Postponing The Debate

[Dr. Shane]

McCain Suspends Campaign; Obama Presses for Debate

John McCain made a surprise announcement that he was suspending his presidential campaign and called on Democratic rival Barack Obama to postpone their first debate until Congress hammers out a plan to steady the financial markets.

Obama rebuffed McCain, saying it's ``more important than ever'' for the candidates to tell voters how they would deal with the crisis. He said they can work with Congress while campaigning. ``It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once,'' Obama said.

Both men said they wanted to reach a bipartisan solution to the credit crisis. McCain said the Bush administration's $700 billion proposal to rescue struggling financial companies and unlock credit markets won't pass Congress in its current form.

``It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal,'' McCain said in New York. ``We are running out of time.''

EXCLUSIVE: LETTERMAN MOCKS MCCAIN CANCELLATION

David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had to rush back to DC to deal with the economy.

Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sara Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

Obama Accepts Bush Invitation To Meet In Washington

With extraordinary stakes on the line, President Bush has invited both presidential candidates and the leaders of the House and Senate to the White House on Thursday in hopes of securing a bill to rescue the economy.

Bush took the unusual step Wednesday night of calling Democratic Sen. Barack Obama directly to invite him to the meeting, White House press secretary Dana Perino said. An Obama spokesman said the senator would attend. The White House has also invited Republican Sen. John McCain.

[text from links]

[Bravus]

Not sure what McCain and/or his campaign was thinking on the Letterman thing: did he think he could go on national TV and they wouldn't find out? Not a morally terrible thing to do, I guess, but a monumentally dumb one.

[Woody]

I think McCain is a man of principle. He did the right thing. He is first and foremost a Senator. You will notice that Obama thinks being a Senator is a part time job that one can multi-task on and do many other things in addition to being a senator and solving the worst economic crisis this nation has seen. This is not the type of president that I want in the White House. This issue is serious. If he can't postpone one more debate ... then I just give up on the man. He has been out there campaigning and debating for two years. I think that is enough. How about acting like a senator for a change?

[Neil D]

Let me do some surmising here...

McCain canceled out on the Letterman show. Tis a fact..no getting around it...the question is "why?"...If ever there was a time to reasure the American people, and the world for that matter, that would be a good time. Instead, he left....That means it's worse than many of us thought, or we are left in that position...Still, not the wisest thing to do....

As for the debate, well, I doubt that is gonna happen...Perhaps, Obama will field all those debateable questions while McCain is in the White house, being briefed....

[Woody]

You are right. It IS worse than you and Obama thought.

[Bravus]

The point is, he told Letterman that he was cancelling Letterman to go to Washington and solve the crisis. But what he was *actually* doing was going to an interview with Katie Couric. He straight up lied.

[Jeannieb43]

That seems to be a pattern of his -- to cut and run when the going gets tough.

An email by his ex-wife found its way into my Inbox this afternoon. I checked it with snopes.com, and found it's evidently factual.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/mccain/carol.asp

[jasd]

>>Not a morally terrible thing to do, I guess, but a monumentally dumb one.<<

Why? Why is it dumb to kiss-off a late-night entertainer who is consistently hostile to you? Someone who has an hour-long show to do nothing but jack you up one side and down the other. Better to just

get on the plane back to D.C. in time to take a few friends to dinner and top it off with a good Port or Cognac.

[jasd]

>>"why?"...If ever there was a time to reasure the American people, and the world for that matter, that would be a good time.<<

A coupla things: reassurance is what your Prez is about. The fact that you don’t like him is not any of his fault.

I’d rather have the assurance that a Presidential candidate recognized priorities. Obama? sooner or later, anyone with a lick of sense has to simply give up excusing his gaffs.

>>Instead, he left....That means it's worse than many of us thought, or we are left in that position..<<

Loans, bank to bank had frozen. Not across the board, but, effectually, had begun...

>>Still, not the wisest thing to do....<<

So, some say...

[jasd]

>>But what he was *actually* doing was going to an interview with Katie Couric. He straight up lied.<<

Or, he was telling Letterman, very graciously, to [...]

[Bravus]

Lying to avoid social awkwardness is not the kind of leadership I'd be looking for if I were voting. Seems more wimpish than maverick.

[Bravus]

'Straight talk express', anyone?

[jasd]

>>An email by his ex-wife found its way into my Inbox this afternoon. I checked it with snopes.com, and found it's evidently factual.<<

Lefters. Always rooting out the familial. Always drawn to abscesses.

To wit: Sarah Palin’s baby is really her daughter’s; and other dark and distasteful excursions...

:-o

[jasd]

>>Lying to avoid social awkwardness is not the kind of leadership I'd be looking for if I were voting. Seems more wimpish than maverick.<<

"Social awkwardness"? What was socially awkward about preferring to pass on the jerk and get on to D.C.?

>>...kind of leadership I'd be looking for if I were voting.<<

Hoo-boy! are you ever in for a world of hurt should your mum have never told you that politicians lie. The gravity of the issue should be the determining factor - and somehow, I just can't picture a determinant factor re Letterman that would take precedent over McCain's more pressing issue.

>>Seems more wimpish than maverick.<<

You do recall that a sea-change occurred - and that McCain detoured to D.C.? It may be that his flight schedule simply provided a way to stiff someone who did nothing other than run off at the mouth as concerned his person. Then again,

McCain may have really, really wanted to sit and chat with Letterman, but his flight schedule prvailed upon him.

Re: straight talk

Straight and straighter.

[Bravus]

Quote:

Quote:

Lying to avoid social awkwardness is not the kind of leadership I'd be looking for if I were voting. Seems more wimpish than maverick.

"Social awkwardness"? What was socially awkward about preferring to pass on the jerk and get on to D.C.?

The social awkwardness was McCain not having the cojones to say to Letterman - he spoke to him personally on the phone - "I've got a better offer from Katie Couric (in the same building), so I don't want to come on your little program after all." How hard is that? Spin it as him wanting to get to Washington all you like - he *didn't* go to Washington, he went to a different studio and a different show, at the same time, and didn't have the guts to own up that that was what he was doing.

[Neil D]

Oh, but Bravus...now, you got to understand...[said with tongue firmly planted in the cheek], Katie Couric is so much prettier than Letterman....and she has a commanding salary too...

yeah...too.....

[lazarus]

I think McCain is a man of principle. He did the right thing. He is first and foremost a Senator. You will notice that Obama thinks being a Senator is a part time job that one can multi-task on and do many other things in addition to being a senator and solving the worst economic crisis this nation has seen. This is not the type of president that I want in the White House. This issue is serious. If he can't postpone one more debate ... then I just give up on the man. He has been out there campaigning and debating for two years. I think that is enough. How about acting like a senator for a change?

I think the fact McCain hasn't voted in the senate since April pretty much dilutes you arguments. John McCain has missed more votes than any other senator this year. Its understandable, he's running for president, but to assert that he's doing this weird stuff because he feels he needs to do his job as a senator is stretching it.

[lazarus]

Obama should turn up. Answer his questions. He should then answer the questions that McCain would have been asked.

[Woody]

Nobody would be interested in hearing that much Obama. Can you imagine him dancing around issue after issue?

[Dr. Shane]

I am not convinced that McCain lied to Letterman. In fact, I doubt the two of them personally made the arrangements or cancellations. Letterman really doesn't have much of a clue to how life works. One can easily see this when he has real guests on his program (as contrast to actors and entertainers) such as politicians or people like Dr. Phil. Letterman doesn't know enough to ask these people relevant questions. I give him a break because he is just a comedian. He isn't meant to be taken with more than a grain of salt. Letterman is not in the same category as Corric is. It makes perfect sense for McCain to cancel his Letterman appears (which he just to be light-hearted and fun) and still sit down with Corric.

McCain is very influential in Washington. He is known for reaching across the aisle and getting things done. Bipartisanship is needed now more than ever. Our country, and perhaps the entire world, may plunge into the hardest economic times since the Great Depression. McCain may be the key to getting a compromised bill put together that will pass. He can't do that while campaigning across the country.

Obama doesn't have much of a history in the US Senate. He has never reached across the aisle and accomplished anything. In fact, he is probably afraid that McCain will be successful in helping to solve this crisis. Obama probably doesn't feel much need to suspend his campaign because there he would have such little impact in the Senate if he were to go there anyway.

If McCain is successful in his efforts to get a bill together that will pass, that is what we can expect to see in his TV ads the next two weeks. And, of course, that is what Obama is afraid of. The real question is how will McCain do in the debate on Friday night if he spends all day today and tomorrow working in the Senate and not preparing for the debate.

As far as emails to his exwife... I think that is a bit of swiftboating. I don't think we need that kind of malicious gossip in our discussion of the issues. McCain has publicly stated the failure of his first marriage is his greatest moral failure. Repentance is something to be admired.

[Woody]

I have confidence in him. I think he can do both. Just look at his competition! The guy can't do anything unless he has a prompter.

[Bravus]

Riiight... because Obama totally had a teleprompter when he was a law professor... can't think on his feet at all...

[Bravus]

Watch the debate (if it happens)

[jasd]

>>The social awkwardness was McCain not having the cojones to say to Letterman - he spoke to him personally on the phone - "I've got a better offer from Katie Couric (in the same building), so I don't want to come on your little program after all." How hard is that?<<

Except in the world of Obama sycophants – actions always speak louder than words. Speaking of which, can Obama do anything other than talk? Like, can he chew gum at the same time?

>>Spin it as him wanting to get to Washington all you like - he *didn't* go to Washington, he went to a different studio and a different show, at the same time, and didn't have the guts to own up that that was what he was doing.<<

What!? he just walked-in on Couric and sez, “Here I am, let’s interview me!” Of course not, one has to schedule Letterman, one has to schedule Couric, one has even to schedule me! That translates to time schedules, sequence of events...

McCain, apparently due to the seriousness of ongoing events and time schedules (with Letterman representing more Hee-Haw than gravitas) blew off Letterman to take the Couric taping instead. Eminently good sense. Now is not the time for a Presidential candidate to be laughin’ and scratchin’, shuckin’ and jivin’ on Letterman. Besides,

is Letterman McCain’s handler? What does McCain owe Letterman other that graciously sending him a message to [...]

You don’t recall Chris Rock on the Letterman show the other nite? Good grief! What kind of cojones would you think a man would have should he not have reacted to the cuts against Palin as both a woman and as his running mate?

Sheesh! was this the first time someone bailed on Letterman? No, seriously. So, what’s the big deal? Letterman still was not denied the opportunity to go off on McCain during his monologue. Again, what’s the big deal?

This is Letterman. “She was at the General Assembly and someone said to her, “Oh, look over there. That’s the President of Georgia,” And she said, “Wow, Jimmy Carter.” And then she said, “Boy, I hope I get to meet Queen Latifah.”

So, did Palin also cancel on Letterman? Lefters.

Letterman has become toxic to McCain! McCain doesn’t need this kind of toxicity. Let Obama have him...

[jasd]

>>I think the fact McCain hasn't voted in the senate since April pretty much dilutes you arguments.<<

Umm, you're giving the impression that you're unawares of Senate recesses. But, of course, you are aware, aren't you?