by Mark Silva
Okay, Barack Obama is offering dinner with the candidate.
Now John McCain is offering a ride on the "Straight Talk Express.''
That's the trademark campaign bus of the Republican presidential nominee.
It's near the close of the quarter in fundraising, and everyone is looking to top off their tanks before the final reports. Obama, the Democratic senator from Illinois, is offering four donors who pony up before midnight Monday an "intimate dinner'' with the candidate. McCain offers a bus ride.
The senator from Arizona will embark on a "Service to America" tour stopping in many places that he considers dear to his campaign, including Mississippi, Virginia, Florida and his home state. "I look forward to visiting sites that have left an imprint on my life aboard my campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express,'' he writes in his fundraising email appeal.
"My campaign has come up with an opportunity for a supporter to join me on the Straight Talk Express for a day of conversation and campaigning,'' he explains. "As a token of my appreciation for your financial support, you will be entered to win this seat aboard the Straight Talk Express if you make a contribution before midnight on March 31st.''
It's Sen. Hillary Clinton's turn. Ideas welcome.
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Comments
I certainly recommend that John add New Hampshire to the list of places that tour goes.
I was there when it was just me, Charles Black, Mark Salter and other assorted volunteers who paid their own airfare to fly in and help get out the vote before the primary.
The people of New Hampshire came through for us then and they will again in November.
Posted by: Jeff | March 25, 2008 3:09 PM
"JOHN MCCAIN SPEAKS"
ALL ABOARD, ALL ABOARD THE "STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS"
ALL ABOARD. WHOOOO! WHOOOO!
ABOARD MY "STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS" THE VIP WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
VICKI, CINDY AND THE KIDS WILL TRAVEL IN THE "BITBURG CAR"
AT&T / VERIZON WIRELESS AND THEIR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CEO'S WILL TRAVEL IN "NUREMBURG CAR"
REV. HAGEE, TOM DELAY, SCANLON, RICK RE NZI, RE NZI WILL TRAVEL IN THE "CHOCTOW INDIANS" BINGO CAR, WITH 4 MILLION DOLLARS AND A COUPLE OF LOST EMAILS TO PLAY WITH.
SCOOTER LIBBY, KARL ROVE, ROBERT NOVAK, SARA TAYLOR, AND MONICA GOODLING WILL BE IN THE "HAGUE CAR"
ALL ABOARD, WHOOO!, WHOOO!
JOHN NEGOPONTE AND HIS "IRAN CONTRA" DEATH SQUADS WILL BE PROTECTING THE TRAIN AS HE WILL BE MY NEXT "HOMELAND SECURITY" "SECRETARY"
SOMEONE HAS TO DEAL WITH THOSE "SAGGY BOTTOM NO BELT WEARING BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT REFUSE TO JOIN MY "100 YEAR WAR"
ALL ABOARD, WHOOOO! WHOOOO! WHO'S DRIVING IT, WHO'S "THE CHAIRMAN" YOU IDIOT, NO MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
Posted by: Roger Morris | March 25, 2008 3:20 PM
I wonder if a McCainiac like Jeffy would even fit on that old mans bus? it's kind of full already.
John McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, and yet he said "I'm the only one the special interests don't give any money to."...and one of McCain's lobbyist pals does business out of the back of McCain's "Crooked-Talk Express" bus on a full-time basis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gEROVh8zK4
Posted by: John E | March 25, 2008 3:26 PM
The "Straight Talk Express". As opposed to Obama's "Hate Talk Express" (featuring his close friend Jeremiah Wright) and Hillary's "Double Talk Express" (which is attacked every day by fictitious Bosnian snipers).
Posted by: Bruce | March 25, 2008 3:44 PM
Hillary will team up with Corporate Sponsor KFC (a long time friend of Bill's) to provide the "Hillary Bucket"... each meal will contain 2 small breasts, two large thighs and a left wing....
Posted by: Carl L | March 25, 2008 3:49 PM
Thanks to our agents on the inside of the "Straight-Talk Express", we've captured a copy of John McCain's to-do list for Tuesday, March 26, 2008.
Tuesday, March 26, 2008:
6 a.m. -- Wake up. Tell Joe Lieberman it's time to go home. Got to rethink this relationship -- he snores.
6:30 a.m. -- Look outside to gage the weather. Damnnit! Those kids are on my lawn again. Don't they have anything else to do, don't they know the Surge Is Working?!?!
7 a.m. -- Get dressed for third time. My aides have some sort of sick obsession with getting all the buttons right and same colored socks.
7:30 a.m. -- DAMMNIT! GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DUMB KIDS,..the Surge Is Working on my lawn too.
8 a.m. -- Reject aide's explanation that what I think is kids is actually the shrubs I planted last fall. Can't be....don't the shrubs know that the Surge Is Working??!
8:30 a.m. -- Balance campaign checkbook...the Surge Is even Working on my checkbook!
9 a.m. -- Dry my tears. Consider whether lunch will be Fancy Feast or Whiskas...remind cats that the Surge Is Working!
9:30 a.m. -- Work on next stump speech. Consider a warning about "al Qaida in New Jersey."...tell them the Surge Is Working!
10 a.m. -- Aide wants me to study up on the difference between Shiites and Sunnis. Easy. Sunnis bad, Shiites good -- or was it the other way around? Let me see... the Sunnis are fighting us in Iraq. The Shiites are... wait... there's got to be a difference. Let's see... the chalice from the palace...oh yeah, the Surge Is Working!
10:30 a.m. -- Look out side. No... don't look. You know they're still out there...don't theses kids know that the Surge Is Working?!?!
11 a.m. -- insert line in next stump speech about "al Qaida On My Lawn." Second though, not a good idea. Don't want to have to bomb my own lawn at least the Surge Is Working!
12 p.m. -- I wonder if lemonade will get the cat food off my breath?
The Surge Is Working!
1 p.m. -- Nap
3:30 p.m. -- Tell Joe Lieberman to stop following me around.
4 p.m. -- Call W. Thanks, but no thanks to the offer to come campaign with me. Bad enough having Lieberman's lips on my butt all day.
5 p.m. -- Splurge for dinner! McDonald's!
The Splurge Is Working!
6 p.m. -- Send thank you note to the Rev. Hagee for calling down fire and brimstone on the Democrats (except for Joe).
7:30 p.m. -- Bed time. Whew... what a day....oh yeah, the Surge Is Working!....my friends.
Posted by: elsaf | March 25, 2008 4:01 PM
I'd settle for Obama's staff in Washington to merely take care of some business involving we, his constituents.
Posted by: John H. Olsen | March 25, 2008 5:04 PM
I'd settle for Obama's staff in Washington to merely take care of some business involving we, his constituents.
Posted by: John H. Olsen | March 25, 2008 5:05 PM
Straight Talk indeed. The man has proven his ignorance of the Middle East, and admitted knowing nothing about the economy. But he's a straight-talker. Yep, just what our country needs.
Posted by: Paul | March 25, 2008 5:19 PM
It should be called the "Pander Express".
Posted by: Carl L | March 25, 2008 5:38 PM
Seat for sale? McBush already sold himself and everything else in the bus to get the money for his shot at the White House. The driver is a lobbyist and the no-bid maintenance contract went to Halliburton for a 5% share of everything the treasury prints. No thanks.
Posted by: Tom O | March 26, 2008 1:35 AM
I thought the Loeffler group had already sold all the seats on the "Straight Talk Express" to lobbyists and foreign defense contractors? It's a one way trip to K-Street.
Posted by: Michael | March 26, 2008 8:52 AM