Opinion: John McCain’s return to D.C.: Great move or stunt?
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Think John McCain’s bid to show himself a man of action in grappling with the nation’s financial crisis -- ostensibly setting politics aside -- did not quickly chuck a new political football onto the presidential playing field?
Check out some of the statements issued shortly after McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign, traveling to Washington to try to help honcho a bipartisan bailout plan and recommending that his Friday debate date with Barack Obama be rescheduled.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, leader of the 1994 ‘Republican Revolution,’ offered this:
Today John McCain showed what it meant to put country first.
He put everything on the line to try to put together a bipartisan sizable economic package to replace the failed ... bailout package (being pushed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson).
This is the greatest single act of responsibility ever taken by a presidential candidate and rivals President Eisenhower saying, ‘I will go to Korea.’ Every House and Senate Republican should join him in seeking the best ideas and the best solutions from across the country. This is the day the McCain-reform Republican Party began to truly emerge as a movement which puts country first, solutions first, and big change first.
For good measure, he added:
It is surprisingly irresponsible and politically dangerous for the Obama campaign to try and insist on a debate Friday night. I’m not sure Senator Obama has ever participated in a crisis of this magnitude at this level, but he should set aside politicking and commit to working with Senator McCain to find a solution to this problem. The economy can’t wait; postpone the debate. We can get back to talking later. For the moment, let’s produce a real solution for America.
A different take, to say the least, came from Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California:
The American people expect their President to be calm in a crisis, not engaging in political theater, which is what John McCain is doing today.
He is desperate to change the subject -- everyone knows that a deregulation fever led to this crisis and John McCain helped lead the way.
This is certainly the right time for the American people to see these two candidates talk about the serious challenges our country faces both here and around the world.
We need a President who can handle more than one challenge at a time. In life, when times get tough, you don’t get time-outs.
Boxer’s California colleague in the Senate, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, is much more of a middle-of-the-roader, much less ...
of a rhetorical flamethrower. But she also took umbrage at McCain’s move. Said she:
The economic crisis facing this nation is gravely serious. The stakes are high. The foreclosure crisis has spread to Wall Street and is affecting the entire economy. Congress is moving quickly. A process is underway, the House and Senate Banking committees are negotiating and working to come up with a plan that makes sense, protects the taxpayers, ensures oversight, and limits executive compensation for those who accept public dollars. Senator McCain’s announcement today won’t help find a solution. It is a distraction, at a time when sober reflection is needed. Simply put, we must not inject Presidential politics into this process.
Per Feinstein’s closing plea: The train has long since left that station.
-- Don Frederick
Photo credits: Associated Press (Gingrich); Bloomberg News (Boxer)