Obama: Debate is 'More Important Than Ever'

Obama's press conference this afternoon in Florida concerning the current activity in Congress on the bailout bill and coordination with John McCain.

His points on being able to do more than one thing at once and the difficulties inherent in bringing two presidential nominees into a delicate negotiating process that needs a bipartisan approach were very well made.

It is evident that he is focused on doing the best for the nation and emphasized repeatedly his and McCain's development of common ground on addressing the Wall St. bailout issues. He also demonstrates the ability to handle multiple issues simultaneously, calmly and without histrionics. Calm, cool, steady, thoughtful. Sounds like characteristics we need in our next president in great contrast to McCain's bombastic and scattershot, panicked approach to his campaign.

There is speculation that McCain chose the debate delay option in an attempt to deliberately delay the VP debate and possibly end up failing to reschedule it. And after seeing the first portion of Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric, it's completely understandable why McCain is hitting the panic button.

And it's this point in particular in the interview that is just cringe-inducing.

COURIC: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

PALIN: He's also known as the maverick, though. Taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about -- the need to reform government.

COURIC: I'm just going to ask you one more time, not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation?

PALIN: I'll try to find you some, and I'll bring them to you.

Actually there was more than one cringe-inducing moment but that's the one that stands out. There will be more segments of the interview released over the next few days per CBS. "Tomorrow's (25) portion of the interview will focus on international affairs. As previously announced, Couric's extended interview with Gov. Palin from the campaign trail will be broadcast on the CBS EVENING NEWS next Monday (29) and Tuesday (30)."

I think that sign from the Alaska Women's Rally said it best.

McCain / Palin
Unstable / Unable

Ben Smith has the complete transcript of the first segment of the Palin-Couric interview.