Highlights from McCain's 65th visit to "Face The Nation"

To read sections of the interview, link to the CBS page is below. Host is Bob Schieffer. (I DVR'd this and just got to it. Sorry!)
Highlights:
McCain said many things that give me hope that if he is elected it won't be entirely more of the "McSame." When asked about the GSE conservator- ship news, he took responsibility that his party were the ones that passed the legislation allowing loopholes which were then exploited. McCain recognizes this mess the Bush admin made, and is taking responsibility. He called the GSE mess is .."cronyism, special interests, quasi-government bureaucracies, lobbyists, and a relationship with Congress, ... who passed the laws that allowed the loopholes to be there, its an example of a system where you are so close to the special interests in Washington that somehow the average American is disregarded." When asked if McCain thought the conservatorship was a good idea, he said, "It has to be done, Bob."

McCain said he spoke with (Treasury Secretary Henry) Paulson who said that when the housing market starts back up again, ("which it will, it will start back up again eventually") at which time the homeowners are going to be the ones that are reimbursed (for the implied cost in the question of the conservatorship). McCain didn't provide any details about the reimbursement.
McCain spoke about a national energy policy as something that isn't "partisan." He also spoke about Palin as the "most popular Governor in America." I wonder how he got that idea, and the source of that statistic. Was she the most popular governor in America before this August? Just asking.

The most exciting thing that McCain said about Obama is that he has never "taken on his own party." From what I know about Obama, his voting record in the Senate is as far to the left as possible. I don't think there is any issue among Democrats with his position on the left. In what way do the Democrats need to be "taken on"? They are not the ones that have been in control of all 3 branches of the Federal government for the past 6 of 8 years. McCain saying Obama has never "taken on" his own party shows me that McCain is not entirely taking responsibility that his party wrecked America. He can't ignore the GSE matter because all of the evidence is right in front of him. Yet for him to suggest that Democrats need to be "taken on" by each other; they haven't had enough political power to do anything to make any mistakes to then need to be taken on within their party. Just saying.

Finally, as Republicans go, there are much worse than McCain. That is the good news. Yet, he has Palin on his ticket, who is far to the right, so, the aspects that make McCain tolerable may be negatively influenced by Palin.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/07/ftn/main4423246.shtml