John McCain bails on David Letterman, and the host is not happy

Hours after John McCain announced he was suspending his campaign to focus on fixing the nation's ailing economy, he pulled out of his scheduled appearance on the "The Late Show with David Letterman."

As our colleague Matea Gold reports on the Show Tracker blog, Letterman told the audience during the taping of Wednesday's show that McCain had called him personally to apologize for bailing. According to Letterman, McCain said he couldn't appear because he was rushing to the airport to get back to Washington.

But midway through the broadcast, Letterman appeared to learn that the Arizona senator was actually still in New York. In fact, McCain was just a few blocks away, at the CBS News headquarters. He was preparing for a last-minute exclusive interview with Katie Couric.

Incredulous, Letterman interrupted his interview with Keith Olbermann (who had filled in as a substitute guest for McCain) to show the audience a live shot on the internal CBS News feed of a makeup artist putting the finishing touches on McCain while he waited to talk to Couric.

“He doesn’t seem to be racing to the airport, does he?” Letterman said, shouting at the television monitor: “Hey, John, I got a question! You need a ride to the airport?”

The senator and the comedian have always had a friendly rapport. If McCain had appeared as planned on Wednesday, it would have been his 13th appearance on Letterman’s show. It was the venue where he announced his White House bid in 2007.

Letterman began his broadcast praising McCain, calling him “an honest-to-God hero." But then he turned critical, questioning McCain's decision to halt his campaign.

“I’m more than a little disappointed by this behavior,” he said. “ 'We’re suspending the campaign.' Suspending it because there’s an economic crisis, or because the poll numbers are sliding?”

“You don’t suspend your campaign,” Letterman went on. “Do you suspend your campaign? No, because that makes me think, well, you know, maybe there will be other things down the road –- if he’s in the White House, he might just suspend being president. I mean, we've got a guy like that now!”

Letterman later said today's events were an indication "that something is going haywire with the campaign."

We have a video excerpt on the jump; just click the Read More line.

--Kate Linthicum

The Top Ten Questions People are Asking The John McCain Campaign

#10 “I just contributed to your campaign – how do I get a refund?"

#9 “It’s Sarah Palin –- does this mean I’m pars’dent?”

#8 “Can’t you solve this by selling some of your houses?”

#7 “This is Clay Aiken. Is McCain single?”

#6 “Do you still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong, Genius?”

#5 “Are you doing all of this just to get out of going on Letterman?”

#4 “What would Matlock do?”

#3 “Hillary here –- my schedule is free Friday night.”

It’ll be interesting here to see if Barack Obama feels the need to suspend his campaign to go down there and work on the economy.  He’s also a senator.  And his running mate, Joe Biden, he’s also a senator.  So there, those two guys have to get back to work.  So, of course, they’ll suspend their campaign.  Don’t you think? 

The Democrats are now at a real disadvantage because Barack Obama has got to race back and fix the economy.  So does Joe Biden.  He has to race back and fix the economy. But the Republicans have Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.  The Alaska economy is fine.  It don’t need fixing.  It’s fine.  So she’ll continue the campaign.  So the Democrats are really in a hole now.

#2 “Is this just an excuse to catch up on napping?”

#1 “This is President Bush –- what’s all this trouble with the economy?”

Comments

[Rick]

McCain couldn't tell the truth to save his life. What a moron. Just what we need, another lying idiot in the whitehouse.

[Sally]

JimDC, if you enjoy political comedy, do you only enjoy pro-Republican? give an example of something in that vein that you DO enjoy. Oh wait, there isn't any political comedy aimed at Democrats, it's all the type of vitriol we see on O'Reilly

[jay Thomas]

McCain/Palin 08

[steve]

Five hour a week of Letterman is better than a random five hours of CBS Primetime!!
Really!

[mike]

who cares what typical Mcain backers say? they are going to take the low info road anyway.
There is no humor in dishonest, bigoted, power-mad, war mongering right wingnuts anyway.Newsflash:
These jerks and there ilk are the bonanza of jokes material especially since they have proven to be the bozo's we already knew they were; taking this country down the toilet.

[Gary Eggers]

Lettermans Show are For The Most Part Boring! Always Same Crap He has done since Johnny Carson Days! NOT FUNNY!

[George in S.A.]

Foliks,

It comes down to integrity. Senator McCain told Mr. Letterman that he had to fly to Washington D.C. immediately and Mr. letterman accepted that. Several hours later, it was revealed through CBS that Senator McCain was still in New York and was getting make-up for his appearance with Katie Couric. Apparently, the Senator did NOT have to get to D.C. right away, but he wanted to appear on another show at the same time. He LIED to Mr. Letterman. If he had just told Letterman that he wanted to change his appearance to the CBS Evening News, Letterman probably would have accepted that, however, he was lied to. How do you expect a man to react to being lied to? John McCain may have been an American hero many years ago, but he has changed.

Two words: "Keating Five". That's why we're in the spot we're in now.

[Jeff]

JimDC: It wouldn't have been a political diatribe had McCain not canceled at the last minute and lied about why. I don't think Letterman was trying to "influence his audence" so much as he was just pissed off about being snubbed and lied to. His show may not be important to you, you may not even like it, but it important to him and it is unfortunate that McCain saw fit to shaft him.

[astariabestmudever]

All those people bashing Letterman and calling his show junk must really despise John McCain's ideas, seeing as he (as the article points out) announced his bid for the presidency on The Late Show.

[Dwight Trash]

Dave has every right to be mad.
So does America.
Palin won't/can't/refuses to talk to the press.
Now McCain's MIA.

Wow, just follow your marching orders Republicans, vote for your new glorious leader and don't dare ask any questions or expect them to be accountable in any way.

That would be un-American!

I thank God my depression era parents (one a Republican the other a Democrat) are no longer alive to see this mess. They would both be disgusted.

Vote for the smartest guy in the election.
Vote for the youngest guy in the election.
Vote for the guy who does not own 13 cars.
Vote for the guy who does not own 9 houses (give or take a few).
Vote for the guy who earned his way through life, who didn't have it given to him by his father the Admiral or his heiress wife.

The McCain's are LAUGHING at you for believing in them.
They are the elites, they know it and the love that you think they are not.

You want to fight abortion? Vote Obama, help turn this country around economically so a single woman can afford to HAVE her baby. Poor people have a lot less options in life.

Trillions for a war of choice and now, just a few months before he's out of office we've got to give away 700 BILLION dollars...right now...no time to think...fate of the world is in the balance...bullshit.
Bush has a gun to our heads and he's gonna scare us until we pony up. Wake up America.

[John LoGiudice]

Letterman just proved more of his irrelevance and his pettiness. Claiming that "McCain's campaign is going downhill", just because he chose to go on a serious news interview instead of a lame, outdated comedy show? As for picking Comrade Olbermann as a replacement, that just shows the media's and Letteman's true colors. You used to make fun of Oprah, Dave! Now you sound JUST like her!

[BW]

I don't think this puts Democrats "in a hole" at all. On the contrary, Obama's response that a President should be able to handle more than one thing at a time is a pretty good point. Also, when it comes out that Obama called McCain first thing in the morning to talk about a joint statement and then McCain tries to act like he's the righteous leader HOURS LATER is disgusting.

[Julia C.]

So McCain can't multi-task. So what?

[JJ]

Blistering. Dave smelled a rat right from the start. The show was at the half hour mark by the time Dave found out the truth about McCain dumping him for an appearance with Katie Couric. (3-4 hours or so after the campaign had been "suspended".) And these are guys with a good history that includes past comedy bits and McCain even announcing his run for the presidency on Dave's show. But Dave nailed it on the head - where's the second string quartback? She might not have circling the block, but she was circling around Manhattan and could easily have stepped in. Everything is wrong with McCain and his campaign and that was encapsulated by the video of McCain getting his nose powdered while Dave yells "John, need a ride to the airport?"

[FredEx]

From where I am I can easily be in 3 other states in less than 2 hours. I saw McCain and Obama in 3 different states. Obama was consistent. McCain was like listening to 3 different people. On a given subject, lets call it BLANK for example, you can fill in you own BLANK.

McCain would be in Michigan saying that BLANK was a top priority and he highly support BLANK. In Indiana he'd be saying BLANK is a non issue, that there are far more important things. Bet it is whatever that community is most worried about. Then in Illinois, Blank again is top priority, but he is very much against BLANK now.

As I said, fill in the BLANK. He is playing all sides...top, bottom and often left and right sides.

Letterman is right about McCain, but I'd not give him much credit for his Vietnam time. My two brothers and brother-in-law were there in the second part of the 60's and in to the 70's. Two had heard of McCain, but as being the, "Vietnam Songbird." Google that. They hated him before most people knew who he was.

[Kristin]

Obviously the republicans on here know that it's all over for McCain. That's why they are resorting to name calling and making stuff up, they have nothing left to run on except lies and smears. McCain can't even trust Palin to carry the campaign that's why he has to suspend it.

[Fernando]

Letterman brings up a good point? Wheres your second string? Why cant she handle the business?

[a little indifferent]

After hearing the Presidents speech, i do believe there is good reason to suspend the campaign on both sides. (for the time being)
However I think one of the real points Dave was making has not been commented on, and that is the lack of competence and qualifications the Rep Vice President nominee has.

Dave, the best days are somewhat behind you, but you and paul still can get a good laugh with the wit needed to keep it real.

[zeldazott]

Letterman went over broad this time on his dialog. And to make a whole show over McCain's not showing up......Guess letterman thinks he's so big & important , even more important than the country. And that Keith Olbermann.......what a low life. They sure made a pair!

I kept going back & forth, changing channels, and would come back to find them both going on & on,being supid! Why don't you just put up an obama backdrop in your studio/network!

[ndavis]

Wait a minute... McCain suspended his campaign! Doublecrossed Obama! LIED -- which of course he never does -- AND WAS CAUGHT DOING IT ON NATIONAL TV! And I saw the interview... he ditched Letterman to play SOFTBALL with his new BFF and enabler, Katie Couric.

Look, McCainiacs, I appreciate your loyalty to Johnny Mac, but you guys just look ridiculous now. Insulting David Letterman and Democrats does not make your guy look any better -- and after today, it is quite clear that his judgment is SORELY lacking. People of integrity don't do what John McCain did today, and David Letterman at the very least deserved the truth. Lie, and you better expect it will become a political issue when you go on about the importance of integrity. Well, McCain's integrity seems to have left the building, and his judgment... nonexistent. John McCain. Not ready to lead. Unfit to lead. And probably suffering from PTSD. Whatever crap McCain gets over this, he has earned. It's HIS fault.

[harlan]

My guess is a lot of the critiques here are by people who didn't even watch. Dave was hysterical, and in usual 'angry Dave' style just kept hammering, so when the live feed of McCain a couple blocks away having make-up put on came up it was a total hoot. Plus, to anyone who considers the 'serious' side to Letterman's comments, you'd be hard pressed to argue... Why suspend the campaign? Why not send Palin in his stead, or at least have her continue to campaign. This whole 'the crisis must be solved this second' is just the usual scare tactics this administration has continued to foist upon America, and we've obviously NOT benefited from these quick rushes to judgment in the past, have we? NO.

[Keith]

One of he requirements for becoming President of the United States is to be able to multitask. Looks like McCain can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

[David Dial]

I don't care how bad things get...I'm never cancelling on Dave...never.

[Don Keedic]

McCain backs out of a commitment and then lies about it, Letterman had ever right to be mad. He was lied to and put in a tough situation by John McCoward.

[Anonymous]

Actually, John LoGiudice, it's pretty clear that Dave saying "McCain's campaign is going downhill" was in reference to McCain suspending his campaign, and not in reference to him being a no-show. If you need proof there's the video.