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[sr71plt]

John McCain's campaign has announced that he's suspending his U.S. presidential campaign and going back to his Senate duties to work on the economic crisis.

I think this is a brilliant move--and, political maneuvering aside, it's the sort of thing he does that I give him a lot of respect for.

What do others think?

 

[Boxlicker101]

John McCain's campaign has announced that he's suspending his U.S. presidential campaign and going back to his Senate duties to work on the economic crisis.

I think this is a brilliant move--and, political maneuvering aside, it's the sort of thing he does that I give him a lot of respect for.

What do others think?

stjupid double post

 

[Boxlicker101]

John McCain's campaign has announced that he's suspending his U.S. presidential campaign and going back to his Senate duties to work on the economic crisis.

I think this is a brilliant move--and, political maneuvering aside, it's the sort of thing he does that I give him a lot of respect for.

What do others think?

I think Biden and Obama should do the same thing, even work closely with McCain if necessary. This is much more important than campaigning.

Of course, there will still be others campaigning for him, and for the others.

 

[sr71plt]

I think Biden and Obama should do the same thing, even work closely with McCain if necessary. This is much more important than campaigning.

Of course, there will still be others campaigning for him, and for the others.

Yep, of course they should. They're behind the eight ball now, though, for not thinking of it first.

(During the Dem primaries, I thought either Clinton or Obama could have made hay out of an occasional "Sorry, can't make that speech in Podunk. There's an important vote in the Senate and I need to show I can do my job by doing some of it.")

 

[DeeZire]

I wonder how many voters will see the irony in John McCain going back to the Senate to fix this problem when it was his votes for deregulation that caused it? Wouldn't this cast doubt on his judgement?

 

[Safe_Bet]

John McCain's campaign has announced that he's suspending his U.S. presidential campaign and going back to his Senate duties to work on the economic crisis.

I think this is a brilliant move--and, political maneuvering aside, it's the sort of thing he does that I give him a lot of respect for.

What do others think?

I think that it is a brillant move. He looks like he cares; he can't be put on the spot and put his foot in his mouth; he can disavow all poo that is flung by his people (sorry - I was working) and he makes Obama look like a jerk if he either follows him or tries to slam him for having made the move in the first place. Wow - I'm impressed! (by the move - not by the man).

 

[neonlyte]

Hype.

One of Josh Marshall’s readers dug up the quote, from an old Wall Street Journal article with the subtitle “John McCain explains his eclectic–and troubling–economic philosophy.”

“I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.”

John McCain was telling the truth when he said that economics wasn't his strong suit. In response to what many economists have called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Republican nominee has sounded -- and let's be honest here -- totally, embarrassingly and dangerously clueless.

His now-famous remark Monday about how "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" would almost by itself be enough to justify my assessment. But he committed what was probably an even worse gaffe on Tuesday when, as the behemoth insurance company AIG teetered on the brink, McCain took a stand. "I do not believe that the American taxpayer should be on the hook for AIG," he said. "We cannot have the taxpayers bail out AIG or anybody else."

Within hours, the federal government had bailed out AIG to the tune of $85 billion. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and others who know how Wall Street works understood that if AIG were to collapse, much of the financial system might follow.

What's he going to do? Shoot the foreign bankers?

 

[off2bed]

"No one knows what to do."

- Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, 9/17/08

 

[sr71plt]

I wonder how many voters will see the irony in John McCain going back to the Senate to fix this problem when it was his votes for deregulation that caused it? Wouldn't this cast doubt on his judgement?

Well, for me, it would depend largely on what he does from here. I don't believe in the "flip-flop" slam. I don't want a leader who makes bad judgments (which can happen to anyone, not least because they received bad information) and sticks to them just to be pristinely consistent. We have that sort of leader now, and American young people are dying because of it.

And I also don't want a leader who talks and talks and talks about pie in the sky and does nothing. I see nothing but good in all of them going back to Washington and rolling their sleeves up and putting their leadership on the line in real activity.

(Palin can go back to Alaska too, I think. )

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

It looks to me like things are beyond brilliant moves. Something or someone is trying to buy stocks being dumped on the market, and I dont think they can keep it up much longer. Theyre bailing and the water keeps pouring through the rupture.

In the meanwhile the fatcats are looting the financial market of steaks and HD tvs, and the average America senses she'll end up with baloney & a weenie after the good stuff has been cherry-picked.

The real solution is to hang a few bankers from Wall Street lamp-posts.

I suspect McCain is returning to DC to reserve a seat in a lifeboat.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

They're behind the eight ball now, though, for not thinking of it first.

They DID think of it first! They just didn't ANNOUNCE it first.

 

[epiphany65]

It seems as though now that McCain is slipping in the polls he wants to cakk a time out. Obama has rejec the debate. Good for him!

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

High risk move. Impossible to predict how it will play out.

Could he be sincere? Not inconceivable.

If both of them came together, agreed on some harmless or constructive provision to add to the bill, and stood together to make a case I think it would make people feel pretty good about both of them, and about our system. That would be a "wash" politically.

No doubt both sides have operatives scheming about who gains from a "wash." My guess is McCain, but Obama might be hehind the eight-ball and unable to craft a more advantageous response to this gambit.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Yeah. Very good move. Both sides should have at least conferred with their party's leadership when the crisis hit to find out what was going on and what the plans were. It would have made them look presidential. As it was, Paulson was the only one who looked like he had a grip on things. Obama, McCain, and even Bush looked like they were caught in the headlights and didn't know fuck-all.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

It looks to me like things are beyond brilliant moves. Something or someone is trying to buy stocks being dumped on the market, and I dont think they can keep it up much longer. Theyre bailing and the water keeps pouring through the rupture.

In the meanwhile the fatcats are looting the financial market of steaks and HD tvs, and the average America senses she'll end up with baloney & a weenie after the good stuff has been cherry-picked.

The real solution is to hang a few bankers from Wall Street lamp-posts.

I suspect McCain is returning to DC to reserve a seat in a lifeboat.

Excessively cynical and pessimistic. Properly constructed this thing could relatively painless for the taxpayers, painful for the execs and investors who showed bad judgement, and transparent. The extent to which it's less than that has more to do with politics than the underlying reality. I expect something less than ideal but much less pernicious than you imply.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

The first take here and in the blogosphere is that it's a really smart move by McCain, perhaps an inspired one.

If it actually plays out that way - and it's too soon to tell - that would be two gutsy, inspired poltical calls within a few weeks. That would be pretty impressive.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

The first take here and in the blogosphere is that it's a really smart move by McCain, perhaps an inspired one.

If it actually plays out that way - and it's too soon to tell - that would be two gutsy, inspired poltical calls within a few weeks. That would be pretty impressive.

Gutsy? More like desperate and two-faced.

LINK:

Obama repeatedly stressed at his news conference that he called McCain first to propose that they issue a joint statement in support of a package to help fix the economy as soon as possible. He said McCain called back several hours later, as Obama was leaving a rally in Florida, and agreed to the idea of a statement but also said he wanted to postpone the debate and hold joint meetings in Washington.

Obama said he suggested they first issue a joint statement showing bipartisanship.

"When I got back to the hotel, he had gone on television to announce what he was going to do," Obama said.

 

[neonlyte]

The first take here and in the blogosphere is that it's a really smart move by McCain, perhaps an inspired one.

If it actually plays out that way - and it's too soon to tell - that would be two gutsy, inspired poltical calls within a few weeks. That would be pretty impressive.

Christ... let's hope the crisis are a few weeks apart

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Even the senate majority leader thinks this is a bad idea... and clearly just a political ploy:

LINK:

“I understand that the candidates are putting together a joint statement at Senator Obama’s suggestion. But it would not be helpful at this time to have them 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.”

 

[dr_mabeuse]

LOL Wait! He wants to cancel this Friday's debate too!

Oh, this is such bullshit! They just talked to Barney Frank on TV who said the deal should be made in a day or two. No one needs McCain there. H, no ie has no input on this deal, no influence. He's not the member of any committee that has anything to do with this bailout. This is just grandstanding.

You know, ever since he started running, McCain never had a compelling reason for wanting to be president. He never had a message or vision. He just kind of picked up things along the way. First he was the Anti-Fundamentalist, then he was The Maverick, then he was Pailin's Partner. He goes from gimmick to gimmick. If he wins, he'll win as the Anti-Obama. No one knows what he stands for or what he's going to do. No one has the slightest idea.

 

[ishtat]

LOL Wait! He wants to cancel this Friday's debate too!

Oh, this is such bullshit! They just talked to Barney Frank on TV who said the deal should be made in a day or two. No one needs McCain there. H, no ie has no input on this deal, no influence. He's not the member of any committee that has anything to do with this bailout. This is just grandstanding.

You know, ever since he started running, McCain never had a compelling reason for wanting to be president. He never had a message or vision. He just kind of picked up things along the way. First he was the Anti-Fundamentalist, then he was The Maverick, then he was Pailin's Partner. He goes from gimmick to gimmick. If he wins, he'll win as the Anti-Obama. No one knows what he stands for or what he's going to do. No one has the slightest idea.

True Doc, but America has had a president for almost 8 years who claimed to have a vision, who believed in things. Maybe Americans would prefer someone who actually has no compelling 'mission' or ideology ??

Paulsons gonna get what he wants anyway. There'll be an oversight Board plus some cap on CEO's perks and maybe a throwaway morsel for the stressed retail borrower. But the deal will be in.

Aren't all the pollies merely grandstanding at this stage??

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

True Doc, but America has had a president for almost 8 years who claimed to have a vision, who believed in things. Maybe Americans would prefer someone who actually has no compelling 'mission' or ideology ??

Paulsons gonna get what he wants anyway. There'll be an oversight Board plus some cap on CEO's perks and maybe a throwaway morsel for the stressed retail borrower. But the deal will be in.

Aren't all the pollies merely grandstanding at this stage??

All true, and before that we had one for eight with no vision or beliefs.

 

[sr71plt]

All true, and before that we had one for eight with no vision or beliefs.

And a healthy economy and not much going on overseas that made us burp. Sort of make you think, doesn't it?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

ROXANNE

Notice that many prominent people mirror my sentiments. I assume they know what I suspect.

When Bush speaks tonight, deduct 1000 points from the DOW for every time he mentions how great the country is doing otherwise.

 

[Misty_Morning]

I think it would be great to see the senators going back to Washington to work on a non-partisan solution. I mean they're getting paid $160,000 a year to be senators....not getting paid $160,000 a year to run for president.

I honestly think these two men could set an example by focusing on the countries needs first and not their own needs. I have alot of issues with both men, and yet I have alot of respect for both men. I think bothof them are men of honor.



Plus...it would be a nice break from all the mud-slinging going on on both sides.