VOA标准英语2008年-Obama, McCain Voice Concerns Over Government Ba

The two major U.S. presidential candidates are expressing reservations about the Bush administration's $700 billion bail-out of ailing¹ financial institutions. Republican John McCain and Democrat² Barack Obama both agree on the need for government action. But as VOA's Jim Malone reports from Washington, the candidates have different visions of what the plan should look like.
　

Senator Barack Obama delivers a policy speech at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 22 Sept. 2008

Democratic nominee³ Barack Obama campaigned in Wisconsin, where state polls show a tight race with his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain.

Obama and McCain agree on the need for more government oversight⁴ of the financial bail-out plan put forward by the Bush administration.

But Obama also supports a Democratic-led effort in Congress to include in the bail-out an economic stimulus⁵ plan aimed at helping⁶ working families.

"Now on Main Street, there have been quiet storms going on for a very long time," he said. "There have been people crying out for a government that is fighting for them for a very long time, and that has fallen on deaf ears, and that is one of the things we have got to change in this election."

Obama also blamed the financial turmoil⁷ on eight years of Bush administration economic policies, and said electing John McCain would do little to change the direction of the country.

"We can't do this again," he said. "We can't put up with eight more years of mismanagement of the economy. We can't put up with eight more years of no regulation. Enough is enough!"
　

Sen. John McCain speaks at a town hall meeting at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple in Scranton, Pennyslvania, 22 Sept. 2008

Senator McCain also expressed some reservations about the government bail-out plan during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, another state expected to be close in the voting on November 4.

McCain said he wants a high-level oversight board to monitor the bail-out plan, and he also questioned the wisdom of giving Treasury⁸ Secretary Henry Paulson broad authority to direct the plan.

"Never before in the history of our nation has so much power and money been concentrated in the hands of one person, a person I admire and respect a great deal, Secretary Paulson," he said. "This arrangement makes me deeply uncomfortable, and when we are talking about trillions of dollars of taxpayer's money, trust me just isn't good enough."

McCain told a television interviewer that the current financial turmoil is the most serious crisis since World War II. A week ago, McCain came under attack after saying the fundamentals of the U.S. economy were sound.

McCain also told the campaign event in Pennsylvania that the bail-out plan should help people remain in their homes and prevent Wall Street executives from profiting from the financial rescue plan.

"My commitment to the American people is to fix the Wall Street mess, reform Washington and most importantly, enact⁹ a pro-growth agenda to create jobs for Americans and get this country back on track," he said. "That is what I promise you."

The two campaigns also traded new television attack ads. The McCain camp depicted¹⁰ Obama as the product of corrupt¹¹ Chicago machine politics, while the Obama campaign put out an ad warning about McCain's proposals to deregulate the health care industry.

Both candidates will also be busy this week preparing for their first presidential debate, which will be held Friday at the University of Mississippi. The subject of the debate will be foreign policy and national security.

Two other presidential debates are scheduled as well as one debate between the two vice¹² presidential candidates, Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin.

1 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

8 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

9 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

10 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

11 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

12 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。