Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Sen. John McCain was on the television,
again, and
said:
"It is time the president came off the campaign trail, sat down and negotiated and talked with us and see areas of common ground."
Or, as interpreted by Greg Sargent: "How dare Obama go out on the trail and tell Americans that Senate Republicans won't allow a majority vote on jobs policies they strongly support, when he should be staying in Washington and giving us cover to obstruct his jobs agenda in order to fulfill our stated top priority of destroying his presidency?"
There's also a basic problem with staying in Washington and negotiating with Republicans. Most of them aren't around, again. It's another week off for the House.
For the House, this is the beginning of what would be a great schedule to have for work—off this week, two four day work weeks after that, off the week of November 7, a five day work week, then off the week of Thanksgiving, as well as the Monday after Thanksgiving.
That's 13 work days until Thanksgiving, and just thirteen until a temporary federal budget runs out—which probably means that will be extended into December.[...]
Congress could probably work on just the budget every single day for the rest of the year and be hard pressed to finish it by Christmas.
As an aside, that's assuming that the Republicans want to pass a budget. I'm guessing they don't, not when they can force another hostage crisis over it.
But here's the main point: The Republican House has 13 work days until Thanksgiving (the nation has 29 work days until Thanksgiving). While President Obama is out talking to the nation about the jobs crisis, John Boehner is probably working on his golf game. Maybe next time McCain feels the need to scold someone, he should get all mavericky and chastise his colleagues in the House.