Best comment on McCain's campaign suspension: "It's a tough job being a windsock in a tornado."

[ProSense]

John McCain: Dishonest and Dishonorable

Hoisted from Comments: The best comment on John McCain's campaign suspension that I have seen:

Neal: It's a tough job being a windsock in a tornado.

Secretary Paulson, the leaders of both houses, the chairs and ranking members of the relevant committess--all were on the same page and working toward a financial deal that Paulson and Bernanke, solid Republicans, say is needed now.

John McCain announces he is suspending his campaign, cancels on David Letterman, gets made-up for and does an interview with Katie Couric, goes and talks to the Clinton Global Initiatiive the following day, persuades Bush to call a meeting at the White House, gets to Washington DC in the afternoon, goes and talks to the House Republicans, goes to the meeting, sits in the back of the meeting and is evasive, and when the meeting breaks up, three things are clear:

• John McCain won't say what financial rescue packages he supports or opposes.
  
• George W. Bush won't say that support for Paulson is a test of Republican loyalty.
  
• The House Republican caucus doesn't support their leaders.
  
• The House Republican caucus doesn't have an alternative plan.

That's quite an accomplishment. It is hard to read it any other way than as John McCain rallying the House Republicans to blow up the bipartisan agreement that was being negotiated. The House Republicans don't want to do anything to hold CEOs accountable, to protect taxpayers, protect homeowners, or provide oversight. The Treasury rejected the not-quite-ideas they put forward at the White House meeting last week.

more

Update:

September 26, 2008

MCCAIN'S 'SURREAL' CONFUSION.... Yesterday, John McCain swung by Capitol Hill, not to advance the negotiations on the bailout proposal, but to coordinate strategy with House Republicans. Faiz highlights this gem from the Washington Post's coverage:

Boehner and McCain discussed the bailout plan, but Republican leadership aides described the conversation as somewhat surreal. Neither man was familiar with the details of the proposal being pressed by House conservatives, and up to the moment they departed for the White House yesterday afternoon, neither had seen any description beyond news reports.

At 1:25 p.m., McCain left Boehner's office through a back door, walking across the Capitol's rotunda to the applause of tourists. Graham conceded the group knew little about the plan the nominee had come to Washington to try to shape.

So, this week, McCain talked about a bailout proposal he hadn't read, and a few days later, had a meeting with lawmakers about a competing proposal he knew nothing about.

No wonder McCain sat silently while the grown-ups talked about fiscal policy at the White House yesterday; he couldn't think of anything substantive to contribute.

I sometimes get the sense that McCain is a con man, perpetrating an enormous fraud, hoping desperately that he can get through the next 38 days without anyone noticing he doesn't know what he's doing.

[ProSense]

1. Updated the OP. n/t

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

2. k&r

[ProSense]

3. Thanks. n/t

[ProSense]

4. Not So Mighty Mouse

Friday, September 26, 2008

Not So Mighty Mouse

JB

<...>

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Democrats and Republicans, Congress and White House, were supposed to be deadlocked, unable to figure out how to resolve the country's economic crisis. Or they were supposed to be collectively frozen in terror and indecision. John McCain, putting "country first," was supposed to sweep into the nation's capitol, postpone the Presidential debates, and like a modern day Jesus, throw the money changers out of the temple. He would speak truth to power, change the way things are done in Washington. He would be bold. He would be daring. He would get things done. A consensus would form around his bravery where none had existed before. America would be saved.

Instead, it appears that President Bush and the Democratic Congress had pretty much agreed to the basic terms of a deal before McCain arrived. Bush called Obama and told him to get to Washington for a bipartisan meeting at the White House where the new deal would be blessed. McCain, who admits he knows little about the economy, sat in the meeting, saying nothing. Then, prodded by Obama to say something, he mumbled that he supported the basic principles of his conservative Republican colleagues in the House. These conservatives disliked the Paulson plan; and they disliked the compromises that Bush had made with the Democratic leadership even more.

Just like that, the consensus that seemed within everyone's grasp dissolved. McCain had thrown a monkey wrench in the works. The Democrats would not stay in if Bush couldn't keep most of his own party in the House in line. They wanted a bipartisan agreement-- one that would give them political cover-- or nothing. Whatever McCain's actual intentions, it now seemed as if McCain had come to Washington just so he could align himself with conservative Republicans and vote no. Furious, Democrats thought they had been sandbagged, betrayed by McCain for a cheap photo op. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, on bended knee, asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to walk out and tell the media that the talks had imploded; she said, in effect, go talk to your Republican friends in the House. I'm not going to pull your chestnuts out of the fire.

This was not how it was supposed to happen. McCain was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to put country first, show guts, show economic expertise, show leadership, bring the two sides together in a great act of vision and daring. He was supposed to bring order out of chaos, and not the other way around.

All we can say at this point is: You're doing a heck of a job, McCain-ie.

[Supersedeas]

5. Dishonest and dishonorable -- choosing Schmidt (lil' Rove) lead to this

[Democrafty]

6. Here's hoping he'll stay confused through debate time! n/t

[karynnj]

7. "windsock in a tornado" That is a devastating comment

Likely the opposite of the image that Mcacin wants.