Bounds: I think those reports, the ones I've seen, have been based in speculation, but I expect that, you know, there's a 50-50 chance he will indeed endorse Senator Obama. And certainly Colin Powell is someone that deserves an enormous amount of respect, not just from this campaign -- which we certainly do, and Senator McCain is friends with Colin Powell -- but also General Powell deserves the respect of all Americans. I mean, this is a remarkable public servant, someone whose opinion matters, but I think his instincts in this particular instance are just wrong. I think he is choosing -- if so, choosing Barack Obama -- I think he's choosing a candidate that's too inexperienced, just hasn't shown the record of being able to reform government in the ways that we need right now.

Q: Have you guys reached out to him?

Bounds: You know, I know that Senator McCain, at several different times over the course of the campaign, has spoken to General Powell, but I'm not sure that that was the topic they discussed.

Q: Also, the Washington Post, who I consult, too -- full disclosure -- endorsed Barack Obama today, saying that the McCain campaign has run a disappointing campaign. What's your reaction?

Bounds: Well, I appreciate the Washington Post and the people that work there, but I also understand exactly what sort of adversity we're up against in this campaign. It is not going to surprise me when the New York Times endorses Barack Obama, just like it did not surprise me this morning when I read that the Washington Post preferred Barack Obama.

I think that when you examine the way this campaign has been conducted, as well as the way Senator McCain has led during the course of his career and put his party aside to take on reforms, to take on this president, and to make the changes that Americans know we need to make, I think ultimately the Washington Post made the wrong decision. But I also question their motives. When you look and evaluate these two candidates based on their record and you scrutinize what their record reflects versus what they say on the campaign trail, it's mind-boggling to me.

Q: Well, let me jump in here. Right. Let me jump in here, though, because they go on to say that they think that McCain "might make a pretty good president." But what they're very critical about is the selection of Sarah Palin -- that she's not prepared to be commander in chief. What's your reaction to that?

Bounds: I mean, it's mind-boggling to me that the Washington Post or anyone else that's been an observer of this election would conclude that Barack Obama is prepared to be the commander in chief versus John McCain. John McCain has a record of performing on these issues, an understanding of international affairs, an understanding of the military that Barack Obama simply just does not have. He is not qualified to be the commander in chief of the American military. I am sorry. And if they believe that because the downticket of our campaign is less qualified than John McCain, therefore disqualifying John McCain himself, I just can't follow that logic, because they need to be comparing Barack Obama to John McCain.

I haven't heard a lot of talk about Joe Biden in this election, and frankly that's because vice presidential candidates, while they provide an invaluable source of support to the campaigns, to the election, and then to the president as a vice president, their roles are defined and quite limited in comparison to the executive power that the president will have. So people need to evaluate Barack Obama. People need to scrutinize his leadership, what he has been able to do while in public office. And I think if they do that in truthful terms they will come to the same conclusion that 50 percent or 42 percent of Americans have today, which is Barack Obama is just not qualified to lead. He has not demonstrated that he has the leadership ability or the change record that he purports on the campaign trail.

Q: Joe the Plumber, who you guys made very, very famous now around the world -- it's been reported that he owes back taxes, that he doesn't even have a plumber's license. But I want to ask you about his comment that Barack Obama is like Sammy Davis Jr. Do you think that's appropriate?

Bounds: You know, what I think is inappropriate is that Americans are learning more about the background of an average voter that simply asked a question of a presidential candidate who arrives in his own yard. I think that it is concerning and should be concerning to Americans that we know more about Joe the Plumber's background than we know about Barack Obama's background.

If you look at what his tax record is -- let's examine what Barack Obama's record is. Isn't he the same guy that was running for president when he hadn't paid his parking tickets? Isn't he the same guy that's running for president that is involved in a questionable real estate deal that involves his own home? Isn't he the same man that's running for president that hasn't been forthcoming about the associations he has with an unrepentant terrorist? I think that it is -- it's absurd for us to be evaluating the background of an average voter who asked the question of a presidential candidate when the presidential candidate showed up on his own doorstep.

Q: Also, there have been reports -- you guys have really been flacking the ACORN story, for lack of a better way to say it or a fast way to say it, and now we see that the FBI is examining them. Do you have any lawyers or anyone on your campaign looking into their activities as well, or can you update us on anything you know about the investigation?

Bounds: I'll tell you what I know about the investigation, which is, I am relieved as a voting American to know that this government and responsible officials are taking a look at the conduct of ACORN and its affiliation with Barack Obama's campaign. We know that Barack Obama and his campaign have been closely associated with ACORN, having written their front group nearly a million dollars in checks for get-out-the-vote effort, which they misrepresented on their FEC filings. We also know that Barack Obama worked as a lawyer on their behalf. We also know that Barack Obama helped train ACORN representatives earlier on in his career.

These two -- and we also know -- this is the important distinction -- is ACORN is operating outside or allegedly operating outside the rule of law in supporting Barack Obama's candidacy. They have endorsed Barack Obama. Yet Barack Obama has done virtually nothing, absolutely nothing to rein in that organization in what is becoming more and more apparent is illicit activity that is undermining the votes of Americans and the honesty and integrity of this election.

Q: What is the McCain campaign planning for Election Day to ensure that people are voting, that people that are actually registered are voting? Do you have a team put together for that?

Bounds: Absolutely. Every presidential campaign puts together Election Day activities and poll-watching and making sure that there's an honest and fair election. This is something that, we've reached out to the Obama campaign and said we should do these things in concert. We should have teams that are equally represented by the Obama campaign and the McCain campaign at troubled polling spots so that we can make sure there's an honest and fair election. And what did they do? You know, in typical fashion, oh, it's a distraction. Oh, it's a gimmick. Well, you know what? An honest election is not a distraction. It's making sure that when I vote in Colorado it counts for the same vote that exists anywhere else in America.

People should not have the election undermined by illicit activity with groups associated with Barack Obama's campaign. That would be wrong. It wouldn't do our election justice, and frankly, I think that the necessary steps need to be taken not only by the Obama campaign, but also they should accept our offer to work together on Election Day to make sure that every American is heard fairly.

Q: On a much, much lighter note, Sarah Palin will make her debut on SNL saturday night. What can you tell us about it?

Bounds: I think that, you know, I'm not commenting much on it outside of the fact that, you know, Governor Palin is -- she seems to be a weekly topic on their show and I expect that it'll be good times and fun. She has grown to enjoy watching it over the course of several weeks on the campaign trail, and I expect it'll be a good time.

Q: Are you writing any of her material?

Bounds: I am not writing any of her material. I think they have trained professionals up there in New York to do it.

Q: Well, that might not be an appropriate question, but you were the star, I have to tell our listeners, of Conan O'Brien's show last night. Triumph the Insult Dog was there -- yes, right there in Spin Alley -- and you were doing a very serious interview, and he walked up to you and asked you a few questions. Did that surprise you?

Bounds: It did surprise me, although I will have to say that I'm on the phone most all day long with insult dogs.

[laughter]

Bounds: Reporters can commonly take a negative tone with me, so I was ready and prepared for him. No, that was a good time. I saw the clip, and I thought it was amusing. I actually hadn't remembered that the Insult Dog -- what he looked like, I hadn't seen the show in so long. But no, it was a good time.

Q: Thank you, Tucker Bounds.

Bounds: Thank you, Tammy.