Team McCain Is Absolutely Right, "Anytime, Anywhere" HAS Turned Out To Be Total Bullshit

Well bullshit, Mr. Hopeful Lightweight.

The HOPEFUL LIGHTWEIGHT Dodges The Townhall Challenge

Jon Martin, working hard on a Saturday afternoon in August, has the story.

Change we can believe in our foot.

Example 1,382.

Rarely Does Someone Who Has Accomplished So Little Rise So Far

All questions of strategy and process aside, we challenge anyone to read this Nagourney column about Obama ducking the McCain proposed town halls and not think that Senator Obama is anything but an "inexperienced pussy".

Yeah, we said it. 

P-U-S-S-Y (gender neutral folks, to be clear). 

Just pathetic.

A different kind of politics our foot.

McCain/(waiting for) Obama Town Halls

Alright, so, we once compared New Hampshire's Union Leader newspaper to a crotchety old uncle who wanders around a basement apartment whacking things with his cane.

We take it back.

Joe McQuaid's latest on the McCain/Obama Town Halls:

NH town meeting for Obama, McCain

Now that Barack Obama has had his make-nice photo-op in Unity with Hillary Clinton, it is time he engage in the serious business of letting voters compare him up close and personal with John McCain. Sen. McCain has already suggested a series of joint town-hall meetings and we know just where and when they could begin.

Sen. McCain is due in New Hampshire two weeks from today. He is supposed to drop by this newspaper, but we would happily waive our time if he and Sen. Obama would agree to meet and take questions from New Hampshire voters.

Let's hear no excuses about negotiations and security and the need for months of planning. President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich were both here the same week in 1995 and, within three days of it being suggested, they held a joint question-and-answer session in Claremont.

If Sen. Obama would meet the president of Iran without pre-conditions, he can surely find time to meet with Sen. McCain and New Hampshire voters.

Sen. McCain has even offered to fly with Obama to such an event. Makes sense, given fuel prices.

How about it, senators?

Nice.

Anytime the rest of the Gang of 500 wants to sack-up and jump in there is alright with us.

The Union Leader UNLOADS On Barack Obama In Advance Of His Trip To Unity, NH Today With Senator Clinton (UPDATED)

New Hampshire isn't quite as blue as everyone thinks that it is (it's more of a purplish, reddish, bluish mess).

But, if there is one newspaper in the state that can still really deliver votes at the polling booth and drive the conversation, it's the (still mostly conservative) Union Leader.

The paper can swing close elections.

And the Union Leader is all in with The American Hero in 2008. They have been since the NH Primary.

Just ask Mitt Romney.

This morning the Union Leader published two anti-Obama editorials. Just in time for about 6 zillion press people to read on their way to Unity.

Publisher Joe McQuaid did one (key line: "Imagine having this inexperienced, opportunistic Obama in the White House with an anti-American, Islamist extremist state holding nuclear weapons.")

While his editorial team (Drew Cline?) takes Obama apart for not accepting McCain's town hall offer.

Ka-Blam! Ka-Blam!

Welcome back to New Hampshire Senator Obama.

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(UPDATED) Our email box blew up over our Drew Cline typo above (initially we used a "k"). We've corrected it. Apologies to Mr. Cline.

Obama Camp: "Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! We Want A Policy Debate! Yip Yip! Yip! Yip!"

Oh, the Obama camp wants a policy debate?

Sure they do.

That's why they're doing all those town halls with John McCain.

Oh, wait...

Snark.

And The GMP1 Peanut Gallery Chants, "Bullllllllllshit! Bullllllllllshit! Bullllllllllshit!"

Team Obama is wimping out on the town hall debates proposed by John McCain.

Ben Smith has the details and this (lipstick on a pig) release from the Obama campaign:

“Barack Obama offered to meet John McCain at five joint appearances between now and Election Day—the three traditional debates plus a joint town hall on the economy in July and an in-depth debate on foreign policy in August. That package of five engagements would have been the most of any Presidential campaign in the modern era—offering a broad range of formats—and representing a historic commitment to openness and transparency.

“It’s disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign decided to decline this proposal. Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country.

“Senator Obama believes that the American people deserve an open and accessible debate as they choose between real change and four more years of failed Bush policies, and he welcomed McCain’s invitation to offer voters ‘the rare opportunity of witnessing candidates for the highest office in the land discuss civilly and extensively the great issues at stake in the election,’” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Fair Question: Does Senator Obama have the "stones" to mix it up with real voters in a real town hall format?

Fair Answer: Unclear. But the answer does not currently look good for Obambi.

Jeez, the next thing you know the man from Illinois will be weaseling out of his pledge to take public financing for his campaign.

Oh, wait...

Even Two Deceased Guys Jump Past New Hampshire On McCain/Obama Town Hall Invitation

Uh... New Hampshire?

Just released by the McCain campaign:

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement by Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker after accepting the invitation by the Ronald Reagan and Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Libraries to hold joint town hall meetings with John McCain and Barack Obama, and responding to the Obama campaign:

"We are proud to accept the invitation from Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson to hold joint town hall meetings at the Ronald Reagan and Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Libraries. As Luci Baines Johnson said in her invitation, these meetings offer an opportunity to 'deliberate the great issues of our time.' The American people deserve a great debate about the future of our country, and we hope that Barack Obama will join us for these important events at these historic venues."

Letter Sent To The Obama Campaign:

Dear Mr. Plouffe,

Thank you for responding to our proposal. Just to reiterate, we have proposed at least ten joint town hall meetings once a week until the week before the Democratic Convention begins. As we understand your counter-proposal, you have proposed only one town hall meeting before the Democratic Convention.

In keeping with our original proposal, we are planning a joint town hall meeting in Minnesota next Thursday evening (June 19, 2008). We will hold time on our schedule for joint town halls every Thursday night until the Democratic convention. I hope Senator Obama would reconsider his position and agree to join Senator McCain as early as next week.

We have also today accepted the invitation from Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson to attend town hall meetings in July at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. As Mrs. Johnson said, these town halls will truly be an opportunity to "deliberate the great issues of our time." Their sponsorship certainly meets our standards for a positive and productive opportunity for voters to interact with the candidates. I hope you will agree.

However, at this moment, we fear that our negotiations over joint town hall meetings are turning into a debate about process. That is exactly what we have always hoped to avoid, and why we proposed a town hall format that would render many of these process issues moot. As Senator Obama has said, he is prepared to meet "anywhere, anytime" for a town hall.

We remain committed to this idea because joint town hall meetings offer the best format for presenting both candidates' visions for our country's future in a substantive way. We have a chance to change the way presidential elections are run and elevate the political dialogue. Americans deserve this kind of opportunity, and we hope that Senator Obama will join us at town hall meetings throughout the summer months.

Sincerely,

Rick Davis

Look Chairman Buckley, We Get It: "Say No To John McCain". But How About You "Say Yes To A McCain/Obama NH Town Hall"?

Bush 3rd Term! Bush 3rd Term! Bush 3rd ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Huh, what, where are we?!!??

Now if only Chairman Buckley was so passionate about bringing a McCain/Obama town hall to New Hampshire for the good of all New Hampshire, we might get twice the political sex for half the foreplay.

Or something like that.

New York City SMOKES New Hampshire Out Of The Gate On McCain/Obama Town Halls (UPDATED)

And we all know how true New Englanders feel about New Yorkers.

ABC News has the details on New York City's offer to McCain/Obama (and we should note that we appreciate a heavy like Mayor Bloomberg getting behind McCain's town hall idea in a big way).

Tick-tock New Hampshire. Tick-tock.

You are a legitimate '08 general battleground state. And the sole holder of First-In-The-Nation.

So get on in there!

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(UPDATED) "Get on in there" in New Hampshire, just make sure that you leave the event open to all press.

If New Hampshire's Bill Gardner, Fergus Cullen & Ray Buckley Are Really Smart...(UPDATED)

...then they will be the first folks out of the gate to release a co-authored letter offering a venue in New Hampshire to host one of the (hopefully happening) McCain/Obama town halls.

Talk about free, great publicity. For everyone.

We humbly suggest that New Hampshire's political class not let this opportunity slip away.

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(UPDATED) The boys and girls in New Hampshire had better move quickly.

Town Hall Challenge: 2 Candidates, 2 Chairs, 2 Bottles Of Water, 2 Mics & Lots Of Real Voters Asking Real Questions = Perfection

There is absolutely no good reason why Barack Obama shouldn't accept this offer from John McCain:

June 4, 2008

The Honorable Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, Illinois 60680

Dear Senator Obama:

In 1963, Senator Barry Goldwater and President John F. Kennedy agreed to make presidential campaign history by flying together from town to town and debating each other face-to-face on the same stage. In Goldwater's words, those debates "would have done the country a lot of good." Unfortunately, with President Kennedy's untimely death, Americans lost the rare opportunity of witnessing candidates for the highest office in the land discuss civilly and extensively the great issues at stake in the election. What a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty sound bites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections. It is in the spirit of President Kennedy's and Senator Goldwater's agreement, in the spirit of the politics of change, and to do our country good, that I invite you to join me in participating in town hall meetings across the country to discuss the most important issues facing Americans. I also suggest we fly together to the first town hall meeting as a symbolically important act embracing the politics of civility.

I propose these town hall meetings be as free from the regimented trappings, rules and spectacle of formal debates as possible, and that we pledge to the American people we will not allow the idea to die on the negotiation table as our campaigns work out the details. I suggest we agree to participate in at least ten town halls once a week with the first on June 11 or 12 in New York City at Federal Hall until the week before the Democratic Convention begins at locations to be determined by our campaigns. Federal Hall is particularly fitting as it was the place where George Washington took the oath of office as our first President and the birthplace of American government hosting the first Congress, Supreme Court and Executive Branch offices. These town halls should be attended by an audience of between two to four hundred selected by an independent polling agency, could be sixty to ninety minutes in length, have very limited moderation by an independ ent local moderator, take blind questions from the audience selected by the moderator and allow for equally proportional time for answers by each of us. All of these are suggestions that can be finalized by our campaigns. What is important is that we commit to participate in these history making meetings to join in the higher level of discourse that Americans clearly would prefer.

To show our good faith, we should both commit to the first town hall I have suggested. In the mean time, we can work out dates for future town hall meetings.

I look forward to your favorable reply and to the opportunity to work with you to give Americans a better opportunity to understand our differences, our agreements and the leadership we offer them.

Sincerely,

John McCain

Now if only the Campaign Industrial Complex can keep their egos in check the American public will get to see some really good stuff.