US Features
McCain, Obama vie for laughs, not votes, at white-tie event
By Pat Reber Oct 17, 2008, 6:24 GMT
Senator John McCain (L) and Senator Barack Obama (R) at the 63rd Annual Alfred E. Smith Foundation Dinner at Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan, New York, USA, on 16 October 2008. EPA/ANDREW THEODORAKIS / POOL
Washington - The US presidential candidates put aside the serious business of courting voters Thursday night to match wits before a well-heeled crowd that expected to be entertained, not wooed.
Dressed in a white tie and black dinner jacket, Republican John McCain, 72, insisted he had dismissed his entire team of senior advisors and replaced them with 'a man named Joe the Plumber' - a reference to an Ohio man who has become Everyman in the bitter race for the White House.
Democrat Barack Obama, 47, also in white tie, joked about his partial Kenyan ancestry and his middle name Hussein that has provoked centre-right Republican suspicions that he could be foreign or even Muslim.
'Many know I got my name from my father, Barack, which is actually Swahili for 'that one,'' Barack said, jabbing at McCain's dismissive reference to him during one debate. 'I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president.'
The audience roared with delight at the unaccustomed light- heartedness and charm of the two senators, after many had just the night before watched them parry sharp verbal swords during the final debate before the November 4 elections.
The occasion was the annual fund-raising dinner to commemorate Alfred E Smith, the 1928 Democratic nominee who was the first Catholic to run for US president from a major political party.
Cardinal Edward Egan, head of the archdiocese of New York, was the referee, sitting between the political rivals at the head table, according to broadcast footage from the event.
Grist for the senators' humour mill came from iconic campaign images - like Joe Wurzelbacher, an employee of a plumbing company outside Toledo, Ohio, who was outside on his street recently when Obama strolled through his neighbourhood.
The man rocketed to fame after video clips showed the so-called plumber - it turns out he doesn't have a licence, the New York Times reported - complaining to Obama that the Democrat's plans to raise taxes on personal incomes above 200,000 dollars would interfere with his own plans to buy a plumbing company that makes 250,000 to 280,000 dollars a year.
McCain, jumping on the theme to portray Obama as a big taxer and spender, invoked Joe the Plumber repeatedly during Wednesday's debate.
But after US media camped out at the plumber's house and started investigating, they found that Wurzelbacher earns so little that he would actually benefit from Obama's promised middle-class tax cuts.
Never mind the discrepancy, McCain joked. 'Joe the Plumber recently signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses.'
McCain was referring to the hubbub over his inability to remember how many homes he and his wealthy beer-distributorship-heiress wife Cindy McCain owned.
Obama made fun of the pretentious stage decorations at his own acceptance speech in August, which filled a huge Denver, Colorado, sport stadium with his supporters - an unusual, and critics said overly ambitious, event for the relative newcomer on the national political scene.
'I was originally told that we would be able to move this outdoors to Yankee Stadium,' Obama said of the white-tie affair. 'Can someone tell me what happened to the Greek columns I requested?'
Obama, who could become the first black US president, confessed that he actually had not been born in a manger, but rather on Superman's planet, Krypton, 'and sent here by my father - to save the planet earth.'
The centre-left Democrat, who has pulled ahead in the polls as the economic crisis has worsened, said it felt like an 'odd time' to be dressed up in a white tie, then forged ahead with a claim that one of McCain's advisors had conceded that 'if we keep talking about the economy, McCain's gonna lose.'
'So I'm gonna keep talking about the economy,' he jibed, drawing another wave of laughter.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
i think it was close,iwoudnt like to call it,i would like sarah against obama,he once saID HE WAS A MUSLIM FAITHI THEN COCECTED HIMSELF WOW.
i think it was close,iwoudnt like to call it,i would like sarah against obama,he once saID HE WAS A MUSLIM FAITHI THEN COCECTED HIMSELF WOW.
Thank God we live in a free country, where you can speak your mind on public issues, without fear that those who disagree will respond by exposing anything you've ever done that you regret or that could embarrass your family.
Oh, wait, never mind. We have to know, according to some, about Joe the Plumber's tax lien, and how he doesn't have a license - which, if the smear artists bothered to check the law, he only needs for commercial work, not residential work.
This is the way our opponents operate now. Destroy anyone who stands in your way. Humiliate them. Make sure that anyone else who ever wants to skeptically question Barack Obama knows that every last bit of their dirty laundry will be aired for all the world to see. Bristol Palin, Trig Palin, — hey, it's all fair game. They've got to make an example of them. Show them that this sort of dangerous speech won't be allowed in the New America.
Barack Obama is not a center left democrat as you claim in this article. He is a far left democrat and has the most progressive voting record of any Senator currently in the United States Senate. He has much more in common with Karl Marx than he does with Bill Clinton.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ITS ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE BURNT OUT POOR TRYING TO LIVE ON A FEW CENTS AWEEK COMPARED TO THE BILLIONS POLITICINS TALK ABOUT AND WE ALL BUY INTO IT -CALL IT UNREALITY TV-ITS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS THIS SIDESHOW-IM GLAD THEY ARE HAVING A LAUGH-MCAIN GETS IT HES SMILING.
It was a pretty good show from both candidates, but McCain's creepy smile is starting to get to me and not in a good way!
on Letterman last night didn't do himself any favors. He's better (not much) at comedy when it's prepared, and he reads it. Letterman got the best of him as he should have well known would happen and had him squirming and stuttering when he was confronted with some of his past 'friends' and issues. Dave isn't a 'dumb' comedian.
Top Republican explains why McCain will lose election...
Former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd recently said of McCain:
'He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that.'
' McCain's creepy smile is starting to get to me and not in a good way!'
He had his teeth kicked out when he was a POW. What's the excuse for Obamas dumbo ears?
His teeth have nothing to do with his smile - seems you are really on the defensive. His smile/grin IS creepy. I didn't happen to actually notice his teeth - guess you did??? Every little thing about this man - how he looks and acts, etc., can't always be blamed on his POW status - what a cop out! And as far as McCain is concerned, he has failed to really distinguish himself from the Bush White house. Instead of letting a consistent set of principles guide his decisions, he seems to lurch from one idea to another - not very confidence building for independent voters. As for his campaign, he hasn't decided if he wants to be an attack dog or take a higher ground. Palin being forced on him hasn't helped! If he had a better VP pick, he would have had a much better chance at the White House.
Hey did you know McCain was a POW, no really he was a POW, friends.
“His teeth have nothing to do with his smile”
Are you kidding?
“His smile/grin IS creepy.”
Want to know what is creepy? People who wont allow themselves to see the obvious: Obama will be a lousy president. He resents this country and wants to teach it a lesson. He will surrender American sovereignty and bankrupt us. He will end this country as a superpower and denigrate the things that people have worked hard or died to build, reaffirm and grow.
These creepy drones who can’t defend their positions, who wont listen to reason and who are determined to drag the rest of us down with their commitment to going through with what is so obviously a bad idea… They creep me out. They are unthinking zombies. Pod-people. Willfully stupid and determined to carry out the degradation of the USA because of their own insecurities, intellectual laziness and need for external validation.
“very little thing about this man - how he looks and acts, etc., can't always be blamed on his POW status - what a cop out!”
It happens to be the fact. His teeth were kicked out by the North Vietnamese during his 5 and a half years of torment that he CHOSE to go through rather then dishonor himself or the country. They were replaced with the best 1970s dentistry. Sorry if his self conscious smile creeps you out… Unfortunately that is consistent with the reasoning behind not voting for him.
“Instead of letting a consistent set of principles guide his decisions, he seems to lurch from one idea to another”
Obama has just about taken EVERY stand on EVERY topic. He was for pulling out of Iraq before he was against it. He was for Drilling before he was against it. He was for campaign finance reform before he was against it. I could give you a list of dozens of policies and promises he has reversed himself on but it wouldn’t matter. Please obamadrone… you must be joking.
“If he had a better VP pick, he would have had a much better chance at the White House.”
She is running for VP and she has more experience then the democrats presidential hopeful. Again… People who wont allow themselves to see the obvious….
“Hey did you know McCain was a POW, no really he was a POW, friends”
Hey, did you know Obama has only served himself? Did you know that the only thing he has done for any length of time is attend the Damn America church?
why Republicans are so angry and upset all the time - a bad 8 years maybe?
'why Republicans are so angry and upset all the time '
Because democrats are about to sodomize the country by electing someone who will make the past 8 years look like the golden age of America.
'Because democrats are about to sodomize the country by electing someone who will make the past 8 years look like the golden age of America.'
Says a liar and a neocon idiot.
'Says a liar and a neocon idiot.'
Says a creepy lemming that wants to drag us all off the cliff with her.
Why are you blaming the Democrats for electing the President - can't Republicans vote as well or have they all jumped ship?
OMG - don't you have a mind of your own? How can someone drag you off a cliff with an opinion? It sounds like you are suffering a severe case of imbecilism.
'- don't you have a mind of your own? How can someone drag you off a cliff with an opinion?'
Because the moron can presumably vote.
@Obamatards creep me out.
You wrote - He will surrender American sovereignty and bankrupt us. He will end this country as a superpower and denigrate the things that people have worked hard or died to build, reaffirm and grow.
I realize you are a delusional Republican, but all the above has already happened under the present administration
Finally someone commenting here who has a brain.
is coming to your TV. Sarah P. is going to be on Sat. Night Live. Guess she's tired of campaigning for a dead horse - wants to get into show biz.
Seriously, why would she take up time to do this right now when she should be out campaigning in some state that is about even in their predicted voting? Did Karl suggest this?
“I realize you are a delusional Republican, but all the above has already happened under the present administration”
I realize that you are an incapable of thinking for yourself Obamabot lemming, but McCain isn’t Bush and “change” doesn’t always signify “better”. What the country needs is a solid common sense approach to the problems that we face, not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Reverting back to the failed policies of the Carter administration will accelerate the decline, not reverse it.
And no, to Bush’s credit we have not surrendered our sovereignty to international organizations like the UN that not only have proven themselves to be worthless but actual impediments to stopping genocides in Sudan, Rwanda and Kosovo.
Ah yes I understand - genocides have been disorganised under the UN - you want the much more efficient American way of invasion and shooting everyone in the interests of occupying countries for their oil. (Big demonstration in Iraq today to get you out)
Meanwhile your assets are being bought up by China, Japan, UK, India, Russia and your economy is in recession - all part of the Republican plan to make the rich richer and keep the other 95% of the population in debt
they should have had sp4 there
he would have gotten lots of laughs for being the stupid one.mmmm look the stupid one is here..
'change doesn't always mean better' - well, you better clue McCain in also as his ads keep proclaiming change is coming, or is he talking about Obama..LOL
''Ah yes I understand - genocides have been disorganised under the UN - you want the much more efficient American way of invasion and shooting everyone in the interests of occupying countries for their oil. ''
That’s cute: We are Americans therefore we are for genocide. This is the kind of person we have allowed to influence our political debate. He hates us, he thinks we are criminals, he thinks we need to be humbled/defeated/restrained and he sees Obama as the surest way of getting what he wants.
The sad thing is that he is correct. Obama will give him what he wants: a diminished America that is subservient to unelected, corrupt foreign entities that detest us.
why someone always points to Democrats as lemmings? The same thing can be said of the right as well then - really outstanding comparison. Now stayed tuned to the Palin show on Sat. Night Live, all you lemmings, and see how she's preparing for her next job after November if they don't let her back into Alaska!
I AM JOE. I am a Wal Mart schlub in flyover country who changes my own oil and unclogs drains without a license. I smoke and drink beer and toss the football in the front yard with my kid, and I figure I can fend my way without handouts from some Magic Messiah’s candy bags. Most everyone in my family and most everyone I grew up with is another Joe, and if you screw with them, you screw with me.
Are you a Joe? Say it proud. Leave it on every goddamn newspaper comment section and online forum. Let these pressroom and online thugs know you won’t stay silent when they try to destroy the life of a private citizen for speaking his mind — because for every one of them, there are a million Joe Wurzelbachers. And for that we should all be thankful.
We have McCain to blame for bringing Joe out in the public and protraying him differently than he really is, causing so much publicity surrounding him. But that's typical McCain - either lies or can't really remember what it's all about. Now, maybe he'll be the next act on Sat. Night Live following Palin.
'Jak'
Sock puppet you mean..
'We have McCain to blame for bringing Joe out in the public'
He is a citizen who was approached by Obama to have hope and change BS poured down his gullet. He asked a question that made your messiah uncomfortable so of course he has to be smeared.
“and protraying[sic] him differently than he really is”
What “really is” he? He is an American and as such he is entitled to ask questions of the people running for office. The way he has been dealt with because of it is alarming and speaks to the fundamental totalitarian nature and the insecurity behind the Obama machine.
Yes, he's a credible member of society and had a good question. The point I'm trying to make is that he wasn't trying to buy a business, works for plumber, and wondered if he ever did want to buy a business, what his situation would be. McCain told it like he had saved for years and struggled, and was NOW trying to buy a business - just stretching the truth to fit his agenda. Then it was discovered he owed back taxes and didn't have a regular plumber's license. All this publicity because of McCain's spouting out over and over about the poor guy. He really didn't need all that in his life, but McCain couldn't let it go.
“The point I'm trying to make is that he wasn't trying to buy a business,”
How do you know this? What does it have to do with his question?
“works for plumber, and wondered if he ever did want to buy a business, what his situation would be.”
So he should be subjected to democratic government officials giving his salary information and tax records to the press?
“McCain told it like he had saved for years and struggled, and was NOW trying to buy a business”
Who told you he hasn’t?
“Then it was discovered he owed back taxes and didn't have a regular plumber's license.”
And that means that he isn’t allowed to ask the question or that his point is somehow invalid? (He doesn’t need a license by the way.)
“All this publicity because of McCain's spouting out over and over about the poor guy.”
No, all this publicity is because he rightly challenged the obama-messiah and the obama-messiah can’t have that. This fellow asked a question that embarrassed the totalitarian thug and now the totalitarian thug is going to let it be known that this fellow, this plumber of all things can’t possibly be credible enough to ask his highness anything because he owes back taxes and makes only X amount of dollars and he isn’t even licensed.
We can’t have such commoners having the sheer audacity to question Obama… Obama is beyond questioning from the bitter, gun clinging, religious red-necks that he is running to 'serve and represent'.
Top Republican explains why McCain will lose election...
Former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd recently said of McCain:
'He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that.'
Oh boo-hoo-hoo. Obama never approached Joe, Joe came up to him at a rally and claimed to be a plumber who wanted to buy a small business and was worried about Obama's tax plan. First of all and these are fact (something you have no idea about) he is not a licensed Plumber therefore he could not have his own business, he did not pay the small amount of taxes he owes now, and it order to buy a business that makes $250,000 profit a year it would cost him around $2 mm. This from a guy who could not pay less than $1,00 in taxes.
Then the right-wing neo-cons are so desperate they have to hang this poor guy out to dry. McCain should back this guy to buy the plumbing business due to the fact he married money and has not had to work for what he has, treat Joe to the same thing.
God you idiots on the right are getting desperate.
What a dork. If you saw this on TV you'd know what is the truth and what isn't. He DID have a legitimate question, but it was McCain who wanted to make it look like this guy had struggled for years to buy a business, etc., Joe was only asking about taxes IF in the future he was going to buy a business. McCain kept on and on about Joe at the debate and wouldn't let it go. It was in an interview today that Joe expressed his dislike for what happened because of him being mentioned over and over, but believe what your immature brain will let you. I feel sorry for Joe.
McCain should pay his back taxes for all the trouble he's caused.
'Obama never approached Joe, '
Here is the videotape:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwtnPi7hi0U
' First of all and these are fact (something you have no idea about) he is not a licensed Plumber therefore he could not have his own business, '
Firstly you are wrong, he doesn't need a license to own a plumbing business.
Here:
'Joe’s boss, Mr. Newell, in business since 1974, is in fact licensed in Lucas County. You can download the list of all licensed plumbers in Lucas County, Ohio. It is not difficult, though you have to provide information about yourself as the requester of the information.
By the rules of apprenticeship the reported date of November 2003 as the date of filing of Joe’s apprenticeship papers is fine.
“The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (O.C.I.L.B.), Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance, issues state commercial licenses to the following contractors: electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing, and refrigeration. To receive a state license, an applicant must meet the following requirements: 1) be at least 18 years of age; 2) be a United States citizen or a legal alien-must provide proof of being a legal alien; 3) either have been a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade for which the application is filed for not less than five years immediately prior to the date the application is filed, currently be a registered engineer in this state with three years of business experience in the construction industry in the trade for which the engineer is applying to take the examination, or have other experience acceptable to the appropriate section of the board; 4) not have been convicted of or plead guilty to a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or of any felony; 5) pass the examination in the trade; 6) carry minimum $500,000 contractor liability coverage; 7) pay the applicable fees”
www.com.state.oh.us/dic/diclicreq.htm
SO YOU ARE W-R-O-N-G!
Mr. Newell is licensed, and Joe the Plumber is just short of his five years before he can apply for licensure, but as supervised by Newell, he’s o.k.. You can look at screen captures of the entire list of Lucas County licensed plumbers here:
elicense1-roster.com.ohio.gov/default.asp
Joe the Plummer is ding his apprenticeship, it is necessary for him to do that before he can get his license. Until he serves his 5 years as an apprentice he can work as a legitimate plumber under Mr. Newell who was going to sell him the business when Joe gets the license and he retires.
'and it order to buy a business that makes $250,000 profit a year it would cost him around $2 mm.'
You are WRONG. Joe would just be buying the trucks and the route. You don't know anything about business either I see.
Here, here is Obama lying and trashing a good man again:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMzLb-2HRc
' but it was McCain who wanted to make it look like this guy had struggled for years to buy a business, etc.,'
He has, see above.
'Joe was only asking about taxes IF in the future he was going to buy a business. '
And...?
' was in an interview today that Joe expressed his dislike for what happened because of him being mentioned over and over,'
Who is mentioning him? Take a look:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMzLb-2HRc
'McCain should pay his back taxes for all the trouble he's caused.'
The trouble has been caused by the Obama campaign spreading LIES about the man and dragging him through the dirt because he had the audacity to question Barack the messiah Obama. We can't afford to elect someone who sneers at Americans for asking questions.
McCain DID bring poor Joe up over and over being the cause of Joe's anguish and McCain DID stretch the story to fit his spewing..........EOS
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLMzLb-2HRc
McAngry!
mcain palin is a good ticket thats not funny its yhr truth.
page: 1
McCains comments:Oct 17th, 2008 - 08:19:35
www.youtube.com/watch?v=irXS4Q7mUKQ
McCain ran rings around Obama, who can only read what someone else writes.
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