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In a dust up over when and whether a president should meet with leaders of rogue states, McCain took a shot at one of Obama’s former campaign props.
“I’m not going to set the White House visitors’ schedule before I’m president of the United States,“ McCain said. “I don’t even have a seal yet.“
That was a jibe at Obama’s short-lived campaign seal that looked an awful lot like the presidential seal. Here’s what CNN said about the prop when Obama’s campaign debuted it in June:
“Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama sat down in Chicago Friday morning to discuss the economy with visiting Democratic governors, but all eyes were on the Illinois senator’s podium bearing, what might be described as, a quasi-presidential seal – a new Obama campaign logo.
“The seal includes the same bald eagle as the actual presidential seal clutching an olive branch and arrows in its talons, but instead of a shield covering the center of the eagle’s body, the Obama version displays the campaign’s trademark “O.” Unlike the Presidential seal, which includes the words “Seal of the President of the United States” around the circumference, “Obama for America” and “www.barackobama.com” grace the top and bottom of Obama’s.
“Finally, just above the eagle, in Latin, are the words – “vero possumus” – which translates to “yes we can,” the oft-heard chant at Obama rallies.“
Anybody who doesn’t think elections matter should listen to the Democratic and Republican nominees on Iraq tonight.
McCain says Obama was wrong about the troop surge and won’t admit it; didn’t go to Iraq for 900 days, during which he did not ask for a meeting with General Petraeus; doesn’t understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy and will not let U.S. troops prevail.
Obama says McCain was wrong about the war from the beginning and says his own judgment trumps McCain’s experience.
“At the time when the war started, you said it was going to be quick and easy,“ Obama said. “You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said that we were going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong….“
Finally, the candidates admitted that the financial crisis will have a major impact on how they govern.
“How about a spending freeze on everything but defense, caring for our veterans” and entitlements, said McCain, who added that it’s an approach the next president will have to seriously consider.
Obama said the problem with that is that it’s “using a hatchet when you need a scalpel.“
Obama did say that the next president would have to adjust and “there are going to be things that have to be deferred and delayed.“ For instance, he said some of his planned investments in energy might have to wait.
Hand it to old-school Jim Lehrer of PBS, who pushed Barack Obama and John McCain to say whether they agree with President Bush’s proposed $700 billion bailout plan.
Obama said “we haven’t seen the language.“
McCain said: “I hope so.“
Interesting to see McCain riff on Winston Churchill’s line about the dark days of World War II:
“This isn’t the beginning of the end of this crisis,“ McCain said. “This is the end of the beginning.“
For political junkies, few Web sites are more fascinating than http://www.electoral-vote.com. Each day it updates the electoral map—shading states in hues of red or blue, depending on the the latest polls from each state. Many swing states flip back and forth, so checking the map—and the race to 270—becomes addictive.
To recap, in 2004 President Bush won 31 states and received 286 electoral votes to 252 for John Kerry, who won 19 states and the District of Columbia.
In today’s snapshot, the map has Barack Obama flipping the script and leading John McCain 286 to 252. Why the change? Obama is leading the latest polls in four states that Bush carried—Virginia (13 electoral votes) Colorado (9) Iowa (7) and New Mexico (5).
Now just imagine that Obama wins three of those states, but Virginia (13) and New Hampshire (4) swing back to McCain.
That would lock up the Electoral College at 269 apiece and throw the election to the House of Representatives.
Wouldn’t that be the perfect ending for this crazy, historic election?
