Obama should choose a surrogate for McCain, to stand in for him at the debate - maybe Colbert, or someone from SNL. Or maybe Palin!

He is probably doing it so he doesn't have to talk to reporters or answer any questions about Rick Davis being a crook

McCain's campaign was in a tailspin and with the Davis news its now in total meltdown, so this his only option.

I bet his handlers were also concerned about his performance during the debate prep. A poor debate showing would of have been the final straw.

Much like McCain's rash "fire Chris Cox!" response, this seems wildly underanalyzed by Team McCain.

Lets see,
(1) Obama is now up by more than the MoE in most national polls, and up in all major EV trackers.
(2) Conventional wisdom is that the candidate who is ahead should avoid debates.
(3) Without the debates, McCain needs something else to shake up the dynamic - hey, lets suspend and be all "Country First" and focus on the economy!

but

(a) That actually puts more focus on the economy, which is Obama's strong suit and which is driving polled potential voters to Obama
(b) It puts immense pressure on Team McCain to come up with a brilliant economic plan - which I highly doubt they are capable of doing
(c) Ask Jimmy Carter how well a "Rose Garden strategy" works for campaigning in a crisis environment.

All Obama has to do is say

"Look, I don't know about John McCain, but I have been focused on the economy. Yes, I've been preparing for our debate, too, but I understand that if I get the honor of serving this great country as President, you don't have the luxury of suspending things coming at you too fast. You have to deal with more than one thing at a time. So yes, we should focus on the economy and I intend to do that. But there is no need to leave the American people out of that focus. The American people have an important decision to make in just over 40 days. We should focus on the economy by taking this discussion to them, not holding it just in Washington. Delaying debates only keeps the American people in the dark. So my challenge to John McCain is this: we should go ahead and debate this Friday, but instead of the planned Foreign Policy debate, lets debate the most pressing issue on teh minds of voters today - the Economy? How about it John - you've been in Congress 26 years, you should be ready to discuss the economy. I plan to be at that debate, and I look forward to both of us sharing our views on how to help the American families, American workers and American main street through this crisis."

This is a huge opportunity for Obama.

I should add this pessimistic note, however:

There is one way McCain's strategy does make sense. And that is, if tonight in Bush's speech, he is planning to say "the crisis is so severe we need to suspend the election." President Cheney isn't going out without a fight. He's kinda taken to this dictator thing.

hit him hard on this. "where have you been the last ten days, john? why is it so important now, john?"

then hit him again. and again.

make note of the sheer desparation of it all.

orange

It's not at all unreasonable to wonder if there's just something wrong with John McCain.,/i>

Of course. There's a multitude of things wrong with John McCain. Would you like the list alphabetized or simply numbered?

Like Matt Daemon said:"this is a bad disney movie'.... it's fucking looney tunes ........ how can anyone with a pulse vote for this idiot ?

As you said in your last post: "The mind reels". Isn't it traditional that when you "suspend" your campaign, it means it's basically over?

Has this ever happened before?

As they say, Steve, no one ever went broke betting against the notion that American voters are idiots. While I don't think that McCain is going to win in the end, I will bet that this won't be the move that causes it all to fall apart. In fact, I would give even odds that it actually helps and polls around the country start showing that Americans think McCain did a very brave thing in stepping in to take charge and is obviously more of a leader than Obama now.

My cynicism meter snapped its needle off about a week ago when I stopped for a second and realized that this campaing was still close for absolutely no reason that makes a lick of sense.

I almost started to feel sorry for him, but then I remembered that republicans use empathy against us. They interpret that as a weakness and as a weapon to be used against us. So....ha ha. Grandpa Simpson is falling apart.

The Republican nomination has apparently gone to some kind of man-child who believes stunts and gimmicks are the way to the White House.

Worked in 2000. Oh, and 2004. But another man-child from the Republicans....Sheesh.

McCain's lobbyist friends have obviously insisted that he play a larger part in getting them some $$. Payback time is NOW, no time for campaigning.

This isn't that hard to figure out.

Dems on Capitol Hill have been making rumblings that if the Republicans don't join with them on this then no bailout.

They've also been rumbling that if John McCain doesn't vote for this then no bailout.

Phil Gramm got a call from Wall Street. It said "WTF is John McCain doing? Get him to shut up with that populist claptrap and get in line - we need this thing passed! Do you want all of us to lose our 5th house or something?"

Phil Gramm told the McCain campaign to get on board the Bailout Express. So now McCain has to go back to D.C. and make sure that whatever comes out of the Congress is something that at the very least isn't going to damage him on the campaign trail when he casts his ballot for it.

I think it is a great move. It is another example of the Republicans moving first and forcing Obama to react.

Where is the downside for McCain? If Obama goes along McCain gets credit for putting "country first" -- or in this case, Wall Street.

If Obama doesn't go along, it will be seen as Obama being too political.

McCain can secure a lot of free coverage by returning to Washington. He'll be seen as the great compromiser who brought everyone together (to ultimately rubber stamp what the administration wants).

What can Obama accomplish? Nothing. He knows how all this going to end: with Bush getting almost everything be wants.

And what if Obama continues on the campaign trail? It won't do much good if he keeps giving these little speeches in front of small crowds (small, in comparison to national TV audience).

Give credit where credit is due: the McCain is running circles around the Obama campaign. In an election year where everyone wants change, the McCain campaign has a 50-50 chance of selling a corrupt Washington insider to the American voting public.

The guy that finished 894 out of 899 in his class and admits he doesn't understand the economy that well (although he's got a book) probably doesn't need to get himself in the middle of this. He just is afraid of what might happen at the debates.

Too many negaives. Should have been: "Nobody went broke betting THAT the American voters are idiots."

McCain thinks this is going to make him look Presidential, and the sad truth is it probably will. According to the WaPo story, Obama called McCain at 8:30 this morning to propose doing a joint statement on the economic crisis. McCain returned the call at 2:30, agreeing to do so, and the campaigns were supposedly working on a statement. Then McCain unilaterally issues this. One man's desperation is another man's inspiration -- or have we already forgotten the lesson of Palin?

This is complete and total bullsh!t. We have less two months to go, WTF is going on here? Is the media gonna let this punk get away with this?

It will not be long until he claims that someone was trying to disrupt his daughter's wedding. He reminds me more of Ross Perot every day.

I guess the fundamentals of the economy aren't so strong.

It's a bold move. A desperate move. A game changing move. AGAIN.

A year ago, this guy wasn't a serious candidate for the Republican nomination. But because all the other candidates either sucked or ran sucky campaigns or some suckalicious combination of the two, he ended up -- by swinging for the fences/throwing a Hail Mary pass/some other overused sports metaphor, walking away with the nomination that he thought he deserved eight years ago. And now he's trying desperately to do it again. On a weekly basis he's trying something desperate.

And this time he's calling a time out.

Because you know, in times of crisis, you can just do that.

Remember how Bush acted on 9/11? Like a deer caught in headlights flying around trying to figure out what the fuck to do while the nation panicked? What the hell would McCain do in that situation? He can't even run a campaign without asking for a breather to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Not ready on Day One. Not at all.

This is not all that is wrong with John McCain.

The Washington Post has several reporters working to confirm allegations that John McCain is taking Alzheimer's drugs. Expect them to publish the story soon.

And several investigative reporters around the U.S. are also working on tracking down information coming from Canada that MCain's being going up there to get cancer treatment, out of the public eye, and that he has a recurrence of his melanoma with metastases, including a tumor on his lung.

Now that the parade on the bailout has changed directions, McCain is desperately trying to figure out how to jump in front of it. That's "hard work," particularly for an old coot whose campaign is thickly marbled with lobbyists and whose economic advisers include a failed CEO and one of the enablers of the meltdown.
McCain's campaign is toxic top to bottom and maybe even he has realized it.

Obama needs to counter-offer with a plan to shorten the debate or change the focus to domestic policy-- but not agree to cancel.

This is clearly a political stunt by McCain whereby he wants to appear as a "leader" in the crisis and have Obama "follow" his lead. The economic situation is a crisis but not an emergency (where each additional day has immediate and clear, dire consequences) that would merit postponing a critical debate. Is there a precedent for this?... Foreign policy is pretty important too - last I checked the final, total cost of the Iraq War will far exceed $700 billion.

They might actually be trying to hide something PHYSICALLY wrong with McCain. Why is one eye bigger than the other?

"Good lord, McCain really does think voters are idiots."

The question is: Is he right?

Is it possible to throw TWO Hail Mary passes in the course of a political campaign?

This will either be a small win for McCain or it'll completely backfire. Unfortunately I think it'll be the former, as it plays into McCain's "country first" BS.

This campaign really does resemble a reality TV show though, doesn't it? Jesus, I'm ready for this to be OVER.

The only thing that's changed in the last 48 hours is the public polling.

Wrong. What has changed is that Obama called McCain's campaign and suggested they get back to Washington to fix this bailout thing. McCain actually had the nerve to call a press conference to call on Obama to put aside partisan differences and pretend it was his idea. By the way, Obama sees no reason to delay the debate.

Of course, lawmakers and administration officials have been working quite a bit, but McCain, who has played no direct role in the negotiations thus far, wants to swoop in and tell everyone what they need to do.

Is he gonna tell them to just cut the bullshit? Because that totally always works.

McCain firing first?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/24/151942/594/254/608947

Apparently not.

Looks like both War Party Candidates take voters for idiots in their support of National Socialism and Lord Bush.

"At 8:30 this morning, 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. At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama’s call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in an e-mail to reporters sent immediately after McCain spoke.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_suspends_campaign_wants_to_delay_0924.html

Let Palin and Biden debate on Friday then.

To Pete in Washington:

Any links to that, please?

"I think it is a great move. It is another example of the Republicans moving first and forcing Obama to react."

Unh, actually dicksknee, Obama made the first call this morning. McCain's response was do pull this stunt. It's not smart, it's desperation.

For a little something to put this into perspective with the added bonus of sending a major shiver down your spine - go check out the latest from Glen Greenwald over at Salon "Why is a U.S. Army Brigade being assigned to the "Homeland?"

If that doesn't keep you awake tonight - check your pulse, you may already be dead.

I really thought my cynicism had gone beyond being surprised by anything the Repugs tried to pull. But this beats all.

The only hope for 'em (if there is an election) is that 1) Bush convinces that "there is a crisis"; 2) McCain convinces that "there is a crisis"; 3) the markets cooperate and "there is a crisis"; 4) Kim-il-Jong plays along guaranteeing "there is a crisis"; 5) Obama is too statesmanlike to call them on the BS; 6) we're collectively dorks enough to participate in the theater.

Possible.

ammending comment at 3:36. Nora O'Donnell said Obama called McCain campaign at 8:30 this AM. McCain aide Nancy Puffenhower did not deny it.

Obama should compromise and agree to debate the economy instead of foreign policy on Friday. This way the public gets the benefit of all that "focus" he would have done on the economy.

Obama should just go back to Washington unannounced and get busy. No big show, TBC (as Elvis would say). He should NOT allow John McCain to own this, and could easily happen if Obama stays on the campaign trail. If McCain wants to weasle out of the debate let him.

Also, mark my words, that vice presidential debate will never happen.

This just gets more and more ludicrous each day. I have been following the election very very closely and each time I think that McCain has hit a new low he goes even lower. I think everyone needs to own up to the fact that this man has lost his marbles.

Something is wrong with his health.
He's been on an up/down cycle lately, on-the-ball vs out-to-lunch, erratic, and unfocused.

And his gait is stiff, he's got a limp coming down airplane steps. He's weakening visibly.

Or maybe just say NO and emphasize that it's a trying time and that is precisely why we need to keep going and not abandon America--

to emphasize that

Americans NEED OUR VOICE and VISION NOW so they know there is hope and a coherent plan...

Crisis and juggling of issues happens all the time...the answer is not to postpone--

McCain is clearly at a loss with this economic crisis--he is just overwhelmed and tired and trying to buy time to re-group and to put together a coherent thought.

This points to his lack of ability to deal with a crisis aptly and coherently..

I've never even heard of a presidential candidate acting in such a reckless, compulsive, and ultimately haphazard fashion. McCain just decided to "suspend" campaign activities? This rivals picking Sarah Palin for the ticket on the list of desperation moves.

Excuse me, but McCain and Obama are current senators first. That's what the taxpayers are paying them to do. They BOTH should be suspending campaigns and getting back to Washington to work with their colleagues on a solution.

Their being presidential candidates should come second to their duty as congressmen. Otherwise, they should have resigned from Congress to run for President.

What really happened is that Governor Palin dumped her running mate and John McCain is using the financial crisis as a cover.

Mr. Broder, please spin the debate postponement for us.

Cancer back? Metastatic? Melanoma is like that.

So what, Obama should stress that he is a multi-tasker and what he learned last week while campaigning, McCain will do this week w/o leaving the campaign.

What does Palin think of suspending the campaign, what does she think of financial crisis ?

Well, I hope it doesn't take McCain too long to dust once he gets back to his Washington offices. Been a while since he's been there.

And what if two major things come up during a McCain presidency? Isn't he just admitting right now that he's only capable of handling one thing at a time?

I need a president competent enough to multi-task.

What's the political term for "taking my ball and going home"?

The words in this article -- "reckless, compulsive, and haphazard" -- are the ones Obama's surrogates should be bandying about right about now...

Obama's counterargument to this: Discussions behind closed doors are what got us into this mess in the first place. The American people deserve a full hearing on what we plan to do to fix the problem.

Can he suspend his campaign like Ron Paul and Huckabee and Romney did?

This from a man who hasn't shown up for work at all in literally months.

Apparently, he's only capable of campaigning or working. He doesn't have the stamina to juggle the two. Isn't this the perfect time to send Palin out on the campaign trail in his place while McCain gets to the hard work of saving the country? Why do I think she's about to disappear too? This whole thing is bizarre. Yet another instance where McCain seems to think he's already president.

I wish I was dreaming. Or drunk. Or better yet, dead.

Obama should use this opportunity to show up in Oxford and debate McCain's empty chair, fly to Washington and give a speech about the economy, then tell McCain "Modern Presidents need to be able to multitask."

He needs the time to name a new VP. I think they saw Palin would never be ready for her debate.

This is obviously great news for the McCain campaign.

"You remember all that talk in the primaries about being ready to take that 3 AM call? Well, we just got that call and John McCain wants to take a couple of days off to think about it. Ready on Day One? Not a chance..."

I agree that McCain suspending his campaign is pathetic, a stunt, and smacks of desperation.

But, he has a Republican media machine now most likely in working in overdrive praising his leadership.

I disagree with Steve Benen though on one point - the American people are idiots. This gimmick probably will go over very well with general public.

He needs the time to name a new VP. I think they saw Palin would never be ready for her debate.

Moderator: "Mrs. Palin, what do you think should be done about regulating the CDO's and other complex financial instruments that play such a large part in the current financial crisis?"
Palin: "CD's are so old-fashioned. Todd, my First Dude, has put all of our moose hunting movies on DVD. DVD's are much better than CD's. You can watch them on your television and everything."

Dear American, My Dear Friend:
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America.
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude...

Posted by: zeitgeist at 3:26 PM

"There is one way McCain's strategy does make sense. And that is, if tonight in Bush's speech, he is planning to say "the crisis is so severe we need to suspend the election." President Cheney isn't going out without a fight. He's kinda taken to this dictator thing."

From Bloomberg:

FBI Subprime Probe Adds Fannie, Freddie, AIG, Lehman

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_oZZHsX.QIM&refer=home

There is so much crap that is barely being contained in the dark that I think, (and have thought all along), that there is legitimacy to zeitgeist's concerns. The last ditch grab for big money and control that is faltering, the lack of momentum of last hope McBush. They are going down and they really don't want to go down. As a matter of fact, the thought of going down makes ShrubCo/RepubCo sick. And angry. And desperate.

This has been a very freaky campaign. But there's an underlying darkness on the RepubCo side that is dangerous and simmering.

So I guess this means that the 9/11 economic commission job is a wash, huh?

Jesus f-ing Jacaranda, I keep waiting for Porky Pig to show up and say "That's all Folks!"

I agree McCain suspending his campaign is a stunt and smacks of desperation.

But, the Senator also has the Republican media machine behind him and now most likely in overdrive praising his leadership etc.

This will be the first story reported on tonight on all the network news. It will be interesting to see how they report the story.

I disagree with Mr. Benen on one point, and that is the American people are idiots. I can see this gimmick going over well with the general public.

Looks like there will be plenty more surprises before November 4th.

"the crisis is so severe we need to suspend the election."

This is a crisis of confidence, so that would make no sense whatsoever as a way to resolve it. It would only make sense as a move to deliberately tip the world into chaos.

Suspension of disbelief.

That's what's required of us all right now.

We've gone from lipstick on a pig to "the greatest crisis our economy" has ever faced.

Something doesn't add up.

Isn't it traditional that when you "suspend" your campaign, it means it's basically over?

Well, yeah, but traditionally McCain should have waited until after Election Day to acknowledge it.

He just lost the votes of all those people having debate parties.

DESPARATION on the McShame camp. Obama should YELL out to the media that McShame is in desparation mode and has not been "working" on the ecomony for 30 years he has been in Washington so why start now. McShame's camp is in meltdown and it shows. The media needs to jump on this and make sure McSHame does not get away with this. It is crazy for us to vote without hearing from all involved in debates not trumped up media events.

It seems to me that there has been a fair amount of news lately suggesting that while there may be emergencies, the economy is not one of them. Does the economy suck? sure. Is there a possibility that the problems with the credit markets will cause economic collapse? Sure, we have known that since at least January and the warning signs have been there for years. Are there a host of potential solutions other than Dumbya's Treasury Secretary's? Right again. Will the world come to an end if nothing gets done until after the election? Unlikely. On the other hand, rumor has it that the situation in Afgahnistan is "grim". Pakistan, a nuclear state, could blowup at any time and it is apparantly intent on shooting Americans who stray across the border, North Korea is restarting it nuclear reactor without oversight, Russia is still pushing its weight around in Georgia, gas is still near $4 a gallon and I doubt if our dependence on foreign oil has declined this year, we continue to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq and our trade deficit has not decreased despite a huge increase in exports caused by the incredible shrinking dollar. I suspect anyone of these items is more urgent than the slow failure of commercial banks and the ensuing tightening of credit. Frankly, if the result of financial crisis is that money will not be available for sub prime mortgage lending, this would be a good thing. Business has a lot of credit options available to it, and I for one would be happy to take some money out of my mattress and lend it if business will pay me a respectable return--above inflation and something for the risk. On the other hand if Pakistan collapses and the loonies get their hands on the nukes, the world really could end in short order.

From the NY Times. I'm thinking this is the real story. Davis was paid specifically FOR his association with McCain. And McCain apparently knew it.

"They said they did not recall Mr. Davis’s doing much substantive work for the company in return for the money, other than speak to a political action committee of high-ranking employees in October 2006 on the approaching midterm Congressional elections. They said Mr. Davis’s firm, Davis & Manafort, had been kept on the payroll because of Mr. Davis’s close ties to Mr. McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, who by 2006 was widely expected to run again for the White House."

Let the debate go on!

Well, McCain opposed regulation of Wall Street for his 30-year Washington career, and I can imagine that he's is none too anxious to debate during the meltdown of Wall Street.

Better to fake that he's a leader in resolving a crisis... otherwise yes, why indeed NOW say something? (Oh, yeah, because the Dems called quietly to discuss a joint statement)

Remember a few years ago when the Reps had come up with an immigration plan they worked on for a long while and McCain waltzed in at the last minute trashed them and their plans because only he knew anything about immigration? Didn't he cuss out Cornyn or some others? Think this will be a replay?

Other than that it's just effing weird.

It's the Rose Garden strategy -- without the Rose Garden!

Symptoms of Alzheimer's

• Memory loss.
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
• Problems with language.
• Disorientation to time and place.
• Poor or decreased judgment
• Problems with abstract thinking.
• Misplacing things.
• Changes in mood or behavior.
• Changes in personality.
• Loss of initiative
• Repeats the same things over and over (questions, stories, or statements)
• Trouble learning how to use a tool, appliance, or gadget (e.g., VCR, computer, microwave, remote control)
• Forgets correct month or year
• Trouble handling complicated financial affairs
• Trouble remembering appointments
• Daily problems with thinking or memory

"Excuse me, but McCain and Obama are current senators first. That's what the taxpayers are paying them to do. They BOTH should be suspending campaigns and getting back to Washington to work with their colleagues on a solution.

Their being presidential candidates should come second to their duty as congressmen. Otherwise, they should have resigned from Congress to run for President." Posted by: pencarrow

Let's see, a Maverick that no one in his own party listens to and a 1st term junior senator from Illinois.

Nope, their being Senators and Congressmen is NOT more important than their campaigns for the Presidency, and certainly not more important than one of the three debates they have agreed to have to tell the American People what their policies would be. These guys aren't going to decide the course of this issue, the chairmen of the various committees and the secretary of the treasury and Fed chairman are. We need to know what they would do in the future (January 20th, 2009 for instance) not how they will wring their hands now.

I do agree with GeorgiaGirl and others here that they should agree to change the debate to the Economy. Foreign Policy will be ill served if we discuss it on Friday.

"Mr. Broder, please spin the debate postponement for us." Posted by: Ted76

If Obama had just done town halls with John "Zinger" than the three debates would not be so important. See, it's all Barack's fault.

Final Thought:

John "Zinger" McC^nt must be very sick or very desperate.

now Lance, you dont give Broder enough credit.

he'll say that if Obama had just agreed to 15 town halls we wouldn't be in economic crisis!

Obama should say: "Whether our debate is held or not, Election Day is still rapidly approaching -- five and a half weeks from this Friday night's debate. And there is no denying that our economy is experiencing serious difficulties. The congressional leaders working on a solution are quite capable of resolving the problems. All of which makes it more imperative than ever that Senator McCain and I, this Friday night, should talk about the economy instead of foreign policy. Both of us owe it to the American people to let them listen to our respective views on how to deal with this critical situation. Neither of us can afford to go A.W.O.L. on this. We will serve the American people better by proceeding with our debate rather than canceling it.

McCain HAS to do this. Wealthcare is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fundamentally alter our government.

How can he be distracted by trivial things like campaigning or preparing for a meaningless debate?

The Right will crow and shout that John is showing TRUE leadership with this move.

But it's us, the American taxpayers, who will lose bigtime when Wealthcare goes into effect.

You have to keep in mind that 10/01/08 is a very real deadline, that's what's driving the urgency in Washington right now.

Suspension of disbelief.

This is scary. A bunch of what-ifs have popped into my head. For instance, what if by doing this, McCain somehow throws the election and we end up in the midst of another recount where no one's really in charge?

Jesus. Maybe that's why they're bringing home the troops for "homeland protection".

"They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack."

I don't like this one bit.

That's not how it's being reported in other news outlets folks. NPR's been going on about this all afternoon. They don't mention Obama's morning call. Just McCain, selflessly putting political ambition aside in recognition of the greater good. OK, it's not quite that bad, but that's pretty clearly the subtext. Obama should counter with an offer to suspend campaigning, but to debate Friday on economics, not foreign policy.

Who, exactly, was demanding that McCain rush back to D.C., roll up his sleeves, and get to work on this? Who thought what we are missing in D.C. is his John McCain's expertise, insight, and judgment? Who now thinks his presence in D.C. will help matters?

mccain is "suspending" his campaign so he doesn't have to face david letterman on wednesday night.

i wandered over to "townhall" to see what the kool-aid kids have to say about all this. there's a lot of cheering that mccain is "putting country first" and obama reads from a teleprompter -- the usual nonsense.

heads are exploding over the question of the bailout because republican talking points haven't been passed out so they don't know what they're supposed to think.

pretty hilarious. we've crossed over from somewhat dark farce to comedy farce.

Dolphins 38 - Patriots 13

Gimmicks work.

Oh SNAP!

You know if McCain is willing to cancel his campaign and concede defeat - I might vote for him!

Noun, Verb, “Tweety� McCain was a Viet Cong collaborator.

http://www.counterpunch.org/valentine06132008.html

FREE AMERICA

REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY

McCain should never win this election now. If he does, it is either stolen, or our typical US voter has no morals any longer, or scruples for that matter.

His campaign is about an old man of "small build" trying to play with the big boys to prove to daddy he can be an admiral.

Don't you think this rash, irrational, stubborn, narrowminded man only wants to be president before he dies so he can say "I rattled the sabre right in front of Putin and stared him down."

Great ego moment for McCain there...MORE OF THE SAME for the American voter...an alienated US system in a world that is moving further and further from it...all the while WE DONT HAVE THE NATURAL/PRODUCTION RESOURCES TO BE MORE DEPENDENT ON OUR SELVES YET.

McCain will crush our econonmy by rattling the
"SABRE OF ISOLATION" so he can feel "a big man."

This guy is dangerous, not because he is a republican (though they do need to have their power supressed for abuses) but because he is NARCISSISTIC, and congressional members know this.

May the rational minds of our country see through all this ridiculous distortion, hype, media control etc.

Anyone aware of McCain's "cash-on-hand"?

Focusing on an economic crisis can give a financially strapped campaign some fundraising time, couldn't it?

I Just did a little research on past elections for President.

Did you know?

We had a presidential campaign in 1864, when Sherman was marching on Atlanta.

We had a presidential election in 1944, when D-Day was going on in Normandy,

The election of 1864 between Lincoln and McClellen was conducted during the Civil War.

The United States presidential election of 1944 between Franklin Roosevelt and Dewey took place while the United States was preoccupied with fighting World War II.

Guess our parents, grandparents, great grandparents or great great grandparents were better able to multitask than we.

So what’s next?

Are we next going to be asked to suspend the election because the country is in CRISIS?

Call me cynical but I really wonder if McCain's supposed "suspension" of his campaign isn't a prelude to a call for just that!

Suspending the election until the crisis is over!

After all, didn't Senator McCain say they should WAIT to debate until after the Congress had voted upon the terms for the bail-out?

OK, I'm more confused than I was before.

Just watched an interview with McCain where he was asked if he would be attending the debate tomorrow night.

His response was that he hoped that things would go well in DC tomorrow so he could but that he wanted to have 10 Town Hall meetings with Obama and hoped that Obama would agree to that.

So let me get this straight!

Things are soooooooooo bad with the economy that McCain has to ride to the rescue in DC and can't attend the debate tomorrow night.

BUT, in the 40 days left before the election, McCain expects they could hold 10 Town Hall meetings?

Does that make ANY SENSE AT ALL!?

Where in the US will the brigade be stationed?

In Washington DC?

Surrounding Congress?

Weapons aimed inward?

While certain new emergency powers proposed by the White House are being discussed?