McCain suspends campaign, debates, challenges Obama to do same
Senator McCain negotiated to get the first debate Friday changed to foreign policy, which he considers his strong suit. Now he’s backing out of the debate and supposedly suspending his campaign temporatrily, calling for a joint meeting with Obama and Congressional leaders, to get a bill out that he claims will save our economy.
However, by claiming this as a selfless act above partisanship, he’s selling himself, still. And the financial crisis was already known when he won the debate concession. So what’s with this theatrical show?
Here’s the real deal: the stock mkt’s showing signs of serious tanking on Friday. So Congress will meet all weekend to hammer out a plan to spare much worse on Monday. With or without McCain.
And if Obama refuses the offer, it gives McCain a talking point. If he does, he follows McCain’s lead, another talking point. He cannot choose either option as currently presented. He should insist upon the debate and otherwise return to his Congressional duties, but perhaps by phone.
After all, McCain’s been watching his campaign slip away for the past two weeks and he needs something dramatic to make it all about McCain again. Obama needs to set his own agenda while staying involved in the negotiations.
The reality is, the GOP + Lieberman + Cheney still hold the Senate power. It’ll be their bill that gets advanced over Obama’s objections. McCain’s desperation move is, at least, clever. But it offers nothing for the country or for Obama. It’s all about McCain.
September 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
[…] Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, CNN, The Moderate Voice, Crooks and Liars, The New Republic, Reason, American Street, Comments from Left Field, AlterNet.org, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Mahablog, pandagon.net and Real Clear Politics McCain Suspends Campaign to Help With Bailout — John McCain announced that he will suspend his presidential campaign on Thursday to return to Washington to help with Wall Street bailout negotiations. He urged his opponent Barack Obama to do the same. — The Arizona senator also asked … […]
September 25th, 2008 at 3:16 am
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