Sarah Palin needs to be careful. Perhaps her parents did not tell her that when you throw mud, you will end up being the one with the dirty hands. Perhaps that is why she will not be ALLOWED to do any more interviews. Her closets may be opened to expose her HUSBAND, not pastor, being a Separatist who did not even want to be part of the USA. How is that loyalty to your country? How is that COUNTRY FIRST? I respect the Obama camp for not dipping into the smear campaign, but for the sake of comparison, Biden might make mention of it. :0

You never should have let the "exonerated" thing go - a reprimand for bad judgment is not exoneration.

You never should have let the " it was a long time ago" argument stand.  McCain was not 8 years old during hte Keating scandal.  Obama was a little boy during the Weatherman thing.

If Ayers is such a pariah, why is he a tenured professor at one of the best schools?  Is the entire faculty of hte U of C a terrorist group?

Some Republicans are now claiming that the Annenberg Foundation is a radical group - this is insane!  When will someone stand up and call a lie a lie?

I see that the Mccain camp is charging Obama as being associated with a domestic terrorist.  Why doesnt anyone bring up that Todd Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party that called for Alaska to cede from the union and get more autonomy. Bring up that if you loved America as much as they profess, why would you want to leave this great country.    

I just watched you interviewing a guy that was saying that Obama had to answer for hanging out with the terrorist, Bill Ayers. When the Keating Five issue was brought up, his response was that John McCain was never found guilty of anything. I need to point out that neither was Ayers.

Even McCain's attack ads are out of touch. You'd think his Bush Campaign attack dogs would at least score a few points on the attack ... right?

Unless they are planning to lose this election and use McCain as the fall guy. They know how bad the economy is! They know how big this Wall Street bailout will be! This first $800 billion is not the end of it! They know the Democrats win when it's the economy - stupid! But even all the regulation in the world will not stop this recession avalanche from becoming deep and hard - particularly for the middle class. It will get really bad. It could be a depression! The next bust will be credit card defaults - I wonder if Congress bails out Visa and Mastercard?

So what's the point here. In politics when you've really fumbled the ball you want the other team to pick it up. The idea is to blame the Democrats for the economy when they cannot fix it. It's an old proven GOP strategy that really works. The GOP give up 4 years under Obama to get the next 8 years starting in 2012.

The GOP will run Huckabee / Romney in 2012 and they'll win since the economy will be weaker in 2011 than it is today. AGAIN it's the economy STUPID.

And McCain will not lead the GOP in 2012. As for Palin she is a base thriller who will go back to Alaska and will start running huge deficits, ask for massive pork, and show all Americans that she can bring the bacon home.

The economy is in free fall, and given the $11 trillion dollar debt the next president will NOT accomplish very much.

Don't forget Government revenues fall in a recession and whatever deficits are estimated you can calculate double that. Hold onto your cash folks - this fall is going to hurt us all.

Independents Vote Obama!

obama's past association is relevant to his character, especially if he is running for the Presidency. That type of association is more detremental to his character than the problem Mccain had with the keaton's affair. Through out the years Mccain has proven that he has worked for the people whereas Obama does not have such a strong record. That has always bothered me about Obama and i've always wondered why he got this far. Are the American people too dumb to be governed?

The McCain spinmasters keep saying "this is about judgement".(Obama's association with Ayers)  The US House of Representatives said John McCain  "used poor judgement".  It can't get any more black and white than that!  

Obama should strike back by questioning and commenting on Todd and Sarah Palin active association with the Alaskan Independent Party and their effort to secede from the United States. After all she is giving talking points on National Security and she may be our next Vice President and a heartbeat away from the Presidency. A Scary thought.

McCain has ties with G. Gordon Liddy...has he returned Liddy's donations?

Palin has ties to the SEC and Rev. Muthee....talk about dangerous....

And the most recent Palin twisted truth?...how about her 'proven' Debate lies about Darfur?....her votes were NO until Mar. 2008

it is too bad that Obama is a gentleman, right now. He could be going after Mccains military record,his health records,Sarahs witch doctor buddy, and Todds affiliation with Alaskan Independent Party...a party that hates America. Mccains temper, foul mouth and bigotry are legendary.

Why isn't anyone questioning McCain's radical pals...G. Gordon Liddy and Daniel Ifshin.  Why no questioning of his ties to gambling??

Why is Sarah Palin not being held accountable for her husband's affiliation with the Alaskan Independence Party?  By association, isn't it fair to say that she and her husband "palled around" with a secessionist party whose founder, Joe Vogler, openly proclaimed his hatred of America???

THANK YOU CHRIS!!!!!
If it wasn't for your show, I would be drowning in the negative atmosphere that I see coming from the republican camp. It's horrible! I watch your show to calm down. God help us all!!!

I don't think there is a pundit who truly loves American politics more than Chris. He inspires me and I think he really puts his heart into his work.

The questions of Obama's character would be mud-slinging if the mainstream media and the Chris Matthews of the world had the guts to ask their golden boy Barack the tough questions.  However, since they are cowards and bleed for a liberal democrat to be president, the have failed at their job.  If these shady associations had involved McCain, the media would have already crucified him and demanded that he terminate his campaign.  That's the double standard that is sickening and unfortunately, the liberals have the airwaves of the major networks at their control.

Please take your bias out of the equation and really ask yourself if Obama is qualified to become the leader of the free world.  If so, then he will take over with less experience than anybody to ever hold that office and now is not the time for inexperience.  Finally, Obama is full of charisma and excellent orator but says much without saying anything.  Good speech delivers do not qualify for a good president.  If so, every public speaking course in the country would be putting out candidates in volume.  Now ask yourself this, would I vote for Barack if he was caucasian?  Definitely not and that is the problem with this whole liberal fiasco.  The liberals have a feel good story with an African-American and are hell bent to get him elected.  End of story.

Go ahead and throw out the racist attack since that is the retort to all opposed to Obama but it's tough calling a black man like myself that.  There are many African-Americans that I would vote for over McCain but Obama is not one of them!!!!!!!!!!

If McCain had never been born it would have been the Keating Four.
If Obama had never been born, all the bombings by Ayers would still have taken place.
There is no comparison like your guest tonight tried to make.  Living in the same current neighborhood with someone who did unspeakable things 40 years ago is not the same, not even close, to being a principal participant, the Keating 5th.  McCain's deeds are particularly relevant now that we have a similar crisis as the S&L crisis on the 1980's.

What about McCain's comment in April that this kind of character smear attempt has no place in presidential politics?  How about McCain's comment that he would stick to the issues and not smears? He said on his bus one day that a campaign that smears is a desperate one?
By the way, I'm one of those guys  from PA who McCain might need one day. A hardworking registered independent voter.  What's up John?

I was a college student during the 1960's, and opposed the VietNam War. As part of that protest, I joined the Students for a Democratic Society. Nixon made people think we were Communists, terrorists, hated America, and all sorts of things. We were very patriotic, and exercising our right to protest, and speak our minds. Today, most of us are much more moderate, professional, but still passionate about our rights.

There were those who were not content to just protest, and became extreme activists. There was such passion and fury in those days. What those people were willing to put on the line - their lives, mostly, was scary to me! But people mature, evolve, and many decide that the best way to effect change is by teaching, counseling, working within the system. Some of the greatest people started out as rabble-rousers. I believe many of the original Americans were among them.

That said, the person who did this was Prof. Ayers, NOT Barack Obama, and by the time Barack Obama met the man, his radical activist days were 20 years behind him, and he was a college professor. If he had been one of Obama's professors, would Obama also be guilty by association? It is such a low and pathetic act for the McCain/Palin "team" to dredge up dirt that isn't even true, and hope it harms Obama by mere association. If I were in that camp (and thank God I am not!!), I would be embarrassed as hell!

Desperation seems to be the only word that now can describe the Rebublican campaign. I'm not sure if it is just me but the the rhetoric of this party for the last eight years, has been to make the general public feel fear. Mission accomplished, and the candidates of the Republicans now are continuing that type of rhetoric. There are some of us out here that do read, that do listen objectively, and have watched this country basically become a third world nation. Wake up conservatives, fear mongering, twisting facts, and touting your undying love for we the people, while you laugh at the thoughts of fooling us are over. Mr. Obama will win this election, and it will be because he communicated to the electorate as his equal and not illiterate scared villagers.

Chris, you are absolutely correct in your assessment this evening -- the tactics of McCain and his cohorts are right out of Karl Rove's playbook.  They make unprovable insinuations and when called to account for them, avoid responsibility and change the subject.  We saw this very approach throughout the Bush campaigns.  Barack Obama is absolutely correct in responding to McCain and Co. in kind and then turning the conversation back to the issues.  The kind of negative campaigning that characterizes the Republican Party stems from desperation.  These people have no original ideas nor do they have individuals capable of generating them.  They are sorely limited in their ability to think abstractly and thus, are severely limited in their ability to problem solve.  "Eight more years" means more than simply an extension of Bush policies: it means eight more years of poor judgment, narcissistic arrogance, character assassination, and the unbridled tendency to assign blame rather than assume personal responsibility.  What Barack Obama clearly brings to the table is not merely an agenda for change, but strength of character and an utter lack of self-centeredness.  This kind of thing is completely outside the realm of possibility for McCain and Co.  They don't understand it, they don't embrace it, and they have no idea what to do about it.  Instead of emulating it, they become paranoid and go on the attack.  Leadership is about character and John McCain is working like a demon (don't tell Sarah that!) to prove that he has neither character nor genuine leadership potential.    

It is fair for people to fully understand Sen. Obama's association with Bill Ayers. Bill Ayers, coupled with Rev. Wright, are two men who are angry at America.  It can make one wonder that if Sen. Obama has the support of these men, is it because Sen.
Obama will make America more like how these men see it. When this issue came up during the primary season, it was swept under the carpet not truly resolved.  This is why it is resurfacing again.
As voters, we need know every aspect of every candidate.  Sen. Obama should be no exception.

Thank you Chris for being right on with the reporting.  Senator Obama is cognizant of the needs of the voters to address the economy of the USA and does not want to waste time, energy or the intelligence of the American populace with this nonsense.  If only the McCain campaign would understand the voters as well.

Could SOMEONE please ask one of the McCain surrogates, or even Palin or McCain themselves, how it's okay to say "let's not focus on the past" when it comes to the economy, or Iraq, but it's perfectly fine for them to focus on the past when it comes to William Ayers? This hypocrisy is SO outrageous, it's maddening!! Are they suggesting that Obama's past is more relevant to the issues facing the country today?

The recent political rally Sara Palin held when she referred to Barack Obama as a Terroist truly FRIGHTENS me. In the back ground as she calls Barack Obama names you can hear shouts from the crowd "TERRIOST" and "KILL HIM". Is this what we have come to? THEY SHOULD BE CALLED ON THIS. Enough is enough. I am sick of all this negativity, dirty tricks and lies to get votes. This is as close to ensighting a Riot as I have ever heard. I have lost all respect for the McCain/Palin and all their hatchet men and women. It is clear they are desperate and will do what ever they can get away with to win this election. It would be a great tragedy if some one takes matters into their own hands and does the unthinkable by the ugly and Unpatriotic remarks by the  McCain/Palin and all their hatchet men and women  are doing. They alone will be responsible if a great tragedy occurs.

I don't understand this election rhetoric. The country is going downhill fast and McCain and Palin want to talk about war heroes from bygone eras, mavericks and who did what more than 30 years ago. The war hero from the past was an honorable man, but the meanness of this man today is far from honorable. We don't need mavericks doing "mavericky things", we need people working together to save our country, our soldiers, our economy and our place in the world. Stop the mud-slinging and back-stabbing and get back to business. AMERICA NEEDS HELP. I plan to watch the debate tonight. If the personal attacks start, I'll turn off the TV and show my anger on election day.

I was a republican until this year.  McCain has changed that.  I am totally disgusted with him for so many reasons.  He reminds me of a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, crumbs all around his mouth pointing his finger with chocolate dripping off it and saying "He got a cookie".  His whole I can be trusted scares me.  He was proud of the ads that slammed Obama.  That is not the kind of man I want in office.  I know over the years the politicians no longer feel that integrity, honesty or trustworthiness mean anything.  Maybe not to them but to me who can vote for them or not it does.  The mud slinging is simply not wise, it only shows he can say anything but feels he is above it all.  Sorry, not true, hero in a war or not, this does not make him a hero in my book.  I know I do not want McCain to me saying where the military people in my life are going to be going either.  I like them and want to see them for many years to come!

Has anyone else noticed??? All the fuss McCain made about Obama not wearing an American  Flag Lapel pin earlier in the campaign.  Indicating he was not a good true american yet during the last two debates John McCain himself has not had on an American Flag Lapel pin while Barack Obama has.  Hmmmmmmmmmm whats that again about people who live in glass houses?  Oh yes the SHOULD NOT throw stones!!!!!

Obama, did not make sense says the same thing over and over. He has a lot of retoric,and talks around the circle. MCCain, made himself clear and answered the questions in more effective way. The questions where very boring, why are they choosing questions that they have answered over and over. BORING......

Debates are debates, what I realley enjoyed about this one happened after the debate.  Michelle Obama sitting in the audience, where was Cindy sitting?  BACKSTAGE!  Barack and Michelle shaking hands and signing autographs afterwards, where was the McCains?  BACKSTAGE!  Enough said.

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