McCain Throws Kitchen Sink; Obama Ducks

His strong objections to Obama's assertion he would be "eight more years of Bush" has come much too late.

Unfortunately, the debate never answered the question the candidates need to answer: What initiatives would they cut to provide a better fiscal future? Both candidates would increase the deficit by $200 billion a year, according to estimates.

Yet moderator Bob Schieffer let them off far too easy with half-baked talking points about spending cuts. Obama repeated his usual pay-go stance on proposals, while McCain blathered something about cutting ethanol subsidies.

McCain's efforts to attack Obama with anything and everything scored him some points in the debate. However, he never really explained specifically what he would do for the average Joe -- including Joe Wurzelbacher -- which allowed Obama to speak confidently about how he would help struggling Americans.