Sep 24th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
McCain Calls Time Out
WTF? You can’t just stop the presidential campaign — what does that even mean?
Meanwhile, I think walking and chewing gum at the same time is part of the president’s job.
88 Responses to “McCain Calls Time Out”
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September 24th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I think we should just postpone the election until he has a chance to win.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
The dude hasn’t suspended his campaign for even 5 minutes to cast a single Senate vote over the past 6 months and now he’s all about solving issues in Washington?
I’m curious how Obama will respond to this B.S.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more surreal…
September 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Come now, he’s going to be too busy burning the midnight oil solving the financial crisis to debate on a Friday evening. He can’t do both. After all how can a bailout be worked out if a financial wizard like Johnny is out yakking on the TV?
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
September 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
But, my debate party!
What an asshole.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
“WTF? You can’t just stop the presidential campaign — what does that even mean?”
More smart but high risk maneuvering from Team Sedona. The financial crisis has fucked up their plans royally, and this gives them an opportunity to get some ownership of the issue.
And, of course, Team Chicago has not been nimble all year, so anything to force them to respond on the fly is a good move for Sedona. If Sedona isn’t inside Chicago’s OODA loop, they’re losing.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Weeelll… I do think both he and Obama should be doing their jobs as Senators right now, and not campaigning… but I don’t know WTF “suspending your Presidential campaign” means either.
I presume it means that now he has a better excuse for hiding Palin somewhere, not allowing her to answer questions, and pretending she doesn’t exist.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Does that mean the elections are postponed indefinitely too, and that Bush can stay in office under the emergency is over? Is this our version of the Enabling Act (for fear of invoking Godwin’s Law, I would suggest you google that up).
September 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Obama should call for the debate to be turned into an economic mess town hall type thing, and invite Rubin, Romney, Reich, Krugman, and a few other economic type experts in to talk about the mess and what should be done. McCain and Obama could act as the moderators of the debate.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
“walking and chewing gum at the same time is part of the president’s job”
Unless the president is Ford, of course.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I’ve said it before: McCain will self-destruct. He is his own worst enemy. Obama does seem to have the good fortune to run against people who sabotage themselves. Or maybe what looks like his his good fortune is merely the result of shrewd campaigning.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
He’s going to call “Time in” as soon as he’s alone in the end zone. Don’t fall for it!
September 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I love how half the Republican party is saying we don’t need “financial socialism” while McCain is busy trying to suspend democracy so he can stop his freefall in the polls.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
You said it, Matt. This is calling time out when the other team starts to go on a scoring run. Yet another cheap ploy from a collection of flim-flam artists, and if the American electorate falls for it, I will get that much closer to life in a remote armed compound.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
According to TPM Obama’s camp is saying this is some joint proposal.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Do to wartime injuries, it is extremely painful for McCain to chew gum. You really shouldn’t make sick jokes like this.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
We are engaged in three wars – our solders are dying – STOP THE POLITICS
We are in the middle of an energy crisis – STOP THE POLITICS
The world is heating up – STOP THE POLITICS
Now we are faced with a financial crisis – AND McCAIN DOESN’T WANT TO DEBATE — STOP THE POLITICS
September 24th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
McCain isn’t suspending politics at all, he’s playing politics: show leadership by postponing the debate, and maverickship by hinting at a vote against the plan. Actually, the Congress has moved well along at reaching a concensus plan.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Would Obama look elite & arrogant if he says no to McCain’s grandstanding. On the grounds that it’s entirely possible for him to monitor what’s happening in DC and make his opinions clear to those engaged in direct negotiations all the while continuing to prepare for the debate.
An aside. Great interview by Brian Lehrer (WNYC in NYC) with the first Bush Treasury Secretary Paul O’Niell. (http://www.wnyc.org/stream/ram?file=/bl/bl092408apod.mp3). Briefly, he says not to buy the questionable securities. Instead, guarantee them in an FDIC manner. Accomplishes the same thing with far less risk to taxpayers.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I urge the president to declare a state of emergency and cancel all elections until this crisis has passed. Only a striving Chicago pol would think of his own career in times likes these. Country first people, country first.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Is McCain on the committees that are now holding hearings? Will the bill be up for a vote within the next two days? Or, is he just going to parade around the hallways of the Congress for photo ops?
September 24th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
The McCain campaign looked at the numbers, then looked at them again, and again. There was no way he was going to win the election. This is something they have been considering for at least the last few days. This is a clear calculation that this probably won’t work, but doing nothing definitely won’t. This is Palin: Part Deux.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Mayhap it’s really all about this?
http://www.nationalenquirer.com/national_enquirer_world_exclusive_sarah_palins_secret_lover_revealed/celebrity/65481
September 24th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Did he have a minor stroke? Atrios points out his left eye…
September 24th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Actually, Obama reached out to McCain by phone at 8:30 this morning to see if they could issue a joint statement of shared principles and decisions on the bailout. At 2:30 this afternoon, McCain called back and spoke to Obama and apparently agreed to work on such a joint statement. THEN McCain turns around and unleashes this stunt.
Now who’s the one playing politics, and who’s the one looking for bipartisan solutions? Jeebus.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I would be less skeptical of McCain’s motives if he had arranged beforehand with Obama to jointly announce such a plan. That would have made it perfectly clear that there was no purely partisan, political motive involved.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I’d say sure let’s let Biden and Palin go first.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Why not substitute the VP debate…I’m sure both campaigns would be ok with that…serious Obama should over to move the VP campaign to Friday. I have a feeling that McCain/Palin wouldn’t be up for that.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Seriously, haven’t we seen enough from these guys anyway? I think most minds are made up – who cares if we suspend campaign mode (besides CNN, which has a financial crisis to keep it occupied).
I would think what we learn about McCain in the Senate responding to the crisis would be more revealing then watching him talk about what he would do in a few months.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
The “and decisions” in comment 25 above should have been “and conditions” — oops.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I’d say sure let’s let Biden and Palin go first – as in take the Friday slot.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Come to think of it I’m going to stop working so I can focus on the economic crisis.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
WTF.
Point needs to be made as well – how does having John McCain grandstand for the cameras and turn Capitol Hill into more of a media circus than it already is to anything to help the country?
September 24th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Scaredee Cat
September 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
He is blinking .. OMG
September 24th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
-TPM
September 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
TH has it right. The best thing for McCain and Obama to do would be to let the process in Congress happen. By inserting himself and Obama into the middle of this, it becomes an even bigger sideshow and makes the partisan nature worse, not better.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
That’s a tough challenge. Everybody believes the economic situation to
be very serious, and this gives McCain a way to say “I’m taking this
more seriously than Obama” which fits in with this “Country First”
narrative: “I am interested in helping America in this extraordinary
time. Obama is only interested in politics and getting himself
elected.”
One possible response: “The President of the United States has many
obligations: national security, the economy, education, getting
adequate health care for all Americans. The President can’t let
national security drop to focus on the education, they can’t ignore
the economy to focus on health care. The President must have the
energy and the discipline to handle multiple challenges at once.
Barack Obama has that energy and discipline. This financial crisis has
been developing for months. Obama has already been working with his
economic advisors to develop a plan to pull us out of this crisis and
build the US economy. McCain has consistently shown himself to be out
of touch with the economy as experienced by most Americans. Perhaps he
needs a few days to understand the plight of people who are
desperately trying to hang on to their one house.”
See how I got digs at both age and houses in there
September 24th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
What about those TWO shooting wars we’re engaged in? I didn’t hear McCain talking about suspending the campaign until we get those crises solved…
This is just another example of McCain’s dangerous overreaction to world and national events…
September 24th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
“This is just another example of McCain’s dangerous overreaction to world and national events…”
You made a typo there. I think you meant, “This is just another example of McCain’s dangerous overreaction to falling behind in the polls…“
September 24th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
So McCain says he’s indisposed?
Would that not be a good time for Palin to step up to the plate and taking some of the weight with those tricky media appearances?
I thought that was kind of the point of a Vice President.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
No, we have not seen them debate and because the old guy is slow on his feet, that has to happen.
Most sentient minds. But low-information voters make up their minds in the home stretch, which this is.
I truly hope team Obama is not dumb enough to let him get away with this. Obama needs to make it clear he will show up for the debate.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
One other troubling aspect: this move by McCain is predicated on the idea that we’re in truly dire straits, more so than even 24 hours ago. If I were the market & dumb enough to believe that McCain’s views are informed ones, this would send me into even more of a tailspin.
Then again, I have no problem believing that McCain is willing to play Chicken Little (and thereby play havoc with the markets) if he thinks such posturing politically advantageous.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Mark: Right, especially given how strong the fundamentals of our economy were just a week ago.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
When McCain solves all of our problems and re-emerges from Washington with tie loosened, his shirt torn open, and Chris Cox’s head on a pike, he won’t look so crazy.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
When McCain solves all of our problems and re-emerges from Washington with tie loosened, his shirt torn open, and Chris Cox’s head on a pike
Actually, my patented PrognostiViewer has already provided images of that future event — but note that it’s Palin holding the trophy.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Too easy…substitute …let’s see a Palin/Biden debate! McCain/Palin 08
September 24th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I’m not really ready for the girlfriend’s birthday, think she’d mind postponing until this time of national crisis has passed? I doubt it, I don’t think she even OWNS a flag pin, or red white and blue swimsuit.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Hard though this idea is for Matt to process, sometimes policy is more relevant than politics
Being a backer of Obama, I can see how this would be hard for Matt to understand; Obama has no discernible policies, and is all about the politics of reflection.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Gee, suddenly we got Laura Bush and Karl Rove going south on Palin’s “readiness”:
Mayhap it’s really all about this?
http://www.nationalenquirer.com/national_enquirer_world_exclusive_sarah_palins_secret_lover_revealed/celebrity/65481
September 24th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I hope you were going for the Chris Webber allusion…If so, perfect!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH1ujxNwrkA
September 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
James Robertson wrote Being a backer of Obama, I can see
Darling, your participle is dangling in a most embarrassing manner.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Tim, that’s a great idea! Let’s see Palin try to prep in 2 days.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Reminds me of Ross Perot.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Hate to agree with James Robertson but he’s right. This last week is showing Obama to be a narcisstic empty suit.
Bush and Republicans railroad through $1.5 Trillion Bailout to the richest people in the country –and what does Obama do?
Surrender. Gets down on all fours and Agrees the bailout will destroy all the promises he made to Democratic voters in the previous two year.
Obama is one of 100 Senators. The Democratic Senate recesses in two days. At that point, either the Democratic COngress will have given the Superrich a $1.5 Trillion Bailout (which will cost an additional $0.5 Trillion in interest in the next administration ) or it will have accepted responsibility for whatever happens to the economy in the next 6 months.
For Obama at this point to be at Debate Camp shows he’s either irresponsible or he’s stupid. On Friday night, there won’t be anything left to debate. He should have been working the past week to fix this –because Republicans are destroying any possible Obama Administration as we speak.
Does Obama think millions of HIllary voters –who are itching for any reason to tell him to fuck off — are going to vote for him after he fucks them with this bailout? $31,000 per Household.
He’s displaying astonishing incompetence and lack of leadership. I say that as someone who’s been a strong advocate for him here for over a year, someone who worked as a volunteer for him in the Pennsylvania and someone who was knocking on doors for him two weeks ago.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Obama just said no go on the delay. Snap.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
McCain reminds me of Rodney Dangerfield at the end of Caddyshack. He’s losing badly against Judge Smails, then a ball hits him and…”ooh! My arm! It’s broken!” Then in comes Danny Noonan for the win!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcFz-t__sJQ&feature=related
(at 00:46)
So who is the GOP’s Danny Noonan?
September 24th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I guess Harry Reid doesn’t care if his hypocrisy is showing. Today he says it will not be helpful to have the candidates in Washington, but he didn’t feel that way when Obama came back in July.
Reid’s statement from July, when Obama showed up for a vote but not McCain (quoted in The Washington Post):
“I should mention how glad my fellow Democrats and I were to have our nominee for president here to vote on these important bills. Senator Obama has come to work and taken tough stands. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Senator McCain,” Reid said. “Perhaps taking tough stands on important issues is not part of Senator McCain’s campaign strategy. Perhaps he’s just too busy on the campaign trail to do his day job.”
Guess Obama is just too busy on the campaign trail to do his day job.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
There’s no time to debate! We have Senate business to take care of!
September 24th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
When’s the last time John McCain cast a Senate vote?
September 24th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Is McCain’s scheduled nap still on?
September 24th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Sherrip,
I don’t think Harry Reid is calling on McCain and Obama to not even show up and vote in the Senate. That would definitely be pretty obnoxious.
I believe he’s saying he doesn’t want them coming to Washington to grandstand and insert themselves into the negociations. It would take all of a couple of hours in DC for the two candidates to show up and vote. They don’t need to suspend campaigning for that.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
You should also be able to watch football and eat pretzels at the same time.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
@Don Williams
Perhaps you need to spend a little less time knocking on doors in “the Pennsylvania” and a little more time researching what Obama’s, you know, positions are in terms of what is acceptable for the bailout.
And if you think that hard-working Hillary voters will get “fucked” by $31K of extra debt per household, you should try a Great Depression II on for size. Better yet, you should look here for some perspective.
September 24th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Where’s all the John John he’s our man stuff? Where’s the bold maverick leader? He’s down on three fronts that I know of. 1. Sarah is not allowed to talk to media and has said we better get a bailout plan for Wall Street. McCain has repeatedly been opposed to a bailout. Who’s on first? Then Rick Davis has been connected with a Freddie Mac payment scheme so Rick’s firm could get 15,000 or so a month. Oh but Rick hasn’t been working for them anymore. True maybe but he’s still part owner. His name is on the door. Oh and the poles are falling. Not a good day for John.
Sah-Sen
September 24th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
We know the Bushies sat on this Rescue for Wall Street Crooks plan awhile. So why now? Why would Bush, who bloodied McCain on his own behalf in South Carolina back in 2000, knife him again on Obama’s behalf by breaking this now? All the momentum was toward McCain till Paulson started shouting fire. What do the fast buck boys get with Obama that they don’t get with McCain?
September 24th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
John McCain hasn’t cast a single vote in the Senate since April 8th. That’s ONE HUNDRED AND SIX MISSED VOTES in a row. Talk about abandoning his constituents.
Data here: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/
And now, he suddenly ‘gets religion’ are realizes he should be doing his job? Perhaps if he spent more time putting his country first and his campaign second over the past six months, we might not be in this mess in the first place.
Fibber McCain/Palin the Coward ‘08 — Building a Bridge to Nowhere
September 24th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I say we stop the Millennium until the financial crisis is over. No more time. No more space. No more Donald Duck.
September 25th, 2008 at 7:49 am
By the way, you know what would really put Sedona inside Chicago’s OODA loop?
John McCain strangling a puppy on live TV.
Bet Chicago would never see that one coming!
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Straits Times Headlines Town councils’ exposure: $16m Traffic cameras to watch for flooding Inside Averting the next economic crisis View Points Minister assures MPs: Mis-selling probe is independent PSLE results out on Thursday
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