McCain suspends his campaign:
McCain suspends his campaign, and asks to postpone Friday’s debate, to address the financial crisis.
Both candidates have been marginal players; McCain, though, seems to have the potential to make himself a major one, and his move is a mark, most of all, that he doesn’t like the way this campaign is going.
The real reason is probably twofold. First, he is getting pummeled in the polls.
Second, McCain’s entire campaign is composed of lobbyists, and they need to be in Washington to get their cut of the $700 billion. They can’t miss this shot at the trough.
Straight talk, bitches!
In all seriousness, I hope he has figured out how to use teh google. Google maps might come in handy, since he has not done a damned thing in DC for the last two years. He might get lost.
People are going to see right through this stunt.
Comrade The Moar You Know
Ha! Oh wow. McFail has earned the name “McFail” today. Obama would have flayed him alive in a debate (“The fundamentals of this ecnomy are sound!”) this week and he knows it.
I’ll bet McFail’s campaign cancels the VP debate as well. America’s in trouble, dontchaknow.
cleek
what a grandstanding piece of shit. fuck him.
Palooza
This might explain it. He was outflanked by Obama:
At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal. At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama’s call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details.
Note that unlike McCain, Obama did not make a circus out of his attempts to reach out to McCain…
Salty Party Snax
AP is reporting that Obama is inclined to debate.
Maybe it’s time to bring out the empty chair.
scott
According to the Obama campaign, the debate is still on.
I guess McPOW can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. He could always send a surrogate, yunno, like his Veep selection, Governor Gidget.
Lee
He is getting hammered in the polls lately. He has to do something to change their direction.
How should Obama react?
I think a statement to the effect of “I have sent Sen Biden to Washington to work on my behalf and keep me appaised of all developments. With his XX years of experience working at the federal level I have every confidence in his abilities.”
LIL Q
this is so obviously a ploy to regroup his broken campaign. If I were Obama I would not agree to it. Now more than ever we need to hear from these candidates about how to fix this mess we call our country. Suspending his campaign is just a way for them to take a breather and stop the slide into oblivion. I hope people see this as a ploy. I know when I first heard it that’s the first thing I thought. And just like Bush, McSame doesn’t do anything but for political reasons.
Comrade John Cole
Keep handing them rope.
Lee
lol that would be excellent Political Fu for Obama.
“I will be more than happy to have our VPs debate in our place (using the Pres debate rules)”
toujoursdan
People are going to see right through this stunt.
I hope you’re right, but I don’t think so.
les
You’re doing well, but your reality meter is out of adjustment.
Kevin K.
Both CNN and MSNBC are using the phrases “walk and chew gum” and “multi-tasking” a lot.
Me likey.
Comrade Dreggas
Obama is saying the debate is still on and he can do two things at once. Seems everyone is seeing through this ploy by McCain and basically calling BS, again. A lot say it’s the combination of bad polls and that McCain is not doing well in debate prep.
Svensker
Welp, see, if Sen. McCain is back in DC working in the Senate, he won’t be able to get his nap in before the debate on Friday. What to do, what to do…. No nap, no debate!
Incertus
Well, McCain can at least take heart in the fact that when he is hammered by Obama in the debates, he can play the “I was working on the mortgage crisis so I didn’t have time to prepare.” Then he’ll release an ad saying that Obama is a Muslim who was born in Thailand and defend it with “if he’d only agreed to postpone the debate, I wouldn’t have been forced to do it.”
gopher2b
I’ve decided that I’m for whatever Congressional Republicans are against.
I’m watching the hearings on C-SPAN and one of the douchebags tried to get Paulson and Bernanke to agree that cutting the capital gains taxes for two years would help.
Comrade J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
Here are my edits.
Andrew
McCain’s own statement:
“Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.”
So he can make a speech but he can’t do a debate? He’s presenting a weird hybrid of cowardice and insanity.
If Obama has half a brain he’ll say something like, “Presidents have to deal with more than one thing at a time. A President cannot just give up foreign policy to deal with the economy. Unfortunately, Senator McCain apparently can’t handle more than one thing at a time.”
Tsulagi
Or suggest and pay for a hunting trip with Cheney.
Smart move by McCain to call on Obama to work together on the bailout. Followed by a dumb move to try canceling the debate. Obama can simply say I can do both, grandpa. Wouldn’t multitasking be a good thing in a president in case he gets two calls at 3am?
An especially dumb move since he’s been whining for a long time Obama wouldn’t do townhalls with him. How can he say he’s not already prepared to debate?
One route that could be fun would be for Obama to say “Sure, John, we can postpone our debate, but let our VP candidates use the already allotted network preparation, time, and forum for their debate.” I could go for hearing Palin talking about the molecules of the Bush Doctrine being fungible.
davematson
Suspending the campaign ads is an attempt to blunt Obama’s massive cash advantage in the homestretch.
The McCain camp hopes that Obama’s presumed unwillingness to also suspend his ads will help paint McCain as the high minded true bipartisan, doing what is “best for the country”. If only Obama, that cynical self-serving politician would go along….
If it plays out that way, it’s win-win for McCain.
stickler
Um, I have to also point this out:
People are going to see right through this stunt.
That’s a level of confidence in our national media and the voting public that is charming, but not proven by the events of the last eight years. I’d like to hope people see through this, of course, but the evidence for them being able to is thin. To put it mildly.
Comrade PeterJ
If we are to believe that McCain is right about having to shut down his campaign to deal with the crisis now, then how will regular people and the market react to this decision?
If this is just an election stunt then McCain is gambling with the world economy just to get elected.
Add to this Palin warning about a second Great Depression.
Truly irresponsible behavior from both of them…
comrade chopper
“help, my campaign has fallen and it can’t get up”
cleek
which is why he’d rather not have the debate with this crisis looming at the forefront of everybody’s minds. especially with the Davis issue having just come out. he’s wide open to attack right now.
Jeff
Via Sullivan:
John McCain – # Votes: 412 votes missed (64.1%), 231 votes cast
Barack Obama – # Votes: 295 votes missed (45.9%), 348 votes cast
In all fairness, the only ones over 20% are Senators who ran for President and Tim Johnson who
Joshau Norton
How is John “I Don’t Know Anything About Economics” McCain is going to help out with this crisis?
Pa. Thetic.
Once they re-schedule the debate I have no doubt they’ll suspend the Iraq War so McCain can focus better.
Seriously – I want a President who can handle more than one concept or issue at once.
Joshau Norton
How is John “I Don’t Know Anything About Economics” McCain is going to help out with this crisis?
Pa. Thetic.
Once they re-schedule the debate I have no doubt they’ll suspend the Iraq War so McCain can focus better.
Seriously – I want a President who can handle more than one concept or issue at once.
Comrade Scrutinizer
So smart that Obama called on McCain first.
Alan
Ann Althouse, the blogger who claims to exercise “cruel neutrality” in observing the campaign says McCain is showing great leadership. You know, the McCain who claims not to know much about economics is on the job. HOL
Is McCain even on one of the committees addressing this issue?
I can barely read her blog anymore.
Redhand
I wonder if it could also be that Mr. McDon’t-Know-Much-About-Economics is scared shitless of taking a position on the bailout. His “don’t look to me for guidance on the bailout, make up your own minds, fellow Republicans” posture was not exactly presidential. I smell rank fear in all of this.
I must say the whole notion that the sky is falling 40+ days before a presidential election is one of the most bizarre political occurrences in my lifetime. I could ask myself, “How could they possibly have fucked this up so badly?” except that it’s self evident: this is the Bush Administration doing what it does best.
Will be interesting seeing the Deciderer’s “Address to the Nation” tonight, if only for its guaranteed comedic value.
PeterJ
If we are to believe that McCain is right about having to shut down his campaign to deal with the crisis now, then how will regular people and the market react to this decision?
If this is just an election stunt then McCain is gambling with the world economy just to get elected.
Add to this Palin warning about a second Great Depression.
Truly irresponsible behavior from both of them…
Comrade The Moar You Know
I think McCain has just signed his own death warrant without realizing it.
Over at the GOS, the usual gang of idiots are all butthurt – “The McCain camp is politicizing this!” “McCain’s taking all the publicity” – etc.
Sure he is.
Let him lead the entire effort on this, McCain, the awesome bi-partisan McMaverick. Please God let him lead the effort on this. He’ll emerge from the Senate on Friday, flushed, probably with his good friend Joe Lieberman at his side, and declare that, he, the great Maverick, has forged the bipartisan compromise that will keep this nation out of trouble. He’ll take most of the credit. And I’ll bet Obama will graciously let him, while the Kostards fume.
The American public will see John McCain waving a piece of paper that has just put them on the hook for several trillion dollars in debt.
THE END.
cleek
also… holy fuck is K-lo stupid.
also, fix your server
Comrade General Stuck
Yes, MY Comrades, Mccain is now officially running an invisible campaign, literally. We at the Funhouse Duma applaud his brilliant strategy, the people are but ignorant peasants, even whilst we extol their greatness.
demkat620
I have yet to hear one reporter or pundit on tv not comment that McCain’s numbers are tanking.
Epic Fail
ray
Sen.McCain is so accustomed to using the clapper he must think his campaign is using it too.
PC
John McCain was unable to hold a debate for five and a half years.
In Vietnam.
Because he was a POW.
Camerada Rommie
I just hope McCain doesn’t mistype in The Great Gazoogle and start kayaking across the Atlantic to Washington, UK.
PeterJ
Interesting SUSA poll about McCain’s decision.
Is this McCain’s “My Pet Goat” moment?
ColoRambler
People are seeing through this stunt.
Mylegacy
Let me see – if the “old wrinkly white dude” and the “world is 7,000 years old – God wants my pipline proposal flat-earther” duo walk away from their campaign – the REAL irony is: They might actually do better than to have McCain keep putting his foot in his mouth and MsMooselipstick might just do better staying under whatever rock it is she’s crawled under.
Comrade Dreggas
See here
Mylegacy
Let me see – if the “old wrinkly white dude” and the “world is 7,000 years old – God wants my pipeline proposal flat-earther” duo walk away from their campaign – the REAL irony is: They might actually do better than to keep McCain putting his foot in his mouth and MsMooselipstick will definitely do better just staying under whatever rock it is she’s crawled under.
Kommissar of the Proletariat Montysano
via Sullivan: K-Lo has a positively smashing idea:
Yes….yessssss. What a brilliant and crafty ploy Kathryn Jean has put forth. Let us pray that McCain does not sieze on this. Palin would kick BO’s Afro-Arabic butt.
flounder
I’d hate for someone to make an analogy between Bush’s Terri Schiavo stunt and McShame’s.
Comrade The Moar You Know
Was he really? I had no idea.
comrade chopper
yeah, its shenanigans alright. what a choad.
mr. the-fundamentals-are-strong, the guy who hasn’t shown up for work in almost 6 months and doesn’t know the economy from a hole in the ground* is gonna drop everything, ride into DC on a white horse, kick the door to the banking committee down and say ‘goddamnit, here’s the plan and lets vote on it!’. even though dems in congress have been hashing this shit out with bush for days now and are apparently making some progress.
what a feckless chump. nice try, senator. tho i will note how interesting it is that it takes the biggest crisis in 60 years to actually get jonnie-boy to actually show up for work.
* then again, pretty soon it’ll be impossible to tell the difference between the economy and a hole in the ground. feh.
D-Chance.
From McCain’s statement:
Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now.
So he’s throwing down the faux-patriotism card AND equating 9-11 with an unprecedented bailout to a handful of Wall St billionaires… shameful.
Joshau Norton
Geez. When I was in grade school I always managed to find creative excuses for not having my homework done or not being ready to deliver an oral report. I remember any kind of crisis could be exploited for that purpose.
The last time McCain voted in the Senate was on April 10.
It’s just a little late for him to be playing the “concern” card.
comrade chopper
shorter mccain: the economy ate my homework.
protected static
Caveats about the SUSA results: it was conducted over the course of two hours, in the middle of the day, in the middle of the workweek, as the story breaking, so there are some serious sampling, awareness and context problems there…
TenguPhule
Tonight’s Bush Speech Drinking game is brought to you by Beer.
Don’t ask what kind, it’s just beer.
One sip for every mention of ‘strong economy’.
One sip for every call of ‘must act now’.
Two sips for ‘we can look for who to blame later’ and variations on that theme.
Finish the bottle if weaseldick tries to blame this on Clinton/Democrats.
Two sips for ‘housing is to blame’.
A good long drink for ‘responsible’, ‘responsibility’ or ‘duty’ in any context.
One sip for any argument against cutting corporate pay in the bailout.
Two sips if national security is mentioned.
Finish the bottle for ‘free markets’.
Three sips for the equivalent of ‘We have a very cunning plan but we can’t tell you what it is’.
Finish the bottle if tax cuts are mentioned.
Two sips and a one finger salute for ‘It’s hard’, ‘America is a strong country’ or ‘We’ll get through this’.
Remember, Beer. It’s got alcohol that plants crave!
Tsulagi
Glad to hear it.
DonnaInMichigan
IF this is such a crisis, why is John McCain waiting until tomorrow, to return to Washington?
Why isn’t he there in Washington today, IMMEDIATELY??
Oh wait, he had to be interviewed with his “soul mate” on Katie Couric’s show….
Personally I don’t think McCain is ready to debate Obama, on any topic..and this is just his excuse to get out of it.
Obama says the debates are on. The committee says the debates are still on. The ball is now in the McCains hands.
Comrade PeterJ
Don’t forget that there wasn’t any time for the campaign or the media to spin it either.
JonChicago
What a joke. There have been Presidential campaigns in all sorts of different issues in history. The political process has forged forward. McCain who admittedly does not understand economics and believed the fundamentals strong 10 days ago, how is packing the press and moving everyone to DC for several days going to help. It is just a diversion to try and change the dialogue of his campaign. So far it has been a joke and now he is trying to change course. I am embarrassed by the current state of affairs.
Comrade Napoleon
What I want to know is how does Obama manage to pick opponents who manage the most spectacular self inflicted implosions? I am beginning to think he is the anti-christ.
protected static
True, but I think the more important issue is that the sample sucks. Really sucks. We’re talking Electro-Lux (sorry… Dyson perhaps?) levels of suckage here.
Comrade Tax Analyst
Yes. Win.
satby
Well, if Jack Cafferty’s blog comments are any indication, people are seeing right through McSame’s ploy.
Good times.
dennis
The cancellation of Friday debate by McCain is really looks like stunt. But, in reality it is a fact that McCain is not fit as a candidate for US president. Rightly mentioned by the writer that lobbyist need to be in Washington to get their cut of the $700 billion.
For America, a flag holder of democracy, it is a shame that a presidential candidate is canceling the debate with his opponent under the disguise of patriotism. This is high time for American citizen to be united and defeat the enemy of the nation in the coming pole.
Thanks
http://www.statedemocracy.org
Howard
We are facing the worst economic melt down since the great depression. McCain says it should take first priority over politics. Obama says if you need me, call me, I’ll be at the debate hall. Then, Obama says McCain should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. First of all, Obama has never set aside his personal ambition for the good of the country. He has no sense of priority. The economic problem is huge, will effect Americans for decades, and deserves more than a Presidential candidate’s rubber stamp, or blank check. The walk and chew gum cliche is about as trite as Obama’s slogans … like ‘change we can believe in’. Unlike Obama, McCain is responsible, and has genuine leadership qualities. Obama will say, or do anything to get elected. McCain puts Americans, and America above politics, and personal ambition. No Wright, no Pfleger, no Farrakhan, no Rezko, no Ayers, no mean Michelle, and NOBAMA !!!