If you're unsure about Barack Obama...

Check out his interview on "The Situation Room" (all parts on one page), in which Wolf Blitzer grills the senator pretty thoroughly on his policies. The answers are detailed and specific, measured and considered.

In consideration of fair time, here's John McCain's session on the same show (Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four).

Interestingly, there's nothing in either interview about the candidates' choices for VP, their positions on abortion, or several other issues that get pulled out in these discussions. I'm glad for that. VP choices are done and there's no undoing them. Abortion rights, while I certainly support them, is a much smaller, less important issue than the economy and foreign policy right now. I like Blitzer's selection of questions for each candidate. I think there's good coverage in each interview.

My perspective on the interview with Senator McCain: At this point, given what's going on in this country, any candidate who says he's going to cut taxes for everyone, corporations and citizens alike, is being disingenuous. Tax cuts are not the only answer; they have to be part of a larger, more comprehensive program. Money for the kinds of programs this country needs, money to kick-start elimination of our horrifying national debt, has to come from somewhere (and not from eliminating programs like RIF or the NEA). With regard to his answer about Social Security, he provides no specifics whatsoever. He says he'll protect benefits (several times), but he doesn't say how. He criticizes the current government's spending but fails to mention that most of it was spent on an unjustified war. He doesn't directly answer a caller's question about accusing his opponent of socialism. He also suggests that people with bad mortgages are victims of government and Wall Street, absolving them of any responsibility for their own bad choices, which I think is paternalistic and unrealistic. While I understand why Republicans support him, I find their support misguided and disagree with it. I see no answers here that are substantially different from the policies of the last eight years. To me, this man doesn't represent change.

You may agree or disagree with me. Just, please, on Tuesday, if you haven't done it already, go and vote.

Quick Halloween Wrap-up

Yesterday, I cooked up some mostaccioli (managing to burn my hand pretty well in the process--I ended up with Mummy Hand). I took the yumminess (which ultimately needed a little extra something--maybe parmesan or more tomato-ness) over to West Seattle last night to join e_bourne and markbourne for some holiday festivities. We had dinner, then drove off to see Skeleton Theater. Unfortunately, some of the animatronics were knocked out by the weather. Still, it was entertaining enough. As markbourne said, we had to credit their ambition which, if the script was any indication, included a pirate cannon fight and a kraken--neither of which we actually got to see, unfortunately.

We went back to the house, where we watched some Twilight Zone episodes, an Outer Limits episode, and Tree House of Terror III (because what's Halloween without the Simpsons?). mikigarrison joined us later in the evening in a scary blond wig, really, the biggest spook of the evening. ::grin:: Over all, a pleasant evening.

Today, I spent playing "Stay in the House," since that seems to be my most effective means of not spending money. I worked on the photo album a bit, and probably watched far too much TV. But it was rainy and cold; even if I hadn't made a deliberate choice to stay in, it would have been a good day to do so.

Tomorrow, I have errands to run, and then suricattus returns for one more night's stay before heading back to parts east.