A blog for The Chronicle to cover the 2008 presidential election, of which Hofstra University plays a unique part as host of one of the presidential debates. Students will cover the election in real time.

September 11, 2008

Politics in The Chronicle's latest issue

Log onto Hofstrachronicle.com to see the latest coverage of the 2008 presidential election from The Chronicle.

--Samuel Rubenfeld

Obama And McCain Discuss National Service At Columbia

By Mike Manzoni
STAFF WRITER

John McCain and Barack Obama met for the first time onstage as formal nominees of their respective parties between back-to-back discussions at a forum on national service held at Columbia University coinciding with the seventh anniversary of Sept. 11.

The candidates appeared separately, meeting only briefly after Obama's introduction following McCain's question-and-answer session with journalists Judy Woodruff and Richard Stengel. Obama and McCain each answered questions for about 45 minutes.

The appearance marked the second time today the two candidates appeared together. They first appeared side-by-side at a ceremony at Ground Zero in Manhattan this morning to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The candidates gathered specifically to addresses two issues: civic engagement and national service.
McCain said he plans to expand volunteer organizations, but noted that the government does not necessarily have to be involved.

"Let's not have government do things that the private sector can do," McCain said, repeating his theory on government activism. "Volunteering starts at the grass roots level, not necessarily at the federal level."

McCain said it has not been his experience that rich people do the most volunteer work.

He stopped, saying "with all due respect to rich people," in a moment that drew light chuckles from the crowd.

Obama pledged to make community service opportunities available to high school and college students – he added the key was to "start early."

Asked if he might have to curtail his ambitious national service plan once in office - as President Bill Clinton had to - because of unions, he said no.

"The spirit of unions is coming together," Obama said, "because we are stronger together than we are individually."

Statcounter


View My Stats