I found McCain's "statement" on Ambinder and thought it would be fun to compare McCain's version of current events to that of the real world. To sum up: McCain blames yesterday's botched White House meeting and the ongoing crisis on....Barack Obama. We say: uh....John? What meeting did YOU attend?
First, the "statemtent" in full:
John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis.
In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bailout bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices.
Both parties in both houses of Congress and the administration needed to come together to find a solution that would deserve the trust of the American people. And while there were attempts to do that, much of yesterday was spent fighting over who would get the credit for a deal and who would get the blame for failure. There was no deal or offer yesterday that had a majority of support in Congress. There was no deal yesterday that included adequate protections for the taxpayers. It is not enough to cut deals behind closed doors and then try to force it on the rest of Congress -- especially when it amounts to thousands of dollars for every American family.
The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections.
Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.
Let's take this bit by bit, shall we?
John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis.
Perhaps this is true in some universe. But it doesn't quite pass Mr. Letterman's "smell test" because, in fact, the McCain campaign was NOT suspended in any way shape or form, and his supporters and surrogates did not "set politics" aside in their continued assault on Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bailout bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices.
Well, Americans didn't see much except a hastily organized photo op -- and my personal theory is that one reason McCain got so "mavericky" in this meeting is because a number of pundits assumed that the meeting would be largely cosmetic and simply a result for both McCain and Obama to look bipartisan. That's a loss (or at best a "Tie") for McCain in the news cycle, so he needed to do something to assert his vast importance and continue the false "country first" meme.
Back to the analysis: first of all, who is "Washington" and who did it play the blame game with? (Or, of course, "Warshington?") According to most reports, "Warshington" actually DID come together to find a solution (or at least a proposed solution) that would "avert a collapse of financial markets." I'm sure you can find many relevant links, but it's clear that in the past few days, in response to the Paulson/Bush "blank check" request, leaders in Congress (on both sides of the aisle) forged their own legislation to address what Sec. Paulson said was required while building in safeguards, caveats and assurances. You know, the kind of things that would discourage "unsafe lending practices" in the future. What do you call those things again? Oh, yes, REGULATION. The kind of thing that Senator Pinocchio has often argued against.
So the argument he's making here is: people came together in Warshington across party lines and in two branches of government to figure out a plan that involved some rational thought -- and somehow this is just Warshington being Warshington and is as execrable and useless as, say, Manny Being Manny.
Back to the McCain-aganda:
Both parties in both houses of Congress and the administration needed to come together
(apparently they did)
to find a solution that would deserve the trust of the American people. And while there were attempts to do that, much of yesterday was spent fighting over who would get the credit for a deal and who would get the blame for failure.
Really? This is news to me. I'd be curious as to how a segment of House Republicans saying they would refuse to support a bipartisan effort to save the economy from ruin is a fight over who got credit. I have read no reports that say this whole delay in finding a solution is about who wants credit for the bailout and who wants to assess blame. No, what I've read about it some people who want to scuttle the bipartisan deal in favor of a deal that offers more tax breaks to corporations in trouble so that they can get loans to buy more bad debt...or something like that (I am not an economist). A deal called by the Secretary of the Treasury -- you know, they guy who wanted absolute power over this thing? -- a "non-starter." If Darth Vader is rejecting your plan for universal domination, it's time to come up with a plan B or end up like that guy who almost gets choked until Grand Moff Tarkin (Cheney in disguise as Peter Cushing) tells him to stop.
There was no deal or offer yesterday that had a majority of support in Congress. There was no deal yesterday that included adequate protections for the taxpayers. It is not enough to cut deals behind closed doors and then try to force it on the rest of Congress -- especially when it amounts to thousands of dollars for every American family.
Well, because I'm not an economist, I can't debate the specifics here. Oh, wait. There are no specifics. And actually, I think that the proposed deal DOES have a majority of support in Congress. Let's see if my feeble non-economist brain can handle this: Senate Dems, check. Senate Republicans, check (aside from some holdouts, I'm sure). House Dems, check. House Republicans, divided.
Now, let's see, with Democrats in the majority in both houses -- and modest Republican support -- that means that at least a majority in both houses would at this point support this bill. Of course, that's apparently not what Congress wants, a simple majority. What they would like is near unanimity to show the nation and the world that the US government has a plan to address the financial crisis. And getting more than a majority would require -- argggh, what is that word? Oh yes. BIPARTISANSHIP. Reaching out to the other side, not demonizing them, forging compromises, etc. The kind of thing Senator Gepetto Jr. apparently is all in favor for, right, because he suspended (or didn't) his campaign to do. Okay, Senator. Give me the biapartisanship!
The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections.
Here's a translation:
Meeting called to order. Press takes photos. Press leaves.
Bush stammers. Paulson stammers. Democrats say "Here's our package." Senator Obama, having (I assume) read the proposal, talked to congressional leaders, his advisers, Warren Buffett, etc., as the standard bearer of his party and possibly the next president of the United States, then does the unthinkable. HE OFFERS AN OPINION AND HIS SUPPORT for the package. Yes! He DEFENDS THE PACKAGE that EVERYONE HAS BEEN WORKING ON as a GOOD IDEA (or good enough). How freaking partisan can you get? IMAGINE THE AUDACITY of this young (didwementionehesgotafunnyname) man to ACTUALLY come to the meeting PREPARED TO OFFER HIS OPINION! As a lion I know once said, "Da NOIVE!" Governance, some say. Leadership! CODSWALLOP, says the Senator from the land of Comolli. "POLITICAL POSTURING."
So what does the Maverick with no strings and a moveable nose do? He LISTENED! So he could help find a "bipartisan resolution." NOT like the one Obama was talking about, the one that had been formed in conjunction with a Republican President, Republican Secretary of the Treasury, and Republican Senators. THAT'S not bipartisan! It's political!
Liar McLyingpants should probably be taken at his word when it is told he just sat back and listened -- reports back this up. Of course, it would be silly for him to SAY anything, since apparently he hadn't even read the administration's original 3-page blank check proposal and had a lot of catching up to do after not running his campaign all day (aside from appearances on CBS evening news, at the CGI, etc.). Remember, he only CALLED this meeting to have a PHOTO-OP! And now he was expected to actually say something? To have an opinion? So silly of people to expect that from a potential LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.
Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.
As Lionel Hutz would say, "Replace the word 'significant' with 'increased' and 'progress' with 'panic,'" and perhaps parts of this might be accurate. And, of course, I can't begin to parse all of those dazzling specifics about what McCain thinks of the actual Paulson/Bush/Dems plan, or the House GOP plan, or what the relative strengths and merits of them are. Of course, I'm sure he has a really maverick-y plan in place, but he's probably hoping to save it until after the election.
Just like his plan to capture Bin-Laden.
Hey. Wait a second.
MAYBE HE'LL CAPTURE BIN-LADEN AND THEN STEAL HIS MONEY TO SAVE THE BANKS!
John McCain.
Breaking the truth, one day at a time.
Late edit: Forgot to add link to this diary which relates the conventional wisdom about what happened in the meeting...
http://www.dailykos.com/...