John McCain just called for postponing Friday's debate with Barack Obama, so that McCain's attention can be fully devoted to helping with our economic crisis.
I hope Obama rejects McCain's call for what it is: an attempt to take a breather from the campaign, because polls are beginning to turn against McCain, because he clearly is now on the wrong side of the two main issues facing our nation - Iraq and the economy - and because Sarah Palin is far from ready to debate Biden in the VP debates next week (it would take her years to get ready).
The economic crisis is not something that needs the direct, in-person attention of either McCain or Obama. Their job, as Presidential candidates, is to explain what they would do to fix this, to make sure it doesn't happen again, to the American people.
Given that McCain's policies are to blame for our current crisis - as well as our problems in Iraq - Americans can well understand why he would not want to debate Obama at this time.
I doubt that many Americans will be fooled by this ploy.
BREAKING NEWS: 4:47PM: Obama just said that he thinks the debates should go on - that this is precisely a time when the American people need to see what he and McCain would do as President. Good!
10 comments:
I think it's shady to try and postpone the debate. I am looking forward to the VP debate. Oh I wanted to tell you I watched amovie called Across the Universe. It is a movie written around the lyrics of Beatles tunes. I found it quite amusing how they put this together
I laughed when I saw that McCain wanted to postpone the debate... because I could see exactly what was going down.
Absolutely, Dawn and MC!
More evidence of the long slide down of John McCain...
We have bigger problems.
"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."
Its a shame, I liked the constitution.
This debate crap will probably shift just enough media attention away from our bailout strategies that congress will vote on.
Just like when steriods got tons of coverage and congress had closed door meetings molesting our rights a few months ago. God I hope people notice this time.
One of the very points that many Democrats are concerned about is that non-reviewability - I'd say it's likely to be taken out of the legislation (that is, what the Secretary does will indeed be subject to judicial etc review).
"Given that McCain's policies are to blame for our current crisis - as well as our problems in Iraq - Americans can well understand why he would not want to debate Obama at this time."
Um, actually, congress is responsible for the oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and they've sat around with their hands in their pockets.
I don't think the "debates" are that significant, but judging by Obama's performance at Saddleback a reprieve might be in his best interests.
anon:
First of all, I don't know what the word "um" means ... care to explain? :)
Next, Bush, a Republican, has been President the past eight years - during which time the Feds made money way too easy to borrow, and systematically deregulated the market, which is what got us into this crisis.
While it is true that the Democrats didn't do enough to oppose this, McCain as a Republican has systematically supported making the rich even richer, deregulating the economy to the point where there were no restrictions on financially abusive behavior, etc.
So, in a nutshell, yes, McCain's Republican economic policies - policies implemented by Bush, and supported by most Republicans - are precisely what got us into this mess.
But I've got good news for you: once Obama and the Democrats are back in the White House, they'll help the country climb out of this hole, just as FDR and the Democrats did with the Depression brought on by Hoover and the Republicans.
Hi, Paul.
First, Congress is responsible for FM/FM, not the Fed.
Second, prominent Democrats (including the CEO) were implicated, fired and fined in a major Fannie Mae scandal in 2004. That said, Fannie Mae was an equal opportunity gravy train - there were Rs working as execs there, too.
Third, in 2002, a bipartisan effort to force FM/FM to meet the same disclosure requirements as other F500 companies never got out of committee.
Fourth, in 2005, McCain was one of four authors (Hagel was prime sponsor) of FM/FM regulatory reform; the bill did not get out of committee. The House passed a bill but it got stuck in the Senate committee; the President opposed the House bill because the Ds added low income housing provisions (IIRC). Obama, btw, did not author any FM/FM legislation.
To see why these bills got stuck, see The Financial Crystal Ball: Washingtonian Magazine, 2002
Frankly, the country does better when there is opposition in one of the three elected chambers - Senate, House, WH -- and opposition is the norm, not the exception. In the last 40 years, the same party has controlled all three only 10 years (25%).
John McCain said he was putting the good of the country ahead of politics, but his announcement was clearly a political move — an attempt to outmaneuver Obama on an issue — the economy — that has been hurting the Republican's standing in the polls. David Letterman said it best on Wednesday night: "I'm more than a little disappointed by this behavior. We're suspending the [McCain] campaign because there's an economic crisis, or because the poll numbers are sliding? "This doesn't smell right," Letterman continued. "Because this is not the way a tested hero behaves. I think someone's put something in his Metamucil."
Again John McCain is wearing those famous flip-flops ... up until last week McCain was a proud card carrying de-regulator and then as if he just found religion McCain is now for regulation. John McCain is what you call a born-again Regulator. And McCain who flipped-flopped (it seemed like on an hourly basis) on the state of the economy this past week (the fundamentals are strong / no the economy is not safe, no Lehman bailout / yes Leh(my)man here's some $$$, no AIG bailout / yes Mr.AIG here's a blank check) has the "honor, courage, and integrity" to blame Barack Obama for the financial mess of the 2000-08 Bush/Republican administration. And John McCain declares he's ready to lead this country ... where exactly is he going to lead us? McCain has no new plan, no vision. I wouldn't allow this man to take out the garbage in my house -- you need skills for that job.
John McCain is becoming laughable and depressing ....
btw, to Anon re: Saddleback. It has been well documented what a deceit that so-called "cone of silence" really was. The Amercan public was viciously hoodwinked by the McCainiacs that night and continue to be deeply deceived throughout this embarrassing Republican campaign. But Anon don't take my word for it -- google the topic and you can peruse the legitimate news accounts of that charade. Be prepared to be enlightened on the Saddleback Sham.
/jimy_max
Kathy - thanks for the details, but you forgot to mention that McCain has consistently supported the deregulation which is the main catalyst of this crisis.
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