Legal Commentary

Obama Responds To McCain Debate Gambit

By Big Tent Democrat

John McCain has made a political gambit today, asking for a delay for the Friday night Presidential debate, saying he needs to be in Washington to do, no one knows what exactly. Obama is responding in a news conference as we speak.

He mentions his idea of a joint statement of principles with Senator McCain outlining where they stand on the Wall Street bailout, arguing that he and McCain seem to have some agreement on the issue. He lists the agreements, while something must be done, what is done must include the following principles - (1) Accountability; (2) Fairness to taxpayers, meaning they should get their money back; (3) mortgage relief for ordinary citizens, not just a bailout for Wall Street; and (4) no windfall for Wall Street executives and companies.

Asked about the Friday debate, Obama reminds that he initiated the joint statement. He states that McCain agreed but also called for a meeting in Washington, and possibly suspending the debates. Obama said he wanted to have the statement first. Then McCain went on TV, with no warning to Obama, calling for a delay of the debates. [More...]

Obama says that it is his view that the debate are more crucial than ever now because the American People have the right and the need to hear from the persons who would be the next President of the United States. He thinks that the debate needs to be about the current crisis and what it means and what the next President will do. Obama says the most helpful thing he and McCain can do is state their agreements on how to deal with the problem and then take the politics out of it. He see the delay of the debates as injecting politics into the bailout legislation process.

In short, Obama seems intent on going forward with the debate and wants the debate to focus on the credit/mortgage Wall Street crisis as well as discuss the foreign policy issues. Of course, Obama will be available to do what is necessary in Washington - but not to the detriment of the process by injecting Presidential politics. Finally, Obama makes the point that the Presidency requires dealing with more than one issue at a time.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).