McCain and Obama Speak at Columbia University

On the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, presidential nominees Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), spoke at the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum in New York. This event was held to open the two-day ServiceNation Summit, which aims to promote a culture of service in the United States. The two candidates spoke about their views on what service and civic engagement are.



The event was held at Columbia University, in New York. According to the Columbia Spectator, the student newspaper, only 100 seats were allocated for students. The rest were reserved for donors and dignitaries. Several students told Talk Radio News that the seats were dolled out in a lottery system. Columbia accommodated student overflow seating outside the Low library (picture above). University officials had no comment.

The Governor of New York, David Paterson, introduced the event, speaking on the importance of service. He mentioned how fortunate the United States is that both presidential candidates know the great importance of civic engagement.

The moderators, Richard Stengel of Time and Judy Woodruff of 'the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer', asked Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama similar questions on the issue of service and their views on it. The two candidates largely agreed on all issues, differing mainly on the role of government in promoting service.

Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama expressed what 9/11 meant for them and the rest of the United States: they stressed the unity that the terrorist attacks brought, with Obama commenting that 9/11 demonstrated America's ability to "come together." The candidates also agreed that 9/11 had been a perfect time to lead change in government and encourage a greater culture of service, by tapping into the spirit of volunteerism that was created.

Both candidates stressed the need to reform Washington. Obama remarked that "we are not on the right track", and McCain drew attention to the fact that 84% of Americans believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction; he declared that his long career in Washington made him especially able to "fix it."

The importance of military service to the two candidates was clear throughout the discussions, though both stressed the importance of civilian service also. Obama stressed the need for a foreign service, for example, to help in war-torn regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan by improving health and infrastructure.

The difference between McCain and Obama, however, was clear in their opinions on the role of government in encouraging service. McCain emphasised the strength of faith based organisations and private companies in the response to Hurricane Katrina, referring to his own theory of government that the government should not do what the private sector is capable of doing already. Obama, on the other hand said that "government should expand,", for example by creating a Clean Energy Corps to mobilise civilians in the bid to make energy cleaner.



Still, both candidates insisted that the issue of service was non-partisan and of vital importance: Obama said that one of his primary objectives, and one of the main reasons why he is running for president, is that he wants to lift up opportunities for service in the United States.

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Reaching out to “Sam’s Club Republicans”

The governor of Minnesota reached out to “Sam’s Club Republicans,” Americans who want an efficient government at an affordable price, at a press event. Governor Tim Pawlenty said many Americans agree with the Republican Party ideologically yet vote Democratic under the presumption that Republican policies do not favor the working class. Pawlenty said Republicans must be optimistic, make compromises when possible, and develop ideas based in issues important to Americans. He praised President Reagan for having possessed these abilities and said Republicans must re-focus Reagan’s message to young voters who do not remember the Reagan era.

According to Pawlenty, Americans agree with the Republican premise of fiscal responsibility and support a government that spends tax money responsibly on a balanced budget. He said the Republican Party can lead the way for change by boldly tackling energy and reforming the infrastructure of government programs rather than increasing finances blindly.

Pawlenty, who has been speculated as a potential vice presidential pick for Sen. John McCain, said that McCain’s displays hope in his life story while Barack Obama’s hope is only an oratory. He questioned if Obama’s celebrity status transcends the ability for many to consider the substance of Obama’s message and echoed McCain’s opposition to a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. When asked what qualities should be found in a vice president, Pawlenty answered with one word, "discretion."

One size doesn't fit all voters

America has a long history in which the voting process has been largely controlled independently by states, according to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) at a hearing on the Bipartisan Electronic Voting Reform Act. The Bipartisan Electronic Voting Reform Act would help amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and provide for auditable, independent verification of ballots. This would ensure the security of voting systems.

According to Feinstein, the bill requires each state to establish a chain of custody protocols for voting systems, components and records where only appropriate election officials have access to machines. Feinstein said that the bill authorizes $30 million in grants for research, development and testing of independent verification technologies. Ranking Member Bob Bennett (R-Utah) said that America has a long history of vote manipulation and vote fraud and independent verification would bring a degree of reliability and security to voting.

The Honorable Todd Rokita, the Indiana Secretary of State, said that in order to facilitate the appropriate balance for an equal and effective partnership, National Associations of Secretaries of State (NASS) members agreed that members of Congress should respect America's legal and historical distinctions in federal and state sovereignty as well as avoid pre-emptions of state authority when drafting federal legislation. In addition, Rokita said that the federal legislation should include a reasonable timeframe for implementing state requirements or programs.

Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, said that eligible voters were disenfranchised by malfunctioning voting machines and inadequately trained poll workers. According to Arwine, 72 percent of voters in Georgia complained about problems at polling places and malfunctioning voting machines. Arwine recounted a story from a voter who had pointed out that the poll worker fed her ballot to the machine upside down. In response, the poll worker merely smiled and said that she was "one of the lucky ones." Arwine said that she was excited about the bill as it would allow voters to feel confident that the votes they cast count for the candidate they choose. She said that this bill would also allow for disabled people to cast their votes independently and privately with its multimodal voting interface.