Matthews Blames Bailout Crash On McCain's Failed Leadership

Chris Matthews points to John McCain's failure to provide the leadership that he promised -- and took credit for:

McCain said he was going to lead the Republican charge, he was going to make sure that this was a bipartisan success...he called charge, and the Republican retreated. That's what happened here.

Here's video:

Here's what McCain staff and surrogates were saying before the vote:

"This bill would not have been agreed to had it not been for John McCain... This is a bipartisan accomplishment, a bipartisan success. And if people want to get something done in Washington, they just watch John McCain. He's been the guy whose name is at the top of major pieces of legislation for a long time."
-- Mitt Romney, NBC's Today show, 9/29/08

"What Senator McCain was able to do was to help bring all of the parties to the table, including the House Republicans, whose votes were needed to pass this"
-- Steve Schmidt, NBC's Meet the Press, 9/28/08

"We're optimistic that Senator McCain will bring House Republicans on board without driving other parties away, resulting in a successful deal for the American taxpayer."
-- McCain spokeswoman Kimmie Lipscomb, 9/26/08

Comments

[myklwain]

please lay-off senator john mccain you guys. he is just having a series of sarah moments.

[TheGuide]

Yeah him an his surrogates. it's like a contagious desease among his clan.

[JohnLockwood]

Well, I'm just glad to see that Bush finally has an opposition party, but as a Democrat I'm disappointed that they turned out to be the Republicans. And why shouldn't they have stepped into that void? Some 60-67% of Americans opposed this bailout.

We keep losing elections, and when we win one, what do we do? Did the Congress we elected in 2006 to get our service people out of Iraq get that done? No. Did they impeach the Most Impeachable Ever, or did they let Kuccinich's articles rot on the vine?

Now Bush proposes a hugely stupid and costly bailout, and the Democrats introduce a series of taxpayer "protections" that are cosmetic and palliative at best, showing themselves to be just as good a friend to Wall Street as any Republican (or as good a friend as Clinton when he signed Gramm-Leach-Bliley). How surreal can the political scene be when the Republicans are the populists and all the Democrats are crying because Wall Street didn't get their sugar.

[grata2ude]

You aren't serious are you? Everytime our legislatures tried to get a bill passed the Republican had a record number of philabusters. Then, if they did get a bill passed Bush would veto it. We won't get a damn thing done as long as the Republicans act like children. The republicans are party first,and to heck with the country.

[JohnLockwood]

Yes, I'm serious. Why should I want Congress to spend $700 Billion of our money on a bill that is opposed not only by a majority of Americans, but by leading liberal economists like Robert Kuttner? If the Democrats had killed this thing everyone here would be cheering themselves hoarse over it.

Am I supposed to be for this bill just because the Republican's are against it? By parity of reasoning I suppose I should be for legislation like Gramm-Leach-Bliley and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act that got us into this mess because a Democratic President signed them?

Meantime, behind the scenes, the masters of the universe on Wall Street are no doubt exquisitely happy that the rest of us are too busy flashing our red / blue armbands to launch any effective resistance against their interests.

[Ged2012]

How would McCain put a spin to this? Blame Obama?

The man's nuts. He promised he was a maverick and would bring his own Republican colleagues to vote for the bill. Mitt Romney believed so much in McCain that the latter would LEAD a bipartisan approach to the voting.

Forget Pelosi. She isn't the one running for the Presidency.

Did McCain REALLY call up his own members in Congress before they voted on the bill? I highly doubt it. Even if he would claim he did, it could not have been done by him PERSONALLY since he was busily campaigning.

[BIG JOHN]

WHEN MCCAIN WAS ON THE PHONE HE WAS NOT CALLING HIS OWN MEMBERS IN CONGRESS, HE WAS CALLING HIS BOOKY.

[Ivygreen]

Her story comes from the venerable rush limbaugh.

[BIG JOHN]

LIMBAUGH THE CLOWN, I JUST LOVE IT.

[chicagoexpat]

Probably a case of Republicans Bolt, McCain Takes Credit… and Crisis Continues

http://loomisnews.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/republicans-bolt-mccain-takes-credit-and-crisis-continues/

[peterperfect]

PADebbie is a repeat offender.

[Ivygreen]

does that mean that she has to register with the state now?

[Gary47]

Hey, Matthews got something right. OMG!

[robXdion]

OK. CUT THE BS!!

Keith Olberman can have Barack Obama on the "Worst Person" list for forgeting how many wedding anniversaries he's had. But Chris Matthews can utter at least 2 racist comments about Obama on Friday night, Fox News style, and Olberman says NOTHING???

MSNBC are hypocrites and Matthews needs to be called to task for his racism.

[BarackDaVote]

I agree...Matthews is a " talking spit machine" and needs to be called out for his sly racist views.

[Aleka4]

Sure, but someone else probably has to do it.

I am betting Olberman is not allowed to say anything, he and Chris both were having snits at each other and both got their knuckles rapped (and demoted) for it.

[kwon35]

McCain used this as a political matter...... He said or betray to be the man on the white horse to save the bill. when in fact McCain done nothing but sat there. You have to be the most simple minded person not see what was going on with McCain camp. Focus on something else besides the polls, be this so called hero, when they were never going to pass the bill in the first place.

[POTUS2008]

McCain is the only person in the world who has ever suffered. how dare you question anything he ever says no matter how hypocritical or contradictory or insane!

[dadele]

CM, do you know that John McCain was a pow? and a maverick?

[lungfish]

Yea, no bailout deal till Thursday...... Does anyone believe that they aren't going to rework this bill and take another run at it until it does pass?
Funny how hypocritical the GOP are when it comes to "market forces" and "deregulation". Apparently that only applies to the taxpayer voter on mainstreet but when it comes to their buddies they are all about pardoning and bailing them out. Personally, I don't like this plan. I think that these businesses should pay the ultimate price for their failings - let them fail. Meanwhile, rework regulatory legislation, close tax loopholes, focus on restructering. Obviously, my opinion is a bit different from the President and I have to wonder if this situation is at all what Dubya and co claim it is... they have a bit of a credibility problem with me....

[foxbat]

By Thursday those local polls back home are going to have several folks wishing they could change today's vote. fivethirtyeight.com has a mini-blurb on this sentiment: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/more-bailout-thoughts.html.

This was a general setup. The Dems and Repubs both worked to give enough people a chance to hide on both sides, but in the end it was a reversal to try to save face one more time. It's just like the Webb GI bill when McCain was so against it and even tried to get in the way, but it passed. What ended up happening? Bush gave McCain credit for working on the bill. McCain's missteps about the economy and its fundamentals. What ended up happenning? Bush calls McCain in for a photo-op and everyone talks about his "leadership." A McCain ad claims that he's won the debate even before he's finally said that he's coming after saying that he's not coming. What ended up happening? ... There's a pattern that's forming and it's not working to McCain's advantage, especially as more and more people start pointing out that the emperor indeed has no clothes.

[Ncrawler]

While I agree that there has been too much "carte blanche" extended to these companies, we should not "let them fail". We are talking about finanical institutions that are sitting on billions of dollars in bad mortgages and investments. These are the same institutions that lend money to other businesses. If they fail, these other businesses cannot borrow. They borrow to meet payroll, to expand, to upgrade, or just to continue operations until they are in the black. If they cannot do these things, they downsize. People lose their jobs. As the problem grows, other companies stop hiring. Unemployed people now can't find new jobs. They stop spending. Still other companies now see their profits shrink, so they downsize and cut back on operations. People lose their jobs... You get the picture. The problem is how we got here, the bail out is how we get out.

[medusa08]

Can't wait to tune in tonight and watch McSame claim victory in the election.

[Ivygreen]

yesss
he's always a little premature, isn't he.

[fuzzywuzzy6]

I guess that makes many of his comments and claims premature ejaculations. (please pardon the pun.)

[ceasenake]

McCain is a Senator - he didn't get to vote today.

The bill failed 207 to 226.

94 Democtats voted against the bill today.

If only 84 Democrats had voted against it - it would have passed 217 to 216. That's McCains' fault how exactly?

[kwon35]

McCain used this as a political matter...... He said or betray to be the man on the white horse to save the bill. when in fact McCain done nothing but sat there. You have to be the most simple minded person not see what was going on with McCain camp. Focus on something else besides the polls, be this so called hero, when they were never going to pass the bill in the first place.

[desertbloom]

Pelosi delivered her votes. The Republicans walked. McCain (who said he was suspending his campaign until the deal was done) was in Ohio, campaigning.

It was not up to the Dems to carry the entire vote. Your "bi-partisan" boy was missing in action. That's how it's McCain's fault. As well as Boehner's. As well as Bush's (who has cried "wolf" too many times before to have any credibility with the American people).

It appears that the words "responsibility" and "truth" are missing from the Republican dictionary.

The entire thing smells like a set-up to me.

[Aleka4]

Aint' that the truth.

They probably wanted it to pass almost ALL dem, so they could point fingers - and had it backfire when Nancy delivered half no extra to cover the republicans playing chicken.

Its clear SOMEBODIES plan backfired.

[LetsGetDumbAmerica]

"94 Democtats voted against the bill today."

And why not?

1. Because they feel the tax payers shouldn't have to pay for an irresponsible company's fraudulent practices?

or

2. Mean lady's angry speech hurt my feelings.

Republicans may have did the right thing but for the wrong reasons. And where's Bush to damn the Republican leadership? Oh, Pelosi's fault - oh okay.

[fuzzywuzzy6]

The repubs were using Pelosi's speech as an excuse for not voting for the bill. They probably had agreed before hand that because of Republican "principles" against regulation and oversight provisions contained in the bill, they would not vote for it.

[Menchifus]

@ceasesnake - Are you stupid??? 133 Republicans voted against the bill and 65 Republicans voted for it. McCain said he'd get the House Republicans on board. He couldn't even get a majority of them. 60% of the Democrats played ball and only 33% of Republicans had the balls to. How exactly did McCain's supposed leadership bring the House Republicans to the table? Remember he went to Washington to get the deal done. He didn't contribute at all and actually caused a Republican Party split when he pushed for the House Republicans' alternative bailout plan.

Before you open your mouth, know what you're talking about. Be honest with yourself. McCain won't be good for our economy and Palin...well, don't get me started on THAT one.

[foxbat]

The Dems got the numbers that they said they would get. The Republicans got what they could; barring hurt feelings. An interesting fact, since you asked about McCain, is Rachel Maddow was reporting tonight that NO REPUBLICAN FROM ARIZONA voted for the bill. I recall McCain claiming leadership, but if Maddow's reporting is correct, and she's usually precise with this type of reporting, then McCain couldn't even a single representative from Arizona, neither Dem or Repub, to vote for the bill. So much for reaching across the aisle.

By contrast, I believe that 7 of Illinois' 11 Democratic congressmen voted for and even a couple of Illinois' Republicans. While I can't guarantee that Obama got any of those folks to go along. I can guarantee that, with zero, McCain didn't have enough leadership to get any Arizona congressman to vote for the bill.

[PADebbie]

Its really funny how on the 12th of Sept. Sen. Obama on his way to

[PADebbie]

WOW This site is hiding you all from some things they do not want me to bring up.........It keeps being deleted