backup Says:

If we really have to act immediately to avert calamity, McCain’s actions are a reckless political ploy. If the urgency is manufactured for consent, then McCains efforts to stall the deal to force more debate, it would look like responsible representation.

I agree that we, the public, really don’t know what the hell is going on, nor do we know what is needed. I don’t trust Bush or his treasury secretary to know, either.

But I suspect that the situation is very serious. You can’t base an economy on borrowed money and consumption for as long as this one been and not expect some serious consequences. That’s how I reach my conclusion about this situation.

I believe that the situation is bad. But I’m not convinced that a $700 billion bail-out is in the interests of anyone except the people who caused the mess in the first place (the Senate champion of deregulation, McCain himself, among them).

Yet your statement that “If the urgency is manufactured for consent, then McCains efforts to stall the deal to force more debate, it would look like responsible representation” doesn’t hold water for me. Perhaps, if McCain came out and said that’s why he opposed the deal, your argument might have some merit.

At the moment, however, it looks more to me that any beneficial effects of McCain’s interference would be more rightly attributed to a Mr. Magoo effect.

The only caveat would be this:

You have to admit 700 billion is a lot of money. The deal and the pressure to do it, has a similar feel to sitting in a car dealership with the salesman telling you the deals got to get done tonight, or they’ll sell the car to someone else. Or sitting at a real estate closing, where no one wants you to ask any questions – so everyone can get paid and move on.

If Bush, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats are correct, we need the deal to avoid imminent catastrophe. But, it’s possible that the dire circumstances (or at least the immediacy) are being exaggerated to get the deal done. A necessary illusion to gain the consent of the congress and the rest of the American people.

If that urgency isn’t real, it would make sense to debate the issue. It’s a ton of money. Looking back, many wondered why there was little or no debate in the congress before the invasion of Iraq. We were rushed into that decision and in retrospect, the urgency wasn’t there.

If we really have to act immediately to avert calamity, McCain’s actions are a reckless political ploy. If the urgency is manufactured for consent, then McCains efforts to stall the deal to force more debate, it would look like responsible representation.

I obviously don’t know. But, I will be watching tonight. I hope there will be some answers.

backup Says:
ralph. you have to admit the oddity of Pelosi and Reid allied with Bush.

That’s the other side of this story. We can question McCain’s motives, but think about this:

The Democratic leadership and Barrack Obama on board with the President’s bailout plan.

Think about it this way, B-cup:

Bush is the president. Presumably, he can’t ALWAYS be as wrong as his record indicates.

Perhaps, in a situation as dire as he paints this one, it is in the nation’s interest for lawmakers to work together to address possible solutions.

If one looks at it strictly as “us vs. them” then yes, it could be seen as an oddity that Pelosi and Reid are “aligned” with Bush. To help the nation. This puts McSame in the awkward position of opposing a bipartisan agreement.

It could also be seen as a desperately needed opportunity for McSame to distance himself from the least popular president in modern history, who not coincidentally shares his political values and decision-making strategies.

That’s the other side of this story. We can question McCain’s motives, but think about this:

The Democratic leadership and Barrack Obama on board with the President’s bailout plan.

Think about the credibility of the President among progressives and their support for a plan that he now champions.

You have to admit while the attacks against McCain makes sense, the promotion of a deal sponsored by the President (after the past lament of his judgement) does not.

paleolib Says:
I found myself agreeing with statements made by George Will and Mike Huckabee in the same week. Either the world is coming to an end or I need to start drinking more.

No need to worry, PL. All that happened is two right-wingers who are capable of making out the blurry outlines of sense when it’s close enough to their noses, did so.

Not many are even that capable.

backup Says:

Unless McCain can somehow show some competence on the issue and valid reasons for opposing Bush and the Democratic leadership; this is a huge gamble and possibly, reckless. A hail mary pass. But, it’s now up to Johann McAwesome to explain the wisdom of his objections.

How many hail mary passes does the man get to throw?

It’s gotta be fourth down by now.

Here’s a better link. This will be one to watch.

http://www.cnn.com/

Now he says that McDepends made a mistake. They’ll probably try to find some way to get rid of him now. But at least he isn’t double talking and lying for bonus points.

backup Says:
——————————————————————————–

I think McCain will debate tonight. I don’t think he can risk letting Obama have the stage by himself, even if there is no deal in Washington.

But what about his judgement yesterday that he should suspend his campaign and rush to dc because the crisis was so serious?

Was his judgment simply that bad? I would say yes.

mccain has gotten into the gutter politics and Obama has stayed above it during all of mccains panic attacks….

very telling isn’t it?

And McCain who used to be the moderate is now the financial conservative opposing the government bailout?

“moderate”? If McCain is a moderate Republican, the party has drifted even farther to the right than I thought and that was pretty far.

Either the world is coming to an end or I need to start drinking more.

paleolib. I’m share your sentiment. It’s been the most interesting political situation I’ve seen. Bush, Pelosi, Reid, and Obama teaming up against House republicans and John McCain?

And McCain who used to be the moderate is now the financial conservative opposing the government bailout?

It’s an understatement to say that it will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Obama is poised. And, I believe, has great potential to act as a voice of reason and calm, (to look presidential) during a period of great financial uncertainty. It’s what people want in their leadership.

For McCain to allow Obama to have that stage unchallenged, I believe would cost him another 5 points in the polls.

They’ll both be in Oxford tonight.

The play, “Stop The World I Want To Get Off” could’ve been written with McChicken in mind. Why just look at the song titles and tell me this doesn’t bear a striking resemblance to his campaign:

“I Want to Be Rich”

“A Special Announcement”

“Glorious Russian”

“Welcome to Sludgepool”

“Nag! Nag! Nag!”

“Family Fugue”

“All-American”

“Mumbo Jumbo”

“Lumbered”

“What Kind of Fool Am I?”