No more hugs as Obama tears into McCain

RENO, Nev. — So much for hugging in church. A day after Barack Obama and John McCain exchanged an embrace during a faith forum at a California megachurch, Obama called the U.S. economy a disaster thanks to "John McCain's president, George W. Bush," and chided his Republican rival's campaign team for trying to make him look unpatriotic and weak.

At a town hall meeting with several hundred union members, Obama said he had had a great conversation with McCain at the forum at Saddleback Church sponsored by the popular evangelical pastor Rick Warren. The two candidates shook hands, briefly hugged and stood onstage with Warren, the first time they appeared together in public since the end of the primary season.

But Sunday, after praising the Arizona senator as a "genuine American patriot," the Democratic presidential hopeful got back to business _ methodically tearing into McCain's health care, tax and energy policies and criticizing his advisers.

"McCain says 'Here's my plan, I'm going to drill here, drill now which is something he only came up with two months ago when he started looking at polling," Obama said of McCain's energy policy.

The GOP hopeful has become a vocal proponent of offshore oil drilling as a way to ease U.S. dependence on foreign oil and has criticized Obama for failing to embrace it as a way to help bring down oil prices. Obama noted that McCain had long opposed lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling.

The Illinois senator also criticized McCain's advisers as "the same old folks that brought you George W. Bush. The same team." He noted many had been lobbyists in Washington before McCain asked them to sever all lobbying ties.

Obama added, "They say this other guy is unpatriotic, or this guy likes French people. That's what they said about Kerry," referring to the 2004 Democratic nominee who lost narrowly to Bush. "They try to make it out like Democrats aren't tough enough, aren't macho enough. It's the same strategy."

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers responded, "John McCain has never questioned Sen. Obama's patriotism, but he clearly does question Sen. Obama's experience and judgment, and they do have profound differences of opinion on the best way to reduce our dependence on Mideast oil, bring jobs back to America and keep our nation safe."

Earlier this summer, McCain handed day to day operation of his campaign to Steve Schmidt, a veteran GOP strategist who was a spokesman for Bush during the 2004 campaign. Most of his other top advisers are longtime loyalists who have worked for McCain for years.

Even so, Obama stepped to McCain's defense when a voter criticized his Vietnam era record. A Naval aviator, McCain spent 5- 1/2 years as a prisoner of war there after being shot down and badly wounded.

"Respectfully I'm going to disagree with you on McCain and his service," Obama said. "I think his service was honorable. He deserves respect."

Comments

[Msohio]

I believe that Obama is a little more articulate than George W Bush. Clarence Thomas hasn't had an opinion of his own since taking the bench. He is a clone for Scalia. That should have been Obama's explanation. Has nothing to do with his experience; only his understanding of the issues and his ability to make an idependent assessment. Well, McCain never saw a liberal leaning justice that he liked.

[cmp]

" a little more articulate ".............................you either have an 8th grade education and cannot tell the difference or you need new batteries for your hearing aid.

[Horus]

I could craft a reasonable reply to your post but instead I'll say something offensive to you. Because thats the kind of human being I am.

[Roguewolf]

Just like his almost slip when he almost said that Clarence Thomas lacked the exp.... to be a Supreme Court Justice.

[MrCleaveland]

I hate to say this, but Obama isn't as "articulate" as the media makes him out to be. Like others here have pointed out, away from the teleprompter he's not all that good a speaker. He's got to work on this.

Also, the press keeps saying how handsome he is. I hate to say this too, but he kind of looks like a cadaver to me.

[abby4ever]

That was probably the makeup.

[wdw101]

probably true

[opinion123]

What say you about what McCain looks like? He is constantly having maggots from his face.

[Bitsko]

In the land of the obese, the thin man is a freak.

[captnEarl]

You must mean McCain and Cindy!

[terragazelle60]

Do not mistake his slow speach with being inarticulate. He is anything but inarticulate. Are you nuts?
And as far as his looks...he grows on you. His smile lights up the world and his eyes are kind. He is thin, but I bet he doesn't look like a cadaver under his suits. It's just that we are used to seeing older and heavier men. I a middle aged white woman find him appealing and exciting. I loved how he handled himself on his trip to the Middle East and Europe. He was dignified and was a good example of who we are.. or wish we were.

.

[CtJean]

Hey terragazelle60,

Watch out! I'm a white woman of a certain age, and I'll arm wrestle you for him.

Seriously, I like a man who thinks before he speaks, and isn't about to call his wife a c*nt. A man who truly wants to help his family, country, and world. Have a beer with him? No, a glass of chardonnay maybe.

Obama 08

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

NOT ONLY WILL MCCAIN HAVE THE SAME ADVISERS AS GWB BUT HE MORE THAN LIKELY WILL KEEP THE SAME AGENCY HEADS SUCH AS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND HOMELAND SECURITY WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A DISASTER. HIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE THE SAME . NO CHANGE FOR AMERICA.

[wdw101]

your shift key is stuck

[nmjangirl]

It's not the shift key, it's the caps lock key Duh!!

[walk0nwalls]

caps much?

[Bitsko]

Speak up, please. Can't hear you up here.

Santa Claus
North Pole

[HandsOnTheScreen]

It appears that America's anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is being replaced by a Christ-centered men's movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening.

[comacoma]

It appears that you are completely insane.... and poorly educated, and oblivious to all things real.

[mouve]

Mh... or HandsOn is a very good satirist mimicking some disgruntled fundamental. Maybe we should encourage him further and laugh about his great parodies ;o)

[dogwalker]

I think handsonthescreen is just pointing out that many evangelical men enjoy making love to animals because they are threatened by strong women.

[Bub]

Hate to break this to you, but America is based upon only one principle: free contract.

In such a nation, bargaining power is everything. Every election the Republican's use religion as a red herring to get you to surrender your bargaining power so that they can make the lives of billionaires more comfortable.

Maybe you haven't noticed: Median family income is down over 5%, while the top .1 is up 50% and the top .01% is up over 500%. Gas is $4 a gallon, oil is $100 more (500% increase) a barrel than it was in 2001, the treasury has been ransacked, poverty is up, cost of food is up, cost of education is up, Americans are loosing their homes in record numbers, two American cities have had to been evacuated, one American city has been permanently lost, the number of enemies and people who hate us has grown, and more Americans than ever are in danger of being sent to die in foreign wars that could have been avoided.

Anyone who uses religion as a basis for making a decision during election time is a sucker.

And so thought our founding generation that they enshrined the idea into the constitution.

Republicans might as well campaign on a religion and squalor meme.

[Middleclassvotingbloc]

Don't bet your house on it--that is if you have a house left.

[FogBelter]

The only future America has is as a secular Nation ... that is why the Founding Fathers established the United States as secular.

Being a Christian you know that there isn't only one Christian Brand ... the Founding Fathers recognized that too and that is why they created separation of Church and State.

You see, Catholics and Protestants had been murdering each other in Northern Ireland in their day too ... that conflict existed for 700 years ... and the wise men who created this Nation wanted to avoid that possibility here.

The Founding Fathers shouldn't be questioned on this point ... unless you are willing to see Christian on Christian violence in the US as we see Moslem on Moslem violence in the Middle East, for that is what you are advocating with a Christianized American Government.

[walk0nwalls]

I'm not sure if he's trying to be satirical

[martykz]

Right you are, walkonwalls. Fight dogma with dogma.

Marty

[Kalima]

Is there a problem and why did YOU, delete my question?

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Check your email. Btw, what was your question?

[hopefulinflorida]

Whose next? anne coulter interviewing them? If I were Obama I would just not participate. They'll probably find out soon that this pastor likes to be spanked with leather underwear on or something.

[JohnFromCensornati]

There is always Fox News. 0bama wants to be the president of everybody.

[wdw101]

good point

[terragazelle60]

Obama was already on Fox when he was on damage control about Rev. Wright. It really was not bad, not as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. Chris Wallace interviewed him.

[wdw101]

coulter interviewing them would be funny as hell

[imfedup]

Let's see if she'd call him B. Hussein Obama to his face.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

That woman is truly losing it. She was on Bill O.'s show the other night and she said that liberals were voting for Obama JUST because his name is Arabic and they (liberals) want the terrorists to like us. Even Bill was laughing at and mocking her. Surely she can't really believe that crap, can she?

[HandsOnTheScreen]

The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.

[hopefulinflorida]

You can't actually be serious?

[comacoma]

You are in desperate need of educating.

[mouve]

Ooops... and I thought it was invented by intelligent people to prevent a country from becoming the christian equivalent of Iran... run by fundamentalists with the aim of full control of their population (torture, surveillance, abolishing freedom of speech...). I thought no one really wanted that. Well, you live and learn.

This reminds me:
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!! ;o)

[LeftVetPatriot]

Jesus Christ, you're wstupid!

[takingbkourcountry]

Boy these morons REALLY take revising the Constitution to a whole new level!

NEWS FLASH.......America was formed to insure a Union NOT BASED ON CHURCH YA chuckleheads.........Sorry for all the sloppy speech, but it seems some JUST DON'T GET IT.

[Herrington]

SO the United States of America is the work of the Devil?

[schicklett3]

Time to fight back, but fight back with facts and logic.
Time to toughen up against the McCain camp - shame them to the curb. ;)

[tvfreesince93]

fight back with facts and logic? lol. that's funny. oh, you had me there. Gosh, I really needed a good laugh this morning. Thankyou...... oh, wait..... were you serious??? lol. facts and logic... priceless...lol

[Kalima]

GN everyone. Somewhere BG&E I left you a contact address, don't feel obliged, I only thought ......
Sometimes, I think too much, sorry.

[Kalima]

Woggles, you seem to be in the internet world, just arrived or just leaving a place
where we can check your nonsense in a few seconds, seems a waste of time for
us if not for you, don't you think?

[quintus]

Obama DEFINITELY needs to get tough with McCain and his low life advisors who will put out whatever filth they can think up to smear Obama and distort his positions. What a way to win an election! Not by actually debating the issues (which they would fail at miserably), but by ad hominem attacks and all manner of smear and fear tactics.

[HandsOnTheScreen]

Faith counteracts the destructive effects of sinful actions and activities.

[ThunderclapNewman]

No, it doesn't.

Your little homilies are boring and seriously off-topic.

[Revanchist]

I'd cast it as one element needed for successfully combating what you've mentioned.

[bryansmith]

and sometimes encourages them, but whatever

[comacoma]

Yawn..... having fun talking to yourself?

[Crog63]

Just like Bush's faith counteracted his destructive war against Iraq? Oh wait! I forgot. God told him to invade Iraq.

[Woggles]

Yep. Obama comes out swinging with the caustic, "John McCain is a great man, perhaps I am better. I'm not sure. Who knows? I mean, we're both eminently qualified to be president...I don't know...Look, it's your choice, you know, either one of us would be good, I guess... Some of the things his campaign have said are unfair, and I acknowledge that, I don't really have anything to respond to those charges with, he could be right. Who knows?....I'm trying....please like me, Ok?"

[ThunderclapNewman]

Making up false quotes is called "lying."

It seems to be all you can offer.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Look at all these new tro// names... Unbelievable.

[abby4ever]

thunder,

tell me if you know why Huffington is burying this article in the media section when it seems as if it should be on the politics page with the other stuff about McCain and the cone of silence at Saddleback, etc. More people than me have put the link to it in posts, it seems important, for one thing, I didn't know 'til I read it that it's the Obama camp asking the questions about the cone of silence (with, apparently, the NYT backing them up).

abby

[NatteringNabob]

It's all any Republican has to offer these days.

[Roguewolf]

Indeed, Mr. 0bama appeared to misstate his position in the CBN interview on Saturday when he said the federal version he supported “was not the bill that was presented at the state level.”
His campaign yesterday acknowledged that he had voted against an identical bill in the state Senate, and a spokesman, Hari Sevugan, said the senator and other lawmakers had concerns that even as worded, the legislation could have undermined existing Illinois abortion law.
In this version, 0bama finally acknowledges that the bill he shot down as committee chair had the neutrality clause, but now he voted against it because it would have had some deleterious effect on abortion law. As the NRLC points out to Berman, that’s flat-out untrue. The neutrality clause 0bama now acknowledge existed in the law explicitly stated that the law had no intent on affecting abortions in which the fetus did not survive; that was the entire point of the neutrality clause. Even without it, in the language of the original bill, the law clearlt stated that it only applied to infants born alive.
So 0bama lied, and in typical fashion for liars, lashed out at the people who exposed the lie before finally acknowledging it. He told David Brody in his CBN interview taped Saturday that he found it “offensive” that people pushed him on this issue, and 24 hours later the campaign folded on the point.

[CindyM2008]

He's a Mc Cainiac. What do you expect?

[thegreatgiginthesky]

I guess taking the high road is never an option for a republican.

[Bocababs]

Senator Obama....They (Republicans) may be running the same type of campaign.....But you need to hit back harder, faster, and like a sledgehammer. These statements go a lot towards Winning this time...even if it will be only by a slim margin.