Hilarious. Right before the debates... NEW YORK (CNN) -- Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign to return to Washington and focus on the "historic" crisis facing the U.S. economy. Obama stated "It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once." http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/campaign.wrap/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail
"...McCain's bombshell comes as a CNN "poll of polls" out of Virginia on Wednesday shows him with the slimmest of leads in a state that traditionally has been a safe bet for Republicans. The latest polls could be a warning sign for McCain that he still has work to do to lock down certain states where previous GOP nominees had to spend little time or effort doing so." "Country First" McCain slips another fast one.
Reports I heard today is that they expect it to be wrapped up by Friday which would give McBush time to fly to Mississippi. Or course, he wouldn't have time for his nap...
I wonder which finance committee McCain sits on. As someone else put it: "If McCain seriously wanted to be involved, rather than pulling some political stunt just prior to the first debate, he should have had is staff get a copy of the Treasury's plan over the weekend, studied it, briefed him on it, and been in Washington yesterday morning, met with Senator Shelby and other republicans on the finance committee, and put forward the issues that are important to him. He can certainly voice any objections he may have with any senator. But there is zero need for cancelling the debate."
Lies, Half-Truths and Contradictions: The debate cancellation Before we go canceling Friday's presidential debate -- in the name of "meet(ing) as Americans" as Sen. John McCain suggests, to bail out the financial marekts -- let's get some questions answered. Because the more we learn about McCain's debate shutdown idea, the more this is starting to smell like a steaming pile of LHC suggested by a dude who's dropping in the latest polls. Like the poll which gives Sen. Barack Obama a double-digit lead in uh, trustworthiness. To review: Obama called McCain first to suggest they issue a bi-partisan statement in support of a package to patch up the economy. McCain called back several hours later, agreed, and said he'd like to also suspend the debate and hold meetings in Washington. Obama said let's just issue the statement first and take it from there. "When I got back to the hotel, he had gone on television to announce what he was going to do," Obama said. That's hardball, baby. So now we're in a political staredown. Some questions: 1. Why did McCain hijack the bi-partisan olive branch and go onto TV first so he could announce his plans to suspend the debate? In his cancel-the-debates statement Wednesday McCain said "Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges." Well, now we know why. 2. Dudes, has anyone heard of multi-tasking? It's 2008. You're not going to have to take a covered wagon from the Capitol to Mississippi Friday. What is preventing you from voting/debating, then taking off and getting there in time for the 9 p.m. (East Coast time) debate kickoff? There's still time for McCain to get in his pre-debate nap and Obama to shoot some hoops. 3. We know you're important players -- one is a future president -- but there are 533 other people under the Dome toting a vote that is just as important as yours. If your vote isn't a deal-breaker/-maker, go directly to the debate. You can explain what your vote would have been from there. Got some good ideas for the bailout package? Send an email to your Senate buds....ok, Sen. McCain, you can phone them with your ideas. 4. McCain said he would be "suspending" his campaign. What does that mean? Does it mean that you won't engage in any fundraising, either? Does it mean Sarah Palin is on the shelf, too?...oh, wait, she already is. 5. McCain said "(Thursday) morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative." If this debate is so important, couldn't he just skip the Clinton gig and go straight to the Dome? 6. If McCain was this concerned, where was he all week? Same place Obama was -- campaigning every place other than Washington. Rep. Barney Frank, an Obama supporter and key bailout architect, said on MSNBC Wednesday that it would be "more distracting" for "McCain and his entourage" to inject themselves into the process now. 7. And here's one for debate moderator Jim Lehrer: Make everybody feel good and tell them you'll toss a couple of economic-related questions at the top of the debate. Got any more questions? Ideas? C'mon. We've got to save the debate. We've already got pizzas ordered and people coming over to watch. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=30698
MSNBC is reporting that the debate will go forth by the decision by the National Campaign election committee.
How ironic that the 4ooo+ lives lost in our current wars are not cause to "suspend" the campaign to work on the crisis, only when our pocketbooks are in jeopardy is the campaign suspended. How hugely ironic that the REPUBLICANS are now the potential stumbling block to the "bailout" that necessitates McSame visit to DC to get the rebels in line
Don't get me wrong I think we're in a world of hurt with either the anointed one or the geriatric one. But seems to me McCain is trying to be proactive and help get something done. I don't think Obama has grasped the gravity of current econimic conditions, is his time really better spent debating? Score one point for the old fart.
Update: Drudge reports that Letterman mocked McCain during the show's taping Wednesday afternoon. "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, Sarah 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!"