You forgot about this gaffe:
Another Biden gaffe

Do you think if he keeps this up he will step down and Obama will replace him with Hillary?

IMHO, that wouldn't be a good idea. It would make him look too indecisive.

Biden isn't going anywhere.

and I think some McCain campaign folks are gonna hand in their resignations...

McCain Aide’s Firm Was Paid by Freddie Mac

"WASHINGTON — 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 statement by Mr. McCain on Sunday night that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had had no involvement with the company for the last several years. "

-----

They said they did not recall Mr. Davis’s doing much substantive work for the company in return for the money, other than speak to a political action committee of high-ranking employees in October 2006 on the approaching midterm Congressional elections. They said Mr. Davis’s firm, Davis & Manafort, had been kept on the payroll because of Mr. Davis’s close ties to Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, who by 2006 was widely expected to run again for the White House.

-----

On Sunday, in an interview with CNBC and The New York Times, Mr. McCain responded to a question about Mr. Davis’s role in the advocacy group through 2005 by saying that his campaign manager “has had nothing to do with it since, and I’ll be glad to have his record examined by anybody who wants to look at it.”

Such assertions, along with McCain campaign television ads tying Mr. Obama to former Fannie Mae chiefs, have riled current and former officials of the two companies and provoked them to volunteer rebuttals. The two officials with direct knowledge of Freddie Mac’s post-2005 contract with Mr. Davis spoke on condition of anonymity. Four other outside consultants, three Democrats and a Republican also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the arrangement was widely known among people involved in Freddie Mac’s lobbying efforts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/pol...g3uGoxga8erd8UA

Campbell Brown rips McCain campaign for sexism: "Let Palin Defend Herself!"

OMG,

RR,

I was just gonna post this same clip. I just saw it on you tube came here and see it's posted. What a coincidence.

While I was at work today I was reading how the McCain camp first told the media they couldn't cover this story, and then said they could cover it, but not do any interviews or ask questions. A good job on her part. Glad someone in the media as a pair. Maybe McCain's free media ride is over.


TIS

What gets me is how that with that campaign's approach to Palin, they've effectively handled her like rare 19th century China plates...very fragile.

Considering she's done only two media interviews, ABC and FOX NEWS, both softball, and both times I felt she acted like...well, a few cans short of a six-pack...a few track laps short of a mile....

But that's my opinion. But the McCain campaign's press-access with Palin so far just only re-enforces that image of someone not up to the challenge, much less be the sweating and brutal henchman for the top-ticket person, as Vice-Presidential candidates do traditionally.

I mean yeah Biden has said some dumb gaffes, but he's out there campaigning hard in Pennsylvania and Virginia and shit.

More than anything else, I wonder what appleonya thinks of her gal being handled with TLC by her "boss."

Take it FWIW, but a new ABC News/Washington Post Poll released this morning has Obama up +9! 52% to 43%

McCain is going to get hit harder on the bailout. The pendulum is now swinging in Obama's favor. What may be more gratifying to Obama is that pols have shown him stretching his small lead in MI, MN, WI,and NV.

On to the debates.

I too would like to see the McCain camp remove the plastic bubble that's protecting Palin. It's apparent they view her strong on personal appeal, weak on the issues.

I am always uncomfortable believing polls, but it would "seem" that because of this crisis economic crisis it could be true. It would be absolutely horrible to get two major "shakeups", but if we were to get another terror threat, would it swing toward McCain?

I look forward to the debates. Foreign policy is suppose to be McCain's knowledgeable area. I'm thinking, as important as it is, that, right now,today, this week, most people want to hear more about eonomic policy. Could this whole economic thing be he "Ocotber Surprise" early???

I too was reading that the McCain camp plans (or at least did plan before the Wall crises) to start up with Reverend Wright ads again.


TIS

New York City got duped yesterday by a Palin imposter. This is humorous.

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/20...5952x1200611585

Ha ha ha. I didn't hear her speak, but I saw brief shot of her in NYC yesterday. She looks/sounds justlike her. I have a feeling that she would be aasy to "imitate" no???




TIS

I saw her picture, and didn't think it really looked like Sarah.

Poll: Economic fears give Obama lead
Survey gives Democrat a 9-point edge over McCain among likely voters
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
The Washington Post
updated 6:44 a.m. ET, Wed., Sept. 24, 2008

Turmoil in the financial industry and growing pessimism about the economy have altered the shape of the presidential race, giving Democratic nominee Barack Obama the first clear lead of the general-election campaign over Republican John McCain, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News national poll.

Just 9 percent of those surveyed rated the economy as good or excellent, the first time that number has been in single digits since the days just before the 1992 election. Just 14 percent said the country is heading in the right direction, equaling the record low on that question in polls dating back to 1973.

More voters trust Obama to deal with the economy, and he currently has a big edge as the candidate who is more in tune with the economic problems Americans now face. He also has a double-digit advantage on handling the current problems on Wall Street, and as a result, there has been a rise in his overall support. The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent. Two weeks ago, in the days immediately following the Republican National Convention, the race was essentially even, with McCain at 49 percent and Obama at 47 percent.

As a point of comparison, neither of the last two Democratic nominees -- John F. Kerry in 2004 or Al Gore in 2000 -- recorded support above 50 percent in a pre-election poll by the Post and ABC News.

Last week's near-meltdown in the financial markets and the subsequent debate in Washington over a proposed government bailout of troubled financial institutions have made the economy even more important in the minds of voters. Fully 50 percent called the economy and jobs the single most important issue that will determine their vote, up from 37 percent two weeks ago. In contrast, just 9 percent cited the Iraq war as their most important issue, its lowest of the campaign.

But voters are cool toward the administration's initial efforts to deal with the current crisis. Forty-seven percent said they approve of the steps taken by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve to stabilize the financial markets, while 42 percent said they disapprove.

Anxiety about the economic situation is widespread. Just over half of the poll respondents -- 52 percent -- believe the economy has moved into a serious long-term decline. Eight in 10 are concerned about the overall direction of the economy, nearly three-quarters worry about the shocks to the stock market, and six in 10 are apprehensive about their own family finances.

Two weeks ago, McCain held a substantial advantage among white voters, including newfound strength with white women. In the face of bad economic news, the two candidates now run about evenly among white women, and Obama has narrowed the overall gap among white voters to five percentage points.

Much of the movement has come among college-educated whites. Whites without college degrees favor McCain by 17 points, while those with college degrees support Obama by 9 points. No Democrat has carried white, college-educated voters in presidential elections dating back to 1980, but they were a key part of Obama's coalition in the primaries.

The political climate is rapidly changing along with the twists and turns on Wall Street, and it remains unclear whether recent shifts in public opinion will fundamentally alter the highly competitive battle between McCain and Obama. About two in 10 voters are either undecided or remain "movable" and open to veering to another candidate. Nevertheless, the close relationship between voters' focus on the economy and their overall support for the Democratic nominee has boosted Obama.

Among white voters, economic anxiety translates into greater support for Obama. He is favored by 54 percent of whites who said they are concerned about the direction of the economy, but by just 10 percent of those who are less worried.

The survey also found that the strong initial public reaction to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, has cooled somewhat. Overall, her unfavorable rating has gone up by 10 points in the past two weeks, from 28 percent to 38 percent.

She remains broadly popular -- 52 percent of voters view her positively -- but there have been some notable declines. Over the past two weeks, the percentage of independents with favorable views of Palin dropped from 60 percent to 48 percent. Among independent women, the decline was particularly sharp, going from 65 percent to 43 percent. Her favorable rating among whites without college degrees remained largely steady, but among those with college degrees, it dropped nearly 20 percentage points.

The survey also showed some backsliding in enthusiasm among McCain supporters. Overall, most supporters of each presidential candidate said they are enthusiastic about their choice, but 62 percent of Obama supporters said they are "very enthusiastic," compared with 34 percent of McCain's supporters. Coming out of the GOP convention, nearly half of those backing McCain said they did so fervently.

Among Republicans, conservatives and white evangelical Protestants, strong enthusiasm for McCain's candidacy has dropped by double digits.

The survey, conducted Friday through Monday, included telephone interviews with a random national sample of 1,082 adults, including 916 registered voters. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus three percentage points; it is four points for the sample of 780 likely voters.

Overall, Obama and McCain are tied among men in the new poll, while Obama has opened up a sizable lead among women. The candidates divide white voters, 50 percent for McCain to 45 percent for Obama, while Obama has an overwhelming advantage among African Americans, 96 percent to 3 percent.

Independents, key swing voters, now break for Obama, 53 percent to 39 percent, reversing a small lead for McCain after the Republican convention. McCain is the choice of 86 percent of Republicans, while about as many Democrats, 88 percent, back Obama.

In the new poll, voters once again gave Obama higher marks than McCain when it comes to dealing with the economy, 53 percent to 39 percent. Two weeks ago, Obama's edge on the question was a narrow five points, his lowest of the campaign. Among independents, Obama's advantage on the economy -- now 21 points -- is greater than at any point in the campaign.

McCain's advantages on national security issues have also been blunted. Two weeks ago, when those surveyed were asked who they trusted to deal with a major unexpected crisis, McCain led 54 percent to 37 percent. That lead is gone.

Similarly, McCain's once-sizable advantage in dealing with the battle against terrorism has all but disappeared. There were also big shifts toward Obama on handling Iraq and international affairs more broadly.

The first presidential debate, set for Friday evening, is slated to focus on foreign policy and national security, but economic issues seem likely to be included, given the developments on Wall Street. The debate appears poised to draw record levels of attention, as interest in the election has been sky high and continues to grow. Almost all voters are tuned in, and 55 percent are following "very closely," higher than at this time in 2004 and more than double the percentage so engaged in 2000.

A substantial hurdle for Obama is the widespread public skepticism about whether he would make a good commander in chief. On that question, he has made no significant headway in allaying voters' concerns. They remain evenly divided -- 48 percent said he would be effective in that role, 47 percent said he would not. Nearly three-quarters said McCain would manage the military well, and as many said he has the knowledge of world affairs to serve effectively.

Still, the candidates are rated about equally on the question of who is the stronger leader.

In the aftermath of the national conventions and the surprise pick of Palin, McCain had narrowed the gap with Obama on who is more likely to change Washington. In the new survey, Obama has reestablished his credentials on that front. He also now holds a double-digit lead as the more honest and trustworthy candidate, flipping what had been a slight McCain edge two weeks ago.

Obama has also cemented a clear edge among voters prioritizing the economy, a growing group. Among "economy voters," he now leads McCain by nearly 2 to 1. McCain holds advantages among voters prioritizing a range of concerns that rank lower on the issues list, making it harder for him to find ways to drive the agenda of the campaign into favorable territory.

There are already Reverend Wright ads and racist ads cropping up in Michigan by groups "not connected with McCain's campaign." If Obama starts to pull away in the polls there's no question they'll lay the race card.

There's breaking news on CNN. McCain is suspending his campaigning, and wants to postpone the debate Friday to "work on the economy". He's asking Obama to do the same. I haven't heard any details, but this sounds like a desperation move.

McCain suspends campaign for 'historic' crisis

* Story Highlights
* NEW: McCain calls on Obama to join him in effort to focus on economy
* NEW: Obama and McCain campaigns have spoken by phone
* NEW: McCain also calls for postponing Friday's presidential debate
* New CNN "poll of polls" shows McCain with slimmest of leads in Virginia

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign to return to Washington and focus on the "historic" crisis facing the U.S. economy.

The Arizona senator called on his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, to do the same. He also urged organizers of Friday's presidential debate at the University of Mississippi to postpone the event.

"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself," McCain told reporters in New York. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem."

There was no immediate response from the Obama campaign.

McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, were in New York to meet with world leaders at the United Nations. They had met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

"Senator, governor, I'm really honored to be here with you. I know you have a very important campaign to run," Saakashvili said. "Overall, I have to say I greatly appreciate the solidarity we felt from the American people."

Earlier, Palin met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Obama on Wednesday lashed out at the Bush administration and his opponent on the handling of the crisis on Wall Street as well as the $700 billion bailout plan by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.

Congress and the White House are trying to negotiate the details of what would be the most sweeping economic intervention by the government since the Great Depression. Bush has asked Congress to act quickly on the bailout proposal following news of failing financial institutions and frozen credit markets.

"The clock is ticking on this crisis. We have to act swiftly, but we also have to get it right," Obama said in Dunedin, Florida. "And that means everyone -- Republicans and Democrats, and the White House and Congress -- must work together to come up with a solution that protects American taxpayers and our economy without rewarding those whose greed helped get us into this problem in the first place."

Obama said it's unacceptable to expect the American people to "hand this administration or any administration a $700 billion check with no conditions and no oversight when a lack of oversight in Washington and on Wall Street is exactly what got us into this mess."

He said struggling homeowners must be taken care of in any economic recovery plan -- and that taxpayers should "not be spending one dime to reward the same Wall Street CEOs whose greed and irresponsibility got us into this mess." Read more on both candidates' recovery plans

He also hit McCain for switching from his stance as an advocate for market deregulation to a strong supporter of regulation since the Wall Street crisis became front-page news.

"He's suddenly a hard-charging populist," Obama said. "And that's all well and good, but I sure wish he was talking the same way over a year ago, when I introduced a bill that would've helped stop the multimillion-dollar bonus packages that CEOs grab on their way out the door."

McCain's bombshell comes as a new CNN "poll of polls" out of Virginia on Wednesday shows McCain with the slimmest of leads in a state that traditionally has been a safe bet for Republicans.

The latest polls could be a warning sign for McCain that he still has work to do to lock down certain states where previous GOP nominees had to spend little time or effort doing so. VideoWatch more on where the candidates stand in the latest polls »

In the new poll of polls, McCain holds a 1 percentage point lead over Obama (47 percent to 46 percent) in Virginia, while 7 percent remain undecided.

The poll of polls is an average of three recent surveys of the state -- MSNBC/Mason-Dixon (September 17-22), ARG (September 17-20) and ABC/The Washington Post (September 18-21). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

If you want to avoid looking like an idiot in a debate, this is a good way to do it.

Another political stunt to try and change the game. First it was picking Palin, and now with him sliding in the National and Battleground polls, he pulls this.

Thing is, Obama's campaign apparently were the ones who initiated this "bi-partisan" concept with the McCain campaign.

Obama called McCain this morning, and suggested they put out a joint statement on the bailout. The McCain camp called back this afternoon, and said McCain wants to postpone his campaign and the debate.

That's apparently what happened, and what I don't get is, how is he going to impact those bailout negotiations?

If Obama had pulled this stunt, I would have said the same thing. Neither candidates would contribute anything substantial to those meetings.

I think Obama's response was perfect in saying that as presidential candidates they should be able to handle more than one thing at once.

Obama gave the best answer he could: "With only 40 days left, the debate is more important now then ever. The American people need to know what the candidates plans are to move the country forward during this crisis."

What amazes me is that not long ago McCain proclaimed that the fundamentals of the economy are strong...and now the economy is in such peril that it is necessary to suspend presidential campaigns to return to Washington "to fix it." Well, I don't think that the guy, who saw a strong economy weeks ago, is the guy, who is needed to fix it.

Postponing debates and suspening presidential campaigns in late September are unprecedented...unless you're a Libertarian or in the Green Party maybe. The timing is curious too. Obama just had a sudden favorable shift in the polls, the largest of this election, and stopping the campaigns would take some of the wind out of the sails.

Very well said.

I see McCain's move to postpone the debate as an act of desperation, but I'm sure he intends it to be seen as if he was doing something "presidential".

McCain isn't president now, is really having him gone for a few hours from Washington really going to affect the economy in anyway? Can he walk and chew gum at the same time?

If he doesn't have the time then he should send Palin to stand in for him in the debates. It would be a great way to eliminate any lingering questions about whether she's qualified for the job. The first debate was on foreign policy, what a better time to talk about the view from her house.

Of course not. But that's irrelevant. He's trying to APPEAR as if he can do some magic now. What scares me is some people may actually believe it.

He's scared, plain and simple.

I don't know about that SC. According to one of the latest news reports :

______________________________________________________________
"At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal," Burton said.

"At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama's call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details," he said.

McCain said he was suspending his campaign and returning to Washington Thursday to help deliberations in Congress on an economic rescue deal.
_______________________________________________________________

Perhaps both Senator's will have to postpone / delay their campaign so that as Senators they can work on the details to get Congress and the White house to pass the treasury proposal.