Administration Official: Bailout Likely, McCain Lost PR Battle

Concerned that the public relations battle had turned against their favor, John McCain and the group of conservatives who opposed the outlines of the compromise financial bailout package will likely back away from their recalcitrance, an official close to the Administration tells the Huffington Post.

The Republican source, with direct knowledge of the negotiations, said that GOPers and McCain were "scared about the press perception" that they were at fault for "blowing the thing up." The takeover of Washington Mutual on Thursday combined with the continued downturn in the futures and credit markets "also scared them," to the point that a bailout deal seemed within the realm of possibility "over the weekend."

The official's tone - more optimistic than that of key figures just last night - signals an end may be in sight on a bailout negotiations. McCain has generally avoided taking a stance on the set of compromise principles agreed to by the administration, Democrats and many Republicans in Congress. But talks stalled during a White House meeting last night, in large part, sources say, because of a power struggle within the House Republican caucus.

McCain had left the campaign trail mid-week with a promise to force a consensus. But it seems, at this point, that he will have done relatively little during the negotiations - save for possibly killing the earlier arrangement and providing an opening for the opposition.

"I do think that John McCain was very helpful in what he did. I saw him this morning, we've been talking with his staff," House Republican Whip Roy Blunt told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. "Clearly, yesterday, his position in that discussion yesterday [at the White House] was one that stopped a deal from finalizing that no House Republican, in my view, would've been for."

According to one Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations, House GOP leadership was hoping to save face with more conservative members on Friday by forcing consideration (at the very least) of some of the alternative proposals - primarily, having the government sell insurance to companies that buy mortgage-backed securities. The leadership would then turn around and praise McCain for greasing the wheels on this front. But the course is problematic. McCain has left town. And during the White House meeting on Thursday night, Barack Obama reportedly brought up discussion of the conservative counterproposal only to have Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson declare it wouldn't work.

Comments

[provgrays]

McCain is digging a deeper hole every day and happily climbing in.

Even Rove and the Bushco Nazis can't prevent McCain from being McCain.

[Bobrobert]

McChicken - " WWWWWAAAAA­LLLLLKKKKK­!!!!!"

Porker has no idea what Wall Street is so she is no help.

:-)

[diasehmai]

I don't think McCain would last very long on that Troll Bridge : "Whhaat...­is your favorite color?"
"Um.....gr­een, no RED!! Aaaahhhhhhh!!!"

[hexham]

Even funnier from that one:

What is the airspeed of a swallow?

African, or European?

Aaaaaaahhhhhh!

[justsomeguywhocameby]

ROFL

[apogee2perogee]

.....and you would think that a former pilot would have some idea about the air-speed velocity of an unladen sparrow...­..

[LynndaMaree]

He wasn't in them long enough to get an idea about the air-speed velocity of an unladen sparrow. They crashed to the ground before he had the chance.

[VOTER]

John McCain, aka McBush, is teetering, wobbling and looking dazed after his Weekdays in DC.

Someone please call out to him, 'KEATING FIVE!" "KEATING FIVE!" "KEATING FIVE!'

Then stand back.

Listen and watch the kerplunk McBush fall.

ENOUGH!

VICTORY FOR THE VOTERS:
VOTE FOR OBAMA/BIDEN

[redsongia]

Maverick :(

[nobillary1]

"McCain had left the campaign trail mid-week with a promise to force a consensus. But it seems, at this point, that he will have done relatively little during the negotiations - save for possibly killing the earlier arrangement and providing an opening for the opposition­."

Whether John McCain did or did not put the kibosh on the bailout agreement which was pretty much agreed on in principle, prior to his arrival, he certainly made it APPEAR that he single-handedly put the brakes on with the House Republicans. The "agreement", while perhaps not entirely supported by everyone in the House, at least had enough votes to go forward until John McCain suddenly appeared on the scene yesterday. He was hoping to be a white knight on his trusty steed, coming to America's aid in this time of crisis. Instead, he has left everyone with the perception that all he accomplished was to stall the deal (I wonder: did it have revisions in it that Obama requested, as opposed to his own ideas??) and set us on a precarious economic course.

From what I'm hearing right now on MSNBC it doesn't appear that much of anything is going to be accomplished today. Because of John McCain's inability to allow others in Congress to handle the decisions, he chose to insert himself and now we have his interference to thank for it. So hold on folks; it's going to be a very long, and scary weekend.

[Doots]

MSM should call McCain on this. Yet I'm afraid he'll be given another pass.

[willowbarcelona]

The Republicans this election season seem convinced that "game changers" are uniformly beneficial. McCain's rush to DC, the debate bow-out, the campaign suspension, and the Palin "soul mate" choice, after only 2 meetings with the Governor, might make them want to rethink this.

[redsongia]

The rely on short attention span news cycles...b­ut when the story changes from a bad one to a worse one, when there is total bad story saturation, it's hard for them to get the forgetfulness from people they are looking for.

[mbadc]

Yeah, next I'm expecting McCain to give back his American Music Award. Oh wait, that was Garth Brooks. Sorry, it's getting hard to tell their PR apart.

[Doots]

What happened to McCain putting country first ahead of his campaigning (suspended for 1 day - LOL) by vowing to stay in Washigton until a deal was reached. Such BS. That he is still close in this election is nothing more then a testament to the racism in this country.

[Bobrobert]

Nahhh ...

Racism is dead... polls are not able to include everyone..­. they just fake being close to make everyone think it is important to vote.

Obama / Biden will sweep all 50 states.

[roshni]

I wish you were correct, but I don't have faith in American people after they stuck me with 8 years of Bush.

[Gary47]

This is nothing but stage managed BS on the part of repubs to give lots of press to McCain. That's it. Nothing of consequence happened except all the press talked about the last few days was him and his campaign. They may be desperate but they're also smart. This is pure politics and we must be smart to stop them. Keep running the attack ads to throw them off balance and keep the story on his poor judgment, incompetence and inability to lead - all of which were amply on display this past week.

[PoliJunkie]

Yup, yup, yup! Weapons of Mass Distraction (WMD's) That's what they are doing!

[quasar]

I guess there really is no George Bailey. Mr. Potter took over a long time ago.

[duggy]

McCain came across looking egotistical, meddling, and grandstanding. He lost the election yesterday.

[CzarPalin]

I couldn't agree more. He looks manipulative and unpresidential.

[CBone]

I sure hope so. McCain looked the fool yesterday and today, no doubt about it. Let's hope many others feel the same way.

[PadrePio]

McCain is the Norma Desmond of politics. I can see him wandering around his houses in a daze murmuring "I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMille.

[LynndaMaree]

ROFLMAO. I'm laughing so loud, my two year old grandson ran in to see was was up. lol lol lol

[Pegi]

LOL!!!!

[redsongia]

...and impetuous and uninformed.

[roshni]

But he won the debate!

[kellygrrrl]

Reckless McCain

per yoosh

[Speakchic]

Lost PR battle shows once and for all that this INDEED was all about politics after all!

What a lame duck!

[Kiku]

The House Republican even seems staged to me. It seems like they stirred up something, a different proposal, even though they knew it wouldn't work, the stirred up rebellion to make it look like McCain was stepping to keep the peace. If the deal fell through, he would be seen as someone who stopped a bill most Americans don't like. If the deal went through, he would get credit for keeping the peace. Problem is, it's all too transparent. Our government is solving a financial meldown, our bank system is dissolving before our eyes, and McCain stages a mock upset to curry political favor. As Bugs Bunny would say, "what a maroon!" The incompetence at understand the political situation is numbing.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

I think they were also trying to avoid the perception that John McCain "suspended" his campaign, even talked about postponing the debate, just to fly in after a deal was pretty much done.

[redsongia]

no, I think that controversy was already brewing and John thought he could champion it...he just didn't bother to find out what it was, just that it was controversy.

[twiggy2]

mccain thought he would be able to play politics and everyone one would rollover and play nice. well that did not happen. and he 's back to square one. on to the debate!