What the hell is this?
NEW YORK – Republican John McCain said Wednesday he is directing his staff to work with Democrat Barack Obama ’s campaign and the presidential debate commission to delay Friday’s debate because of the economic crisis.
In a statement, McCain said he will stop campaigning after addressing former President Clinton’s Global Initiative session on Thursday and return to Washington to focus on the nation’s financial problems.
McCain said he wants President Bush to convene a leadership meeting in Washington that would include him and Obama.
“It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration’s proposal,” McCain said. “I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.”
McCain said if Congress does not pass legislation to address the crisis, credit will dry up, people will no longer be able to buy homes, life savings will be at stake and businesses will not have enough money…
…McCain said he has spoken to Obama about his plans and asked the Democratic presidential nominee to join him.
The Obama campaign said Obama had called McCain around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to propose that they issue a joint statement in support of a package to help fix the economy as soon as possible. McCain called back six hours later and agreed to the idea of the statement, the Obama campaign said. McCain’s statement was issued to the media a few minutes later.
“We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved,” McCain said. “I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.”
So, Obama called McCain this morning to see if McCain might join him in support of some kind of emergency bailout plan. McCain called him back six hours later and agreed to a joint announcement. Then he hung-up and immediately released a unilateral statement that, in effect, asks for permission to skip out of the first debate.
I’m not sure if this makes McCain a chicken or a weasel.
It makes him both a chicken and a weasel. His numbers are tanking because of the focus on the economy and this is his way to look heroic.
I was going to say that he is both a chicken and a weasel.
Well I can tell you that it makes me more afeared that the McDuh would return to Washington to polish off the economic crisis. What a stunt and since when has it been acceptable for a presidential candidate to demonstrably prove that he can’t or won’t multi task.
This seems more like panic…not a thought out plan on McCain’s campaign. As you said mainsailset it will look more like he can’t do more than one thing at a time-not good for your resume application for president.
Or in other words this is just plain stupid-like everything else his campaign seems to be doing. This is going to become the gold standard for how not to run a campaign I think-unless of course he wins the election.
Yglesias asks,
Isn’t that not what a president does –
McCain just threw the election. He is Mr. Deregulator and someone whispered in his ear,;
“John, you don’t want what’ll be on the next president’s plate..fWMDs ..they’ll shorten your limited life span”
OTOH, I won’t be surprised if the crisis is revved up to a request that the election being cancelled.
Here’s what MSM avoids: they’re prepping for an upcoming crisis – a revolution perhaps when hyper-inflation hits:
Army Unit to Deploy in October for Domestic Operations scroll down the page
Umm…what?
Christ Jesus, these people…
So that’s the October surprise?
Pretty much the only way to look at it.
It’s time for the guy in the Chicken suit to follow McCain around.
This is a break moment. He’s ducking a joist. He’s a chicken-shit. He’s a wanker. He’s a COWARD.
MSNBC and ABC:
Obama camp says The Debate Is On
This just the sorriest goddamned stunt I’ve ever seen. He is a dishonorable drama queen who plainly cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Suck it up, Johnnie.
If it looks like a chicken, walks like a chicken, and clucks, like a chicken, it’s probably John McKKKain.
or a weasel.
or a cheasel.
He’s a chicksel.
Hmm, Senator McChicksel?
how about a weakin?
Asked McCain to join him in issuing a joint statement of where they agree. Help the bailout that way. McCain didn’t call back until this afternoon. To tell him about the campaign suspension.
It’s breathtaking that a candidate wants to duck out on an event where he and his opponent could discuss one of the most pressing political issues in at least a generation. Isn’t he openly admitting that he sees debates and politics in general as irrelevant to government policy? He doesn’t have time to get the public involved when the only ones who matter are at “a leadership meeting in Washington”.
Not much of a surprise that that’s how he sees things, but amazing that he’s so flagrant about it. I guess he knows that his base won’t notice.
It is too much work for Sen. McCain, he lacks the stamina to prepare for his debate and work with his fellow Senators. Someone, give John a Blackberry, a laptop computer, and a lesson on how to use e-mail.
This is nonsense.
On Monday McCain was stating, “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.”
He is a self-professed ignoramus regarding Economics.
He has supported and worked for eliminating economic regulations and oversight – the root cause of the current mess – for 30 years.
He is now suspending his presidential campaign and running back to DC to ‘fix’ a “historic” crises?
This is nonsense.
Can someone post a link verifying Obama wanted cooperation on the bail out bill?
It’s all over the news right now.
It was an email from the campaign.
the link in the main body of this post.
GOP Politics 101: If you’re losing the game, call the game off and say you never really wanted to play anyway.
Besides, it’s Friday. He doesn’t want to miss Numb3rs.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
The counter-attack has begun.
from Politico
And to thnk the debate he’s ducking is on his supposed strong suit: foreign policy.
Call me a head-in-the-clouds idealist, but I like the fact that Obama made an offer for the campaigns to work together.
John McCain is a chicken
But, but, but, he was a prisoner of war!
pardon the OT, but it looks liek the bailout’s on the move again.
IIRC, Pelosi’s not bringing this to the floor unless Bush explains it to the American people. He’s on TV tonight at 9:00.
McCain has to vote yes or the deal falls apart: anyone doubt that the “suspending the campaign/heading to DC” stunt is anything more than a tell?
All we need is the GOP on board, and bye-bye $700,000,000,000.00…
and bye bye health care.
and bye bye education reform.
and bye bye infrastructure repair.
and bye bye to everyone who votes for it, because I think there will be a MASSIVE revolt. Which probably explains why they’re stationing the US Army at home, in violation of posse comitatus.
i might put on my tin foil hat now, and start to worry that the election was going to be suspended due to civil unrest.
This is more than just McCain’s debate. This is also an equisite time where the Rep Congress is divided, incoherent and terribly afraid of coalescing behind one plan, particularly since Pelosi seems hell bent to force their support on the bailout.
McCain in a debate, spouting policies and programs before the party has hammered out what they can live with would destroy any options they have left to survive Nov.
He’s a crapweasel. Always has been, always will be.
BREAKING: McCain remembers that he is a Senator. I wonder if he can still recall where his desk is located…
I hope Obama holds his ground and doesn’t agree to postpone the debate. They have a perfect opportunity to make McCain look weak. What a bizarre campaign this has turned out to be from day one.
“The debate is on”
Enough of this chicken-shit chicken-shitting.
No one will believe anything but he has suffered a failure of will. He has wanked.
He’s going down. This defeat is going to be overwhelming.
and somebody didn’t come?
the perfect opportunity for some creative stagecraft…an empty suit behind mcstains rostrum.
maybe W is going to do something like declare Marshall Law tonight, on TV. Just like McCain, when NOL was under water, he was eating cake with W. Maybe his wife baked him a cake, so he needs to stay home.