Tonight, Barack Obama and John McCain “will share the stage briefly as they appear back-to-back at the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum at Columbia University in New York.” ServiceNation is a national grassroots campaign that asks citizen organizers to “rally their communities” to commit volunteer time for national service. As Pat Garofalo notes on the Wonk Room, McCain’s appearance “comes just a week after the Republican National Convention, where McCain’s supporters reserved some of their biggest jokes for community organizers — or those who make a career out of public service.” Watch it:
Update:
In the forum, McCain stated, “Of course I respect community organizers and people who serve their community.” “Senator Obama’s record there is outstanding,” he said, adding, “I admire anyone who is willing to serve their community and country.”