Democratic Congress looks to McCain for direction

[Onlooker]

WTF is going on? Are Pelosi and Reid according McCain more respect than they are according Obama?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/stephanopoulo-4.html

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports: If Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain doesn't vote for the Bush administration's $700 billion economic bailout plan, some Republican and Democratic congressional leaders tell ABC News the plan won't pass.

"If McCain doesn't come out for this, it's over," a Top House Republican tells ABC News.

A Democratic leadership source says that White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten has been told that
Democratic votes will not be there if McCain votes no -- that there is no deal if McCain doesn't go along.

[redstate_democrat]

1. McCain andthe GOP has these punks where they want them.

Sad as hell.

[spanone]

2. the only thing more useless than bu$hco is congress

[Frances]

8. Actually I think this is a smart move

Typically, the Dems do the responsible thing (raised taxes right after Clinton was elected) which produces excellent results. Then the Repubs come along and claim the Dems are tax and spend liberals. They used this mantra to get majorities in Congress and to elect Bush.

Now, if the Dems do the responsible thing and bail out the failed institutions with PROTECTIONS for Main Street and the economy gets strong again, the Repubs will say that Dems are for socialism. The Dems need to force McCain to agree to the bailout or McCain will use it as a tool to get himself elected President.

[Zhade]

24. The flaw in your premise? b*s* was not legitimately elected in 2000, but in fact stole the office.

NT!

[Old Codger]

3. Just A guess

But most likely they will not go with it if he doesn't because that would leave them holding the bag if/when it fails he will point to that and use it against Obama.. best thing to do with it is to let it sit til after the election would be my guess...

[bluestateguy]

4. Reid and Pelosi might be setting a trap for him

This bill is unpopular.

So McBush 44 can vote for it and piss people off, or vote against it and the bill fails. That causes the markets to go haywire, thereby keeping this campaign focused on the economy, and that benefits Obama.

[MarjorieG]

5. Anyone think the timing and delay of this 'til now, just a ploy, or is it a real crisis?

[gcomeau]

6. For those slow on the uptake...

They almost certainly don't want McCain playing politics with the vote. Refusing to vote on whatever measure they take, then turning around and vilifying anything they do and using it to show what a "Maverick" he is for not going along with it.

Which is still not the brightest thing they could be doing, but they are not "looking to McCain for leadership". They're just trying to make sure he doesn't pull some stupid campaign stunt using their vote as fodder. Whatever they do it's going to be a matter of "hey, you voted for it too jackass, so shut up."

[CakeGrrl]

12. That's how I see it: Bipartisanship or nothing so McCain can't use it against Obama. n/t

[NotThisTime]

21. Yup - that's the way it's going to go...

[central scrutinizer]

18. don't stop with McCain - every Repug Senator up for re-election needs to get on board

no cover for anybody - make it an acclamation vote in both the house and senate.

[slinkerwink]

7. It's a trap for McCain.

[Auggie]

9. "A top Repuke?" "A Democratic leadership source?" Quote some real people,

otherwise I consider it bullshit

[Kdillard]

10. I think they are looking to protect Obama and themselves.

They probaly feel the Republicans are less likely to pull a fast one with Mccain standing right in the iddle of this. I am not surprised that they are saying no go without McCain being a vocal supporter.

[Kdillard]

11. I think they are looking to protect Obama and themselves.

They probaly feel the Republicans are less likely to pull a fast one with Mccain standing right in the iddle of this. I am not surprised that they are saying no go without McCain being a vocal supporter.

[DemsUnited]

13. Dems don't want McCain to gain political points on this. If Dems vote yes &

McCain votes no, then who is supporting Bush in what is sure to be a hugely unpopular bailout? The DEMS not "Maverick" McCain.

So Dems NEED to tell Paulson, Bernanke, Cheney & Bush: you want a deal? Then YOU get McCain on board to show unity & bipartisanship for this damn pig. Otherwise, we vote no.

It's the right thing to do, IMHO.

[ContinentalOp]

26. If that's really what's going on then I applaud them.

I hope we're not getting played here.

[Arkana]

14. Better that it hinges on Gramps' vote than Obama's.

That way, when he votes for it, it'll be his albatross.

[Beregond2]

15. They aren't looking to him for "leadership."

They know that if he he doesn't go for it, he will be able to beat Obama over the head with it for the next seven weeks. It's called being smart.

[codlicko]

16. country first

my ass

[Maven]

22. Yup. Title of the article is bullshit spin, but you're exactly right.

[Bucky]

17. It looks to me like they're checkmating him, actually. If you believe unnamed sources, of course.

silly piece

[Marsala]

25. More of a stalemate than a checkmate, IMHO

If McCain and the Dems votes for the bailout, it's a draw. If they all vote against it, it's also a draw.

[EC]

19. Are you guys crazy or what...?

For crying out loud, this is putting the weight on mccain, playing hardball...this is what they usually do to us and Nancy has turned the tables...if it's not approved it's mccain's fault, if it is passed and is a dog mccain's fault...Nancy said from the very beginning that the Dems were not going to do anything unless the repubs were behind it from the beginning and making mccain answer for his side, puts him in the tank, especially since many repubs are screaming already about this and not wanting to support it...

[dansolo]

20. The Repubs don't want McCain to stab them in the back

If McCain votes NO, and then uses it against Obama in the run up to the election, then any Republican who votes for it will also be hurt by association. They must have gotten wind of the McCain campaign's intention to play it that way, and they don't want to get burned by it either.

[Overseas]

23. They don't want to fall into a Republican trap. Having Fake Maverick

vote against it at the last minute, then rail against those Wall Street types and Democrats that imposed the huge burden on the poor taxpayers.

[mzmolly]

27. If this is true GOOD! It's not about respecting McCain, it's about refusing to be

played, again.

[mzmolly]

28. I think we need to flood Pelosi and Reid with "No McCain no deal" calls.

Your wording is inflammatory.

[AtomicKitten]

29. They're waiting for him to pull the trigger. Either way he shoots himself in the head.

This is a lose-lose for McBush.

[neomonkey]

30. And while Rome burned,

the Mexican standoff stayed true...

[AtomicKitten]

31. ;)

[TheDonkey]

32. LOL McClown just said "this vote is not up to me!!" wtf?? Isn't that why you vote

He couldn't answer if he could vote for a bailout bill or not. Tap danced and looked like a fool.

[FrenchieCat]

33. McCain doesn't intend on voting for it.......

neither is Sen. Richard Shelby as well as most other Republicans.

Why is that?