John McCain Urges UK Style 'Question Time' Sessions for US Presidents

[oldpol]

Source: Reuters

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Thursday that, if elected, he would like to take a page from the British government and appear in question-and-answer sessions with lawmakers.

"I will ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both houses to take questions, and address criticism, much the same as the prime minister of Great Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons," McCain said in excerpts of a speech he is to deliver later in Columbus, Ohio.

Although U.S. presidents deliver annual "State of the Union" speeches to Congress at the start of each year, those formal addresses do not include a question-and-answer session.

McCain said exchanges such as those in the British House of Commons are a way of holding leaders accountable.

"When we make errors, I will confess them readily, and explain what we intend to do to correct them," McCain said. He also reiterated a pledge to hold weekly news conferences, a change from President George W. Bush's practice of holding them roughly once a month.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan; Editing by Doina Chiacu)



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1517615720080515?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

[LSparkle]

1. Nice promise, but I don't see him living up to it ...

It's a good idea, though, and I'd hope that our next president (who will
NOT be Bomb Bomb) might consider doing this.

[darue]

2. mccain couldn't take the heat for one session n/t

[Ian David]

4. That's a good point. I think he should demonstrate the act for us live on C-SPAN. n/t

[Ian David]

3. Because we all know McCain does so well at controlling his temper under pressure.

"Respectfully to the Senator from California, at least I don't plaster on the make-up like a trollop..."

[darue]

5. would be meaningless without the possibility of a No Confidence vote n/t

[Hawaii Hiker]

6. Yeah sure..McBush wouldn't last 5 minutes if it was like what goes on in

Prime Minister's Questions....Gordon Brown gets grilled during those sessions, as did Tony Blair when he was PM....

McBush doesn't have the temperment to handle a Q&A like the one that goes on weekly in London.....

What a fucking embarassment John McBush is..

[EFerrari]

7. Great idea. Our guys will rock. n/t

[Wizard777]

8. Then tell him to go to England and run for King!

They now imitate us. We do not imitate them. America often imitated. But never duplicated. Is this his way of admitting that we have lost our place as the leaders of the free world?

[Posteritatis]

15. Oh get real

What, you think that the US has all the good institutional ideas and that considering methods used in other countries is somehow a betrayal or something? You don't like the idea of the head of state being subjected to regular questioning because that's what the durned furr'ners do?

Get over yourself. This jingoistic bullshit needs to stay back in the 19th century, or The Other Forum; it fits better in both.

[Wizard777]

20. The only way I could support this is with a twist.

If We The People observing from gallery don't like what we hear. We get to pelt them with rotten vegetables. Otherwise questioning our leaders is what the free press is all about and I'll continue to throw rotten vegetables at the TV screen.

:rofl:

[Harry Monroe]

21. A free press??

Where have you been the past 7 1/2 years, my friend?? Our so called "free press" has utterly failed in its duty.

[Wizard777]

22. I don't entirely agree with that. To a certain degree. Yes the MSM has failed somewhat.

But there a new kid on the free press block. The blogosphere. The new kid has done quite well. So I can't say the Free Press has failed us entirely. If it had you would singing Bush's praises. 40 years after he was dead we would start finding out all the stuff we know right now.

[IsItJustMe]

9. KO said he would take about 11 minutes of it and start cussing at people. I tend to agree.

[Jefferson23]

10. Question for ya McCain, Torture going to be in or out next season?

Flip flopper with no balls, fuck you McCain.

[mcollier]

13. MR Viagra Poster Boy - McCain

We all know the Bush Dick analogy... News Alert " Wrap It Up" Watch the Ad- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Y1qcma0Q4

[The Political Jerk]

11. I love the idea.

It would give c-span good ratings, too.

<a href="http://www.thepoliticaljerk.com/">-The Political Jerk</a>

[grytpype]

12. That's such a good idea, let's start right away?

Think we could get Bush to do this, starting, I don't know, next week?

[DRoseDARs]

14. Write it into the US Constitution as one of the duties of the President in Article II, Section 3...

Otherwise, shut the fuck up McCain.

[knight_of_the_star]

18. Good idea

Just need to amend the Constitution to include that, not a bad idea though, require it once a week or something like that.

[Posteritatis]

23. Question Period in Canada is typically 45-60 minutes daily. (nt)

[AngryOldDem]

16. This from a man who wants to throw Newsweek reporters off the Straight Talk Express?

I'd say it was a good idea -- if it came from someone who actually meant it.

[knight_of_the_star]

17. I love the idea

If we had a practice like that the Iraq War would likely have never started.

Here's hoping our nominee DOES it when they get into office, we need something like that.

[downindixie]

19. After debates with Obama

McSenile will be in the looney house.He is such a fake!

[Matilda]

24. The Australian Parliament has Question Time daily,

at 2.0 pm, for at least an hour. It's the one time when you get something approaching a real
debate, and it's easy to see who has real skills, and who are just party hacks.

The House is always crowded, and it's televised, because this is the time when the Opposition does
its best to embarrass the Government over policy. It's very good when you have leaders and deputy
leaders who are quick-thinking, because sometimes tempers flare and the barbs really fly. If it
gets too tough for the Government, the PM can shut down debate at any time, but they don't do it too
often, because they look weak when they do.

There's no doubt, Question Time is the highlight of the Parliamentary day, and one of the best
inventions of the Westminster System.

[JI7]

25. Bush held a press conference roughly once a month ?

there is no way he held them that often.

[Kolesar]

28. Two Reuters writers and an editor passing on gop Bull**** ... eom

[oldpol]

35. agreed, maybe once every 4-6 months

if the press was lucky...

[Diclotican]

26. oldpol

oldpol

That would be interesting, but then US need a grown up media, who can really bite when the President are on the stable to answer for what he have been doing lately...

And everyone who have followed a british Q/A know that the british prime minister can come to really trouble when it come to exactly that..

But it would be a good way to get the US democracy up and going again then.... After mr Bush "don't questing the commander in chief" attitude...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english not my native language

[Shipwack]

27. I'll believe it when...

Helen Thomas is seated back in front.

[T_i_B]

29. The amusing thing here is this

...over here in the UK it's not uncommon to hear people moaning about the punch-and-judy, confrontational aspect of PMQ's, which can degenerate into petty point scoring.

But on the other hand it does hold the PM to account, it can be entertaining and it does attract quite a bit of admiration from overseas observers. PMQ's has been praised on DU quite a few times before for instance. I quite like the fact that we have PMQ's myself.

Now all we have try and imagine here is the speaker of Congess in ceremonial garb shouting "ORDER, ORDER!" at unruly congressmen.

[sofa king]

30. What a novel way to differentiate McCain from The Disaster.

It's quite clever, even if the idea only appeals to the vanishingly small percentage of Americans who tune into C-SPAN at odd hours. Obviously, the Resident can't do it and wouldn't do it.

It sort of waves a big flag that says, "I'm not as much of a doofus as that guy." Practically, however, I don't see it gaining much traction in real, post election-year life. Unlike the UK and Canada, in the U.S. the executive branch is well insulated from Congress.

Now that I think of it, the person who should publicly answer to Congress every week is the Vice President. That person does have a day-job in Congress and probably could take a role similar to that of France's Prime Minister.

And again, right now we have a Vice President who wouldn't do such a thing, ever.

I think I'm going to drop a quarter in a jar each time I hear McCain come up with a good idea and after he loses, I'll celebrate by taking my niece out for ice cream. If he really steps up to bat, I might be able to afford a cone for myself, too.

[ramapo]

31. Just imagine Bush before the House

The British Q&A sesions are always great entertainment. I could never help picturing Bush in a like situation. He would literally drown in his own spittle while trying to formulate some kind of response to the questions. Too bad we'll never get to see it happen.

[BigDaddy44]

32. I give him credit

You can make fun of him all you want, and the jury is still out as to whether or not he'd live up to his end of the deal, but I think its a good idea.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[stillcool]

34. choreographed to "Hail the Chief"..

starring a stunning cast of court jesters, filmed an produced by the banana republic.