Hotline After Dark -- The Great Debaters
There was some talk about Barack Obama's association with ACORN, but most of last night's TV coverage focused on what John McCain needs to do (or not do) in tonight's debate:
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), on McCain promising to bring up Bill Ayers during the debate: "Let's see what happens. ... Barack Obama needs to be crystal clear as he has been ... about the really sort of slight contacts that have existed here. And John McCain, you know, needs to be careful of his flank. I mean, I read a story today that ... the head of [McCain's] transition was lobbying for Saddam Hussein. I mean, if this is what we want to debate about, John McCain really runs the risk here" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 10/14).
FNC's O'Reilly: "There's no way McCain can out entitle Barack Obama, no matter what plans he tries to sell. The only area where McCain could score, and big, is enforcement and oversight, bringing to justice the villains who have caused all the economic pain. ... That is Senator McCain's opening. ... Senator Obama is simply too good a debater to think you can beat him on complicated tax plans. It's not going it happen. But Obama is a cautious politician, not a demonstrative crusader, while McCain is much more emotional. So again, he has an opening to right some wrongs" ("O'Reilly Factor," 10/14).
GOP strategist Alex Castellanos: "I think Senator McCain is rightly going to talk and say, not that you don't know Barack Obama, but you do. He said he's going to tax, he's going to spend. What happens if Democrats in Washington and a Democratic president get together and spend and tax, without restraint, with no one there to stop them, with no adult supervision? Make a case that is relevant to voters. And talk about risk that way, but don't talk about risk, you know, Barack Obama 20 years ago" ("AC 360," CNN, 10/14).
More after the jump, including Meghan McCain's beef with Bush.
(KATHERINE LEHR)
Newsweek's Fineman: "The McCain campaign is like every other campaign on the defensive, it's schizophrenic. They can't decide what their strategy is. If Barack Obama is the greatest risk that we've ever faced, if he's palling around with terrorists, if he doesn't understand America, if he doesn't know what mainstream culture is all about -- then the McCain campaign has a duty to go pedal to the medal against him. But one minute McCain does it, one minute his surrogates do it, one minute the RNC does it, in the other minute, John McCain himself pulls back" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 10/14).
Ex-Romney nat'l press sec. Kevin Madden: "He's going to go right after Barack Obama on the issue of credibility. You know, ultimately, these debates are about moments. And John McCain needs to find a moment where he can crystallize the differences between him and Barack Obama on these attributes, that he's the credible leader, he's the person with experience, that he's the candidate with judgment, and Barack Obama is not" ("Election Center," CNN, 10/14).
ALL IS NOT FORGIVEN
And Meghan McCain appeared on "Hannity & Colmes."
FNC's Hannity, on MoveOn.org's new anti-McCain ad featuring "Gossip Girl" actors Penn Badgley and Blake Lively: "Who cares what celebrities think? Do you agree with me?"
M. McCain: "I'm a big proponent of people sticking to their craft. And actors [do] acting and people who do politics do politics."
M. McCain, asked who she is supporting: "I don't know. I'm still undecided. ... No, of course, I'm supporting my father, of course."
FNC's Colmes, on M. McCain voting for Kerry in '04: "What happened? Oh, your father ran, that's what happened, right?"
M. McCain: "I can be behind my father all day every day ... until the end of time. I just couldn't get behind President Bush. I just couldn't. It's personal. ... I was 19 at the time. ... It had to do with my little sister, and like, you know, you were just saying that the wounds of a political child run really deep. And there are things that I don't know if I'll ever completely get over."
Colmes: "Was it because of what happened in 2000 during the campaign?"
M. McCain: "Yes."
Colmes: "What about your dad now?"
M. McCain: "No. He's a great forgiver, move on-er. ... It's been particularly harsh on my family. I'm sorry, the new Atlantic cover, I will not forgive those people for doing that to my father" (FNC, 10/14).
Why do we talk about Obama's association with ACORN and not McCain's being a key speaker at an event sponsored by ACORN a couple years ago?
I don't think either candidate has anything to apologize for with regards to ACORN, but the media does.
The Real Issue is the economy. If Senator McCain brings up Ayers, then Obama should bring up Keating 5 which is a matter of Federal Record and costs to thousands who lost their life savings in the Savings and Loan scandal. McCain's association with a convicted felon was deplorable.
GOP strategist Alex Castellanos: "What happens if Democrats in Washington and a Democratic president get together and spend and tax, without restraint, with no one there to stop them, with no adult supervision?"
HA! ROFLMAO! - RIIIIIGGHT! Because the Republicans have been SO GOOD at fiscal matters since 2001, when Shrub took office. No wonder these people are going to get blown out of the waters next month. They keep talking to us like we are completely effing STUPID and haven't beeen paying attention over the past 8 years.
President Obama and newly huge majorities in the Senate and the House will show Republicans what responsible government looks like. Republicans should get used to being in the minority as they are going to be there a long while.
William Ayers educational foundation was funded by Republicans, not Democrats, Republicans!
The Annenbergs who are Republicans, Bankrolled William Ayers with $50 million dollars. However, Walter and Leonore Annenberg weren’t just giving money to the educational foundation started by William Ayers, they were also giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican National Committee and various other Republican groups, as well as to a whole host of Republican candidates, including the following:
George W. Bush $4000 - Mitt Romney $5000
Strom Thurmond $1000 - Fred Thompson $500
Rick Santorum $3000
There are questions that are not being asked or answered such as --why would billionaire Republican philanthropists give millions of dollars to a program that was started by William Ayers, if he is such a scary figure and unrepentant? Why would George W., Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and all those other Republicans accept money from the people who were funding this William Ayers-associated group? And, why won’t McCain discuss these connections between the Republican Party and Ayers?"
Recently, McCain campaign put out a press release bragging about the fact that Leonore Annenberg has endorsed him for president. The very Leonore Annenberg who bankrolled William Ayers with millions of dollars is now backing McCain!
Lastly, Republican Arnold Weber who served on the board of the CAC with Barack, who worked with William Ayers in the 90’s, has also donated at least $1000 to the McCain campaign. So you see, McCain is accepting money from associates of William Ayers, and so far has not given the money back. Why won't McCain come clean about these facts? Why is he being deceitful about this?
http://www.republicansforobama.org/?q=node/3027
Shaun, it's the "Scary Dems" tactic.
Every time the Dems are about to win, the Right becomes all about "boo! scary dems!"
What she refuses to admit is that people are choosing to elect "scary dems" en masse. They mustn't be that scary after all.
Alex Castellano is an idiot. "ooh the scary dems spending and taxing... with no adult supervision."
WTF? Are we going to reduce this race to playground bickering? "Grow up! No, you grow up!" Give me a break. So the Dems are a bunch of children, running around with no supervision? How about the Repugs that have had control without supervision for 6 of the last eight years. Now they are throwing a tantrum and pounding their fists while they kick and scream because their little party might just be over. "Boohoo, we dont want to give up the white house. Whaaaa"
Alex Castellano is an idiot. "ooh the scary dems spending and taxing... with no adult supervision."
WTF? Are we going to reduce this race to playground bickering? "Grow up! No, you grow up!" Give me a break. So the Dems are a bunch of children, running around with no supervision? How about the Repugs that have had control without supervision for 6 of the last eight years. Now they are throwing a tantrum and pounding their fists while they kick and scream because their little party might just be over. "Boohoo, we dont want to give up the white house. Whaaaa"
I think Sarah Palin should simply lay back, and ignore the National Media... she will slide into the Whitehouse, and perhaps become President. This will inspire our backwards, degenerate nation into believing that all incestuous offspring can one day aspire to become President. Who knows, if Bush jr. can get into office with his daddy's help, then I wouldn't put it past our dumb nation to elect Trig into office in twenty years. Welcome to our "idiocracy."
Slowly but sure...in the path to dictatorhip in America.
The Wall of dictatorship fell down in Red Berlin, but here we are marching towards the establisment of a Red and Racial dictatorship. If you do not vote Obama, you are a racist. It is not program what matters, but the demagoguery going on with race. The Pelosi-Reid gang will be responsible for the staging with their puppet Obama before history of the future path to catastrophy that may take America.
Today, mr.Obama even insinuated to the people of this country that FOX News should be done away with, for it irritates him because HAD IT NOT EXIST he would have been three or four points more ahead. Just like in Communists societies one paper, one manipulated news, one idea.This is pure and the worst of Stalinism conception, thus all of a sudden because he is "the first black" we all have to obey otherwise we are not politically correct. What does this man friend of red terrorist Ayers hides behind that facade of his?. No wonder the Castros in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela have expressed their congeniality with this guy.
This country is being led into the wrong path. On the other hand it is getting so for mr.Obama fed by a sycophant press has become so dangerous and arrogant that the mouthpiece for mr.Obama's campaing Jessie Jackson delcared openly yesterday in France that "Israel will no longer be priority in US politics". In Iran they are excited about this kind of message. Neither the people of the US nor the people of Israel is weaponless; it is very important to keep strong and to defend Democracy. Some people all of the sudden think they own this country in fact not realising they are "somebodies" because there is a "bad" US and not the other way around. Try luck in Africa gentlemen and you'll see WHY THIS IS THE VERY BEST AND MORE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY OF THE WORLD. A country to which we ALL owe and not the other way'round.
We have to remain in the ALERT fellow Americans.
When all else fails go for the nuts.
When all else fails go for the nuts.