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Countdown Wednesday: Delay Tactics?

Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:59 PM by Countdown
Filed Under:

The Politics of Pause:  And when the story of that Presidential Election is written... These last ten days may be noted, as the time John McCain stopped running against Barack Obama, and started running against Freedom of the Press, the First Amendment, and reality. The New York Times revealed today that McCain's Campaign manager did not stop receiving payments of 15-thousand a month from the failed mortgage giant Freddie Mac years ago as McCain claimed... but only last month... so the campaign responded with the wrath of a thwarted child. Our fifth story on the Countdown: and with every poll and every measure of momentum against him, Senator McCain suddenly announced it was necessary for him to stop campaigning for a time so that the nation could focus on the economic crisis for which he has tried to blame Senator Obama, and, oh by the way, postpone Friday's presidential debate. Till when? December?

Fit to be Tied:  So far, but one discernable upside of Senator McCain's decision to suspend his campaign and postpone the first debate: In our fourth story on the Countdown: It all but obliterated today's news that the lobbying firm of McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has been receiving secret monthly payments of 15,000 dollars from the failed mortgage giant Freddie Mac... The most recent one coming **last** month... and not **years ago** as Senator McCain himself recently claimed.

ODDBALL: a model takes a header, and the RCA dome loses its air

Numb and Number:  Earlier today, our Kelly O'Donnell spoke with McCain advisors who insisted the campaign suspension had nothing to do with sliding poll numbers. They insisted this is, quote, "an even race." In our third story tonight... yah. The numbers in a moment, but as Politico dot-com's Ben Smith put it today, quote, "The only thing that's changed in the last 48 hours is the public polling." So, who's right?  Even race... or a change in public polling?

Worsties...see below. 

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Captain Scott Oltman and First Officer Dillon Shepley, Mark Salter, and Rush Limbaugh vie for tonight's top honors.

Palintology:   As if the Palin-McCain -- sorry McCain-Palin -- campaign weren't desperate enough today... In our number one story on the Countdown... a trifecta... for Governor Palin. Officially stonewalling on Troopergate. On the same day that a video re-surfaces of her witch-obsessed pastor laying hands on her, three years ago. And on that persistent issue of foreign policy experience, Governor Palin does not have it... so says the First Lady... Laura Bush. Troopergate first.

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Comments

Kieth,
Please just ask the McCain campaign this question:  If Palin isn't capable of taking a few quesitons from the press, how can anyone think she is capable of being VP or potentially President?  It's outrageous!

Marcy Everest, Sebring, Florida (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 12:43 PM)

Liked your appearance on Letterman last night.  Can you 2 do coordinated political analysis on a periodic basis - on either show?

TonyMontana, Windsor Depths, IA (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 12:54 PM)

1. New C.Slogan 4 McCain (Change spelled backwards) underlined with back to the future.
2. Several programs ago KO mentioned that Iraq was only going to deal with China for future oil contracts. Last night a deal with Shell was quoted. Can we get a clarification on this? Thanx,JBP

John Peffley, Pinehurst,NC28374 (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:28 PM)

I think Obama made a big mistake by saying he could multitask and did not need to go back to D.C.. First of all Obama is still a senator of a state and this could possible be he problem next year if elected, so you think he would want to be involved in what was going on.

Karen Brady, Spring Hill Fl. (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:48 PM)

HI KEITH! WATCH YOU EVERY DAY, "RIGHT ON THE MONEY". GLAD YOU "SAVED THE DAY ON LETTERMAN". ARE WE SEEING A MCCAIN A MELTDOWN? DIDN'T HE THINK HIS LIE WOULD BE FOUND OUT? ONE ONLY KNOWS WHATS NEXT. CAN'T WAIT TILL FRIDAY!

CHARISSE FAIR, SPRING LAKE, MI (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 3:40 PM)

Regarding McCain's campaign tactics, I would love to see you play the song from the trial scene in the movie "Chicago" (performed by Richard Gere):  "Razzle-Dazzle".  Lyrics are perfect ... "and they'll never get wise."

DJ, San Diego, CA (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 4:03 PM)

If McCain is incapacitated and unable to attend the Friday debate, then his VP should fill in for him, just as would happen should they be elected.

If Palin cannot fill in for McCain at a scheduled, staged TV debate, then how can anyone claim she would be ready to take over for him as president should it come to that?

Jeff, Seattle, Wash (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 5:08 PM)

There is now only one word to describe the "maverick" war hero: COWARD!!!!!

KEVIN (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 5:57 PM)

Mostly Mcain's strategy is just to wait to see what Obama says on issues then copies what Obama says and tries to take credit for it. Bet you could do a entire show on it.

Elizabeth Purcell, Concord, Ca. (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 5:57 PM)

RE: KO on DL...I was in stitches last night.  What a great show.  I liked the POW/Hero 5 minute preamble before the skewering......Keep up the great work.  Obviously DL knew just who to call to fill in....

Ralph Venen, Bloomfield Hills, MI (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:08 PM)

Let's have the vice presidential debate tomorrow night instead. I need a good laugh. Biden vs. Palin, spontaneous, love it.

Tom Collins Bath, PA (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:16 PM)

Keith,  Should we vote out everyone out of office should this "bailout" fail?  Frankly, Sarah Palin couldn't find a cowboy in Texas and Rick Davis looks like he was separated at birth with Bevis and Butthead

Henry Perez, Atlantic City, NJ (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:25 PM)

Seems pretty clear that one of McCain's motivations behind his antics this weeks has been moving the spotlight away from Palin and postponing if not cancelling the VP debates.

Anne Derryberry, Sonoma, CA (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:27 PM)

Suggest to the democratic party to draft Bill Clinton for president to get us out of this crisis. He knows how!

Anna Nash, Cherry Hill, New Jersey (Sent Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:16 PM)

Deceive, Deflect, Delay.  Haven't we seen this before?  Karl Rove tactics at their best (worst).

Bill Richey, Lockport, NY (Sent Friday, September 26, 2008 5:44 AM)



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