McCain gets cool reception in D.C. to request for White House summit on economy

The day began for Republican John McCain with news that the Washington Post-ABC News poll showed voter fears over the economy were tilting the election toward Democrat Barack Obama. Asked who they would trust most to handle the economy, voters by 53% to 39% picked Obama.

By afternoon, McCain decided to call a halt to his campaign and rush back to Washington to help solve the crisis on Wall Street. In the photo above, staffers Steve Schmidt, and Mark Salter explain the decision to reporters in New York. Asking the Commission on Presidential Debates to postpone Friday's scheduled debate on foreign policy, McCain said President Bush should "convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Sen. Obama and myself ... to solve this problem."

But congressional leaders were cool to the idea -- "It would not be helpful at this time to have them [McCain and Obama] come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. "If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op."

And even the Bush White House -- where some of McCain's top staffers have affiliations -- did not exactly embrace the idea of a leadership conference, at least not pubicly. As President Bush prepared to address the nation and rescue the $700-billion rescue plan that has run into a gauntlet of public outrage, White House press secretary Dana Perino put out a statement saying:

We welcome Sen. McCain's announcement. We are making progress in negotiations on the financial markets rescue legislation, but we have not finished it yet. Bipartisan support from Sens. McCain and Obama would be helpful in driving to a conclusion.  The financial market crisis is a big problem that requires a big  solution, and solving this in a bipartisan way will help prevent economic damage spreading from Wall Street to all Americans.

Note, nothing in her statement about convening a summit.

Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi at Oxford said it had been advised by the commission that the debate will go on. Obama too said he thought the debates should go on, saying "it's more important than ever" to tell Americans where the two stand on the issues. If the two are needed in Washington, they can get there quickly. "We both have big planes," he said.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Gerald Herbert / Associated Press

Comments

[Jen]

Ahhhhhh McCain, he's just throwing anything and everything out there, hoping it will stick. McCain first!

[Michael]

Now McLame says he wants to “suspend” the campaign and delay the debates, and wants Obama to join him to address the economic crisis. Options -

1) Obama agrees and it looks like McCain is the leader

2) Obama does not agree and it makes McCain look like he puts the country ahead of the election (the Maverick!)

I say he says no thanks, we do not need to work with Bush and the party responsible for this disaster. I have my own plan to undo the damage the Republican Party did to America.

[Larry Linn]

McCain s right, these pending issues are very important. However, both candidates should present their positions to the electorate in a debate. They should not go back to Washington and become pawns for the Bush-Chaney sophists that were supposed to prevent this financial crisis.

[Randy in Chicago]

Does McCain think that the phone company doesn't keep records of when phone calls were made? What a desparate stunt. If he was really trying to be bipartisan then wouldn't the two campaigns together have negotiated a joint press release. Instead the media whore jumps on the message and makes his big announcement alone like it was all his idea. No wonder so many who know him in the republican party, including Nancy Reagan, hate his narcissistic guts.

Mark my words at the end of the day he will try not to sign on to the bill so he can "blame" democrats for selling out the country. Country first, what a sick joke. How can anyone still support this grandstanding idiot.

[mCbUSH]

Country First - Say no to Washington Liberals who want to cut off Wall Street Bonus money & limit executive compensation. How will they buy their summer house(s). I am against delaying any longer the relief that all true "americans" want for the executives running our sacred wall street institutions. Its time, my friends, to get big government off the backs of our bankers and allow them to make the wise investment choices that help our economy. These are my friends and advisors, and as a POW, I can vouch for their sincereity and honesty in fleecing the US Treasury! Country First - I am a MAVERICK who will fight for coprporate executives compensation bonuses. To you Washington fat cats - - NO Corporate Bonus Money - No Deal. Now is time to trust the wise and inspired leadership of McCain - Bush!

[Kenmaya]

Then let's move the Vice-presidential debate into the Friday slot! I want to see a debate folks!

[steve]

Not only McCain, but the whole Republican party is using this stunt to try to gain political points. I can see the headlines now.

McCain comes back to Washington and rallies the Republicans to Save the American Tax Payers.

What bull! It is because of the Republicans being in bed with wall street while ignoring main st is why we are in this mess in the first place.

The whole Republican party is corrupt.

[McBush]

Country First - Say no to Washington Liberals who want to cut off Wall Street Bonus money & limit executive compensation. How will they buy their summer house(s). I am against delaying any longer the relief that all true "americans" want for the executives running our sacred wall street institutions. Its time, my friends, to get big government off the backs of our bankers and allow them to make the wise investment choices that help our economy. These are my friends and advisors, and as a POW, I can vouch for their sincereity and honesty in fleecing the US Treasury! Country First - I am a MAVERICK who will fight for coprporate executives compensation bonuses. To you Washington fat cats - - NO Corporate Bonus Money - No Deal. Now is time to trust the wise and inspired leadership of McCain - Bush!

[Kim G]

Breaking - Nation in financial crisis, but more importantly McCain the drama queen thinks it's about him! What a colossal dolt. Please tell me people aren't still planning to vote for Palin/McCain the champions of deregulation and mostly DRAMA. To be erratically and decisively wrong over and over again is not what this country needs.

[BillyJoJimBob]

Them dumbocrats dun wun't let me drive my truck wheres I wanna go cause they say i use up all the gas. I luv me some big wall streat boys, theys the smart uns. They take caer uf us makin jobs fer me an my kin, if they wants a bigger howse whom I ta rane on there gud luck. Bush is ma boy, hes the only wun lookin out fer us small folk. The mac is my hero, u hollyweerd boys jus jealous of his hot wife cause she gots monees

[one4REALchange]

In fact, after the idiot ran to "singlehandedly save the nation," many democrats and republicans alike said that McCain actually impeded any progress.

What they did not need was for McCain to bring in his THEATER of the ABSURD!

I wish McCain and Palin would take that Distracting Bridge to Nowhere and just Go Away, and take Buuuush with them.