intuition.