Its hard to know how McCain’s faux-suspension and debate gambit will play out – because at this point we don’t really know what he is thinking about the bailout propositions or whether he will debate tonight. He and his campaign seem to just be making this all up as they go. Maybe I’m missing something here and they have some step-by-step plan that is as yet indecipherable, but it sure is below the radar now.
From various media and press stories he seems to be trying to float House Republican ideas that neither Paulson or Congressional Democrats prefer without actually owning them. That’s leadership?
He forces an unnecessary White House photo op, proceeds to contribute next-to-nothing to the meeting except offering vague reference to House Republican alternatives and then puts out conflicting press statements that neither clarify his views or suggest he even has one – all the while criticizing everyone else.
The only thing that seems clear is that McCain wants to get some credit for the outcome, whatever that is, while doing nothing to actually make agreement possible. Obama on the other hand seemed to have a plan and the Democrats a clue. As described in politico.com.
It was McCain who had urged Bush to call the White House meeting but Democrats made sure Obama had a prominent part. And much as they complained later of being blindsided, the whole event turned out to be something of an ambush on their part-aimed at McCain and House Republicans.
“Speaking professionally,” said one Republican aide, “They did a very good job.”
When Bush yielded early to Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- Nev.) to speak, they yielded to Obama to speak for the assembled Democrats. And it was Obama who raised the subject of the conservative alternative and pressed Paulson on what he thought of the idea.
House Republicans felt trapped-squeezed by Treasury, House Democrats and a bipartisan coalition in the Senate. And while McCain spoke surprisingly little after asking for the meeting, he conceded that it appeared there were not the votes for the core Paulson plan without major changes.
Marc Ambinder suggests in his Atlantic blog that while McCain did not openly push House Republican ideas as some Democrats suggested he essentially did nothing but raise concerns. Ambinder writes:
Republicans like John Boehner brought up the concerns of House GOPers and McCain acknowledged hearing about their concerns. And McCain, and staffers, did seek to gauge the level of support of the GOP working group’s white paper. The Democrats were left with the impression that McCain endorsed the GOP efforts, but they concede that he did not raise them directly.
The fact is that Boehner doesn’t have 100 votes from his conference — 100 votes that Nancy Pelosi really wants. And that’s not McCain’s fault.
But Boehner and the White House — and McCain — if they want to get something passed — do have the responsibility to persuade these Republicans to support the bailout.
So what is McCain doing there if he is not doing that? He could have spent his day getting Boehner and Co. on board or, if he wanted to dissent, could have come out openly for their plan and made a pitch, even if that meant breaking the possibility for any agreement. Maybe he just wants to have some House Republican ideas included in the final package. If he can do that and bring their votes then maybe he claims credit for a bipartisan deal. Whatever he has done so far though has not gotten us any closer to a deal. Who knows what today will bring.
McCain expects that if he is in proximity to discussions on finance, he will by osmosis understand the economy better, a subject about which he’s not particularly well-versed. Just as Palin understands Russia from governing its adjoining state, McCain will understand finance by working in an office adjoining the negotiations.
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p>”I can see the meetings from my office!”
McCain needs to win, a tie goes to Obama, and Obama may have the opportunity to end this thing.