Tell Tom Brokaw to question candidates in second presidential debate about our nation's fiscal future

Tom Brokaw.
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From: Peter J. Peterson Foundation

Demand Answers From The Next Presidential Debates!

In the first presidential debate last week, moderator Jim Lehrer asked the candidates, "If I hear the two of you correctly, neither one of you is suggesting any major changes in what you want to do as president as a result of the financial bailout? Is that what you're saying?"

Neither Senator McCain nor Senator Obama had substantive answers.

Click here to demand answers at the next debates. Sign our petition today and we will forward your responses to Tom Brokaw, moderator of the upcoming debate on October 7.

When our leaders don't take steps to fix serious and undeniable problems, all Americans pay the price. As disruptive and damaging as today's mortgage sub-prime crisis is, we're looking at a "super sub-prime" crisis that, if left unaddressed, will hurt many more Americans - and hurt much worse.

Our politicians promise neat solutions, but these are convenient myths. The truth is,

We cannot grow our way out of these problems. To do so, our economy would have to grow by double digits in real terms for decades. Even during the relative prosperity of the 1990s, the economy grew at an average rate of 3.2% per year.

We cannot solve the problem simply by eliminating earmarks and pork-barrel spending, cancelling the Bush tax cuts, and ending the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Combined, these actions would get us only 15% of the way to solvency.

With two debates left, McCain and Obama must answer real, hard questions about our financial future.

Here's what you can do: Act now to demand answers at the next debates. Our suggested questions are attached below, but feel free to add your questions when you sign the petition.

Here are our suggested questions for the upcoming debates:

1. How will you make fiscal responsibility and intergenerational equity a priority?

2. How will you slow the rate of growth in health care costs that threaten to bankrupt America?

3. How will you encourage the country to save more and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign lenders?

4. Will you put everything on the table - statutory budget controls, entitlement reform, and current tax policies - to encourage bipartisan action?

5. Will you support the creation of a bipartisan commission to review everything on the table and make recommendations with a guaranteed up-or-down vote by the next Congress?

We need a President who will tackle these critical issues, help educate the public, and lead a bipartisan effort to make meaningful reforms a reality. Join 150,000 of your fellow Americans who have expressed their concern at www.pgpf.org. Tough choices and shared sacrifices will be required, but solutions exist. Together, we can bail out America - and the time to start is now.

For our future,

Dave Walker, President and CEO
Peter G Peterson Foundation

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