First off, what channel to watch
the plethera of pundits speculating on CNN
FOX news which I just heard say that McCain needs to take the Palin aproach and not answer the questions as they are asked but just say what he wants
can't watch that one....just can't stomach those guys.
MSNBC with Oberman and Matthews.........
or C-Span, with no commentary.....yes, that sounds right
Here is Tom Brokaw with the opening
-First question, how to fix the economic problem for the middle class
Obama: tax cuts for middle class, energy independence, healthcare, help states generate new jobs
McCain: federal treasury will buy up bad mortgages and renegotiate mortgages at the value of the house today. (interesting idea)
Who is the next treasury secretary?
McCain: Meg ____, or someone who the people can trust.
Obama: Warren Buffet, maybe but the person need to focus on middle class, not upper class.
How will the bailout plan actually help out the people who need it most?
McCain: greed and access, Main street paying price. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac went out and made risky loans to people who can't afford it.
some of us two years ago said we have to stop this greed and excess. Senator Obama second highest recipient of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in history. That's why we have to buy up bad loans and stabilize home values. Fannie and Freddie catalyst for all this.
Obama: the credit markets are frozen up....small buisness and large businees can't get loans ad make payroll. this could have an adverse affect on everyone. Correcting Senator McCain's history not surprisingly....this crisis was caused by deregulation and McCain is a deregulator. Two years ago I wrote to Paulson and Bernake and told them about sub prime mortgage problem...one year ago went to wall street and said we have to deregulate. McCain keeps saying deregulate.
Fannie Mae bill McCain jumped on the bill a year after it started and it didn't pass....his staff lobbiest for Fannie Mae for "but you are not interested in hearing politicians point fingers at each other."
Ohhhh I got caught listening....
How can we trust either of you?
Obama: I understand how you feel, you balance your budget every day and Congress has not. We have to help you meet your budget, by reducing premiums on healthcare.....
McCain: I am a reformer...I lean across the isle....look at our records, look at watch dogs that watch us to see our records. Senator Obama is proposing 800 billion dollars of new spending...voting for every new increase of spending with pork barrell ear marks, including 3 millions dollars for overhead projector for a planetarium in Chicago.....can you believe that.
What is priorities: Health care, entitlement reform (SSI), energy policy
McCain: can take care of all three at same time
Obama: Energy is 1st. Oil prices can go up at any time. In 10 years time we are free of dependence on middle eastern oil. JFK said we are going to the moon in 10 year and he did.
Health care is number 2
Education is three so young people competetive in global economy.
Look at my record. I will go line by line. When senator McCain proposes a 300 billion dollar tax cut to big oil companies that is money out of the system.
WWII we were never asked to sacrifice anything except the blood of our children what sacrifices will you ask the American people to sacrifice to get back on track.
McCain: eliminate some government programs. 1) defense spending - i saved tax payers 6 million dollars, eliminate ear marks, spending freeze, except for defense, verterans affairs, across teh board freeze....and establish priorities, transparent.
Obama: you all remember 911 and how all the country was ready to come together. opportunities missed by Bush, he said "go out and shop". that wasn't the call to service he should have said. Energy: we will all need to think a bout how we use energy, explore new ways to get new oil develop clean coil technology, ways to store safely nuclear, we al have to weatherize home, make business fuel efficient, young people are especially interested in how they could serve. Double peace corps, volunteer corps across country so that military families and troops not the only ones bearing the burdens.
How would you break habits of too much debt and spending in Washington.
Obama: starts in Washington, McCain talks about ear marks 18 billion dolllars. His tax cuts are 80 billion fo oil companies. Tough to ask a teacher to tighten her belt when people doing much better are doing just fine. I don't want an across the board freeze...that is using a hatchet, I want to use a scapel to make sure that those who need help still get it.
McCain: Obama will raise taxes, like Herber Hoover who did so in bad economic time. He will cut taxes on small businesses. I am not in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy. I will double the tax exemption for each family from 3k to 7 k and give tax credit for 5 k for each family for health care purposes.
Can you say you will reform social security and medicare in two years:
Obama: Let's be clear about my tax plan: I want to provide a tax cut for 95% of Americans if you make less than 250K a year you will not see taxes go up, will do down. Only a few percent of small businesses make over 250K. We provide a 50% tax credit to buy health care.
While McCain wants to give a 300 billion dollar tax cut to largest corporations and 100 billion to CEO's on wall street. That is not fair and it doesn't work. If we get our tax policies right so they are good for middle class, we will be in a position to deal with SS and medicare.
McCain: I will answer the questions. Obama has never proposed legislation to reduce taxes, he voted for raising taxes every time.
What will you do about the enviroment and providing green jobs
McCain: I have worked on green house gasses with Leiberman, nuclear power and spent nuclear fuel is safe, Obama thinks it isn't. We can clean up our environment and get economy going by creating millions of jobs.
Obama: This is a challenge and an opportunity. If we create a new energy policy we can create 500 million new jobs, just the way the computer did for our country. We've got to make some investiments in solar wind, geothermal, I favor nuclear power as one component of our overall energy mix. look at record. He said that problem with energy is that 30 years, politicians have not done anything about energy. McCain has voted against alternative enegery 26 times. One last point, McCain talks about drilling.. we have 3 % of oil and use 25 % of world's oil...and can't deal with climate change that way.
Should we fund a Manhattan project to deal with energy research or do it in small garages?
McCain: start with research and development.......I am against pork barrel, and Obama supports it. Off shore oil is key, we need more oil. Nuclear power, look at the record.
Health care has become a commodity and selling it has become very profitable. Do you think it should be treated as a commodity?
Obama: this is the biggest problem for America. We have a moral and economic committment to do something about health care crisis. If you have healthcare already, then you can keep it if you are satisfied with it, we will work with your employer to lower premiums by up to 2500 a year, reduce forms reduce costs, prevention. If you don't have health insurance, you can buy insurance like us, no one excluded for pre existing conditions. McCain will strip away regulations by taxing your healthcare, striping mamagrams and maternity leave.
McCain: huge problem. let's put health records on line, community health centers, walk in clinic, obama talks about government will do this. he'll impose mandates and will fine you if you don't have health insurance. I will allow people to go across state lines to buy health insurance of their choice and to shop around. We have got to give people choice, not mandate health insurance.
Is health care a priviledge, right or responsibility? (good question brokaw)
McCain: responsibility of businesses and politicians to provide it.
Obama: healthcare should be a right. people should not go bankrupt because of healthcare. my mother died of cancer at 53 and in hospital arguing with insurance companies to pay because of her preexisting condition. no mandate for you already have healthcare, no mandate for small businesses, children will have to have healthcare.....McCain voted against SCHIP to insure children. We have to crack down on insurance companies. Problem to go shopping state by state. they will dfind a state where there are no requirements where you have to get cancer screedning or preexisting conditions. Then the consumer protections will not be there.
How will all the recent economic stress effect our nations ability to act as a peace maker in the world?
-McCain: we have to have a strong economy. we are the force of good by shedding blood to defend others. challenge is to know that US can assist the outcome of a battle. That question can only be answered by someone with judgment who knows how to prevent genocide, prevent spread of terrorism. my record and judgment I am willing to stand on. Obama wrong about Iraq and surge, wrong about Russia and Georgia.
-Obama: McCain says I don't understand. yes, true, I don't understand how we ended up invading Iraq when Bin Laden is in Afghanastan. That was the wrong judgment, which McCain support. Irq has strained our budget 700 billion dollars. 10 billion dollars a month. 79 billion dollar surplus in Iraq.
What is the Obama Doctrine on aiding other countries with military force?
-morally, we have an obligation, but now we don't have the allies. We need to consider assiting those countries
-McCain: Obama would have brought our troops home from Iraq in defeat. I will bring them home in honor. You have to temper your instinct to go in, but I will keep in mind our troops. Can't make the situation worse and ruin our reputation.
Should the US respect pakistani sovereignty with regard to terrorists in pakistan?
Obama: we lost focus on bin laden and these terrorists groups grew there. have to end war in Iraq to get troops in Afghansistan. Have to change policy with Pakistan. encourage democracy, expand non military aid to Pakistan and insist that they go after militants, if we have Osama BIn Laden I think we have to take them out.
McCain: Obama wants to announce that he is launching an attack on Pakistan...poor judgment.
Obama: McCain sang bomb Iran, after Afghanistan he said, next Baghdad.......
How can we apply pressure on Russia?
McCain: Russia and Putin is dangerous. Have to support Georgia
Obama: have to provide financial assistance to help rebuild their economies. Anticipate some of these problems. In April, I put out a statement that the situation in Georgia was not stable because Russian peace keepers in these disputed areas. President has to anticipate these problems before they happen.
Is Russia and evil empire?
Obama: evil behavior
McCain: maybe
retired navy chief, support for Isreal, but if Iran attacks Isreal would you committ troops or wait for UN security council vote.
McCain: not wait. Obama wants to negotiate without preconditions with Iran.
Obama: can't allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon as it would threaten Isreal. Never take military options off the table or allow the UN to act in our interests or prevent us from acting. We need to work more effectively with other countries to tighten sanctions on Iran, reduce our energy consumption so Iran has less money.
We should have direct talks with our enemies. If you don't change your behavior, there are dire consequences, if you do change, we can work together.
What don't you know and how will you learn it
Obama: many challenges we can't know. I do know that I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the opportunity.
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