Transcript, Courtland Place Hotel Media Centre, Washington DC 090507 0712

(indistinct off mic)

Senator Clinton: Good morning. Thanks for coming at such short notice. This all came about quite suddenly, and I’m afraid we didn’t have much time to get this conference ready, so we really appreciate your showing up. Senator McCain, do you want to start?

Senator McCain: No, you go ahead, Hillary.

Senator Clinton: Okay, thanks, John. Well, as you can see, we’re both speaking without notes here, because this is kind of a personal thing. So bear with us if we’re not as slick as usual.

(Laughter)

Senator Clinton: The thing is, the two of us, and our colleague Senator Barack Obama, are all applying to you for the same job. We all want to be President of the United States. That might be the most important job in the world; and getting that job matters more to each of us, as individuals, than almost anything else.

Senator McCain: ALMOST anything else.

Senator Clinton: That’s right. Exactly. That’s what we want to talk about. See, whether I win or not, or whether John wins, or Barack, is NOT, in fact, the MOST important thing. We were talking among ourselves last night, and we realized that things were getting a little out of hand in this campaign. We need to get back to the notion that this is a contest between three skilled, smart, people. It’s not Armageddon.

Senator McCain: And the thing is, until we all start talking about this election a little less hysterically, I don’t think more than a handful of you guys (gestures at reporters) have a clue what any of us have really said about what we’d do if you elect us. You’re too busy digging up clips of my swearing, or Hillary crying, or Barack’s weird ex-pastor. I mean, who gives a shit about Wright? You should hear my uncle talking about Asians when he gets a couple of drinks in him. But that’t not me, that’s him. All this stuff about trying tar a candidate because of something someone they know said…that’s just bullshit.

Senator Clinton: When you’re talking about that crap, you’re not talking about what matters. You’re dragging this whole campaign down to the level of high school gossip.

Senator McCain: WE’RE dragging it down. We’re just as bad as the media.

Senator Clinton: Yeah, but here’s the thing. I’m not bragging here, but you don’t get to run for President if you’re an idiot. John McCain would make a good President. Barack Obabma would make a good President. I’d make a GREAT President, of course…(laughter)…no, but you see my point? You’re not appointing an emperor here. You’re electing someone to continue the oversight of a huge and complex governance machine, with incredible checks and balances. Any of us will do a pretty good job, and the way things are set up, no-one can actually drag the county too far off track.

Senator McCain: I know we’ve all been talking like it would be the end of the world if the other guy got elected. You’ve got nutbars on my side of the fence claiming that Democrats are in league with Al Qaeda, and nutbars on the other side of the fence claiming that Republicans are the new Nazis. I’m sorry I’ve contributed to that. From here on in I’m going to focus on the concrete, specific steps I propose to take to address the challenges we face. I’m going to welcome criticism from Hillary and Barack, and if they have a better idea than mine, I’ll acknowledge it.

Senator Clinton: Because what really matters isn’t whether my “team” wins. Let’s face it, there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between our parties, really. All that matters is our country gets a solid government. And for that to happen, we have to start listening to each other again.

And then I woke up.