The News
WASHINGTON (CNN)-- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama showed Thursday night that they have more common ground than differences when it comes to making national service a priority in their presidential administrations.
The presidential canidates put aside partisan politics as the nation remembers the terrorist attacks.
The presidential candidates took the stage separately in a forum sponsored by TIME at Columbia University in New York.
A coin toss determined who took questions first from moderators TIME Managing Editor Rick Stengel and PBS's Judy Woodruff.
Asked why it seems the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, are "fading" in the minds of many Americans, McCain said:
"We needed at that time [September 11, 2001] to take advantage of the unity in the United States of America."
McCaincriticized the Bush administration for not taking advantage of that sense of unity and instead imploring the American public to live their lives as usual and "go shopping."
"I would have called them to serve," said McCain.
The GOP candidate said he suspects people feel uninspired by leaders in Washington and that Americans want "change" in federal government.
"They understand the challenges that we have in this world. They see the Russian invasion of the little country called Georgia. They see the problems in Afghanistan growing larger. They see a whole lot of things happening in the world that's going to require us to serve, and that opportunity has to be provided to them."
