Economy/ "The Race Card": Obama LIVE on MSNBC now

[panAmerican]

Obama is now addressing economic challenges facing the country, and will later have a question and answer session, including charges by the McCain campaign that Obama is playing the race card.

[panAmerican]

1. On offshore drilling, BHO says don't let best be the enemy of good

BHO thinks the way this bill is crafted about as well as it can possibly be. He is interested in governing, in getting things done, which is what the American people are looking for. He says both people on the right and left have clear ideas about how to solve the problem, and it takes compromise.

[panAmerican]

2. Celebrity ad question comes up

BHO says team McCain has assembled is a holdover from previous elections. We have to focus on people's day-to-day concerns, and he will push very hard on that front. How do we improve people's cash flow, how do we wind down the war, and approach other big challenges.

He doesn't take negative Republican tactics lightly. But the overriding determinant will be solutions that Democrats offer.

[panAmerican]

3. "What does ad about Paris/Britney have to do with me?"

[chelsea0011]

4. Obama is playing the race card. LOL That McCain...he's so funny.

[panAmerican]

5. "I do not have the typical biography" of a presidential candidate because...

He's young
He's African-American
He was born in Hawaii
He has a funny name
He spent time in Indonesia
He is new to the national scene

He doesn't think McCain campaign was being racist, just cynical.

[my2sense]

7. He sure has a lot of faith in the

common sense of the American people - the same folk that put Bush in twice. Please let the sheep see the light this time.

[panAmerican]

10. People credit Bush that we haven't been attacked, regardless that we're not actually any safer

Alex Witt just asked a couple of pundits about the press conference, and neither thinks the race discussion is finished in this election. What a crock of a question. Since when is race not a factor in this country? I can't stand the feigned surprise these reporters convey every time.

[panAmerican]

6. Reporter asks how is BHO's negative campaigning different since he says McCain is Bush clone?

BHO says the fact that he calls McCain attacks silly and juvenile is not negative, but simply pointing out the facts, as sources such as Factcheck.org has remarked.

Central message of his campaign is to change business/politics as usual. And he says reporters are well aware that we've seen this movie before in terms of smear tactics.

[npincus]

8. great job:"Repubs good at negative campagning, bad at governing"

now lets see how the MSM dummies frame the damned thing.

If a tree falls in the forest but no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound?

[Doremus]

9. He was excellent, as always.

So is your summary, panAmerican! Thanks!

[monmouth]

11. I like the fact he did this on a Saturday morning, people off

work and TV is on, if only for background noise. Many more saw this than during the middle of the week. Smart people..smart.