September 7, 2008
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58 Days to the Election: A look at the race for 2008 on Sunday
IN THE HEADLINES
Obama, McCain suggest changes in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac ... Republican vice presidential hopeful's church promotes prayer to make gays straight ... Presidential candidates plan joint appearance at Ground Zero to mark Sept. 11 attacks ...
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Obama, McCain call for changes in mortgage giants
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says any government takeover of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must put the interests of taxpayers and homeowners first. His opponent, GOP nominee John McCain, said it was essential to restructure the mortgage giants.
"Any action we take must be focused not on the whims of lobbyists and special interests worried about their bonuses and hourly fees, but on whether it will strengthen our economy and help struggling homeowners," Obama told reporters after a campaign stop Saturday in Indiana.
He stopped short of making detailed proposals, saying "we need to carefully address" the possible impact on community and regional banks. "But we must not allow government intervention to protect investors and speculators who relied on the government to reap massive profits," he said.
In Colorado, McCain said, "today we're looking at a federal bailout of our home loan agencies." His running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, said a "McCain-Palin administration will make them smaller and smarter and more effective for homeowners who need them." She did not elaborate.
Later, at a rally in Albuquerque, McCain added: "We need to keep people in their homes, but we can't allow this to turn into a bailout of Wall Street speculators."
In an interview for CBS "Face The Nation" to be aired Sunday, McCain said the mortgage giants need to be restructured.
Obama, talking of possible changes to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, said: "We can't have a situation in which, during boom times, management and investors are soaking up huge profits, taking extraordinary risks, and thinking to themselves that if they get into trouble because of these risky investments that somehow the taxpayers are going to be there to bail them out."
Obama restated his call for a second stimulus package this year, which would involve a tax rebate for individuals and aid to states for education, health care and other costs.
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Palin church promotes converting gays
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Sarah Palin's church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.
"You'll be encouraged by the power of God's love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality," according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.
Palin's conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain's candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples.
Focus on the Family, a national Christian fundamentalist organization, is conducting the "Love Won Out" Conference in Anchorage, about 30 miles from Wasilla.
Palin has not publicly expressed a view on the so-called "pray away the gay" movement. Larry Kroon, senior pastor at Palin's church, was not available to discuss the matter, said a church worker who declined to give her name.
Gay activists in Alaska said Palin has not worked actively against their interests, but early in her administration she supported a bill to overrule a court decision to block state benefits for gay partners of public employees. At the time, less than one-half of 1 percent of state employees had applied for the benefits, which were ordered by a 2005 ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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