Comparing Economic Crisis to 9/11, McCain Wants Friday's Debate Delayed; Obama Rejects Pushing Off Debate
Photograph of McCain delivering a statement to the traveling press corps in New York by Gerald Herbert/AP
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said he was temporarily suspending his campaign tomorrow and asked for Friday's much-anticipated debate with Democratic candidate Barack Obama be delayed, so he can work on the bailout plan in Washington D.C. He said he contacted Obama's campaign and emphasized that partisan differences must be put aside for a solution (not counting that both Democrats and Republicans have problems with the plan).
McCain said, "We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night’s debate until we have taken action to address this crisis... Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now."
Obama's campaign did confirm he spoke to McCain ("Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal...") but did not mention anything about delaying the debate.
Is McCain's timing suspect, given that Obama now has a clear lead over him, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll? Politico's Jonathan Martin writes, "Coming a week after McCain struggled to find his footing on the crisis and as national and state polls show him slipping in large part because of voter concerns over the economy, it also amounts to a dare: How can Obama say no?"
UPDATE: Obama had "a hastily arranged news conference" in Florida, where he said the debate should go on, "This is exactly the time when people need to hear from the candidates... Part of the president’s job is to deal with more than one thing at once. In my mind it’s more important than ever.” (Obama also agreed that "there are times for politics and there are times to rise above politics and do what’s right.”)
And ABC News reports that an Ole Miss (where the debate is supposed to be held) official said postponing the debate would be "devastating." The school has spent $5.5 million making accommodations for the event, and Andrew Mullins, special assistant to the University Chancellor Robert Khayata, said, "It's huge. You cannot just say that you're not going to do this thing. I don't have any idea whether we do the debate [at a later date]. (We) probably wouldn't do it."
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In related news, McCain also decided to cancel his Letterman appearance tonight to return to Washington. But Dave later discovers that McCain is actually doing an interview w/Katie Couric at the same time he was supposed to be on The Late Show. Dave is clearly pissed.
Obama now leads McCain by 9%. The McCain stunt of "suspending" his campaign will accomplish absolutely nothing. The voters are angry as hell about this bailout and all the fussy maneuvering by McCain will only stoke those flames. Burn baby burn!
Amanda Harletsch
Republicans have added another asset to their name: flakiness!
kapusta
mccain..."following 9-11 our national leaders came together at a time of crisis." gee, wasn't the Imperial U.S. Empire attacked on 9-11? is mccain suggesting that the Empire has been attacked? by whom? invisible aliens perhaps? maybe illegal invisable aliens coming through the rio grande?
mccain's an idiot, or just not getting enough sleep.
Gothamist_Cynic
Looks like McCain wants to delay the VP debates as well..
wow! when is ides going to stick her penis into the conversation?
Go GOP!!!
VanessaNYC
I agree with Babyhitler:
it's not about delaying the debate. It's about McCain getting Obama to do something that was McCain's executive decision.
emilydickinson
This is a bad joke of a media play. McCain's deregulation policies are a big part of why this situation has become a crisis.
@18 Last time I checked, McCain wasn't an economist. And after the debacle that was the S & L scandal (Keating Five, anyone?) I think he should let the smarter people handle this.
You're absolutely correct. These same clowns have been committing financial crimes since the 80's, one or two people go to jail, they form a commission, nothing happens and they get back up to the same old shennanigans. Anyone remember Enron? Sure, the financial mechanics are different but the fraud and lack of government oversight are the same. As are the victims, everyone but the ultra wealthy.
Why should we continue to support politicians that lie and cheat the public day in and day out for decades at a time?
I'm casting my vote for Madame Guillotine.
Sinchy
SHOCK DOCTRINE!
Create a crisis (Henry Paulson was known as Mr. Risk,
tell every one we are on the brink and must act fast in the name of patriotism then make us agree to ridiculous bailouts and then the inevitable "belt tightening" - look for talk of cutting "entitlements"
and this is bi-partisan (though I believe the Reps. are much more ideological about the "free market" and more corrupt) just look what Clinton's Treasury Secy. Rubin had to say about the looming crisis back in Jan:
"In a talk on Wednesday, the Citigroup director said the current financial upheaval is just cyclical. And none of the blame that there was to assign went to Wall Street."
"The key to our future is how well or badly politicians address the economic issues we face," he said. He added that politicians must face the "brutal politics around entitlement programs,"
he means we need to cut benefits for the working people, blame the politicians i.e. Government, and give it all to Wall Street and the Elite.
Hopefully Obama will buck the "Washington Consensus" and drive out the Robber Barons, I'm voting Barack but not blindly.
Leon Freilich
ECONOMICS 000
The Maverick
Under fire
Has morphed into
The Unifier.
And just who's
McCain's guider?
None other than
The Great Decider.
dadoc
And Jeez, the 9/11 thing again?
It's kina like the old "the dog ate my homework" thing. How infantile.
dadoc
If either can't handle it, they don't deserve being considered for the job. Like there's only one issue at a time if you're Pres? Work thru the day, debate at night. Can't do it? Go away. If you haven't voted since April, your vote is not needed now.
Toby von Meistersinger
The debates are nothing but political Kabuki theatre which aren't even proper debates. It isn't like it is Lincoln and Douglas here in both participants and content. Although a Burr-Hamilton style debate would be better with these two.
Dirk
McCain-Palin know that they're running for President & Vice-President, right? They act like they're running for student body president or something.
santijose
this is the prefect reason and time for this debate. how dare he use our 911 for his political BS.
PKinNYC
all right make it a Biden and Palin debate...'nough said...what is it the VP does when the Pres cannot...Man (er woman) up...
The McCain and Palin puppet show and duck, cover and stay silent campaign keeps on chugging!!!
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UPDATE: Obama had "
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