McCain: "The Economy Has Hurt Us A Little Bit"

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

[sak]

These people are insane. The wealthy do not need help. The rest of us do.

[Carolab]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[yvonne61]

OH MCCAIN SAID HE GOING TO REPRESENT ON OBAMA WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRING IT ON .. OBAMA IS A INTELLIGENT,SMART THIS WILL BE THE NIGHT THE LIGHT WENT OUT IN NEW YORK.

[renatam]

As a proud Manhattan resident, we will turn them out -- on Senator McCain and his trashy sidekick. We are not his "friends." Believe it!

He has been the chief motivator for turning attention AWAY from those who attacked us -- and you never hear him even mention it...so OBSESSED IS HE WITH IRAQ AND IRAN.

[evekendall]

FactCheck re Ayers:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/he_lied_about_bill_ayers.html

[WLA]

Thanks eve!

[Mildmannered]

Let me tell you, Mr. McCain; the economy has really hurt many of us on Main Street too. However, we were really impressed with your stunt where you "suspended" your campaign and flew back to D.C. only to see the House republicans kill the first bailout bill. And then what was that mention in the last debate of the feds using our tax dollars to buy bad mortgages. You never really explained it. Is it a serious proposal? Are you going to kill a bunch of earmarks to finance it?

[simmary]

Pathetic, isn't he?

Yes, the economic chaos hasn't affected my assets much since I have hardly any. The shopping basket is coming expensive though and I'm worried about my charities, which need money more than I do, and will receive less overall income this year. That will affect them a lot.

[rosal]

What bothers him is that the economy hurt his campaign, it doesn't bother him how the economy hurt the people of this country. "Its all about me" should be his slogan, this should give everybody a idea of what kind of president he would be.

[betheliza]

fortunately, i think a lot of americans are starting to figure out what kind of president mccant would be.

obama/biden 08

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

".....has hurt us a little."


A LITTLE, what plant has he been living on these past 8 years? The bottom fell out for many Americans way before Black Monday. Oh my bad, this is the same one to annouce on that same day, the fundamentals of our economy are strong. He's out of touch like an 8 track player.

[speciallady2003]

Wind up phonograph player.
He doesn't know where he's been living, he can't even count up his houses.

[blueshield]

If the polls hold after the next debate, how soon til the Republicans who still want a political future put some distance between themselves and Mac and Tacky?

Before they start making noises about how they actually do respect Sen O?

No politician wants to be remembered for backing the losers. Politics gets done with the winners.

[hbhawaii]

Mac and Tacky ... Oooooo you nailed it!

[mouselion]

Come Tuesday morning, I'm heading over to the town clerk's office and doing some early voting for Obama/Biden.

If you have early voting in your state go ahead and vote. If not, make sure you get to the polls on November 4. And, whatever you do, don't NOT vote because it looks like O's ahead. We want a resounding landslide election!

[evekendall]

We have great poll numbers, but we can't let up working until Nov. 4. The big job will be getting the vote out on election day. Volunteer with your local HQ to drive people to the polls or to be a poll monitor. In the meantime, go to your local HQ and volunteer. They still need you.

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

Download and print posters and signs:
http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/

Buy stickers and signs:
http://store.barackobama.com/

Register someone. Deadlines are approaching fast:
http://www.voteforchange.com/

[CaliTLC]

John McCain is STILL OUT OF TOUCH. "Hurt us a little." Surely, on Wednesday night, Barack will recite McCain's summation of the economic woes back to him while demonstrating how he still doesn't get it. Hey John: How's that Palin pick working for ya?

[strandwolf]

I'm sick of the goofy moderating, burying comments because of a term used in a decent context instead of a saxy one or some such stupidity. I understand that HuffPo doesn't want to be accused of being a tear or ist site by shanni tie but hire some proofers or something so that we can communicate in real time instead of talking with nobody, you tightwads. This joint is turning a profit with all the ads.

[Erik Kartmann]

He (McCain) seems to have lost more than just his credibility....

[CaliTLC]

He also lost his honor, self-respect, dignity, reputation, maverickness, candor, ethics, love of this country, all of his marbles - just a few off the top of my head.

[sak]

He just meant that the hit the rest of us took really didn't phase his wife's gazilions.

[JR49]

I just wonder what he meant when he said "it came back" last few days...I checked the polls and it is worse by every minute...so please tell me somebody what he meant. To his economy stimulus I have to say....Oh my god...I hoe these people are not getting even 500 yards near to the White House.
Lowering taxes fro investors is a strategy of development countries of so called Third World...and if they want have here factories from China where American workers will put together parts brought here from Taiwan or so...then we really get soon on the level of Development countries.

[sanywhere]

it seems that john is only concerned about how the economy hurt his campaign.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

...and his sugarmomma's bank balance.

[speciallady2003]

He's always thinking of you-- my friends.