Sen. OBAMA: Well, I think that, you know, let me have those conversations with the president and the prime minister and see if we can negotiate something that makes sense for all sides. I mean, keep in mind, Mexico has some of these similar problems, you know, some of the promises that were made about the improvements in the standard of living for Mexico. Workers have not been borne out as a consequence of NAFTA. Part of the problem we're having with immigration right now has to do with a much more efficient US agricultural and agrobusiness operations going into Mexico and decimating Mexican farmers. They have been displaced first to Mexico City and other urban areas, and increasingly they come into the United States.

And so, again, the principle that I have in general when it comes to economic policies: a belief in free markets, a belief in opportunity, a belief in trade, but wanting to make sure that in all these areas that somebody's thinking about the little guy; that somebody is making sure that the economy is working for everybody and not just some people. And that, I think, is a basic difference between myself and George Bush and increasingly, it appears, John McCain, as well.

BARTIROMO: But you want to put pressure on the companies and the people that are actually creating jobs, during a recession.

Sen. OBAMA: Well, you know, I think part of my argument is part of the reason we're in a recession is because we have an unbalanced economy. Look, you know, Henry Ford was the first one to say, `If I don't pay my workers enough to buy my cars, my business isn't going to be around for a long time.' Part of the genius of America has always been that we have a shared prosperity and a broad-based middle class, and that we make investments in roads and bridges and other infrastructure that allows the market to work efficiently. And we've got a regulatory system so that investors can trust the market and don't feel like insiders are going to be taking advantage of them. That's what makes the market run. And when we lose that balance, what ends up happening is in the short term you've got some people who make out like bandits. And the only reason that we haven't seen some of these problems in the US economy previously is because consumers had been driving this, even though their wages and incomes haven't been going up, because they've been able to use their credit cards and home equity lines as an ATM. That's gone away. And so the question now is who's going to drive the economy, if not consumers? And the only way that we can make sure that consumers are able to drive that economy is if in fact they've got some money in their pockets. And right now they don't, because they are getting squeezed hard.

BARTIROMO: Final question, Senator.

Sen. OBAMA: Yeah.

BARTIROMO: And this is just in the news right now, away from business, the church bulletins. A lot of people say that they were--are anti-Semitic, anti-American. How often did you read them? Did you find them troubling?

Sen. OBAMA: You know, the--you know, I've, I think, talked thoroughly about, you know, the issue with Reverend Wright. And, you know, everybody, I think, who examines the church that I attend knows that it is a very traditional, conventional church. Reverend Wright has made some, you know, troubling statements and some appalling statements that I have condemned. He's the former pastor of that church. And I think that--and when I travel around the country, what people are really interested is making sure that, if I'm going to be the next president, that I can actually help them stay in their homes, get a job, send their kids to college. That's something that's shared by people across races, religions. And part of what I hope to do in this campaign and as president is to get us beyond these divisions that distract us from our common challenges and our common opportunities and move the country forward.

BARTIROMO: Senator, would you like to add anything else?

Sen. OBAMA: I had a wonderful time. I hope I get a chance to talk to you again.

BARTIROMO: Do you think that the Fed made the right move in terms of bailing out the financial system? Final question. A final--you know, I'm just trying to do it on BusinessWeek--I promise you, I promise you.

I'm doing a piece for BusinessWeek on you for Friday and I'm trying to do both CNBC and BusinessWeek.

Sen. OBAMA: Right.

BARTIROMO: That's why, I've tried to do both.

Sen. OBAMA: Well, now that--now this is going to be really good story, because she got at least five final questions. Absolutely.

BARTIROMO: (Unintelligible). No pressure, no pressure.

Sen. OBAMA: No, no, no, I don't mind. The--no, no. Look, the--I think that--you know, I wasn't privy to Bear Stearns' balance sheets. I think there's no doubt that we want the Fed stepping in in emergencies, and no other government agency could step in sufficiently, quickly to prevent what could have been a domino effect. But the one, you know, basic principle that I think is important is that if the Fed is going to be a lender of last resort to investment banks, then they're going to have to be subject to some of the same regulatory requirements that commercial banks are subject to. And I think Henry Paulson admitted as much in some of his statements yesterday. And I know that the Senate Banking and Finance Committees are going to be examining the nature of this transaction to make sure that it was fair to all parties involved.

BARTIROMO: Thank you so much, Senator.

Sen. OBAMA: All right. Thank you.

BARTIROMO: Good to see you.

Sen. OBAMA: All right.

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