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McCain To Suspend Campaign To Focus on Bailout, Urges Obama To Join Him

Posted by PATRICK EDABURN in At TMV, Politics.
Sep 24th, 2008 | Comments

In a story just breaking over the wires Senator John McCain has announced he is suspending his campaign in order to return to Washington to focus on the bailout legislation. He has also called for Friday’s debate to be postponed.

So far the Obama campaign has not responded although unofficial word is they may reject the call, at least with regard to the debate. A statement from Obama is expected soon. (A possible hint to Obama’s response just came from Rep James Clyburn (D-SC) who said McCain’s staff could do the work w/o him so he doesn’t need to come to DC).

According to MSNBC it appears that the two campaigns are working on a joint statement on the bailout bill. Word is that Obama called McCain to ask about issuing such a statement and that McCain agreed. No word on when McCain notified Obama of his plan to suspend the campaign but I assume he did give Obama advance notice.

I am sure that some will consider this cynical political games and I am not going to try to deny that McCain could use a diversion right now. However I honestly don’t think he is the type to play such games. Supporting the surge was hardly helpful to his campaign but he did it because he thought it the right thing to do.

And what is wrong with that ?

Its about time we had political leaders who actually put principle before party. I applaud McCain for it and, if Obama joins him, I will applaud just as loudly.

Heaven knows we need to make a better bill than the current one.

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Marlowecan

Well of course this is political.

It is classic McCain . . . like the Palin pick . . . playing a maverick wild card that changes the game. Sounds like Obama had an idea for a joint statement that would lock McCain down, so he couldn't go after a Democrat-approved plan negotiated with the unpopular Bush.

McCain took the ball, and is now running down the field with it.

The Democrats will cry foul . . . the MSM will howl in outrage like a stuck pig . . . but it might work to eliminate Obama's advantage on the economy.

Having McCain seeming to work in Washington, while Obama is trolling for votes, would look VERY bad. How could Obama not return to Washington as well?

McCain has just unilaterally rewritten Obama's campaign schedule.

pacatrue

Yeah, I agree with Marlowe that it's a blatant political move, but possibly a very good one. Yesterday, at least according to one report, neither candidate was even going to show up for the bail-out vote and now they are going to suspend their campaigns in order to "work on the economy" full-time? I suppose it all depends upon what "work on the economy" means. Neither has much sway in this, with neither (I believe) serving on banking or finance committees. If all that happens is that both candidates return to the Senate and then get in the way by forcing both parties to fight even more over appearances, over who gets credit for one, just weeks from the election, well, that is the opposite of work. That's actually bad for finding a compromise bill.

threeaces

I cannot believe that you just wrote that McCain is not the type to play such games. Patrick, you've been in a coma for the last year or just carrying water for him. He's getting hammered in the polls so this is a cheap political move.

Marlowecan

And "Thank you" President Clinton:

"In a statement, McCain says he will stop campaigning after addressing former President Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative session on Thursday and return to Washington to focus on the nation’s financial problems."

Amazing. McCain stops campaigning to go to work in Washington . . . AFTER he appears with the former Democratic President's session (symbolizing McCain's bipartisanship, natch).

Pure political calculation and excellent optics.

I wonder if Clinton will glad-hand McCain and give him a beautiful photo-op? Can you imagine?

Clinton will continue forgetting Senator Obama's name, I am sure.

denisedh

Yes, I agree it's a political move and am not sure how either of their presence in the Senate at this time is going to make a big difference in the ultimate outcome of the bill. I have to agree with George Will that McCain seemed to be flailing around to find the right approach to this issue and has now chosen this approach.

CStanley

Let's just hope that it's political AND principled as well. I think both sides know that they've got to start taking Congressional oversight seriously instead of rolling over for Paulson- and neither party wants to be linked to Bush with this bailout in case it all goes south before November.

IMO the best thing for the country right now would be for Obama and McCain to work together on this. They'd both be demonstrating a credible bipartisan spirit, and they can bypass criticism from the extreme wings of their parties by talking about the seriousness of this crisis (comparing it to the bipartisan spirit that prevailed for a short time after 9/11.)

And how to work together? Figure out how to get the best financial minds convened - those who don't have serious conflcts of interest, though there are bound to be Wall Street ties but preferably not incestuous ones- and have those experts convene to come up with alternate proposals and brief Congress. We simply can't have senators like Reid throwing up their hands and saying that no one knows what to do, nor people going around pretending that they DO know what to do but not making any sense because they have no expertise on the economy.

Wall Street jitters will ease if we get a brain trust going to come up with a real solution to replace the fire drill that's going on now.

FrequentPoster

Gramps McCain can't spare two hours for a debate? Who does he think he's kidding? This is a publicity stunt, and Obama would be a fool to fall for it. The appropriate response is to note that a president is often called upon to deal with more than one problem at a time, and that Obama will be there to take questions.

If McCain wants to watch it on television instead, then Obama should have his campaign send a glass of buttermilk, a plate of cookies, and an electric blanket for a man who is too old, tired, and confused to be president.

DougL

"However I honestly don’t think he is the type to play such games."

I never would've guessed that he'd hire the scum responsible for the "McCain's illegitimate black baby from an affair" whisper campaign in the 2000 primary race to run his presidential campaign this time around, yet here we are.

DLS

"It is classic McCain . . . like the Palin pick "

Two smart moves. McCain can do little more but gain at Obama's expense by this latest move. Let the chumps say he's a coward trying to evade the first debate due to the economy favoring Obama currently (which McCain may turn around now).

* * *

"IMO the best thing for the country right now would be for Obama and McCain to work together on this."

Next step is to pull Palin and Biden into this as well.

DLS

"I wonder if Clinton will glad-hand McCain and give him a beautiful photo-op? Can you imagine?"

You won't see it or learn of it if the media continue their present Obama campaign.

elrod

This reeks of desperation. The bailout bill is not in jeopardy - except from recalcitrant conservative Republicans. Is McCain going to go to Washington and convince Jim Bunning and co. to back the Dodd bill? Is that what this is about? Or is it John McCain hoping to be seen looking like he's doing something that will get some sort of solution done?

The whole thing makes no sense. There's simply no reason why McCain and Obama couldn't have put out a joint statement of economic principles that both support - they aren't far apart on the bailout - and then move on from there. It would send whatever message needs to be sent.

Now with McCain suspending his campaign and going to Washington he has actually politicized the crisis even worse by using Democrats as props for his "maverick" game.

This is the most transparently dishonest political maneuver I've seen in a long time.

FrequentPoster

Look, McCain's just too old. He's tired. He doesn't have the stamina. They probably found him babbling in some room somewhere, and this was a good way out.

CitizenKang

Brilliant political move by McCain.

Given the trouble he gets in every time he opens his mouth on the stump, getting him off the campaign trail for a while makes outstanding sense.

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