John McCain announced today amid the roaring that is his vacuous campaign that he would suspend his campaign and get to work to help broker a deal on the bank bailout. This is one of the more amazing stunts I’ve ever seen.
John McCain has said before that “The issue of economics is something that I’ve really never understood as well as I should.” He serves on the Senate committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation, and while it has the word commerce in it’s title it has nothing to do with credit, housing and financial services. John McCain has missed 64% of all the votes in the United States Senate this year, where was his leadership then?
So Senator McCain, before we go along with this little bit of kabuki theater, how about you tell us what you can actually do to help the situation? What do you have to offer?
Just to go a little further, this morning at 8:30 Barack Obama called Senator McCain “to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal.” Senator McCain schemed for 6 hours, called him back and said “Sure!” and then announced this stunt.
That’s not country first. That’s McCain first.
How about you show up on Friday and try to show the American who will be the right person to lead them for the next four years, and leave the stunts to someone else, yeah?
Update: Demand the Debate 2008 we deserve it.
Update 2: This morning while Obama was waiting for a phone call from McCain about a joint statement, McCain was visiting with his new favorite heiress, Lynn de Rothschild. I can only hope it was to get her advice on the economy.
McCain does have a plane, right? Can’t do two things in a day? I guess I would be afraid to debate Obama too.
Are we not citizens of a democracy and do we not have a right to see our potential leaders debate? This move is striking in its’ cowardice and venality. Shame on McCain for subverting the wishes of the American people and hiding behind a crisis caused by his Party and President.
If Obama did the same thing, you’d all be saying “god this guy is good”. But instead it is “cowardice”.
This is probably the most widespread and impactful legislation that our Congress will have pass since the Iraq debate. And they have committed to working through this weekend, until it is done. And Obama and McCain are both Senators who need to work on that legislation.
This is not some vote on if you want to approve a new building for the Dept. of Interior in Montana. This is once-per-term or once-per-decade legislation. If John McCain can help be part of the solution, then go to Washington and roll up your sleeves. He has always put the good of the nation above his politics. That is just the type of man he is.
He has always put the good of the nation above his politics
Bullsh*t! This is as fine an example of political grandstanding that this country has seen in decades. The LAST thing this country needs is a Presidential candidate charging into negotiations and discussions already in progress. Especially a Presidential candidate who is completely and shockingly clueless as far as economics goes.
Shouldn’t a President be able to handle multiple crises, and address the American people?
Or, is it proper during a crisis to go into hiding? Specifically, what is it John McCain is going to do…..study up?….maybe spend a few days with Karl Rove discussing what to do next?….good grief!
Wouldn’t it be proper to put America first, and show the people what a bold strong, steady leader John McCain could be during this crisis?
I’m pretty sure the American people are hungry for leadership, and are uneasy about electing another in a long line of Republican politicians who would likely offer nothing more than 4 more years of the same crap sandwich.
We’re tired of eating their crap sandwich, and being told it is delicious. Some who voted for Bush had trouble deciding if Bush was a great President, or the greatest?
Some wanted Bush up on Mount Rushmore.
These are the SAME people telling us how to think about McCain, Palin, Obama and Biden. The SAME people, still using the SAME election strategy, and we’re supposed to expect a different result?
Trust IS the elephant in the room Republicans don’t talk about. The burden is on them to prove to the American people we are able to trust what they say, and what they do. Considering what EVERY American has dealt with the past 8 years, this is not unreasonable.
Proving you are trustworthy, Republican candidates, does not mean pointing your finger at Democrats.
Instead, that means tell the truth, about yourself, your actions and record, AND the actions and records of your enemies. We don’t need to be lied to anymore about anything…..this is about trust, righties. When will that be important again to you people?
IF, in fact, the Conservative record and ideology is so strong and correct, then you should not have to lie to win.
Truth is stronger long term than a pack of false arguments. Fake, false argument, on the other hand may provide a short term gain, but not a long term one.
Don’t tell me you Republicans are THAT short sighted………or does your track record suggest you actually are. Was Bush short sighted?….Was your support of Bush short sighted?….. Hmmm…
Just yesterday Harry Reid said that John McCain’s support of a solution to the current crisis would be crucial to getting a bill passed in the Senate. Now, today, after three more days of turmoil in the stock market, Reid says McCain’s presence is not needed to solve the problem? What chutzpah! Now is the time for everyone to put the politics of a presidential campaign aside and solve the crisis.
Sean, you emphasize a quote from McCain saying that economics wasn’t his strong suit. But John McCain was right two years ago when he sponsored a bill to add oversight over Fannie and Freddie, S. 190, and he was prophetic when he said the following upon signing onto the bill, “If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”
John McCain was right to call for an end to junk mortgages and the free ride Freddie and Fannie received. The Democrats who opposed his bill were wrong.
Dan: “If Obama did the same thing, you’d all be saying “god this guy is good”. But instead it is “cowardice”.
And you can prove this how, DantheMan?
WHat kind of people do you think read these comments, pally?….Morons?
I also am emphasizing the nonsense he has been saying on the campaign trail. “Support” is a lot different than turning it into a campaign maneuver. BTW-McCain didn’t sign on as a sponsor of that bill until AFTER it became certain it wouldn’t pass. It was sitting in a republican led committee where they intended to let it die. McCain did nothing to try and get it out of the committee.
Sean H,
Now that is hilarious! John McCain was right and the Democrats who blocked the bill and made certain it wouldn’t pass were wrong.
To all of you who are saying that Bush and McCain are responsible for the crisis, I ask why the Democrats aren’t holding hearings into the meltdown, the companies and the policies that led to this?
Chris, again you have made just about exactly the same comments again for about the 10th time this week.
Sure, you state some facts about Freddy and Fanny, however, your attempts to use those facts in a campaign to blame Democrats for this Wall Street crisis shows your deep partisan bias.
You know very well that there were Republicans who were against McCain’s bill, yet you never mention that. I don’t know if you can actually remember back to 2005, but the Republicans had a pretty good majority in the House and the Senate…..So why didn’t the bill pass?…..Ohh wait, you need to present every issue as a way to win elections, so never mind. I’m wasting my time even responding to you, Chris.
The fact that you obsessively comment on MN Publius with your campaign driven spin and neo-con tinted lenses makes your argument(s) consistently untrustworthy. Is that difficult for you to wrap your partisan, Bill O’Reilly repeating 24/7, 365 day a year, year after year election campaign head around?
I think you’re only impressing people who are going to vote Republican no matter how bad their candidate and/or running mate are.
“John McCain was right and the Democrats who blocked the bill and made certain it wouldn’t pass were wrong.”
Yeah, “right.”
Remind me, Chris - who wrote the bill, and how many (read = “few”) co-sponsors were there?
The Democrats did not “block” the bill. It was never brought to a vote There was no mechanism for the minority Democrats on that committee to block a vote. It was the REPUBLICANS who let it languish and die.
BwaAAAKK bok bok bok bok!
If you are unwilling to do the difficult you are a coward. If you are unable to do the right thing you are a coward. If you are putting a perception in front of a reality, you are a coward. Senator John McCain is a coward for not going forward with this debate. He is refusing to communicate with the citizens who he expects to vote for him to lead them.
There are 98 other Senators and their staffs from both parties to work on this problem. There are 8 Representatives and their staffs from both parties, just from the State of Minnesota alone to work on this problem. The Executive branch from President Bush on down (up?) as well as the Treasury Department are focussed on this problem. Senator McCain can keep in touch with negotiations and discussions via all the communications methods available to him… including putting his handpicked staff into those meetings.
There is absolutely no rational reason that the candidate for President of United States from either party has to be in attendance personally and to preclude these individuals from a debate long awaited by all of America.
John McCain has just proven he is not fit to lead because of his cowardice in the face of difficulty.
I enjoy reading the views of DtM, Chris and others with their rightwing talking points, keeps me more aware of my own dem colored glasses and news filter. Luckily there are many here that can debate them point by point.
DtM is right - this legislation is big and I’m curious to know what Mccain is advocating for with his trip to DC. I like Schumer’s idea of conducting the bailout in stages. $150 billion should be a good down payment on restoring confidence or credit availability or whatever it is this fix is supposed to do for all of us..
This is so incredibly fitting. John McCain has been trying to convince the American people that he deserves thier vote because of his experience and the fact that he has selflessly worked on their behalf. He points to his track record. And not surprisingly, he plans to work on critical legislation on Friday.
Obama has been trying to convince the American people that he deserves thier vote because of his potential and ability to communicate. He does this by giving great speeches, and telling them that they should vote for him. Not surprisingly, he plans to talk on Friday.
McCain wants to work for Americans on Friday. Obama wants to get in front of an audience. So very, very fitting.
DantheMan, that is your opinion, and it is full of fairly obvious partisan spin.
You have a perspective that is not shared by an agumentable majority of the people.
What you comment is exactly what anyone would say in defense of a situation like this.
Tell me what track record McCain has that resulted in stopping the mistakes in Iraq, or what he did as Katrina was killing people, or what he has ACCOMPISHED AS A LEADER in the Senate.
I know he enjoyed some cake during a crisis. Is that what he’s going to do on Friday, split up a big lie cake and serve it up to anyone who is a talking point repeater?
Tell me, DantheMan, what “work” is McCain going to be doing for a couple hours on Friday that is more important? Studying?…..Training Sarah Palin?
Or is that a……(shhhhhh)….secret?
Tell me why we can trust you, or this man McCain.
Maybe the candidates shouldn’t even debate, and the people should rely on what the right wing pundits tell us to think. You would like that, wouldn’t you DantheMan.
Dan are you telling me that all the people working on this issue… including your Dear Leader… are incapable of doing the job without John McCain? You have no faith in any of the thousands of people working in Washington… including John McCain’s staff. And that John McCain is incapable of affecting the positions and decsions made anywhere unless he is in the room?
I would never trust the man as a leader of America were those ideas were to be true!
DTM, The senate hasn’t needed (nor seen) John McCain since April. What makes him feel so important now? Is it that he’s sliding in the polls?
Since you asked, John McCain was on record as disagreeing with Bush’s approach to the Iraq War before we even deployed the first troop. He was also a leader of the troop surge which, by any indication, has been a success.
Other accomplishments?
- Major player of Gramm Rudman, creating automatic budget cuts in times of budget deficit
- Established rules around Indian gaming
- Gave families resolution on POW/MIA’s in Vietnam
- McCain / Feingold finance reform
- Has been the leading voice of line item veto for 12 years
- Was one of the first people to pubicly state he had lost confidence in Donald Rumsfeld, leading to his resignation
- Championed cap-and-trade against the wishes of his party
- Led the Gang of 14 to comprimise and get past petty disputes on the judicial nominees
This is a man who, in 2004, 4 years ago, was widely rumored to be the best possible running mate for…. John Kerry. He is a maverick. He is his own man. I can’t say that about any of the other Presidential candidates :0
amuse - Yes, I think McCain is critical to these discussions. He has a track record of being one of the few people in the Senate who can create comprimise. He is that integral to DC. Obama is far from it.
Cheryl - I’m alot more confident with McCain saying “I’ll help get this done” than Obama basically smiling and saying “call me if you need me”.
Barak Obama does not have to stop what he’s doing and go to Washington to contribute to the solution. He knows how to work his cell phone, his blackberry, and can even send emails if necessary. Since McCain doesn’t have all those modern gadgets let alone know how to work them, I guess he has to fly to Washington in order to stay in the loop.
I want a president who can multi-task with ease through any crises. Not a coward who panics! Barak Obama clearly is the more Presidential candidate here, and I hope he shows up for the debate with or without John McCain. They can leave an empty chair for John’s spot if John is too scared to show and let Obama take the entire time to give a speach on the economy. Now more than ever, Americans need to hear from our candidates. Now more than ever, Americans need to know who can handle a crisis, or who falls apart and hides.
Danthe Man, I find your comments about Barack Obama not being his own man quite disgusting, considering who you defend here at MN Publius constantly every day. Who the heck do you think you are, pal?
You think we, the readers of Publius, are THAT STUPID? It’s a slap in the face from you. Problem is, people like you, the obsessive trolls, don’t care who we treat like crap.
Well ENOUGH!!!
Maverick
\ˈmav-rik, ˈma-və-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Samuel A. Maverick †1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves
Date: 1867
1: an unbranded range animal ; especially : a motherless calf
2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
You’re telling me this guy is the original maverick, and sure you state several things McCain has done, but not in the face of crisis like I asked for. It would be stupid to say McCain has never passed a bill in 30 years. CRIPES!!…(it was McCains birthday, and he enjoyed yummy cake with Bush as Katrina killed people)
Wow he “lost confidence” in Rummy years after everyone else did. How maverick-like to see that elephant that failed from day 1. What a maverick.
You, DantheMan, know that McCain has adopted the Republican party line to win the nomination, and bowed to the religious right with Sarah Palin. He has become more and more like the current Republican brand of talking point repeaters every day.
And that’s a MAVERICK?!!
If he was a maverick, he would have been authoring Bush’s impeachment years ago, pally, and easily could have just on the torture issue….not that there aren’t dozens of others.
“Maverick”s definition sure is flexible if it helps McCain win, isn’t it.
John McCain was on record as disagreeing with Bush’s approach to the Iraq War before we even deployed the first troop. Yet within days of 9/11 he was saying we needed to attack Iraq. He might not have liked some of the details in planning, but he was a MAJOR cheerleader for one of the biggest strategic blunders in modern history.
He is his own man I guess that is one way to describe a guy who compromises his supposed principles to become President , or somone who flips on his positions-sometimes within a matter of hours.
John McCain has not cast a vote, nor has he sat in a committee meeting for OVER SIX MONTHS. Now he feels that getting to washington to solve this crisis is urgent enough to suspend his campaign? Perhaps we should suspend the election while we’re at it, no?
Obama gets it exactly right.
“This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in 40 days will become responsible for this mess. It will be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.”
Nitro,
Which Republicans blocked S. 190? I’d like names and proof they blocked the bill. Which Republicans are responsible for Fannie and Freddie writing worthless mortgages and earning golden parachutes? I’d like names. When did Reid and Pelosi begin hearings to investigate the nation’s largest financial crisis since the S & L failure? There were Congressional hearings and investigations after the S & L debacle. The ones who should be impeached my friend are the Democrats who knew Fannie and Freddie were going to tank the economy and looked the other way while their friends and supporters got rich.
John McCain has officially given me the vapors.
Not only is he finally showing up for work after SIX MONTHS of failure to show up to work, but he’s decided to work ON A FRIDAY!!!111!!13l3v3nty!
Working on a “crisis” when the “fundamentals are strong” Now that’s mavericky.
“If he was a maverick, he would have been authoring Bush’s impeachment years ago”
I said he’s a maverick, not a nutcase. Two very different things.
And I say he’s a nutcase, not a maverick. His choice of Palin for VP pretty much confirms.
In further news, Palin’s debate is now in jeopardy. She’s probably completely tanking in her debate prep sessions.
Vote for me. I’m going to work ONE day out of the last SIX months. And it’s going to happen on a FRIDAY.
Chris,
S. 190
Status: Introduced Jan 26, 2005
Scheduled for Debate - not
Voted on in Senate - not
Voted on in House - not
Signed by President - not
This bill never became law. This bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven’t passed are cleared from the books.
If ever I’ve seen a desparate continued personal campaign to paint the financial crisis as the fault of Democrats, it is yours Chris.
……
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON HOMEOWNERSHIP
at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, D.C.
June 18, 2002, 10:30 A.M. EDT
“One of the things that we’ve got to do is to address problems straight on and deal with them in a way that helps us meet goals. And so I want to talk about a couple of goals and — one goal and a problem.
The goal is, everybody who wants to own a home has got a shot at doing so. The problem is we have what we call a homeownership gap in America. Three-quarters of Anglos own their homes, and yet less than 50 percent of African Americans and Hispanics own homes. That ownership gap signals that something might be wrong in the land of plenty. And we need to do something about it.
We are here in Washington, D.C. to address problems. So I’ve set this goal for the country. We want 5.5 million more homeowners by 2010 — million more minority homeowners by 2010. (Applause.) Five-and-a-half million families by 2010 will own a home. That is our goal. It is a realistic goal. But it’s going to mean we’re going to have to work hard to achieve the goal, all of us. And by all of us, I mean not only the federal government, but the private sector, as well.
And so I want to, one, encourage you to do everything you can to work in a realistic, smart way to get this done. I repeat, we’re here for a reason. And part of the reason is to make this dream extend everywhere.
I’m going to do my part by setting the goal, by reminding people of the goal, by heralding the goal, and by calling people into action, both the federal level, state level, local level, and in the private sector. (Applause.)”
……
So Bush’s challenge to us all is the fault of Democrats?
If you remember, Chris, Bush ran on this in 2004. He touted “Ownership Society” and frequently bragged about how many Americans owned homes.
…..But why should I bother with you, your comments here at MN Publius are more about you than anything else, aren’t they Chris?
You know what you do, Chris?….You don’t listen. You pretend people who disagree with you do not exist or matter. You will comment the same comments on Wednesday that you did on Monday, no matter what happens Tuesday, and no matter what anyone says debating you. The next day, you’re right back where you were, ignoring any and all people who disagree.
You should be banned, just because of that.
THAT…is why I say Chris, and listen carefully….you are acting like a troll, plain and simple, and may not be worth the calories I am burning typing away here. You are an annoyance.
Luckily, you are not Representative of a typical Republican, only a few are so blinded by their hubris and self-righteousness that they are completely unaware of how badly they represent their own party.
Get the log out of your eye, or continue to be appalling, it’s your choice. There is nobody convinced by you that, for example, your kind can reach out across the aisle.
Good day, pally.
lojasmo,
Where has Obama been? He’s been absent 45% of the time.
Nitro,
You answered none of my questions. Which Republicans opposed S. 190? Which Republicans advocated for the policies at Fannie and Freddie to issue junk mortgages? When did Reid and Pelosi begin investigations and hearings?
As for President Bush’s role in Fannie and Freddie. Here is an article in the New York Times, of all places, from 2003 which begins with the following lead:
New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
By STEPHEN LABATON
The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago.
Under the plan, disclosed at a Congressional hearing today, a new agency would be created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry.
The new agency would have the authority, which now rests with Congress, to set one of the two capital-reserve requirements for the companies. It would exercise authority over any new lines of business. And it would determine whether the two are adequately managing the risks of their ballooning portfolios.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3D6123BF932A2575AC0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print
In other words, your claim that President Bush advocated for risky no doc loans is hogwash. I’m being polite, because I don’t want Sean to delete my post. ;-)
So, DantheMan,
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation’s Natural Resources
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to “Black Sites” Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
Only a nutcase would think that is impeachable.
Where was that “Maverick” during all this?
Chris,
“Which Republicans opposed S. 190? Which Republicans advocated for the policies at Fannie and Freddie to issue junk mortgages? When did Reid and Pelosi begin investigations and hearings?”
Reid and Pelosi failed to go after the deregulators, the supply siders, and that was a big mistake. They should have gone after you righties….they play way, way too nice. They will be replaced soon enough.
As for your “who opposed, who supported” question, that bill died before anyone got to cast a vote, and you, Chris, know it. It’s a trick question, and is a slap in the face from you to assume people will be fooled by you.
As for your defense of Bush, do you think everyone has forgotten about his behavior, and the behavior of all you right wing pundits and trolls, over the last 8 years? It was NON-STOP SPIN. That’s another rude slap in the face from you.
Don’t assume we are idiots, pally.
Yes, nutcase, that is what I said. Dennis Kucinich for example. Good example of a nutcase.
John McCain is the Maverick who will be a true, independent, 3rd branch of our Government.
If I simply wanted an extension of Congress as President, I’d vote for Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi.
To prove I’m a centrist, three Democrats would have gotten my support this year: Bill Richardson, Evan Bayh, and Joe Lieberman. But no, you nominated the most liberal Senator in all of Washington. Might as well have nominated that nutcase Kucinich.
So much for a big tent.
So it looks like McCain had the same position on Iraq before the invasion as the DFL candidate for Senate. They were both wrong for the same reasons. Preemptive war is never justified.
McCain is no maverick and neither is Obama. Neither is wither the evil incarnate that their opposition claims them to be. They are simply the product of their parties, soldiers loyal to the systems that support them.
The problem has been and will continue to be that the same party loyalty that is essential for political success will keep them from taking the unpopular but necessary actions. Invading Iraq, the Patriot Act,the stimulus checks (basically a forced loan the next generation will be paying for) and bailing out over extended home owners were or are popular. Popularity has little to nothing to do with being correct. Hell GWB was elected, sorta, twice.
Neither Obama or McCain has much of a chance of doing anything meaningful. The meaningful would not be allowed by either party. They both rely on and personally benefit from those who have been rewarded by the power given the major parties. The status quo is far to profitable to everyone in power to risk real change.
p.s. Nice to have you back Nitro.
LOLOLS 3rd Branch of our Government? Because he wants to keep Reaganomics moving forward?
Good lord, you people are going to lose badly.
DantheMan, I thought John Kerry was the most Liberal Senator in Congress? What happened? ANd you threw out a big “K”. Your true colors are showing.
You are about as centrist as Bill O, the independent thinker.
Thanks KH. :)
— According to MSNBC, Obama is returning to DC this evening to work on the economic crisis after being contacted directly by President Bush.
McCain is THE most absent senator. He has not voted ONE TIME in the last half year. The American people are supposed to take him seriously… Why?
holy god this string was a beatdown. How you guys doin? Dtm and Chris? Wish I had seen it earlier. Bad day for Republicans! Cowards.
about Mccain’s leadership decisions - repubs and centrists critical- from politico’s Arena:
Is the McCain campaign’s decision to “suspend” campaigning and the Friday debate smart or not smart?
Mickey Edwards, Princeton lecturer and former Republican congressman:
Oh, brother. What idiot came up with this stunt? It ranks somewhere on the stupidity scale between plain silly and numbingly desperate. McCain and Obama are both members of the senate and they’re both able to help craft a solution if they wish to do so without putting the presidential campaign on hold; after all, I’m sure congressional leaders would be willing to accept their calls if they have some important insights to impart. And while one of them will eventually become president, neither one is president yet, nor is either one a member of the congressional leadership; I’m confident that somehow the administration and the other 533 members of congress will be able to muddle through without tapping into the superior wisdom and intellect of their nominees. Sorry, john; it really sounds like you’re afraid to debate. This sounds like the sort of ploy we used to use in junior high school elections.
Is the McCain campaign’s decision to “suspend” campaigning and the Friday debate smart or not smart?
Norman J. Ornstein, Resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute:
Senator McCain’s move to suspend his campaign and call for delay in the debate has to raise an eyebrow. It would be one thing if we were in genuine gridlock. We are not. We are in the midst of tough end-game negotiations. If they were to fail, and the markets reacted badly, that would be the time to suspend campaigns and suspend debates. Substantively, and outside the realm of narrow presidential politics 41 days before the election, This move has to be seen with some skepticism.
http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Norman_J__Ornstein_A8ED7BB6-EE55-4E9A-B982-AE4EE7DF69EC.html
Mccain is looking more political than presidential to me. Hope the ploy doesn’t enable him to delay the pres and VP debates.
McCain has just lost this election… I’ve been bouncing around the net looking at the non-scientific polls on whether the McCaun “cut and run” was a positive or negative thing. About 70% of people said it was a bad thing or wanted the debate to go on. They don’t see McCain as a leader any more.
True leaders are mostly truthful. People can quibble with Obama’s statements and ads, but his distortions fall far short of mccains bold lies. Closing conclusion from “Liar’s Poker” -TNR
The pattern here is perfectly clear. McCain has contempt for anybody who stands between him and the presidency. McCain views himself as the ultimate patriot. He loves his country so much that he cannot let it fall into the hands of an unworthy rival. (They all turn out to be unworthy.) Viewed in this way, doing whatever it takes to win is not an act of selfishness but an act of patriotism. McCain tells lies every day and authorizes lying on his behalf, and he probably knows it. But I would guess — and, again, guessing is all we can do — that in his mind he is acting honorably. As he might put it, there is a bigger truth out there. http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=71756e51-a09c-4b7d-b270-c6327191b341&p=1
McCain is so busy working on the economic crisis he can’t debate? Do you know who this assclown met with today? Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the former Clinton supporter who called Obama an elitist. When McCain says he is needed to work on the crisis, people should laugh in his face. McCain is a liar and a buffoon.
McCain was “too busy” to be on with Letterman tonight.
Here’s a hint for Senator McCain: when you “have” to cancel an appearance with Letterman at CBS (so you can hurry to Washington D.C.), don’t go and sit down for an interview with Katie Couric at CBS, during the time Letterman is being taped. (You’ll be made to look like a fool.)
DTM -
Sounds like you need some shock therapy. And Bushco is administering it to you (and unfortunately the rest of us) this very minute - it’s the economy “Shock Doctrine” style, stupid!
Regarding S 190.
The house passed a companion bill to S 190 (HR 1461) on 10/26/2005
The Bush Whitehouse publicly was against this bill.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/109-1/hr1461sap-h.pdf
McCain cosponsored S190 four months after it was introduced in the Senate by Chuck Hagel. Senator Dole and Senator Sununu were original cosponsors.
In a Senate that was under the leadership of Republicans, S190 did not get passed in the Senate. In fact I can not find that it was ever brought up for a vote in the Senate.
In the 110th congress (2007-2008) Chuck Hagel introduced a bill that appears to be an updated version of the S 190 bill that had been introduced in the 109th congress. Senator Dole an d SenatorSununu were again original cosponsors of this bill, along with Senator Martinez. This bill was introduced 4/12/2007.
If Senator McCain was so strongly in favor of the passage of this legislation, WHY DID HE NOT COSPONSOR IT IN THE 110TH CONGRESS??
Here is a clip with McCain in late 2007 on the subject of sub-prime mortgages.
http://www.nhelects.com/NHPrimaryVideos.asp?MultiID=77&HTitle=VLTitle
“I don’t know how bad it will get”. He didn’t know if it was bigger than the S&L crisis. He doesn’t know alot about derivatives. Hardly anybody said this was getting out of hand.
“I’d like to tell you I did anticipate it, but I’ll have to give you straight talk, I DID NOT”
So I guess his nickname in the history books won’t be Nostradamus.
Letterman burned McCain to a crisp, and put out the ashes with piss. It was classic…..and I don’t like Letterman, or Olberman.
As a sidenote, I cannot believe the continued smear campaign against Sarah Palin. On the same day that Joe Biden cannot get his facts straight on the basics of the Great Depression, the only news you see is of what their digging up from Sarah Palins younger years in small town Idaho.
What good are campaign finance laws if the media can pick a candidate and annoint him for free?
Dan “I’ll have to get back to ya’ on that…” you obviously did not watch little Ms Care Bear Couric rip Sarah Palin up one side and down the other with softball questions that you could have answered. Sarah looks out of touch and slightly mentally challenged even when given easy questions… she is incapable of squeaking out even a legible answer to soft questions. The Republican Presidential campaign is getting to the absurd now, and I think all you supporters should ask for your money back. Especially since McCain only seems interested in working part time on it anyway.
Do you suppose they could move the Veep Debate to Friday or maybe have Palin stand in for McCain against Obama. After all she is ready to serve on day one according to the Republicans. She’s not doing anything since the campaign is suspended… or is she?
Hey Chris, who first sponsored the bill in March of last year that created the FHFA to oversee Freddie and Fannie?
The GOP is toast. When people watch Palin, they realize just how unprepared she is.
And YouTube has the Couric interveiew, here.
The term bailout implies that a situation can be rescued. Throqing $700 billion Wall Street will do absolutely nothing to fix our crumbling economy. This isn’t a bailout - it is a massive parting gift from the Bush administration to wealthiest individuals and institutions - the same groups and entities that have reaped enormous benefits and privileges during the Bush years.
We need candidates to stand up and say - “absolutely not” - no money, nada…if there is going to be investment, it should be at the crumbling basis of our economy. Fascinating how Pawlenty is on board - but then he is the guy who is gung ho on JOBZ (a huge tax break no clear public oversight for business scam) and against investment in transportation, healthcare, and education.
“Frankly, we’re going to have to interrupt a negotiating session tomorrow between the Democrats and Republicans on a bill, where I think we’re getting pretty close, and troop down to the White House for their photo-op, and then come back and get on to it,” Frank said.
“We’re trying to rescue the economy, not the McCain campaign,” he added. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/barney-frank-wh.html
Looks like you, Sean, and Bill Clinton disagree on this one: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/bill-clinton-do.html
This proves Obama can’t handle the “3 AM call”.
No. It shows that all McCain has left is cheap, empty, cynical political stunts. I guess he is realizing all his lies aren’t working so he has to try something else.
Well, let’s look at what went down yesterday.
when the script Obama’s been reading from unexpectedly changes - what happens?
* Obama issues a hemming and hawing response to yesterday’s dramatic announcement`by John McCain
* Then Obama does an about-face and agrees to attend the meeting with President Bush and McCain
* Obama appears to genuinely not grasp the stakes here
* He is not acting like a leader who understands the risks the country faces
* This is not surprising giving his experience gap when it comes to money, work, and finances
This reveals much more than standard bumbling by Obama.
“standard bumbling”??!?
last week, Bushy McSame claimed the economy “fundamentals are strong.” Then he flip-flopped on that. Then he wanted to fire Cox. Then he didn’t.
McCain’s only excuse for his frequent flip-flopping, is he can’t remember - his Partzheimer’s is kicking in. And the scariest thing if Bushy McSame were to become President, and keel over? Governor MooseMeat is only a heartbeat away from The Oval Office.
Barack Obama is a politician who is too concerned about his future career to do his current job well.
Instead of actively working on the crisis, which his supporter Warren Buffett described as the Pearl Harbor of financial crisis, he was prepping for the debate in a Florida hotel.
That’s not change, that’s more of the same.
Well, let’s look at what went down yesterday.
when the script Obama’s been reading from unexpectedly changes - what happens?…
You either didn’t actually see the Press Conference or you are deliberately being dishonest about it. There was no hemming and hawing. There was NO about face.
McCain appears to have no friggin clue what is going on. None, zip, nada. It is his ideological beliefs that resulted in this mess. Talk about not acting like a leader!
DTM, what is McCain’s excuse for not doing his current job well? Oh wait, I know-He was a POW.
McCain has NOT CAST ONE VOTE in the last six months. Although his new dodge is, technically, “change” it’s not what America needs. A trillion dollars in unaccountable corporate bailouts is indeed more of the same from the republican party.
“This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in 40 days will become responsible for this mess. It will be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.”
-Barack Obama
I can’t believe this thread is still going. Repubs keep coming back for more. maybe you can call time out like your nominee tried to do. Too bad you guys have to vote for McCain Palin out of party loyalty. No tent should be big enough to let these coward buffoons into the whitehouse. Today has been hilarious!
Looks like poor McCain is going to have to debate Obama after all
WASHINGTON - Warned that time was running short to bolster the distressed economy, congressional Republicans and Democrats reported agreement in principle Thursday on a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, and said they would present it to the Bush administration in hopes of a vote within days.
Emerging from a two-hour negotiating session, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said, “We are very confident that we can act expeditiously.”
“I now expect that we will indeed have a plan that can pass the House, pass the Senate (and) be signed by the president,” said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.
The bipartisan consensus on the general direction of the legislation was reported just hours before President Bush was to host presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain and congressional leaders at the White House for discussions on how to clear obstacles to the unpopular rescue plan.
Key lawmakers said at midday that few difficulties actually remained.
“There really isn’t much of a deadlock to break,” said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown;_ylt=AoSUlBPKgfzFGYLhFtFZHpKs0NUE
Wow. McCain hasn’t even bothered to read secretary Paulson’s three page plan.
What a loser.
Lo - of course not; it didn’t start with “Once upon a planet, far far away…”
McCain looks like an old angry fool right now. If he doesn’t go to the debate he looks terrible and foolish. If he does go to the debate, he looks like he panicked. I hope he goes and Obama lays into him about it enough to get him pissed… that would be the cherry on the top.