Unanswered Question Watch, Day 14: Are McCain-Palin Endorsing Sen. Ted Stevens’ Re-election?

Jake,
You’re dead on. Keep it up! I hope that you hold all four candidates’ feet to the fire. An informed democracy is a strong democracy.

the McPalin administration will be extremely more secretive than Bush/cheney

we will have an open administration!!!
/lies

Question not asked: Why won’t obama release his medical records?

Larry
anyone with eyes and ears knows Obama answers hard hitting questions, even if you don’t like the answers.
In America you at least come from behind the curtain, “be a barracuda” and take questions

hadenough, Obama did release his medical records. Why must you distract?

It’s a pity Jake isn’t monitoring a debate with such a relevant pressing question. Who are you endorsing Jake?

well, clearly the reporters are picking on McPalin. With all due respect to the American people, most of them don’t know enough about politics, foreign policy, the economy or any of a number of other key issues beyond how they see how it might directly benefit or hurt them. I’ll grant you that the 4th estate has been acting like a bunch of 8th graders at camp, but if that is the case, then McPalin is only willing to take questions from the 1st grade class during lunch. Grow a pair John. Don’t staff it out, you used to not have a problem talking to the press. Your campaign is handling you, you have already lost control of any kind of Presidency you could possibly have. You are a puppet candidate.

Bush = McBash = McSame = McShame
My ‘friends I know McBush Can get the
Job done to Lock the United States
into a Decade long 2nd Great Depression
…… AND MY FRIENDS BLAME YOU…….
FOR VOTING FOR HIM……………

huh?,
No obama did not release his medical records. A one page note from his doctor is not releasing his medical records.
“A week after Republican John McCain released medical records to show his own clean bill of health, the Obama campaign released a letter from Chicago physician David Scheiner summarizing the 46-year-old candidate’s condition.”
For comparison mccain released 10,000 pages of records obama got a note from his doctor.

bob,
They don’t have to talk to Jake. They should be accountable to the people though. The media is the best opportunity we have to ask questions of the candidates. Not all bad and not all good, I’m afraid.

Kitty
“John mcCain is out and about answering questions by the people”
you mean the questions that are pre selected with no follow up?
are those the questions you mean
the press is the voice and questions of the people
just like they were when you and Mccain and Bush and Cheney tried this tactic with
wmd
closed door energy policy
Libby
Katrina
presidential signing statements
Mission accomplished
Harriet Myers
Gonzales
Brownie
deregulation lobby
abu ghraib
Rumsfeld
afghanistan falling apart
energy speculation
…and the list goes on
you and mcCain
same team
same tactics
same results
9th year.
throw these bums out

Day 8- When is the MSM going to cover the fact that Obama went to Iraq and tried to delay negotiations for draw down until after the elections? I’m still waiting.

Why does everyone make comments about Obama using a teleprompter? McCain and Palin read from a notebook on the podium, and they don’t even try to hide it. If you watch him, after every sentence he looks down at the podium. I would ask if he thought he would fool anyone into thinking he was memorizing his talks by not having the teleprompters on stage, but I guess he has.

Neo-cons do their best “dirty” work behind a screen of secrecy, always have, always will. Look at Bush/Cheney and what do you see? Palin/McCain.

McCain and Palin should answer questions about how they would govern.

Sarah has lots of pictures now to prove her skills at foreign affairs.
What more do you want from her?

Guys, we can’t have it both ways!!!!! We can’t cheer when he writes bad stuff about the other guy then call him biased when he does the same about our guy!!! Both these candidates have faults…..hello, they are human!!!! so how about we listen to their policies and decide which one’s policies suits you and your family?? It’s really quite simple, neither one of them will do everything they say they will anyway!!!
Besides, people on here who like Sen. McCain won’t suddenly like Sen Obama simply because someone calls McCain a ‘creepy old man’ or the other way around because someone calls Obama ‘elitist’!!
Think for yourselves and don’t blame the media. You DO know that you can always watch MTV or something like that instead of the news, right? Right?!!!

dl-it is not a lie, there are conflicting stories therefore the media needs to ask questions to get to the bottom of it. Period. If this was anyone else, questions would have been asked, that’s the problem they never question Obama about anything. I just hope that you people are willing to stand up and take responsibility along with the media if he is elected and screws up this country.

Sally,
SHEEPLE!!!!
You Win a Set of Steak Knives!!!!

Jake is supporting geevil, that is the answer, because you and me need to know where our candidates stand on issues, that is what Jake is doing. Period.

The press has every right to expect answers from Palin. How else will we the people know where she stands on the issues? The repetitive lies (Bridge)and pre-scripted former Bush adviser pablum she has been feed and is regurgitating at campaign rallies are not answers. Now the McCain campaign has effectively shut down the Troopergate investigation until AFTER the election, even though Palin initially promised to cooperate: “hold me accountable” she declared! Holding her accountable would be allowing the voters to hear all the facts BEFORE they decide who to vote for.

“What will you do to help the economy Mr McCain?”
You know I was a POW for five years. I didn’t have a chair, or a desk.
“What will you do to improve our health insurance?”
Well when I was a POW, I didn’t have the luxury of chosing my own doctor.
“Can you tell us what consitutes “victory” in Iraq.
Having been a POW, I know all to well what it is like not to be free.
“Ok? Let’s try your VP candidate.”
“Gov Plain, some argue that you may be dangerously unqualified for the job of VP. How do you repsond to that criticism?”
Well, Shawn, uh, some people don’t think small town mayors know about running the country. And you know that you can’t blink. And Shawn, you should know Shawn, that being a mother of five Shawn, I understand the trials of the average mother. You can’t blink.
“Ok? Thank you for your “answers”

JR, I don’t think Stevens should be re-elected and I do think he should be investigated and prosecuted. I think when you get into a campaign of “who do you know”, then you are on a slippery slope. The issues become secondary in the campaign. This is the type of things neo-cons use to distract the conversation.
There is a financial meltdown in progress. Democrats can win on this issue alone. I expect all candidates to answer questions related to policy issues.

The story of Obama trying to hold off troop withdrawal is false, but some of you Republicans will run with any piece of unsubstaniated garbage and try to make something out of it. I suppose that you want the government to hand over a blank check as well?
Why won’t Mc/Palin talk to the media, or answer actual questions from people? What do they have to hide? (besides tropopergate, bridge to nowhere, no regulation or oversight, etc.)

hadenough,
You are worried about Obama’s medical records? McCain, age 72 and survivor of 2 bouts with cancer, has yet to release all of his records. (Allowing select reporters a few hours to look over the tome of records with no electronic or recording devices does not count.) I forgot, McCain has been so honest about things that we are to take his word that the cancer will not be coming back.

Mack,
You must understand that this is a food fight, or rather they are rubber and you are glue so any accusations only stick to you.
In other words a mature, thoughtful dialectic is at work here.

Leonard Peltier
Rangel did not pay Tax for 15 years from the income he made from rent?, He cheated IRS?
Rangel was using appartment alloted for low income?, but charging full rent inthe expenses?
I can lsit 20 more reasons to show ragel is a fraud?

Fabulous George Will op-ed in the Washington Post comparing McCain and Obama’s reaction to the financial crisis. Aptly entitled “McCain Loses His Head” it explains all the various ways he did just that last week while Obama remained cool under pressure. George Will, BTW, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning CONSERVATIVE columnist.

Yes, “the press isn’t what it used to be” – no longer cowed by Karl Rove’s smokescreen and bluster.
The press has started to wise up again and take responsibility for the role they play in our system of government.
Having been suckered into supporting the DISASTROUS WAR IN IRAQ, and then mocked by the Neo-Cons as belonging to “the reality-based community”, journalists have rebelled and are finally DOING THEIR JOB.
REPUBLICANS HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES UNTRUSTWORTHY.
McCAIN HAS PROVEN HIMSELF UNTRUSTWORTHY.
OBAMA = LEADER
McCAIN = LIAR

hadenough, given that Obama’s doctor stated that Obama is in excellent health, and that Obama has only reported minor problems such as upper respiratory infections, skin rashes, and minor injuries over the last 21 years, what extra information is it you’d like, exactly? Do you want to know what antibiotics he was prescribed for those respiratory infections? I mean, come on.
McCain released – well, I say released he didn’t actually release them, he let reporters have a short supervised period to look at 1,173 pages (not 10,000) of health records – anyway, McCain ‘released’ his records because he has a history of skin cancer. That’s the kind of thing people ask questions about. Letting people see his health records addresses that.
That doesn’t apply to Obama. He doesn’t have a history of skin cancer.

So we’re supposed to get our information about the candidates from CAMPAIGN ADS?!
The Darrell Hammond sketch at the beginning of Saturday Night Live last week just about summed it up (and Loren Michaels is a McCain contributor). Anybody who bases their opinions on those, from either party, is exactly the stupid part of the electorate they are aiming at, so congratulations!

Time to wake up folks. McCain and Palin are marketing, not campaigning.

“Rangel did not pay Tax for 15 years from the income he made from rent?, He cheated IRS?”
Cindy McCain (ya know the breadwinner of the family) failed to pay property taxes in her condo in Coronado for 4 years.
If you want to play whose party has more corrupt members, the Seven Indicted Republicans(Delay, Doolittle, Cunningham, Ney, Frist & Stevens) alone top anything the Democrats have done.

McCains Oil Tycoons, are in bed with Alaskas oil company. Of course they are going to protect Sen. Ted Stevens. He could be the October suprise, against Palin. The Oil Tycoons, also known as McCains Advisors, Are controling the ‘value’, of the American dollar. Why do you think, McCain and Palin are so, anti-green energy?
Oil Tycoon, scare tactics, are against the ‘bailout’, because THEY, want to BUY you out.
Vote ‘No’, to Multi-faced McCain. Vote ‘No’, to McCains advisors.

Where is the mention of McCain being slapped on the wrist for the Keating Five (Savings & Loan scandal, the last major government bailout)?
Since that time, why has McCain repeatedly voted for deregulation on bills submitted by his economic adviser Phil Gramm?
Remember the 2000 “Enron loophole” legislation. That was brought to America by Gramm and supported by McCain.
Remember the 1999 banking deregulation legislation. That was brought to America by Gramm and supported by McCain.

How Obama’s unanswered questions regarding Ayers?
“The Obama campaign has cried foul when Bill Ayers comes up, claiming “guilt by association.” Yet the issue here isn’t guilt by association; it’s guilt by participation. As CAC chairman, Mr. Obama was lending moral and financial support to Mr. Ayers and his radical circle. That is a story even if Mr. Ayers had never planted a single bomb 40 years ago.”

So Jake, instead of worrying about this non-issie how about Obama’s unanswered questions regarding Ayers?
“The Obama campaign has cried foul when Bill Ayers comes up, claiming “guilt by association.” Yet the issue here isn’t guilt by association; it’s guilt by participation. As CAC chairman, Mr. Obama was lending moral and financial support to Mr. Ayers and his radical circle. That is a story even if Mr. Ayers had never planted a single bomb 40 years ago.”

“That doesn’t apply to Obama. He doesn’t have a history of skin cancer.
Posted by: Aengil”
How do we know what applies to obama? How do we know what obama’s medical history is? He refuses to release his medical records. A note from a doctor that had seen obama for more than 18 months is not “obama has released his medical records.”
The nyts before the primaries ended:
“No presidential candidate should get to the point that he has locked up his party’s nomination without public vetting of his health.”
That was before obama had a doctor write a note for him. Hillary and mccain get trashed by the times but strangely obama is not mentioned. obama refused to release his medical records. We have no idea what he might have a history of. None. Yet the times never mentions obama and his refusal.
Obama refuses to release his medical records, something so important the nyts said it should be done before a candidate is nominated by their party. So Aengil please tell me how we know what applies to obama?

How about we asked Obama some questions for a change Jake?
“The Obama campaign has cried foul when Bill Ayers comes up, claiming “guilt by association.” Yet the issue here isn’t guilt by association; it’s guilt by participation. As CAC chairman, Mr. Obama was lending moral and financial support to Mr. Ayers and his radical circle. That is a story even if Mr. Ayers had never planted a single bomb 40 years ago.”

Yes Jake, I remember you asking that question, and I too have been waiting for the answer.
To address the many who think the question is irrelevant, I’ll point out that Stephens is from Alaska, the state of which Sarah Palin is governor, and the question as to her support or non-support ties in directly to her claim of going against the “good old boys” network. It seems that she only “goes after them” when she no longer needs them for political clout.
That makes the question a critical to our judgment of her claims. Please, keep asking.
To those who wonder why Jake Tapper has to ask the questions, I ask “who else has the ability to ask?”
Palin and McCain have sequestered themselves from the electorate, speaking only to controlled crowds. With only a few weeks left until the election, time for discovery is running short.
KEEP ASKING, JAKE.

We’re waiting Jake.
“The Obama campaign has cried foul when Bill Ayers comes up, claiming “guilt by association.” Yet the issue here isn’t guilt by association; it’s guilt by participation. As CAC chairman, Mr. Obama was lending moral and financial support to Mr. Ayers and his radical circle. That is a story even if Mr. Ayers had never planted a single bomb 40 years ago.”

Obama is the WORST candidate that has EVER run for President in ANY party.
He was in the Senate for 143 days before the Chicago Political Machine turned him into “Obamestein” and made him its candidate for President.
He did not pass even ONE bill of ANY consequence. He has NO executive experience whatever.
He voted “Present” ONE-HUNDRED and THREE times while in the Senate. At other times he was not present at all.
He dedicated two books to Jeremiah Wright, who shouted “God DAMN America!” immediately after 3,000 Americans lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Wright is good friends with Farrakhan and Quadafi.
Obama involved himself with William Ayers, a bomber terrorist, and Tony Rezko, a thug slum lord.
Obama got large amounts of money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
His campaign managers are HEAVILY tied into the financial scandals that are rocking Wall Street.

Why should they hold a press conference if this is an example of questions they would be asked?
The question of whether Stevens is re-elected is up to the voters of Alaska.

Knowledgeable political science professors with bad hair pieces from institutions founded by founders agree:
Palin-McCain ticket may or may not be effected if failure to answer Tapper yields three or more nasty blog headlines.

Sarah Palin wants to consult with Bono and other world leaders before answering. In tongues.

How will the world survive if the media is not in control? What would us poor dumb folks do if we were not spoonfeed their lies?

“Why should they hold a press conference if this is an example of questions they would be asked”
Your defense is that they should not have to answer any hard questions?
Really?
How hard is it to say no to endorsing a Senator who is indicted?

Jake can you post another blog? We are bored with this one.

“Fact Check has caught the Obama campaign in another lie about John McCain’s position on the issues. This time, its about health insurance and the Obama campaigns contention that McCain wants to do to health insurance “what he did for Wall Street deregulation.”
This is a lie, pure and simple. McCain was referring to the “banking industry” and specifically, allowing people to move across state lines with their insurance.
Considering how the press was screaming last week about McCain’s “lies” about Obama, one might legitimately question the intent of the media for not calling Obama out on his repeated lies regarding McCain’s positions as well.
But we know the answer to that question, don’t we?”

hadenough: “How do we know what applies to obama? How do we know what obama’s medical history is? … We have no idea what he might have a history of. None.”
Sorry, but that’s utter garbage. His doctor told us what Obama has been seen for over the last 21 years – and I quote – ‘medical checkups and various minor problems such as upper respiratory infections, skin rashes and minor injuries’. That’s it. That’s his history.
If you’re insisting that you don’t know what his history is, you’re either ignoring the facts or you’re basically saying “yeah, but his doctor might be lying!” So if he released his medical records and they showed nothing, would you suddenly believe them, or would you just move on to “how do we know those are his full medical records? They could have been edited!”
You’re blatantly just looking for reasons to attack Obama. But given the information provided by Obama’s doctor, there is absolutely no need for him to release his full medical records. Get over it.

“Stanley Kurtz’s articles today on NRO and in the Wall Street Journal are must reads. Three takeaways:
* Obama had a long-term working relationship with William Ayers.
* The Chicago Annenberg Challenge (“CAC”), the only executive experience on Obama’s resume, was an objective failure despite the expenditure of millions of dollars.
* Through the CAC, Ayers and Obama financed radical organizations, including one with a history of engaging in voter fraud.
Stanley’s work is a challenge to mainstream journalists. A candidate for the presidency has a demonstrated working relationship with — indeed funded — an unrepentant terrorist, yet the media have spent more time reporting about Sarah Palin’s hair styles.”

I believe the simple answer, Jake, is to wait until the legal proceedings are complete.
Legal hearings are currently underway. We do believe in due process, Jake, heh?
Jake, we do believe in innocent until proven guilty?
Fool

Poor Jake
They will not answer my email.
Whine. Whine. Whine. Day 14

from the WSJ:
“Mr. Ayers is the founder of the “small schools” movement (heavily funded by CAC), in which individual schools built around specific political themes push students to “confront issues of inequity, war, and violence.” He believes teacher education programs should serve as “sites of resistance” to an oppressive system… The point, says Mr. Ayers in his “Teaching Toward Freedom,” is to “teach against oppression,” against America’s history of evil and racism, thereby forcing social transformation.”
In essence, he wants people to “think outside the box.” Radical? You be the judge. (is promoting bilingualism “radical” too?)
Kurtz raises some interesting points, but there is little substance. Give me concrete examples. Kurtz does the interpretation for us.

@Carolyn: Courtesy of factcheck
Q: Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?
A: His formal title was “senior lecturer,” but the University of Chicago Law School says he “served as a professor” and was “regarded as” a professor.

@Arthur:
“Nobody is crying over’s the MSM’s growing irrelevance.”
Let’s just get rid of the MSM, then we can just take all candidates for their word. That’s what the McCain/Palin campaign is trying to do…I don’t take ANY candidate for their word…

Thanks for continuing to sound this alarm. At least some of us are worried about what it would mean to elect a ticket that so clearly has no regard for the role of a free press in a functioning democracy.

@Carolyn: (courtesy of Factcheck, once again)
“Ask him if he still going to tax large families with homes greater than 2,400 sq feet if they make less than 250,000.”
Q: Would Obama tax my profits if I sell my home? Would he tax my IRA? Would he tax my water?
A: No. A new e-mail being circulated about Obama’s tax proposals is almost entirely false…The e-mail continues with a string of made-up taxes that it falsely claims Obama has proposed. He has not proposed a tax on new homes with more than 2,400 square feet, or a new gasoline tax or a tax on retirement accounts. The most laughably false claim is that Obama would tax “water.”
Carolyn, you should take a minute and think about WHO your sources are. If you take all the emails forwarded to you at face value, you are not making an educated decision with your vote. At the very least you can vent your gripes about valid points. Check your propaganda at the door.

@Carolyn
“I could go on and on. Enquiring minds want to know, Jake.”
Here, just to make it easy for you before you “go on and on”:

I wonder how many autographs she’ll get while she’s at the U.N. I mean what can she actually speak with AUTHORITY about. Palin at the U.N. is a disgrace to our country.
Why would McCain actually send her to speak with anyone of substance? Thank god the weather is nice in NYC, that way they have something to talk about.

All hail the artful dodgers.
They want the highest political office in the Land but they don’t want to be answerable to the People.
The last time I checked, we are in a Democracy and the power is supposed to belong to the People.
The Press represents the silent majority and the remain the fourth estate of the three arms of Government and they are the People that amplify our voices.
Any Political Office Aspirant that can not tolerate the “nuisance” of these People’s Representative is not worth being voted to Office.

Obamabots,
How about doing your own research for a change? Do you rely on Obama and the media to tell you what to think?
Palin was well known to McCain supporters and regular folks who vetted her and pushed for her selection.

“Palin was well known to McCain supporters and regular folks who vetted her and pushed for her selection”
McCain met her once in person and they had 1 phone call. The vetting team went to Alaska a day before she was announced.
The roll out of Palin has included lie after stupid lie about her record.
BTW when did high powered DC lawyers and lobbyists become “regular folks”?

OBAMA HAS RELEASED HIS MEDICAL RECORDS, IT WAS ONE PARAGRAPH, THAT SAID: HE IS IN PERFECT HEALTH, IF NOT A LITTLE TOO THIN.
YOU DON’T CARE, WHY WON’T MCLAME RELEASE HIS 1,100 PAGE MEDICAL REPORT. APPARENTLY HIS MELANOMA IS B A C K!

The question is broader than whether McCain/Palin support Senator Stevens. It should include if their commitment to overturn the status quo and clean up DC includes supporting the defeat of the McConnell, Kyl,Boehner et al congressional leadership team. How can you reform Washington if you support the current leaders who have failed to “put the country first”?

Could you ask Obama these questions:
- What was your final GPA at
Occidental College (attended 2 years), Columbia University (attended 2 years), Harvard Law School (attended 3 years).
(The average GPA of someone being accepted into Harvard is 3.9 and LSAT score of 176.)
Obama was 5 years out of college when he went to Harvard Law School. Only about 8% of those acccepted into Harvard are 5 or more years out of college
- Did you receive any special treatment in getting accepted into Harvard? Such as affirmative action plans, insider help, political connections or other influences.
- Did any one in Chicago help to get you accepted into Harvard?
- At the time did you apply to any other law schools other than Harvard? Were you accepted at those schools?
- Harvard is very expensive. Yet just before starting Harvard in 1988 you went on a 3-week trip to Europe and a 5-week trip to Kenya. How could you afford all those traveling expenses, plus pay the Harvard tuition and living costs on the salary of a Chicago community organizer?
-Did you receive any scholarships or funding of any kind to pay for your tuition and expenses at Harvard? What were they, how much and who provided the money?
- Did you every meet or have acquaintance with Bill Ayers and/or people associated with Bill Ayers from 1985 to 1988?

This Stevens is a crook from Alaska, taking bribes from oil companies. The key word is “Alaska” the state Palin is from. What are the people of Alaska thinking? This is the senator that was over the sub-committee in 05 when oil company CEO’s were called in about price gouging, he REFUSED to swear them in. Had they been swore in then anything they said un-truthful could come back to haunt them. Now indicted for taking kickbacks from an oil company and lying about it, who would have thought! We “The People” should have zero tolerance for corruption!

This Stevens is a crook from Alaska, taking bribes from oil companies. The key word is “Alaska” the state Palin is from. What are the people of Alaska thinking? This is the senator that was over the sub-committee in 05 when oil company CEO’s were called in about price gouging, he REFUSED to swear them in. Had they been swore in then anything they said un-truthful could come back to haunt them. Now indicted for taking kickbacks from an oil company and lying about it, who would have thought! We “The People” should have zero tolerance for corruption!

Even if you support McCain, there’s no good reason to support or defend the McCain-Palin disdain for our national press.
Remember that it was John McCain whopromised to hold weekly Q&A sessions with the press if he’s elected.
That, we know for sure by now, was a bold lie.
Same is true for Palin’s call for transparency in government.

The press has been SO fair to Gov. Palin and her family so far. For crying out loud, your network got the first interview with her. Is Charlie Gibson incompetent? Did he go easy on Gov. Palin? To me, it looked like he was a lot tougher on Gov. Palin than ANY reporter (save O’Reilly) has been questioning Sen. Obama in interviews. Seriously, do you honestly believe that the coverage of this campaign has been down the middle fair? Just asking…

Jake, simple answer for you! IGNORE the McShrub/Stalin campaign. This should go for ALL networks.
They want to be treated according to the “fairness doctrine”. Well guess what, if they don’t answer questions, then simply STOP covering them! It’s as easy as that. If they want “Equal” coverage….then DO YOUR JOBS and dig up crap they don’t want you digging into. It is then and ONLY then that you will get the information that you seek out of them.