Understand? Walk and talk?

How elitist...

For that matter, what is it, exactly, that McCain "needs to do"?

Well, for starters, he's going to read Paulson's three-page proposal.

I think he's just tired.

Chewing gum - is that 'ethnic' or not? Someone call Tweety..

McCain needs to maintain the appearance of involvement so that where there is a deal, and there will be, he can send campaign spokesliar Tucker Bounds out to claim that McCain's "leadership" made it happen.

While John McCain was providing leadership, and putting Country First, Barack Obama was putting politics first.

Can't you just hear it?

All joking aside, it seems from various clues just what John McCain needs to do. In the debate he indicated that 'of course' he is going to vote for bailout legislation. That tells you where HE stands. The problem is the House Republicans. In an election, the Democrats aren't going to force through a bill like this without bi-partisan support. Bush and Cheney have proved ineffective in getting the House Republican on board. McCain as 'titular head' of the Republican party has the job of bringing them on side (those are all the calls he is making). The question is how he is convincing them? What leverage does he have? Presumably, this isn't the crew that wants Sarah Palin off the ticket. I'm not quite clear that McCain thought it would come to this when he pulled the stunt he did last week. In any case, that's the best sense I can make of McCain hanging out in Washington making phone calls. There really is a financial crisis, a bill needs to be passed. The House Republicans were going to do something really stupid, and no one in the Republican party seemed to be able to stop them. McCain had to be the one to deal with it somehow. If I am right, it shows just what a mess the Republican party is right now.

Whose using phones?

"Blackberries Confiscated as the Tough Negotiations Begin At Congress":
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/staffers-for-th.html

Hmm. No one answering. Hmm.

Geez. This feels almost like he's giving up.

Let's remember that McCain doesn't work weekends. It's been widely reported throughout the last year and a half that he keeps "bankers' hours", and much to the consternation of his handlers, they can't get him to campaign on weekends.

I've got a transcript of McPOW working the phones:

"Sell! Sell EVERYTHING damn it!!"

Oops. That was a call to his broker. Let me see. McPOW working with his fellow CongressCritters on the bailout bill ... Hmm. I know there must be something ... Maybe this is it.

"Hello, you've reached the HotLaska phone line where everyone has a hot time on long, cold nights ..."

Whoops! Never mind.

Silly fellow, this John McNasty. Barely hanging on. Sooooooooooo important...
Oozing depressive symptomatology.
Overcompensating with anger and dismissiveness toward Barack the greater.
Self-important in D.C. --when in fact, it all came out that he gummed up the works, with nothing but his divisiveness to contribute.
I think he was pissed his little game of 'suspending the campaign and 'saving the day' blew up on him.
His cognitive decline is evident.
I suspect he's sleeping the next few days.

STEVE - I SENT YOU AN E-MAIL THAT IS RATHER IMPORTANT, GIVE IT A LOOK SEE ASAP.

tAWo

Vascular dementia.

I do believe folks are catching on to this very real possibility.

When a person suffers mini-strokes, it's not obvious that a major impairment is present.

It's subtle.

After the events of the week I remain confident that my diagnosis stands a good chance of being correct.

Erratic. Combative. Contemptuous. Stoic. Memory impairment. Talking points. Reiterations of same even when someone else (like Obama) has uttered them.

Like I said. Two words.

Vascular dementia.

Heil gallstone. Moronica for morons.

Hey, you know that square ad you have hanging down over the blog space on this blog?

Well, I hate it. As in: I HATE IT.

I know the internet is rapidly devolving into just another advertising gauntlet. I've even run across sites where I have to navigate my mouse down the page like a soldier tip-toeing through a minefield on order not to trigger any popups.

But you know what? I don't go to those sites anymore, and those sites are going to die becuase of their money-grubbing ways and the way the put their advertisers' needs ahead of mine.

So choose, okay? Sell out, or knock it off. But this half-assed attempt to call more attention to one more bit of meaningless crap in front of my eyes is more than irritating.

My guess is they are having a summit to figure out what to do with Palin. As if McCain himself wasn't enough of a problem, they now have Palin dragging down the ticket. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving group of people.

God can't you let the old man rest, Steve?

I heard he's interviewing Miss South Carolina as possible replacement for Palin. Or maybe he's interviewing Rudy who will show up in drag as Sarah?

doesn't understand the nature of the crisis.

I don't think any of us understand the nature of the crisis.

My gut is telling me that the House Republicans are going to walk and no agreement will get done tomorrow night and the markets in the far east will crash and the Dow futures will be down about 1000 points.

My gut tells me that the House republicans will be directly responsibe for the breakdown and we have about a 40% chance of having a major world wide DEPRESSION.

I hope I am wrong.

Maybe he's really working on setting up the campaign's new "shake things up" effort: Bristol Palin's wedding.

I remember posting to the Carpet Bagger Report last spring that we would see McCain running a very controlled and restricted campaign (meaning his appearances would be controlled and restricted). After watching him stumble through his address in front of the green screen, we knew something was wrong. The evidence keeps mounting. His actions deserve contempt, but he's losing his character because he's losing it, period.

I don't think any of us understand the nature of the crisis.

I think lots of us understand the nature of the crisis. What I think few, if any, really understand is the potential extent of the crisis if it isn't checked.

Which is one reason I think if a bipartisan deal on a sane plan doesn't look workable, the Dems need to huddle, go back to square one, put the best plan together they can without the Republicans, and then work on selling it to the American people as they ram it through Congress.

We can't afford inaction, and the desire for bipartisan solution (appropriate as it is in the circumstances) can't trump the need to have an effective one.

I really think that he was just too tired today to go out. It is really killing him that Palin is just about useless on the campaign trail right now.

As sosted by: Mark on September 27, 2008 at 8:05 PM:

It's been widely reported throughout the last year and a half that he keeps "bankers' hours"

Let's remember that McCain doesn't work weekends. It's been widely reported throughout the last year and a half that he keeps "bankers' hours", and much to the consternation of his handlers, they can't get him to campaign on weekends.

Wasn't the "bankers' hours" things a much trumpeted difference in the Bush approach to the Presidency from Clinton's?

And, in other news, the entire mainstream media + bloggysphere appears to have forgotten that two days ago McCain wasn't even going to show up for the debate unless the "crisis" was "resolved." Will anyone bother to ask The Maverick just what the heck is going on in that tinpot cranium of his?

These days, 'banker's hours' means sleeping in til noon because you're unemployed.

Now that's a schedule John McCain can believe in!

Hey... Cut McCain some slack. We may not like what he's doing but he IS doing something:

1)Making sure there is no bankruptcy protection for homeowners.
2)Making sure that judges can not change the mortgages and adjust the payments to make them affordable.
3)Making sure that nobody mentions his buddy Gramm's stake in creating the mess.
4)Making sure that nobody makes connections to the Keating 5.
5)Making sure that he will get credit, once it turns out that most people are in favor.
6)Making sure that he knows when the camera's will be turned on, and where the location is for the photo-op.
7)Making sure that everybody knows that he's putting country first by not campaigning - even though his campaign never stopped campaigning.
8)Making sure he reads Obama's proposals on how to deal with the crisis, so he can claim credit by repeating the suggestions.
9)McCain is so busy that I can't even list all the tasks he's involved with; not counting his nap, and screaming at some campaign aids because nobody stopped him when he said 'horseshit' on camera.

That's all hard work.

I'm beginning to think McCain wouldn't look at Obama because he'd see the triumph in the eyes of the man who has punked him repeatedly and devastatingly in the last few weeks.
Starting at the Biden nomination (which would have made the Lieberman nomination look copycat--two experienced senators) to humiliating him both at the bailout negotiations and forced him into debating--if he looked into Obama's face he'd see (or imagine he saw) a little smile of triumph. "I'm beating you at every turn, old man, and making you look like an asshole while I'm at it."
And if he saw that he would knock down the podium and rush him screaming obscenities.
Which would make me wish I had a TiVo.

So he said he would suspend the campaign but the campaign continued.

He said he'd help "bring people together" for the financial crisis but he didn't do anything.

He said he wouldn't debate, but he debated.

Now he says the campaign is no longer suspended, but he's not campaigning.

What is wrong with this guy? Can't he remember what says about himself?

Distracted watching Penn State and Illinois--with officiating clearly against the Illinis'--but wanted to say this:
Bagnewsnotes.typepad.com has a photo of McCain's very smug looking key staff--Schmidt, Black, McDonald, et al--with a post entitled "Have a Little FU with Your National Crisis"--as they are caught smiling, duplicitous, conspiratorial with McCain running to DC...pure Rovial tactics.
Also--a pictorial with McCain and Rudy boarding yet another plane together--
I suspect Rudy will be replacing the beleagured Sarah soon. She will step down due to "family obligations??...."

Question:

Who in Camp McCain is going to speak up and tell Senator Hothead that acting nasty might not have played well in Peoria?

Answer:

No one. They all know better. McNasty's yellow teeth are sharp and snap down hard...

Conclusion:

You personality determines your management style determines the quality of feedback you get which determines your success.

at Bagnewsnotes they have a great line:

Old McCain Conventional wisdom: Heroic Bomber pilot

New McCain Conventional wisdom: Kamikaze

Really, Benen, have you no respect for, or understanding of, your elders? According to NYT, McCain didn't get back to DC till *4AM*. A youngster like Obama can hop on another plane and go off campaigning (NC at noon, VA at 18:30) but a more er... mature person like McCain needs a bit more time to recharge his batteries, especially after such an extended effort as the last night's debate. The naps don't need to be long, but it's essential that they're *frequent*.

Can anyone honestly say that they've ruled out Hon. Sen. McCain deep sixing this bailout and trying to ride a populist wave to the White House? If he does support whatever plan emerges, he is going to face greater than anticipated attrition as Rep. Barr and Mr. Nader syphon off some of the fringe, and otherwise supportive voters sit on their hands instead.

What is wrong with this guy? Can't he remember what says about himself?
First, the short term memory goes.

So, today he's not working on Wealthcare or campaigning? Not on the Hill. Not on the trail.

Phoney.

I thought everyone could phone from anywhere these days?

Yes Rove is all over FOX News defending McCain. It seems this thing called a “surge� is debated in something were McCain is right and pounding out where Obama is wrong. If there was anything that looks as ass backwards as the bail out request from Bush, then it is this Karol Rove in constant ranting interview spewing articulately decisive military actions, dates, operations, with a list of knowing military concerns beyond what Karol Rove should know about all this stuff. Rove likely knows what is the bank that is chosen to go down so he talks about the Surge.

Here, Rove reveals a huge list of particulars exactly similar relationship in the Valarie Plame situation; but now those discrepancies and fine tuned ideals Karol Rove refuses to talk about in front of the Congress, those of Valerie Plame. But freely wonders FOX News to rant and spew the Surge worked. My God, yet here before our eyes this Rove Rogue, Maverick person is boldly and blatantly refusing to tell America’s representatives what they want to hear, now all the while Rove gets air time to tell what he wants America to hear. And the more I hear this thing about the surge worked the more I believe it did not.

For me, here, Karol Rove just being in this Public Cable medium delivering opinion, facts, and deliberate suggestions on what the higher levels in military operations have been shows and reveals to the American audience the very, very huge bias, and fraud perpetrated by an insider given huge, huge air time to devise smear, and leverage McCain as a good Maverick. Here, in reality Mavericks, cheat, lie, steel, finagle, swindle, and film flam people out of things money and property for profit any way legal or not. They murder too.

If McCain is glowing it is because he is slowly exploding into a supernova and here is plainly what Obama needs to do.

The Surge, pure and simple, Obama needs to explain his position as he would think as the President and Commander and Chief. This is a small addition but the most powerful. Obama needs to make the argument the Surge did not work simply from his own perspective as a Commander and Chief. Loudly and firmly it was not the right thing to do and this Surge was not good enough to get the job done. Obviously did not get the job done because McCain goes on and on that even a limited withdrawal is a defeat for all America has tried to do so far. All that talk does not add up.

Please, Senator Barrack Obama, This guy, McCain and Bush used torture and secret prisons, he admitted to it, that is not a wining ingredient to win the minds and hearts of Iraqis. The Surge is a moot point in what comprehends in the moral discourse of spreading freedom and worse America’s moral leadership position has been totally ruined around the world. This all begs the question that has been avoided; did McCain know torture was used and when did he know.

Please, Senator Obama, they admit to use mercenaries with unaccountable actions giving way to a totally obnoxious war theory of open ended mysteries filled with corruption, fraud murder, and assaination of innocent people.

Success is when America has not lost any life any more and we don’t spend ten billion dollars a month in Iraq.

I have this image of McCain getting up late this morning and not being able to muster the energy to get dressed. He ends up spending the whole day in the condo in pajamas, a robe, and slippers watching old Ronald Reagan movies on the 52in LCD TeeVee.

" "He can effectively do what he needs to do by phone," said senior adviser Mark Salter.
Is that so. According to the McCain campaign, the senator doesn't really have to get directly involved in discussions about a possible Wall Street bailout; he can "do what he needs to do by phone." If that's the case, why "suspend" the presidential campaign at all?"

Not only that, but remember how Republicans were criticizing Obama for staying away from Washington after McCain "suspended" the campaign? Obama said "call me if you need me," and Repubs were incensed that he thought he could do by telephone what McCain was doing by showing up in person. Of course it was ultimately good that they did both show up for that WH meeting; otherwise, Obama wouldn't gotten to bait McCain on his support for the insurance plan.

I don't know what everyone's grousing about.
The McCain slogan is Change Is Coming.
I assume he's talking about his position on any given issue.

I read on the Huffington Post on Friday that Ed Rollins told Andersen Cooper, in response to his question about what was going on in there with the rogue Repugs, "bare knuckle politics...some don't want McCain as titular head of the party...they don't trust him with fiscal matters and immigration." AC said, "that's scary that they are putting the party before the country." Rollins: "that's exactly what's going on"...

McCain is trying to keep these guys from throwing him under the bus. He isn't working on the bailout proposal.

...they don't trust him with fiscal matters and immigration."

How bad do you have to be with fiscal matters to not be trusted by The Drunken Sailorâ„¢ Party?

I have noticed that McCain is basically all talk. He's also a do nothing senator. I don't think people honestly realize that.

That is really ice-cold disrespect for the voting public. It's only 24 hours after the debate, and McCain hasn't even tried to make the slightest pretense that his presence really was needed in Washington or that he is dedicated to working on the financial crisis until he has a solution in hand. He is just thumbing his nose at the public, and calling them a bunch of gullible suckers.

The McCain campaign puts on its well worn water skies and prepares o jump the shark again:

McCain camp prays for Palin wedding

In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one — the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.

Inside John McCain’s campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. “It would be fantastic,� said a McCain insider. “You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week.�

McCain has officially crossed over into "you can't make this shit up" territory.

N Wells: That is really ice-cold disrespect for the voting public.

1) McCain has been around long enough to know what he can get away with. Especially as an alpha white male with POW experience. Basically he has got unlimited media credit and an endless suply of get-out-of-jail-free cards. He is virtually indestructible, and leaps from plane crash to plane crash...

2) He has also been around enough to know that the public's attention span is fleeting, especially given (1), and the fact that football season has just begun. You say there is a global financial crisis? Get back to me on that on Monday...

So yeah.
Totally agree: Ice cold disrespect for the voting public captures it perfectly.

The AP still working a side-job as McCain campaign surrogates, I see...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE2JCSH5p9r2GBkQWS9TWAMzmuvQD93FGRV80

'While John McCain was providing leadership, and putting Country First, Barack Obama was putting politics first.'

Can't you just hear it?

Posted by: UncommonSense on September 27, 2008
------------------

To whom has John McCain EVER provided leadership?

How, in this financial crisis is John McCain putting Country First when he doesn't involve himself in solving the problem?

Would John McCain expect a presidential candidate to not campaign and instead abdicate that responsibility and let down all the supporters who depend upon him?

I want to know if John McCain thinks the people who took out mortgages which later turned out to be bad were just stupid and deserve to now be turned out of their homes or if they deserve some help from the government?

Personal Responsibility or Government Help?

I want to know who, or what class of outfit, originated these bad mortgages and who ended up with them. The money has flowed one way and the bad mortgages the other. Is there fraud involved or were these just stupid bankers? Now that the economy is at risk should we let the stupid bankers go bankrupt or offer government help?

Personal Responsibility or Government Help?

John McCain led the House Republicans against the $700B bailout. Does he have another plan or is he just against government involvement? Where would his leadership take us?

Personal Responsibility or Government Help?

If John McCain were president I wonder if he would investigate the mortgage lenders for fraud in that they were lending irresponsibly with a clear eye to foreclosing later and reclaiming houses. Would he investigate for fraud in that those obviously bad mortgages were sold at inflated prices to other financial firms to get them off their hands when they knew these were bad assets at inflated prices? Where would his leadership take us?

Personal Responsibility or Government Help?

When John McCain voted for the deregulating legislation one must wonder if he was aware of this morass he was leading us to. Is this the kind of leadership he offers us on other issues?

Is this what John McCain offers us: Personal Responsibility where thieves and wolves are free to trick anyone into giving up their life's savings, their home and their business?

Personal Responsibility to the extent that you're always left on your own doesn't remind me of a Traditional Family Value. It reminds me of the chaotic lawless Wild West before proper Law was instituted. John McCain might be a maverick, but is he capable of leading us to a brighter future?

Republicans have been enamored of the economics of Milton Freidman and the pre-Roosevelt era of Personal Responsibility seen during the Roaring '20s. Is that the kind of Lawless society John "Crash" McCain wants to lead us to? Is that the kind of deregulated financial market he, and his economics adviser Phil Gramm, have already led us to?

America can't afford that kind of irresponsible political philosophy. We need a return to common sense regulation and Law.