What issue do you think needs to be addressed most by the two candidates?

I agree. someone that has experience and a history of thoughtful decision making is needed, not someone who can read a teleprompter, we cannot afford to hire a trainee for this position.

Then what would you call Palin? The only thing she has been able to do is put her foot in her mouth, TWICE! No wounder the McCan't camp is keeping her from the press.

Don't worry, the Obama camp is going to come up with an excuse here in about 2 weeks to get Biden off the ticket. Then they are going to bring Hillary onto the ticket. Does anyone really think Obama would let Joe Biden hose up the way he has for the last 2 weeks and not have a purpose for it?

MacCain knows a lot more than Obama about banking. For god's sake he's got dozens of bank accounts, not to mention all the mortgages experience from buying all those houses. Barrak probably only has one account and one measly mortgage ; how pathetic !!!!

I agree with Captain Marvelous. I struggle to listen to McCain because he's always looking at the teleprompters or notes instead of speaking from his mind. The decisions Obama has made have been very sound, calm and deliberate. Taking the training wheels off McCain would have disastrous consequences.

Ultra, you are so right. But even with the teleprompter Johnny can't seem to make up his mind where he stands. I've been pretty clear about Obama from the start. I've seen not a trace of panic or anything other than a willingness to listen carefully to a lot of experts and sort things out thoughtfully with due respect to the "fierce urgency of now". As for Bush, he looked more rattled this A.M. than he did in Michael Moore's shot of him in that classroom on 9/11. THAT was scary!

Cynthia & Ultra agreed

I agree. Even though I have not liked him in the past. As this plays out I must say I admire McCain's leadership. Obama is beginning to show a lack of cooperation and bi-partisanship. He never votes against party for his own principles. I am beginning to trust Senator McCain more than Obama.

Average American, I think you mis-understood the comments you are agreeing with....? The comments above were compliments to Obama about his leadership qualities not McCain! After McCain's "grand-standing" event to "post-pone" the debates to make it look like he just had to be in Washington to make sure the "deal" went down..., but the real truth was he's scared to face Obama, and still is! You trust McCain more now after all of this? Man, come on! The man can't handle more than one thing at a time! This is who you pick to make decisions? He can't even pick his nose without a teleprompter telling him to!

Apparently Average American hasn't been listening :-)

FYI, AA, Cynthia and Ultra have actually been dissing McCain (good on you both, BTW)!

Tonight's debate is about foreign policy.

I can't wait for Obama to put our current economic woes in perspective with the ongoing Iraq conflict.

He'll probably spend a good amount of time reminding people about how if he had been president in 2003, we wouldn't have gone to war, and thus our economy would not have been gutted by Bush's silly pissing contest.

I totally agree.

Well put.
I wholeheartedly agree!

I also agree.

Why isn't anyone talking about McCain's role with the Keating Five Savings and Loan nightmare??? The media and Obama need to remind the public about this.

SO TRUE!! It is sad that the rest of the country does not know the real McCain as we in AZ do. He is unfit to be president and after hearing him during this campaign I question his mental health.

With the current economic state of affairs, I think I would rather have a Wall Steet, college educated, budget master at the helm rather than a "follow the leader" leader. Who is going to show McCain what to do. That is all he has been known to do so far. "Show me what to do", "tell me what to say", yes master.

I totally agree! this cancellation was such a farce, it is depressing that he is playing political games when we are at such an economy mess, this is the future of our country is like he is making a mockery of everything, our fears, our lives. He does not have a clue what are we going through. I would like to hear more about the Keating Five. I am writing local newspapers and the Obama campaign. I have never been so mad at what is happening. He is a danger if he gets elected, can't think what he would do. Declare war on any country like Iran? Pakistan?

Thank you so much for bringing up the Keating Five. People forget this stuff, and it is important to remember!! We don't want history to keep repeating itself while no one is watching!! McCain needs to tell the American people (since he is an American first) what his plan is. He doesn't have have a fresh idea. I understand that he is a national hero, but that doesn't automatically make you President. The American people are tired of the "same old politics"!! We need to get back to basics here. People are tired of being squeezed financially, losing their homes, and not being able to live the American Dream. What happened to the Dream?

This mess started with Carter and later, Clinton mandated that every bank had to give 100s of millions to non-qualified borrows. In 2005, Dodd locked everything in secrecy when he refused to put more regulations and restrictions on FMAC and FMAY when Bush, McCain, and Greenspan tried to get a bill passed warning of the eminent collapse.

This Dem cover-up is documented and recorded! Dodd and the Dems refused because this was their money "Gravy Train". Every Republican voted for the legislation and every Dem voted against!! Get your facts straight!

I could not agree more. I don't want a president who lies all the time and never can make up his mind. Then you have his running mate who acts like a total airhead when it comes to politics. I'm trying to figure out why the heck Alaska ever chose her. The competition must have really been bad. Go home to your family Sarah. They need you more than the country!

tictacjcgdac whatever -- deregulation and unaccountability are the core issues here

don't forget Keating 5. McCain in the tank with banks.

Bob, get a grip.

Just like every other organization he's run his entire life... Dubya... has again pushed us to Bankruptcy.

The problem is not Liberals... look in the mirror my Republican friend... it's your policies of deregulation and tax cuts for corporations who ship jobs overseas to save the money they then pay to themselves instead of putting it back into the company... and "trickle-down" economics smells like the urine the Upper Classes Polo Pony's let loose on the rest of the American Public it is.

This economy has exposed Milton Friedman as the fraud he was.

You LIBERAL people are the damnation of this country!

Us LIBERAL people probably are. We were unable to rein in President Bush under who's leadership we've been plunged into the situation we find ourselves in both nationally and internationally.

And here I thought that, in 2005, the Republicans had a president and a solid majority in both the House and the Senate. Guess I must be thinking of some other United States of America.

Or, Jim 475, are you saying that the Democrats are such masterful leaders that they can control the government of a Republican president, with the a majority against them? With that kind of skill, I'm thinking if you weren't going to vote Obama, logic would tell you it's time to change!

Dubya and McSame voted to end the oversight on Fred & Fan back in the day...
Nuff said.

Let THEM bail out Wall Street. I KNOW we have to do it, but it is wrong. I want income sanctions imposed of those that rode the ship down to the bottom of the river. And I want the tax payers, for once! paid back for bailing out the rich. Not just NO golden parachutes... I want to go after their assets, and partially pay back the debt load they've incurred for each and every tax payer.

NO FREE RIDES for RICH WALL STREET.

Too bad we can't replace the kids they've killed with their war-for-oil.
Again, Nuff said.

This present economic situation has all the earmarks of yet another scheme by Baby Bush to salvage some "Legacy" accomplishment during his tenure. He is about to leave Office as the greatest failure of any president in the last 100 years and will try anything to be the hero he is not. The War in Afghanistan is in the Heart and Soul of the world terrorists. It must be won, for World peace, World Stability and World Economic Growth, all of which we are a part of. Victory here is victory for all- Mid East, Africa, Americas, Balkans, China and Indonesia. Peace brings prosperity!

It was the Republicans who proposed the bail out. Paulson original plan gave him unlimited power to control the economy and the distribution of funds.."Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

The plan will pass and we will pay. Paulson, the senators and congressmen must protect their assets. Plus the funds will be used to bolster foreign financial institutions. Do we really know if there is a crisis...we were told that if the plan was not approve within a few days the market will collapse..it hasn't.

This is a scam by the Republicans.

i agree i fought huge temptation not to buy buy buy now pay later mentallity. i am a single mom with a son in college i HAVE to be resposible with my money and now i should have to pick up the piece for many who weren't. doesn't that send a message of no accountabilty. just do what you want when you want for however much you want and don't worry about the consequences. mistakes happen lessons need to be learned so we can grow in a more positive responsible way.

Just another example of how to make government bigger. I love the bias in the media too. All morning I have heard how Republicans are dragging their feet on a solution when in fact, the Republicans are standing up to the Dems who are trying to take advantage of this BAD situation and add their own agendas to the bill! Are you kidding me!

Was Hoover the Pres in 1929 ? better refresh Biden's memory.... he thinks it was Roosevelt and better yet that Roosevelt was on TV in 1929 before it was even invented. Who is out of touch??

McCain '08

I dont think the goverment should bail out those greedy people. if that was my husband and I we will have to find our own way out of the mess. These guys need to pay big time for their actions, even jail if they are doing any thing illegal.

Yes. We are living in a world economy. The U.S. must stop being so insular and do more to join hands with the rest of the world. It will benefit everyone.

Guess what, billrobyn, these bailouts are SOCIALISM...coming in under the Republican watch. Proposed by Republicans. It is too late to cling to ideology. That went out the door with the AIG bailout/takeover.

I used to be a Republican, but am no longer. That party now panders to the basest motives and greed of people. They have sold America out to big corporations and wealthy CEOs. It is a shame that we cannot trust the government to even save itself from this corporate holdup.

Corporations and the wealthy have been recipients of social welfare from Capitol Hill for decades now. What rock have you been living under billrobyn. The problem is with you "so called" conservatives that think the Republicans speak for you when they DO NOT. You don't have enough money for them to speak for you. However they've hoodwinked you big time. So you continue to drink their koolaide about socialism and higher taxes but you just can't read between the lines can you? Nothing to help the little guy....no social security, no minimum wage, no health care. And as for taxes...guess who's paying the majority of taxes? It's you guys!!! The truly wealthy don't pay taxes, they get serious write offs and off shore banks to park their millions, capital gains write off and lower and lower tax breaks compliments of the Republicans who have had control of Congress for the last twelve years. Any you believe for one minute the bs that these people give you? They've been robbing this country and it's hard working middle class for decades and we get nothing!!! So they fill you head with flag waving and patriotism, fear and racial hatred and you follow them like lemmings over the cliff. Wake up and see what's happened to us and don't ever let it happen again!

thank you! thank you!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

perfectly and eloquently stated.

AMEN TO THAT

I LIKE WHAT YOU SAY LAURIE! IT IT "RIGHT ON" - "TO THE POINT"- "CANDID" - AND AN IRREFUTABLE TRUTH!

Good job MIMI

You must be on some pretty strong drugs if you don't think that Bush's bailout isn't Socialism. I guess this will hurt the Neocon insult of throwing the term "socialism" at any Democratic candidate, but I wonder if you will be smart enough to even see that.

What amazes me is that a few months ago the U.S. didn't have any money to provide health insurance for children and NOW we have 700 billion to bail out friends of W. And with no oversight, no review by anyone. No court can get involved. What a crock! How much money has gone unaccounted for in Iraq. Who got that? How much is enough for these people? Instead of needless wars, corporate welfare, friends of W, how about fixing our bridges, highways, medical research (Alzheimers, etc.), cops on the streets (how much has crime gone up?) giving a hand up - not a handout by having training for people who have lost their jobs. I say take care of the U.S. first before greedy friends and people who have made bad business decisions! I think it was Alan Greenspan who chided people for not taking advantage of the "variable rate mortgages". He claimed they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now, it is everyone else's fault for believing him!

Well articulated Scramblera!! Totally agree. I can't understand why the media is not paying more attention to what the "conservative republicans" want in their version of this agreement, i.e., incorporate MORE capital gains tax reductions. This helps the rich retain more of their profits. We poor, main street Americans don't ever have to worry about reducing capital gains taxes as we never have any gains, capital or otherwise :0)!

I so totally agree with you! Thanks for making me LOL first thing in the morning! I would love to see Jim Lehrer or Mike Wallace grill Palin! Moose toast indeed!

Wow.

Harry Reed asks him to come to Washington because they did not have the Republican votes they needed. The the next day McCain announces he is going to DC and asks Obama to come too. Then Harry Reed closes the door on him?

Really, the Dems choose to play politics this week over me and my families future? Are you kidding. Last time I checked neither McCain or Obama had turned over their seats. I am a little frustrated that they are not back in DC more actually legislating as they are getting paid to do so.

I so totally agree with you, also!!!!! How can people be so blind???? McCain was stalling for time. He's ill-prepared for the debate and this seemed like a good way for him to stall; to ask somebody what to say, how to answer certain questions.

People are so hung up on parties. Can we just forget Dems and Reps and vote for the person? Some say Obama doesn't have the experience. Sometimes, wisdom goes a lot further than experience.

I am sure you work for someone and think that the company could not survive without you. Look at who pays your paycheck and allows you to keep eating before you slam everything. A small amount of reading of historical policies placed by prior presidents may give you a different view rather then a attitude that you will get something for nothing.

Well said. When is everyone going to wake up and see it's all political. Both sides will tell you what you want to hear and then do just as they please which looks to me like sitting on the hill and doing nothing but blame the other side. They need to clean house and start over with a clean slate. They are all a bunch of crooks and we follow blindly like good little kids. When are we going to start making them all accountable for supposedly doing what the people who pay their wages are asking? Both parties are so far out of the loop. They are there only for themselves and the pretty packages they get when they leave. Why should I have to work harder for someone who defaulted on their loan or got a loan knowing full well they couldn't pay it back. I worked a full time job and two part time jobs to pay for my house back in the 70's. I got no hand outs and no special tax breaks. I paid my way. And that's what everyone else should do. You wanted something you went out worked for it. So glad my mortgage is paid for now. But now it looks like I'll get to pay for someone elses mortgage and what ever other welfare bills the democrats are going to try to tack on. Guess I won't be retiring anytime soon. What we really need is a good strong third party.

You GO workmom48!!!!!!!!!! Tell it like it is!!

Finally... someone else who has been paying attention! thank you!

Whether this debate was set to be on foreign policy for tonight or not, you cannot tell me that the economic situation is not going to be brought up at all. You'd be crazy to believe it isn't!

I guess we will just have to wait until after the debate, and then give a running count on how many times the economy is brought up, won't we kathy! I'm gonna bet it will be a lot! It is the single most important thing on the minds of the majority of Americans at this time. Besides, the state of our economy is going to affect all of the other topics in one way or another! On the Iraq war, for instance, how will we be able to keep spending the billions of dollars we are over there when people here in America are facing financial desolation?! And I'm not just talking about those who are in foreclosure or facing possible foreclosure. I am talking about every worker who has money invested in 401Ks, IRAs, Money Markets, etc as a way of saving for retirement!