"I think that it's going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once"

[bigtree]

September 24, 2008




Remarks by Barack Obama on Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla. :

“I wanted to have a chance to talk to you, because obviously this is a moment of great uncertainty in America. As I mentioned at the rally today, the era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has led us to a financial crisis as serious as any we’ve faced since the Great Depression.

And there’s much blame to go around for causing this crisis, but we’re now here.

Every American has a stake in solving this crisis and saving our financial system from collapse, because if we don’t act soon, then people’s jobs, people’s savings, the economic security of millions of Americans will be put at risk. ...

So the clock is ticking. We have to act swiftly, but we have to also get it right. And that means everyone, Republicans and Democrats, the White House and Congress, need to work together to come up with a solution that protects American taxpayers and our economy without rewarding those whose greed helped bring us to this point.

This cannot fall victim to the usual partisan politics or special interest lobbying. ...

With respect to the debates, it’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess.

And I think that it is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.

I think there’s no reason why we can’t be constructive in helping to solve this problem and also tell the American people what we believe, and where we stand, and where we want to take the country.

So in my mind, actually, it’s more important than ever that we present ourselves to the American people and try to describe where we want to take the country and where we want to take the economy, as well as dealing with some of the issues of foreign policy that were initially the subject of the debate.”





Video: http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=158b31680b541d64cbf6f0d87cd70d6c706caa1e


photos by (AP /Chris Carlson)

[curious one]

1. Exactly.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Damn.........This has got to be the next President!

[bigtree]

6. temperament

Mccain can't multi-task

[LiberalAndProud]

3. He will be a truly great president. (nt)

[casus belli]

4. This man epitomizes why we will rise above this...

he is, himself, the product of America - of American schools, of American friends and family, of American culture. And he should be a source of pride for all of us who share, with him, the greatest country in the world. I only wish there weren't so many people out there who only want to see him through the negative filter they created surrounding everything about him.

The man is a gift. I hope we don't blow it.

[Willo]

5. That was great.

I find it funny that McCain was trying to push that Obama was doing nothing and then turns around and suspends his own campaign.
It's like they have a team of people with different ideas and each day they try one. Unreal.

These last two weeks, Obama has come across as presidential, grounded and real.

On another note, I wonder if the polls are reflecting the truth more than a recent change of public view. Either is good but I wonder.

[MamaDem]

7. That was my FAVORITE line!!! I also love the timeline of prior debates

and the events occurring while they took place. Multi-tasking is a pre-req to be the most powerful leader in the world!!

[bigtree]

8. He nailed the obvious

-McLame-

[Cha]

9. The people depending on this debate at Ol Miss are

gonna be happy!

<snip snip>

"Ironically enough, if John McCain goes through with his threat to skip the foreign policy debate scheduled for this Friday for the sake of prolonging and complicating the ongoing negotiations over the Paulson bailout package, it may end up creating another distressed asset -- the University of Mississippi's investment in Friday's face-off. Officials from Ole Miss told ABC News today that a cancellation would be "devastating" to the University -- and that a postponement might not be possible:

Andrew Mullins, special assistant to University Chancellor Robert Khayat, told ABC News that the Ole Miss campus has been transformed to accommodate the candidates and the press. Road blocks are in place on campus and in the community and the debate television set for the candidates has already been constructed. He said the university has spent roughly five and half million dollars getting ready for the debate.

Mullins also noted that if the Commission on Presidential Debates asks the campus to hold the debate at a later date, he is not sure the university would be able to accommodate them.

"It's huge. You cannot just say that you're not going to do this thing," Mullins said. "I don't have any idea whether we do the debate" at a later date. " probably wouldn't do it."

<more>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/24/ole-miss-officials-debate_n_129057.html