What Else Would President McCain Postpone in a Crisis?

(UPDATE: So now we know that it was Obama who first called McCain and suggested a joint statement on the crisis this morning, which McCain agreed to, before pulling a fast one and going on TV with his "suspend" surprise. What a cynical, political, desperate man he's become. I can only pray that the rest of America sees this for the gimmick it is.)

So now John McCain wants to suspend his campaign and postpone Friday's debate so he can go to Washington and work on the financial crisis -- as if his vast economic expertise is what's missing in all of this.

After years of being a champion of deregulation, and an admitted economic lightweight, John McCain suddenly wants to pretend he's our knight in shining armor? But wait -- wasn't it McCain's own party and policies that created this crisis? Wasn't it his own economic advisor, Phil Gramm, who called Americans "whiners" in a "mental recession?" Didn't McCain recently praise the strength of our economy and call himself a "fundamentally a deregulator?"

Come to think of it, the last thing America needs is for John McCain to go back to Washington. Because that's exactly where he and his cronies created this financial mess.

Clearly, Steve Schmidt thinks he's being clever. You can just picture the staff meeting: "We'll look like heroes! We'll put Obama in a corner, and force him into looking like he doesn't care about the crisis! We're geniuses!"

Just one problem, Steve-O...you're going after independents. And independents are smarter than you think they are. I'm guessing that most of them will see this for what it is: a stunt. A distraction from the fact that John McCain's core beliefs and record are at the very heart of this crisis.

And as for postponing the debate? Real leaders don't have the luxury of taking time outs, Senator McCain. They're supposed to be able to deal with a wide array of problems, all at once. Especially when they're President. That's why it's called "the hardest job in the world."

Lincoln ran for office during the Civil War. Reagan ran at the height of the Cold War. Bush ran with two wars raging in Afghanistan and Iraq. But McCain can't run during a crisis on Wall Street?

Kind've makes you wonder what his multitasking threshold is, and what else he'd "suspend" or "postpone" when the going got tough.

Maybe he'd just hand it all over to Sarah Palin.

Seth Grahame-Smith is the founder of HomelandApology.org

Comments

[KSMullins]

McCain pulled a stunt designed to make him look "Presidential". In the process, he underestimated how foolish he would be made to look by David Letterman. And this prediliction for "stunts" is one of the things that turns me off on McCain.

Pretending to run off to Washington to save the day is just like your office colleague who fakes a page on his phone (conveniently set to vibrate), so he can avoid the next boring hour of the staff meeting. This kind of sophmoric behavior is not becoming to a man of McCain's age, experience, and ability.

And if he really believes that cheap stunts will help him get elected....then what does that say about how he regards the American people??

[nutty4tahoe]

AS IF! McCain is using the bailout as an excuse not to debate. He knows he's toast in any debate so we'll soon see what his next excuse will be. Today it appears his repuglican cronies led by Boehner and Selby might decide to hold out until Friday night obviously an effort to give McCain cover. McCain wants the debate rescheduled to next Thursday night, to be held instead of the veep debate, thus giving Sarah Palin cover not to debate as well. It's painfully obvious to all of us that she is woefully unprepared for any of this. It's all a ruse, political maneuvering, and it got McCain his photo op charging up the Capitol stairs this morning trying to look like he matters. McCain is not on the banking committee and he was turned away from their meeting. His presence there means zero and is downright hypocritical since he hasn't shown up there for a vote since April. The media dutifully covered his bad acting on the Capitol steps, though, and I'm sure this flimflam got through to some of the more ignorant voters.

I can't wait for Obama to hammer home McCain's years of championing deregulation and his involvement in the Keating 5. If McCain doesn't show up it Friday night could turn into a massive rally for Obama unless the debate commission allows Barr and/or Nader to debate.

[Sundance]

Next, McBush will want to cancel the election!

[gabbinjane]

I would personally hope that he would turn the mundane matters over to his staff and surrogates, and focus 100% on the problem until some sort of workable plan was chosen to solve it!

[jimbeaux1961]

"Just a little nap, my friends, and I'll get right on it." Pitiful.

[twiggy2]

correction - typo gramm and mccain voted for less regulation.

[EFK]

This just another stunt from a desparate candidate. It just highlights a lack of confidence in another huge stunt- Sarah Palin. I hope this blows up in his face.

[XME]

OBAMA SHOULD OFFER TO LET BIDEN AND PALIN DEBATE IN THEIR PLACE TOMORROW!!

He could suggest they just SWAP and debate next Thursday...that would shut him up and get him back in the debate fast.

[koromuso]

This is the best suggestion I've read in two days.

[Natalie4Obama]

Yes!!!! GREAT SUGGESTION!!!

[harvest9]

That is a fabulous idea.

What can the McCain camp say in response? "Ummmm, er, the suggestion that Governor Palin should have a debate tomorrow is sexist and disrespectful in the extreme...."

[DJYoung]

Fantastic suggestion XME.

[twiggy2]

omg can you imagine - palin repeating words and not blinking!
that would be great!
how great that would be !
see i did not blink !

[jimbeaux1961]

"Sorry, Governor Palin is too busy skinning moose and clipping coupons to contribute to the bail-out. Why do you hate America? I couldn't debate anybody for 5 1/2 years!"

[XME]

Good Lord...elect this man and if we have more than one crisis at a time, we're all screwed, because he certainly has no confidence in leaving Palin in charge rather than just shutting things down!

[StillAmused]

All stunts, all the time.

Anyone know when the clowns pour out of the tiny car?

[andhakari]

It's a comedy sketch that writes itself: all the economic and financial giants of NY and DC waiting, wringing their hands, confused and helpless, for John McCain to return to Washington with the answers and solutions we all need. LOL.
Give it a rest, John. Just go back to the "vote for me because I was a POW" rutine. At least that was honest, mostly.
The all-american ace: wrecked 5 american planes and never even fired at an enemy plane. Dropped a few bombs, dumbed his loyal wife for a beer heiress, and now wants to be president. What a waste.

[shelobo]

Hopefully he will 'suspend ' his swearing in and misquote the oath of office.Seriously McCain just wanted a way out of the debates period ,it's all a big distraction and a gimmick by McCains idiotic campaign people.If they can get people to ' watch ' Obama ,they will distract people from the facts about McCains campaign people WHO WORK FOR BOTH COMPANIES ! If Fanny and Freddy aren't bailed out by TAX PAYERS , guess who really loses ?FOREIGN INVESTORS ,guess WHO those investors are ? Asian entities are the most prominent foreign investors, and hold 31 percent of all US Treasuries outstanding, 13 percent of all Agency bonds and Agency-backed mortgage pool securities, but relatively small shares of US corporate bonds and equities, while European investors hold over 16 percent of all US corporate bonds, but relatively small shares of all other security classes. In terms of individual country holdings, Chinese entities hold close to 10 percent of all US Treasuries, 6 percent of Agency bonds and MBS, with much smaller shares of US corporate bonds and equities. Japanese investors claim about 13 percent of US Treasuries, 3.5 percent of US Agency bonds and MBS. Russia and the Middle Eastern oil exporting countries hold smaller shares. Most of the growth in these holdings, particularly those of China, has taken place since 2000. So if Fanny and Freddy fail ,there are going to be some VERY unhappy Foreign Investors http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=10607

[Freesia2]

I would like to suspend my having to deal with John McCain and whatever it is that is wrong with him. I consider him a crisis and I would like to take a break. Time out.

[MadOzbo]

No problem. Just turn off your TV and your monitor for awhile, and try reading a book...

[bgrp]

Same here.

[ChristiB]

I'm thinking McCain might be into suspending our rights because of some crisis that hits. Right of free press, right of free speech, right to assemble, to protest??? What will he "suspend" "temporarily" when he is President?

[montemalone]

"Lincoln ran for office during the Civil War. Reagan ran at the height of the Cold War. Bush ran with two wars raging in Afghanistan and Iraq. But McCain can't run during a crisis on Wall Street?"

What do you mean? MaPalie's running. He's running for cover.

[mike42nola]

How about the fact that he is running to Washington to get the Republicans to vote for this bailout bill that they don't want to vote for. The Dems are already on board with it. The Republicans don't want to pass this bill and I don't blame them. The government should not be called upon to babysit businesses that make bad decisions and fail.

[mpalm 1]

I sort of agree in principle, but in this case, those businesses have messed up so badly that we are all going to have to pay the price. The whole idea of the dastardly bailout is to pay as little as possible and still survive as a country.

[twiggy2]

isn't mccain and phil gramm part of the deregulation era? let's get this right ,mccain and the republicans voted for deregulation which has caused this mess ,and now they don't want any part of the clean up? bussinesses made bad decisions because the goverment that is suppose to regulate them was stopped by phil gram and john mccain who voted for less deregulation - they need to be held accountable!

[VikingQuest]

Reagan was a governor and had no federal responsibility . . .

[ESerafina42]

He wasn't even a governor anymore at the time of the 1980 election, but he did run for re-election. And both he and Jimmy Carter managed to campaign while Americans were being held hostage in Iran. Humphrey, Nixon and McGovern were also able to run their campaigns while the Vietnam War was going on.