As you may or may not know, the two men currently running for President are both sitting US Senators. Therefore, it should not have been a surprise when Senator John McCain (R-AZ) suspended his campaign this afternoon and asked to postpone Friday night’s scheduled Presidential debate taking place at Ole Miss due to the current economic debates going on on Capitol Hill this week.
McCain suspended his campaign this afternoon “calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.”
The problem specifically being the $700 billion bail out legislation that Congress has been negotiating with the White House. Senate Majority Leader claimed “It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. We need leadership, not a campaign photo op.”
Obama commented on the McCain decision by saying “if I can be helpful then I’m prepared to be anywhere, any time … [I] don’t want to infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics.”
What the Obama campaign fails to realize is that until November 4, his job is not just to be campaigning, he is an elected official which requires making decisions and being a leader. Would it be too much to ask for both of them to be doing their jobs during this time of need for the American People? Both Senators are major players in the US Senate and both could contribute greatly to this debate while showing the American people their leadership skills in action rather than just claiming leadership during a campaign stump speech.
Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi is continuing preparations for Friday night’s debate. The McCain campaigned noted that he would participate in the debates “if an agreement was reached on Friday morning.” While the debate is scheduled to be focusing largely on foreign policy issues, there may be a large portion of economic debate thrown in based on the recent current events.
Heidi,
This is clearly the spin of a partisan tool. Nothing coming out of John McCain’s campaign, NOT ONE THING, is anything but a considered partisan ploy. Especially now. Blast is simply a shill publication, and you are a commentator…not a reporter.
The simple fact is that this is a complex situation and I agree with Obama’s point; there is no reason the debates cannot go forward, and both Senators and campaigns cannot attend to their roles in the crisis.
McCain hasn’t cast a single vote in 5 months. The only senator that has missed more votes is Tim Johnson who had brain surgery. Now he can’t debate cause he’s needed in Washington so badly even though there is no vote? What happened to his plane?
Maybe he just can’t do two things at the same time? I guess if he becomes president we’ll have to tell the world “Only one crisis at a time!” .
As if him being there is going to solve the crisis anyway. As of yesterday he hadn’t even read the proposal.
Truth is big John needs a time-out to get prepared and hope his numbers get better.
Some of us remember the last big financial disaster and how Mr. McCain was in the center of it helping his friends cause it. We’re not going to forget the Keating Five and how McCain 2.0 was Mr. “No regulations”.
Actually, right now honey, McCain has two jobs. 1) A senator 2) Presidential candidate. As a Senator he has specific duties assigned to him, i.e. specific committees he sits on which focus on specific policy areas. He does not sit on any committees pertaining to the economy. So, actually drafting this legislation is NOT his job.
His job as presidential candidate, which he officially accepted at the RNC, actually is a strange job because in it he is actually applying for an even MORE IMPORTANT and MORE DEMANDING job than a 1 in 100 Senator–the one and only President of the United States.
In an age of cell phones, blackberries, internet, and with legion of staff, not to mention a “tough” Vice Presidential running mate (remember her?) not only does McCain not need to be in Washington to be involved, he has a responsibility as an employee of the American people to present his politics. Why couldn’t he have suggested to hold the VP debate early? Or why doesn’t he send Palin out to shoulder the campaign in his stead?
For 8 years now we’ve had a government which has talked at us not to us, told us everything we wanted to hear but without the sincerity it takes to truly care about the bonds of our words, and substituted the image of plenty, determination, and success for a reality of adversity, ideologues, and problems…lots and lots of problems. They said, ‘small government’, and we get a multi-nationals, hyper-deregulation, loss of domestic jobs, and a police state apparatus. They said, and still say, ‘we’re for the common man’, while pocketing millions from OUR labor.
It’s time for solidarity. It’s time to say no to cynical politics of the neo-liberal/neo-con affluent elites regardless our stand at this point on moral issues. I’m pro life. I’ve been pro life all my life. And although it almost sickens me to do it this election, these crooks simply need to go. They NEED to GO!!
Factcheck….Mccain did NOT suspend his campaign as he so selflessly proclaimed yesterday – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/25/mccain-campaign-still-act_n_129327.html
Why does he keep thinking people won’t see through his lies?