Hotline After Dark -- What's Mine Is Yours

CNN's Bash caught up with John McCain. Some highlights:

McCain, asked if he's going to offer any new economic proposals this week: "I'll let you know tomorrow."

Bash: "Well, your opponent, Barack Obama, did offer something new today. I'm sure you've heard about it. ... He said that he said that there should be a 90-day foreclosure moratorium for homeowners who act in good faith and, also, a $3,000 tax break for businesses that create jobs. What do you think about it?"

McCain: "Well, obviously, the second part has been a proposal of mine. And I mean, we all want to create jobs and create incentives for doing so. On the first one, he wants to give a 90-day moratorium. ... That's fine. But what I want to do is have some of this $750 billion -- about $300 billion of it -- go and buy out these bad mortgage -- and, of course, the parameters are for people it's a primary residence, a certain income level and all that -- and give them a new mortgage. Give them had a new mortgage so that they can afford it and they can stay in their homes."

After the jump, McCain on Ayers, Biden on GOP tactics, Obama's economic proposal and reaction to Kristol's suggestion.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Bash: "Why has ... [Obama's] poll numbers seem to have gone up and confidence in him with regard to the economy seems to have gone up, while you have had the opposite?"

McCain: "I'm happy where we are. We're, as I said in my statement, we've got them just where we want them. We're going to be just fine. I have been written off, Dana, on so many occasions by political pundits that it's hard for me to count. And I think it's more lives than a cat."

Bash: "Why is William Ayers fair game and Jeremiah Wright, who has a much more closer established relationship with Barack Obama, in your view, is off the table?"

McCain: "Well, because William Ayers was an unrepentant terrorist. ... He and his wife -- they both want to still destroy America. That's an unusual breed of cat."

Bash, on McCain and Sarah Palin rallies: "We've heard people in the crowd screaming things like 'Terrorist!,' 'Traitor!,' when you talked about Senator Obama -- and worse."

McCain: "I've heard the same thing, unfortunately, at Senator Obama's rallies being said about me. There's always a fridge element that's in politics in America. The overwhelming majority of the people that come to my rallies are good and decent and patriotic Americans. And if they're worried about this country's future, that's correct. But to somehow ... intimate that the overwhelming majority of those people, with rare exception, are somehow not good Americans or are motivated by anything but the most patriotic motives, is insulting. And I won't accept that insult."

McCain, on VA GOP Chair Jeffrey Frederick comparing Obama with Osama bin Laden: "I have repudiated every time there's a statement about Senator Obama made that I felt was inappropriate and unfair. You have people in political campaigns, on the outermost fringe on both ends of the spectrum. Now, a respected member of Congress, John Lewis, who I admire and have written about how much I admire, somehow linked me and Governor Palin to racism, to segregationism, to some of the worst aspects ever to appear in American politics. And Senator Obama refuses or has not yet repudiated those comments. That's not from some quote party official. That's from one of the most respected people in America. It's unfair. It's unfair and it's outrageous."

Bash: "I was told by one of your aides that when you saw that statement from John Lewis ... you said this is a big deal and we need to figure out how to respond to that. And, of course, you ended up coming out with your own statement in your name. And in that statement, you said that you were concerned that Lewis and people like him were trying to 'shut down debate.' What did you mean by that?"

McCain: "The accusation that Congressman Lewis made is so far out of bounds and so disturbing to me -- so of course it stopped me in my tracks. ... That's not what America and this debate should be all about. And so I will reject vigorously and I will reject that kind of language" ("Situation Room," 10/13).

HEALTH CONSCIENCE

MSNBC's Matthews caught up with Joe Biden after a 10/12 rally in Scranton, PA. The interview aired on last night's "Hardball."

Biden, on GOP surrogates referring to Obama by his full name during stage appearances: "This is all about not wanting to talk about what's really bothering people and trying to change the subject. ... How do you explain what got us into the spot we're in economically and in terms of our foreign policy without walking away from the last eight years' policies or coming up with another explanation why it's somebody else's fault? Well, I don't think the McCain/Palin ticket can do either. One, if they do, they lose their base. The other, if they do, there's no legitimate argument. So what are they going to talk about? They're going to talk about Barack and they're going to talk to scare people."

More Biden: "It's unhealthy, you know? You don't throw race, terrorism, you know, the 'other guy,' 'Who is this man?' -- that's a combustible mix in an environment where people are concerned, angry."

Matthews: "Are we talking potential violence here?"

Biden: "I hope not. It's just not a useful time to be running an ad ... that says, look, the guy consorts with terrorists, puts a picture of a guy up nobody knows, doesn't explain Barack Obama was eight years old when this guy did bad things."

Matthews: "What kind of a situation will that be Wednesday night, if John McCain does continue with that pattern that the campaign has been following of, as you call them, inferences?"

Biden: "I think John will regret the rest of his life, having an incredible career being cast in what people will remember. I just don't think John will do that."

Matthews: "You don't think he'll get face-to-face?"

Biden: "No, I don't. I think John's already begun to realize, just by what I have seen on television and a lot of you have reported, that John's sort of pushing back" (MSNBC, 10/13).

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN GOODIES

And what about Obama's new economic proposal? The roundtable on "Special Report" weighed in:

NPR's Liasson: "I think this is a politically popular proposal. The first question in that debate in Nashville was what specifically will you do to help people like me, or something like that. And that's what people want to hear. And they are going to look at this and say, I can take more money out of my 401k without a withdrawal penalty. And if I'm a small business, I will get a tax cut if I hire somebody. And I will be able to stay in my home more. I think it's a pretty typical Democratic solution. However, people might be open to that right now since they like the idea of the government spending money and cutting taxes as much as possible to stimulate the economy."

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "I think the brilliance of this is that Obama understands that the economic meltdown has helped him in two ways. First of all, obviously, it makes people want to throw the incumbent rascals out and bring in Democrats. But, secondly, because the government has passed a package of $700 billion, which is a huge number and which is impressed itself in the national consciousness, everything else seems like lunch money. So here he is proposing $60 billion in spending that in ordinary times you would have an argument about. ... So he is using ... it cleverly as a way to cover handing out the usual goodies to Democratic constituencies on the eve of an election. Normally it would be called a pander, and now he calls it a national rescue" (FNC, 10/13).

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT, FIRE AWAY

There was also some talk about Bill Kristol writing in the New York Times that McCain should fire his campaign:

MSNBC's Scarborough: "I think Bill Kristol needs to take a deep breath. There are still 21 days in the campaign and ask Bob Shrum, how long 21 days is in a presidential campaign. In fact, ask him how long five hours is. He can ask President Kerry how long five hours is" ("Race for the WH," 10/13).

Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "There are many, many Republican strategists and camp followers who are extremely discouraged right now. And I think Bill Kristol is giving voice to that. But, you know, he has already done that once. He fired his campaign earlier when he was in trouble. And he did rise from the ashes, and admirably so. But I have to tell you, whatever you think of the campaign staff -- and I have disagreed seriously with a lot of what they have done -- ultimately, it is the candidate who is responsible for his campaign staff, not the other way around" ("AC 360," CNN, 10/13).

Dem strategist Chris Kofinis: "The problem, I think, with Kristol's strategy is it misses one fundamental point. The voters aren't listening to John McCain. I don't think it's a question of message any longer, they tuned him out. And I think we have seen that over the last two debates. I'm not sure firing the campaign would be an innovative event. I don't think that saves John McCain's campaign" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 10/13).