McCain's obsession with "pork barrel spending" turns me off.

[Unsane]

Not that I ever liked the man anyway.

"Pork barrel spending" pays for a lot of great things, such as hospitals, courthouses, student loan forgiveness programs, schools, educational grants, etc.

Fuck you, John.

[mcctatas]

1. And it just sounds so nasty in a pseudo-sexual kind of way...

[sandnsea]

2. Earmarks make sure

the money goes to the precise hospital, road, etc. That's why Sarah Palin built the road to nowhere, it created jobs in her state on the federal dime. Most any governor would have done it, but they wouldn't have lied about it.

[Essene]

3. yes, but mccain is right about spending. it's the one point he's really right about...

and obama needs to do more than just say "i agree."

he needs to express a real plan and out play mccain on that point, just as he has with tax cuts.

[donco6]

10. I far preferred Obama's answer.

McCain said that he would cut whole programs en masse, while Obama has the right approach of first determining what your priorities are, what your values are, and then - with a scalpel- trimming off those programs that don't match. That's far more sensible.

[Patsy Stone]

4. He's not talking to you

He's talking to the few people who still believe this is a real issue.

[wildflower]

5. I heard somewhere once

That voters notoriously hate pork, but love it when it's for their own state. Which makes sense. But apparently pork wasn't enough of an issue for independents tonight and/or Obama was able to effectively counter McCain on it.

[Thrill]

6. Most Americans don't know what the hell pork barrel spending is

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. hit him with lobbyists and he will shut up

[Frisbee]

8. I agree...

I was wondering why Barack didn't say, "John, you know not ALL earmarks are bad", and then go on to give examples of good earmarks, perhaps saying something like, "while I agree with you that earmarks to study harbour seal dna and crab breeding habits are a waste, many go to hospitals, education, the arts and to rebuild our crumbling infrastructire, though 250 million for a "bridge to nowhere is a bit much"".

[gblady]

9. that was like his only line....

he kept saying it over and over....

I just wish the tax breaks for rich issue came across stronger...
I know Barack said it a couple times, but I'm not sure it was heard.

[AzNick]

11. Here is Arizona we could use that pork!!!

The I10 between Phoenix and Tucson is still the same joke of a road.

How about bringing some pork back to fix it, hey?

[DefenseLawyer]

12. I would have enjoyed it

if as soon as McCain started down the "pork barrel spending" road, Barack would have rattled off a string of bullshit projects that Mccain has gotten for Arizona, asking after every one for him to explain if it was pork or not. What about that $56 million to improve fishing in the Salt River, was that pork barrel spending? What about $4.2 million dollars for a National Mediation Center in Tuscon? What the heck is a National Mediation Center anyway, John? Enlighten us. $237 million for the Central Arizona Project John? Money well spent I assume. Well? I would hammer him and make him answer. I am not saying Obama should have done that. Cross examination is not his style, but I would have enjoyed it.

[goodgd_yall]

13. You're right

It's one of those phrases tossed out that people don't really understand, but it's supposed to be something "BAD."

[Jennicut]

14. He is so obsessed with it that he ignores everything else.

And freezing all spending except entitlements and military? Is he nuts? Cutting spending and balancing budget can be done without dismantling the government. Remember Bill Clinton's balanced budget?

[cags]

15. I just hate the way he says "Pork" gives me the heebie jeebies

[Unsane]

16. lol