McCain Urges Bush To Spend $1 Trillion On Bailout -- Without Congressional Approval

I'm not making this up. John McCain today urged the Bush Administration -- on more than one occasion -- to immediately and uniliterally spend $1 trillion buying up home mortgages.

I was watching live when he made the proposal this morning, and it seemed like such a staggeringly insane idea that I assumed he couldn't be serious. He couldn't think that Bush should just spend $1 trillion without asking Congress for permission...could he?

But then I saw his economic adviser try to back the idea up, and then I saw McCain make the proposal again during the NBC Nightly newscast. So he's serious. He really thinks that Bush should just spend $1 trillion without talking to Congress, without seeking approval, without building any sort of consensus -- without getting any protections whatsoever for taxpayers.

Update: Here's video of him making the proposal on three separate occasions Tuesday.

End update.

::: ::: :::

This is the same John McCain who just a couple of days ago was railing on the $1 trillion price tag of the bailout (when it was actually $700 billion).

But just a few days after railing against the unbridled power of government, McCain now seems to envision the presidency as a dictatorship. He now thinks that Bush should just spend $1 trillion without allowing anyone to ask any questions -- and he supports doing it just one day after the House of Representatives voted down a $700 billion bailout.

This won't suprise anyone on the left. The question I have is this: when are conservatives going to wake up and realize that despite all his bluster about being a conservative, the Republican nominee for president has proposed the single largest expenditure in the history of this nation -- and that he's proposed that it be made without the approval of Congress?

Comments

[trickyt]

08:59 PM on 10/01/2008

And now, conveniently, McCain votes against the bailout. Is he wanting the Bush Administration to spend a trillion dollars despite not supporting it himself? What's going on here??

[afgail]

05:38 AM on 10/05/2008

Once, twice, three times a hypocrite on fiscal matters. And he is just wrong. The poor man has forgotten that it is the congress that has the power of the purse not the president. He has become desparate because his campaign is in a downward spiral. It has completely unhinged him. I am embarassed for him. And I am embarassed for America that this befuddled old man is a semi-serious contender for the presidency.

[grantlingel]

03:06 PM on 10/01/2008

that is NOT the person I want to be sitting with his finger next to the red button....

http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[Ockham]

03:01 PM on 10/01/2008

Gives you interesting insight as to how a McCain presidency would find itself unfettered by such useless pieces of propaganda such as the Constitution. Didn't we already decide that ignoring the Constitution, as we have been for the past 8 years, doesn't work?

[DebbieinPhx]

02:53 PM on 10/01/2008

Ok d@mmit... I'm getting depressed now. So although everyone is probably sick of BS links, this one is funny... so for all those needing a pick me up at the expense of the GOP's joke of a candidate check out this...
This is a really great parody on the Will.I.Am song, Yes You Can... This one was written by using the words of John McCain, it's called NO. You can't.
Pass this one along. It's really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKINg8DCUo&NR=1

[Mahi Joe]

02:54 PM on 10/01/2008

OMG McCain got to the video before I did and had it pulled from YouTube. eeek!

[DebbieinPhx]

03:02 PM on 10/01/2008

nuh-huh, I just reclicked... it loaded fine... try refreshing your browser or cut pasting the link.

[Mahi Joe]

02:56 PM on 10/01/2008

OK sorry it is back up on YouTube. Excellent video, thanks.

[DebbieinPhx]

02:52 PM on 10/01/2008

How is this not on every stupid MSM out there... top story... McCain says forget Congress, the President can do what he wants!!!!! Geezzzzz.

[Devver]

03:05 PM on 10/01/2008

And this comes as a surprise because......??

[sandpiper1]

03:52 PM on 10/01/2008

Could he be trying to get voters who are in foreclosure or loosing their homes with his crap? I don't put anyting pass him...hopefully no one will buy into it. I can just see the Republicans in Congress who are no fan of McCain blasting him for it, at least I hope they do. Would Carli Fiorina, the fired incompetent HPO CEO advising him this is the way to go.

[olegrimaldi]

02:50 PM on 10/01/2008

You know. It distresses me that some conservatives, ahem.... excuse me, that word doesn't fit them, let's say IMPERIALISTS think the decisions regarding the bailout do not belong in the hands of our Congressional leaders. Excuse me? They represent US. We are the government. Not the president. McCain has once again demonstrated that he is not fit to lead us on - because he has the audacity, in the name of conservatism (Bush doctrine is NOT conservative, neither is McCain... 1 TRILLION without congressional approval, without discussion? these are OUR tax dollars John-boy) to suggest that one man should make a decision regarding the amount of money spent and how it gets used. What a flippin nut.

[OneVoiceOfReason]

02:47 PM on 10/01/2008

So much for small government that leaves us alone.

[BeltwayBette]

01:34 PM on 10/01/2008

Hey, you don't like fascism? McCain said he would like to be a dictator. So now he wants to get Bush to turn our country into a dictatorship before he moves on.

"Listen George, Just take the money and run and to hell with the notion that America is for the people, by the people and all that crap."

He was different 40 years ago? Right?. Maybe not. Check out what one of his Hanoi Hilton POW housemates has to say about McCain.

Former POW says McCain is "not cut out to be President"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjsEs46C70

Vote for him at our democratic republic's peril.

[Girlmec]

12:30 PM on 10/01/2008

Welcome to an insight (and hopefully the closest we'll ever get ) to the McCain Imperial Regime.

Of course he dismisses Congress. Who needs them when you are the Emperor!

[Kay72403]

01:31 PM on 10/01/2008

And the emperor will select Supreme Court Justices that will continue to strengthen the Imperial Regime established by Emperor Bush. Can you envision: first overturn Roe V Wade then continue strict constructionist interpretation of the constitution by reviewing previous decisions as Brown v Board of Education to support voucher system education.

[OCKerouac]

12:24 PM on 10/01/2008

Johnny has decided that the best way to run a campaign is to come up with a thoughtful and measured response to anything that comes before him, and then do the exact OPPOSITE... After all, isn't that what a Maverick would do??

Wild Johnny McCain rides again!!!

[robeson]

12:12 PM on 10/01/2008

Ah, McCain displaying his constitutional expertise.

[newshawk14]

12:08 PM on 10/01/2008

Ah --- another believer in an imperial presidency, just what we need.

[DemsUnite]

11:58 AM on 10/01/2008

Pandering at it's finest. He knows W is not going to do it. But he'l tell us he urged the president to put forth the $1T. McC is standing on shaky ground.

[RealisticConservative]

11:57 AM on 10/01/2008

Oh and by the way, of course he wants this pushed passed congress. Congress is the reason we are in this position, its all due to greed. And all of you think it would be smart to put all of this money in their hands? For some reason that just doesnt match up now does it...

[myrddin]

12:10 PM on 10/01/2008

It doesn't matter whether you think congress should have a say in where our tax dollars go. That's in the constitution. You do remember that pesky piece of paper don't you.

[RealisticConservative]

11:54 AM on 10/01/2008

Look guys, instead of believing this obviously liberal site, try reading up on the TRUE story instead of reading what you want to hear. Mccain denied the 700billion dollar deal at first, because it would put all of the money in paulson and congress' hands, which would mean a government buyout. Now what he WANTS to do is put that money into an insurance agency to buyout real estate, therefore making real estate agencies have to pay insurance from now on in case this was to ever happen.

[frantaylor]

12:10 PM on 10/01/2008

Those of us living the reality-based life can come to our own conclusions based on McCain's own words.

[RealisticConservative]

12:25 PM on 10/01/2008

When you say "own words" you do mean that you watched the whole videos correct? not just the short and sweet clippits that this site posted?

[Aurin]

12:12 PM on 10/01/2008

McCain is not doing anything single handedly. This is a Democracy. The tone of this writing and McCain sounds like McCain is making all the decisions for the country. The 700Billion was denied by both Democrats and Republicans because VOTERS, CITIZENS did not want it passed.

Where are you reading your TRUE STORY???

[RealisticConservative]

12:23 PM on 10/01/2008

Look, i for one do not one government meddling in issues like this, btw few if any dems denied this bill, the majority of them wanted it passed because its more money into their hands. i do NOT want either one passed but i look at it this way, if it is going to be passed anyways i would rather it be passed the way that mccain wants it. Unlike alot of repubs, i do not get my info just from foxnews, i read all over. The economy will bounce back but i do not believe that it should be from the government buying it out.

[KCGWV]

03:10 PM on 10/01/2008

Agree with you here Aurin.