Posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 by campaign2008
Both presidential candidates responded to the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Pakistan. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said the attack should serve as a reminder that the United States should “forge a deep and lasting partnership with Pakistan, and with nations around the world, to root out and destroy al-Qaeda and its affiliates.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said the United States should work with the Pakistani government to “find those responsible, hold them accountable, and diminish their ability to threaten us and our allies in the future.”
PALIN: McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), will meet (ChiTrib) with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Tuesday on the sidelines of the opening of the annual UN General Assembly debate.
Posted in General Election, Morning Update, Pakistan | 0 Comments »
Posted on Friday, September 19th, 2008 by campaign2008
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said in a statement he supports Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s proposal for the economy. He said the plan should be coordinated with the G-20. “We are facing a global financial crisis and the United States can take a leadership role in coordinating a global response to the present crisis, as well as greater regulatory cooperation and alignment to prevent future crises,” he said.
PALIN: Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) said she believes Iraq is the central front in the war on terror, and said war with Russia should be “off the table” in the second installment of an interview with FOX’s Sean Hannity on Thursday.
INDIA: Deutsche Welle’s Across the Pond blog looks at the U.S.-India nuclear deal and its potential effect on the presidential race.
Posted in Economy, General Election, India, Iraq, Morning Update, Russia | 1 Comment »
Posted on Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by campaign2008
Both presidential candidates responded to news of the AIG bailout on Wednesday. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said the focus of any bailout should be “to protect the millions of Americans who hold insurance policies, retirement plans and other accounts with AIG,” not to help the “management and speculators who created this mess.”
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said the AIG bailout is the “final verdict on the failed economic philosophy of the last eight years.” Like McCain, Obama said the Federal Reserve must “ensure that the plan protects the families that count on insurance” and should not bailout AIG shareholders and management.
In an interview with FOX News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) said she generally does not think taxpayers should “be looked to as the bailout, as the solution to the problems on Wall Street.”
Sen. Joe Biden (D-IL) said on the Today show Wednesday morning that he opposed the AIG bailout, but later seemed to back off of that position.
Over fifty chief executives (WSJ) from financial firms including Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Barclays, J.P. Morgan, and Wells Fargo will meet with Obama economic adviser Dan Tarullo and McCain economic adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin on Thursday in Washington.
Posted in Economy, General Election, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
Posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 by campaign2008
Economic issues dominated the presidential campaign trail again on Tuesday. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) outlined a six-point plan (Denver Post) for economic reform, including improved federal oversight for financial institutions and streamlined regulatory agencies, among other measures.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) Wednesday morning said he “didn’t want” the government to bail out AIG, but that “there were literally millions of people whose retirement, whose investments, whose insurance were at risk here, and they going to have their their lives destroyed because of the greed and excess and corruption.”
UN: Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) will meet with foreign leaders (WSJ) at the opening of the UN General Assembly next week.
IRAQ: Obama released a statement congratulating Gen. Raymond Odierno for his assumption of command of the U.S.-led forces in Iraq, and commended Gen. David Petraeus for his “outstanding work” in Iraq.
Posted in Economy, General Election, Iraq, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
Posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 by campaign2008
Both presidential candidates called for economic reforms economy on Monday. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) pledged to “replace the outdated and ineffective patchwork quilt of regulatory oversight in Washington and bring transparency and accountability to Wall Street.” On Tuesday morning talk shows, McCain called for a high-level commission (AP), similar to the 9/11 Commission, to look into the economic crisis.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said the idea “that taxpayers can continue to be on the hook for firm after firm after firm I think is a real problem.” He also criticized the Bush administration for the “lack of a regulatory framework.”
The New York Times compares the candidates’ positions on science issues, including climate change, energy policy, defense research and genetics research, among other topics.
Posted in Economy, General Election, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
Posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 by campaign2008
Both Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) outline their views on U.S. policy toward China in a new edition of the American Chamber of Commerce in China’s China Brief magazine. Both candidates call for increased trade cooperation with China and say the United States should work more closely with China to fight climate change and nuclear proliferation.
SERBIA: Obama said in a statement on Saturday that the Serbian parliament’s ratification of a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union is an “important step in Serbia’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic community, further contributing to the prospect of stability and prosperity in the Balkans.”
VENEZUELA: In a statement Friday, McCain said he is “deeply disappointed” by the Venezuelan government’s decision to expel the U.S. ambassador, and said the United States’ “continued dependence” on oil imports from countries like Venezuela “demonstrates the need to expand drilling for our own domestic sources of energy.”
Posted in China, Europe, General Election, Latin America, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
Posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 by campaign2008
In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) said Georgia and the Ukraine should be admitted into NATO, despite Russian objections. Asked whether the United States would have to go to war in response to a Russian invasion of Georgia, she said: “I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.” She called Russia’s August military invasion of Georgia “unprovoked.” Palin also said a nuclear Iran would threaten “everyone in the world.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) participated in a forum on national service (AP) on Thursday. McCain said immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he would have called on Americans to serve by helping guard nuclear power plants or by joining neighborhood watch groups. Obama criticized the military draft, calling it unfair because “the wealthiest found ways to avoid” serving. Both candidates said ROTC recruiters should be allowed on college campuses (TIME).
Posted in General Election, Military, Morning Update, Russia | 0 Comments »
Posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 by campaign2008
Both presidential candidates will visit Ground Zero Thursday morning to commemorate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Washington Post says the issue of terrorism has become less prominent in the presidential campaign.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday he will leave the selection (ABC) of a new refueling tanker to the next president, saying he can “no longer complete a competition that would be viewed as fair and objective in this highly charged environment.”
Speaking before the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute on Wednesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) discussed immigration policy (WSJ). “This election is about the 12 million people living in the shadows, the communities taking immigration enforcement into their own hand,” he said. “They are counting on us to stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves, and rise above the fear, and rise above the demagoguery, and finally enact comprehensive immigration reform.”
Posted in General Election, Immigration, Military, Morning Update, Terrorism | 0 Comments »
Posted on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 by campaign2008
Both candidates responded to President Bush’s announcement of a troop drawdown on Tuesday and called for more troops in Afghanistan.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz compares the GOP and Democratic platforms on Israel.
Newsweek reports on the battle for the Latino evangelical vote.
Posted in Afghanistan, General Election, Morning Update, Palestinian-Israeli | 0 Comments »
Posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 by campaign2008
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) call the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “outrageous, but sadly necessary,” and say they will ensure the institutions are “permanently restructured and downsized, and no longer use taxpayer backing to serve lobbyists, management, boards and shareholders.”
Obama announced he is cosponsoring a bill to establish a national catastrophe insurance program. “Every year, American families throughout the country suffer catastrophic losses due to hurricanes, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, and our existing insurance infrastructure is severely strained,” Obama said in a statement.
Posted in Economy, General Election, Homeland Security, Morning Update | 0 Comments »
