McCain suspends campaign to go back to DC to work on bailout

[KDAngel]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the...l?hpid=topnews

So glad to see he's taken the initiative to do this. While the campaign is VERY important, it's important that the Senators remember what they've already been elected to do. And with this situation in crisis mode, it's absolutely the responsible thing to do. Of course I've supported McCain before this, but this is confirms why.

[nittanyalum]

And now I have Dead or Alive stuck in my head, thanks.

You spin me right round baby right round...

[pbear19]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

And now I have Dead or Alive stuck in my head, thanks.

You spin me right round baby right round...

Bless you, nittanyalum.

I thought this was interesting, per Politico:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: ...it would not be helpful at this time to have [McCain and Obama] come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op.

I think that they should be there to vote on the issue, but I think anything more than that is political posturing. Whether it's the right thing to do or not doesn't make it posturing any less. And turning the issue into more of a political circus than it already is will only worsen the situation exponentially.

[CrackerBarrel]

Reid is just doing political posturing as well. It's already been mentioned that Democrats are worried that they're going to vote for the administration's plan only to have McCain (and most of the rest of the Republicans on the hill) vote against it. That's why they're making such a big deal of trying to get McCain to commit to how he will vote.

And on the flip side, doesn't it make sense that if one of those two men is going to have to deal with the consequences of that bill for the next 4 years, they should at least get the shot to do their jobs and come try to shape it right now?

And if you want to see political posturing, watch the Democrats try to blame this on the "failed policies" of the administration instead of themselves for pushing through the "Community Reinvestment Act" which required banks to lend to people who were not good credit risks in the interest of everyone having the right to own a home. It's all those very mortgages which are defaulting, making mortgage backed securities worthless, and wrecking the balance sheets of investment banks. Democrats don't need to be telling anyone not to play politics on this one.

I'm not a big fan of many senators at all, but I can't stand Harry Reid. He talks out of both sides of his mouth more than anyone else in Washington.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by pbear19

Bless you, nittanyalum.

I thought this was interesting, per Politico:



I think that they should be there to vote on the issue, but I think anything more than that is political posturing. Whether it's the right thing to do or not doesn't make it posturing any less. And turning the issue into more of a political circus than it already is will only worsen the situation exponentially.

I agree.

He is just trying to suspend Friday's debate... because he knows it's a fight he cannot win

[nittanyalum]

I like the way TonyB put it in the AKA forum (hope he doesn't mind me pulling his post over here! ):

Originally Posted by TonyB06

These are politicians so it's wise to treat all of this with some level of skepticism. Consider:

What has changed in a week since this crisis reached this level of national exposure? Both candidates campained all last week as negotions took place, neither, apparently, in a Senatorial leadership capacity on the issue.

What, specifically, is gained by postponing Friday's debate and suspending the campaigns? And if it's something more than a symbolic gesture, then why was it not proposed a week ago, when the crisis hit the melting point?

Given the lateness of the party conventions, and the compression of the presidential and vice presidential debates, I don't think a postponement is a good idea. Have the debates as scheduled, fly back and cast the vote you need to cast and keep going.

[pbear19]

I agree that Reid is posturing. But I also think he's right. As I said, I think Obama and McCain should vote on the issue, and they are welcome to discuss it in their campaign speeches, in the debate, and behind the scenes as much as they need to. But I don't think they should be in the middle of it, physically in Washington, making the discussions on the Hill go that much slower, and politicizing it that much more. That's more harmful than helpful, which is why, regardless of why Reid said what he said, and regardless of the fact that it is absolutely posturing, I agree with the sentiment.

As for playing the blame game, both sides have done that, and it's equally ridiculous at this point from other side. (Almost as ridiculous as trying to boil the whole years-in-the-making disaster down to a single act.) Don't think the republicans' hands are clean of trying to place the blame on the democrats.

[KDAngel]

Originally Posted by pbear19

Bless you, nittanyalum.

I thought this was interesting, per Politico:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: ...it would not be helpful at this time to have [McCain and Obama] come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op.

Actually Reid yesterday said that if McCain didn't back the bailout, no Dems would either. He's going back and forth b/c he didn't see McCain's move coming.

Originally Posted by texas*princess

I agree.
He is just trying to suspend Friday's debate... because he knows it's a fight he cannot win

I love it when people have selective memory -- McCain's asked Obama to debate him for MONTHS. To have join town hall's, etc., but Obama ignored the request.

I daresay after watching Obama go down at the Saddleback forum we saw why he ignored the request -- if it's not a speech, he fumbles and makes mistakes.

He's merely a rehearsed record of the Democratic Party, which by all means you may consider fine. But the man (Obama) hardly has any substance to him whatsoever. Does he even make decisions for himself (ie: Biden)...??

[Senusret I]

lol...apparently selective memory works both ways.

[pbear19]

Originally Posted by KDAngel

Actually Reid yesterday said that if McCain didn't back the bailout, no Dems would either. He's going back and forth b/c he didn't see McCain's move coming.

Please provide a quote where Reid said that he wanted McCain to physically be in Washington to discuss the bailout in advance of a vote.

"Backing" something and showing up in the middle of negotiations with huge amounts of national press in tow are two completely different things. It's very naive to think either Obama or McCain needs to physically be in Washington to have an opinion and be influential in the lead up to the vote. The difference between doing what they could do outside of DC and doing it inside is the circus effect.

Note that I've said twice now I think both candidates should be there to vote. That doesn't mean the circus has to come to town beforehand.

[pbear19]

Ambinder:

The one way to make the bailout negotiations MORE political is to have a major party presidential candidate try to bigfoot his way into the debate under the guide of not being political.

The problem is that McCain's job now is not leader. It's candidate. And Democrats in Washington -- the majority party -- view him as a candidate, not as a senator.

Ponnuru

I think McCain's decision reduces the likelihood that Congress will pass anything and the likelihood that McCain will win the election—and say so here, where you can weigh in.

I don't think it's right that the Dems will be less likely to push something through because of McCain's interference (yes, I am intentionally using the word interference). But any political operative like McCain has to know that his going to Washington would put their backs up and likely make things harder. He cannot have it both ways - but I'm sure he'll try. If negotiations stall I'm sure he'll place the blame squarely on the Dems, and not take any responsibility for the fact that he could have been influential without being detrimental by staying on the sidelines, rather than diving in headfirst.



Drudge (about Letterman, not because it adds to my position but because it's funny):

David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had to rush back to DC to deal with the economy.

Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sara Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

[Velocity_14]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

lol...apparently selective memory works both ways.

^^^Thank you...exactly.

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

And now I have Dead or Alive stuck in my head, thanks.

You spin me right round baby right round...

Mullets rule
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwdAc1Dzfg

[CrackerBarrel]

Charles Schumer is an idiot.

Originally Posted by CNN.com

"The negotiations have gone on," Schumer, an Obama supporter, said. "It's as if, you know, you're in the middle of drawing an amazing painting and someone else comes in and says, 'hey, come in, let me throw my brush marks on there.' It just doesn't make sense."

You don't draw a painting. And I certainly wouldn't take the bold step of calling this clusterf*ck of a bailout plan "an amazing painting".

His quote also makes it sound like the Democrats don't want McCain stealing credit for their "amazing painting" of a bailout. That's good, because if I had to guess he's going to vote against it.

Schumer had one thing right about his analogy. "It just doesn't make sense."

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by KDAngel

I love it when people have selective memory -- McCain's asked Obama to debate him for MONTHS. To have join town hall's, etc., but Obama ignored the request.

Oh likewise, KDAngel. Have you forgotten about when McCain said our economy is sound and harshly criticized those who disagreed???

And Obama did not ignore his requests to have joint town halls. He just said no.