McCain vows to whip Obama's 'you know what'

ARLINGTON, Va. — Republican John McCain vowed Sunday to "whip" Democratic rival Barack Obama's "you-know-what" when the two presidential candidates meet Wednesday in their final televised debate.

McCain made that pledge as top advisers said he is weighing new economic proposals to help the nation weather the financial crisis. The Arizona senator refused to answer a reporter's question Sunday about what plans he might be considering.

Addressing several dozen volunteers at his campaign headquarters outside Washington, McCain promised some of his signature "straight talk" about the state of the race. National and many battleground state polls have shown him trailing Obama amid the deepening market crisis.

"We're a couple points down, OK, nationally, but we're right in this game," McCain said to cheers. "The economy has hurt us a little bit in the last week or two, but in the last few days we've seen it come back up because they want experience, they want knowledge and they want vision. We'll give that to America."

McCain said he and running mate Sarah Palin would continue campaigning hard in the three weeks left before Election Day, in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado. The two planned a joint appearance Monday in Virginia, a Republican stronghold turned battleground this time.

"We're going to spend a lot of time and after I whip his you-know-what in this debate, we're going to be going out 24/7," McCain said.

The two men will debate Wednesday at Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y. CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer will moderate the 90-minute forum.

Still, McCain promised to run a "respectful" campaign in the weeks to come.

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"I respect Senator Obama, we will conduct a respectful race and be sure everyone else does too. But there are stark difference between us," McCain said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said McCain was considering policy proposals that would cut taxes on investments.

"I think it goes along the lines of now's the time to lower tax rates for investors, capital gains tax, dividend tax rates, to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started," Graham said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "It will be a very comprehensive approach to jump-start the economy by allowing capital to be formed easier in America by lowering taxes."

McCain already has laid out proposals to address the crisis, including a $300 billion plan for the federal government to buy distressed mortgages and renegotiate them at a reduced price.

The Arizona senator has said his plan is necessary to get thousands of bad mortgages off the books in order to stabilize home values and open up credit. But critics said the plan would do little more than reward financial institutions that made the bad loans to in the first place.

On Friday, McCain called for legislation that suspends for one year the requirement that investors age 70 1/2 begin to liquidate their retirement accounts. The Arizona senator said it would be unfair to force seniors to sell their stocks when stock prices have tumbled so severely. Obama aides said the Illinois senator favors a similar effort.

Obama also has offered plans to address the fiscal crisis but nothing as sweeping or controversial as McCain's mortgage proposal. On Friday, the Illinois senator announced a $900 million plan to temporarily extend an expiring tax break that lets small businesses write off investments up to $250,000 immediately, rather than over the course of several years.

Aides said Obama also wants to extend the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program to help small businesses that cannot access other sources of capital, as well as eliminate fees on SBA loan guarantees and increase the size of loans that could be covered. They put the cost at $5 billion.

Both candidates voted for the $700 billion bailout proposal Congress passed and President Bush signed into law earlier this month.

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On the Net:

McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com

Obama: http://www.barackobama.com

Comments

[Deni]

Typical Repuke "trickle down" economics. How does this help the average working American. It has failed for the past 25+ years. They just don't get it and never will.

[aliceinthewater]

How is this supposed to help people that can't afford to invest?

[Agentlady007]

Create an irrevocable trust.

[Snoop2]

John, go away, please just go the f away.................!

[Sammy00400]

Capital gains cuts are always considered to be tailored favorably to the rich. While such arguments typically overstate these kinds of proposals they do work when times are good. Im not so sure when times are bad like now.

[PineyWoods]

Sounds good to me. Because what a middle-income person who's about to have their home foreclosed really needs is a capital gains tax cut.

Uh, what??

[viflyer]

It's amazing isn't it? They just continue down the same top down path! What is it going to take to understand that it is a healthy labor force that drives the economy. Rich people KEEP their money.

More tax breaks breaks for the rich. It is just beyond belief. This country is going to die if we cannot break this control by Wall Street and the corporations.

[Icantbelieveher]

Right? Thank God he's letting us keep our dividends! Talk about out of touch!

[naschkatze]

How many Joe Sixpacks and Hockey Moms have investments on which to get capital gains and dividends?

[ErnestineBass]

After last week? Damnedfew.

[viflyer]

I am sick and tired of this country being run and looted by the rich and well connected. We cannot go on like this. Is Obama the man to stand up to them?? That is the big question???

[HalSparks]

The McCain plan... waste time doing nothing and then after fear and chaos has helped clear out all the suckers then allow the super rich to buy back in at pennies on the dollar without paying taxes on it... yeah...that's Nothing like the Bush plan.

Operation "What Middle Class?" is right on target

[mightyhead]

Astute comment, well played.

[xeph3]

In other words, more help for the rich -- thanks, John. Fat lot of good this will do for the billions of Americans who HAVE NO MONEY TO INVEST.

[hmmmmmer]

McCain/Palin are done, it is time to stick a fork in them.

[chronic]

More of McSame 08

[spunky5408]

"I think it goes along the lines of now's the time to lower tax rates for investors, capital gains tax, dividend tax rates, to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started..."

I have no idea what this means. Someone please tell me why this is a bad idea from JM please so I can make an educated a r g u m e n t ag@inst it.

[ErnestineBass]

It means if you're REALLY rich, you get to keep A LOT MORE of your money.

Now that the average Joe's 401K has been pretty much wiped out, this won't benefit him a bit.

Nothing "new" about this plan...SSDD.

[Marcee]

Like you, I don't know whether his proposal is good or bad so we will have to late for economic experts to comment about the pros and cons. However, what I find troubling is McCain seems to roll out an economic plan du jour. He is angered at accusations that he is erratic but every day he rolls out with some new, capricious idea on how to remedy the situation. An end to earmarks, a gas-tax holiday, government-backed mortgages, allowing senior citizens to delay withdrawals from 401(k)s - the list goes on. One doesn't get the sense there is anything comprehensive or substantial about each new idea. It is this very behavior that makes McCain appear unachored, inconsistent and erratic.

[kellygrrrl]

McCain weighs proposal to cut --

now, imagine how many words could complete this sentence

[amcg50]

Another One? does he come up with a new one every week?

[drauz]

40 acres & a mule might work...

[robotfog]

40 mules and an acre would be better. You'd have a place to live plus plenty of food.