diff --git a/github2/client.py b/github2/client.py
index 478673f..6378604 100644
--- a/github2/client.py
+++ b/github2/client.py
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ from github2.commits import Commits
 
 class Github(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, username, api_token):
-        self.request = GithubRequest(username=username, api_token=api_token)
+    def __init__(self, username, api_token, debug=False):
+        self.debug = debug
+        self.request = GithubRequest(username=username, api_token=api_token,
+                                     debug=self.debug)
         self.issues = Issues(self.request)
         self.users = Users(self.request)
         self.repos = Repositories(self.request)
diff --git a/github2/commits.py b/github2/commits.py
index 1ccba00..a5a9739 100644
--- a/github2/commits.py
+++ b/github2/commits.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ class Commit(BaseData):
     url = Attribute("Canonical URL for this commit.")
     author = Attribute("Author metadata (dict with name/email.)")
     id = Attribute("Commit ID.")
-    committed_date = DateAttribute("Date committed.")
-    authored_data = DateAttribute("Date authored.")
+    committed_date = DateAttribute("Date committed.", format="commit")
+    authored_data = DateAttribute("Date authored.", format="commit")
     tree = Attribute("Tree SHA for this commit.")
     committer = Attribute("Comitter metadata (dict with name/email.)")
 
diff --git a/github2/core.py b/github2/core.py
index 36d7eef..fe21f31 100644
--- a/github2/core.py
+++ b/github2/core.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ from datetime import datetime
 
 GITHUB_TIMEZONE = "-0700"
 GITHUB_DATE_FORMAT = "%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S"
+#2009-03-21T18:01:48-07:00
+COMMIT_DATE_FORMAT = "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S"
+
 
 
 def ghdate_to_datetime(github_date):
@@ -14,6 +17,16 @@ def datetime_to_ghdate(datetime_):
     return " ".join([date_without_tz, GITHUB_TIMEZONE])
 
 
+def commitdate_to_datetime(commit_date):
+    date_without_tz = commit_date[:-6]
+    return datetime.strptime(date_without_tz, COMMIT_DATE_FORMAT)
+
+
+def datetime_to_commitdate(datetime_):
+    date_without_tz = datetime_.strftime(COMMIT_DATE_FORMAT)
+    return "".join([date_without_tz, GITHUB_TIMEZONE])
+
+
 class GithubCommand(object):
 
     def __init__(self, request):
@@ -72,15 +85,30 @@ class Attribute(object):
 
 
 class DateAttribute(Attribute):
+    format = "github"
+    converter_for_format = {
+        "github": {
+            "to": ghdate_to_datetime,
+            "from": datetime_to_ghdate,
+        },
+        "commit": {
+            "to": commitdate_to_datetime,
+            "from": datetime_to_commitdate,
+        },
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.format = kwargs.pop("format", self.format)
+        super(DateAttribute, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     def to_python(self, value):
         if value and not isinstance(value, datetime):
-            return ghdate_to_datetime(value)
+            return self.converter_for_format[self.format]["to"](value)
         return value
 
     def from_python(self, value):
         if value and isinstance(value, datetime):
-            return datetime_to_ghdate(value)
+            return self.converter_for_format[self.format]["from"](value)
         return value
 
 
@@ -105,7 +133,7 @@ class BaseDataType(type):
             for attr_name, attr_value in kwargs.items():
                 if attr_name not in self._meta:
                     raise TypeError("%s.__init__() doesn't support the "
-                                    "%s argument." % (cls_name, attr_name))
+                                    "%s argument." % (name, attr_name))
                 attr = self._meta[attr_name]
                 setattr(self, attr_name, attr.to_python(attr_value))
 
diff --git a/github2/request.py b/github2/request.py
index 76a1499..3fef3fd 100644
--- a/github2/request.py
+++ b/github2/request.py
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ class GithubRequest(object):
         "https": httplib.HTTPSConnection,
     }
 
-    def __init__(self, username, api_token, url_prefix=None):
+    def __init__(self, username, api_token, url_prefix=None, debug=False):
         self.username = username
         self.api_token = api_token
         self.url_prefix = url_prefix
+        self.debug = debug
         if not self.url_prefix:
             self.url_prefix = self.url_format % {
                 "github_url": self.github_url,
@@ -55,15 +56,22 @@ class GithubRequest(object):
 
     def raw_request(self, url, extra_post_data):
         resource = urlparse(url)
-        post_data = self.encode_authentication_data(extra_post_data)
-        connector = self.connector_for_scheme[resource.scheme]
+        post_data = None
         headers = self.http_headers
         headers["Accept"] = "text/html"
-        headers["Content-Length"] = str(len(post_data))
+        method = "GET"
+        if extra_post_data:
+            post_data = self.encode_authentication_data(extra_post_data)
+            headers["Content-Length"] = str(len(post_data))
+            method = "POST"
+        connector = self.connector_for_scheme[resource.scheme]
         connection = connector(resource.hostname, resource.port)
-        connection.request("POST", resource.path, post_data, headers)
+        connection.request("GET", resource.path, post_data, headers)
         response = connection.getresponse()
         response_text = response.read().encode("utf-8")
+        if self.debug:
+            sys.stderr.write("URL:[%s] POST_DATA:%s RESPONSE_TEXT: [%s]\n" % (
+                                url, post_data, response_text))
         json = simplejson.loads(response_text)
         if json.get("error"):
             raise self.GithubError(json["error"][0]["error"])