I'd like to know what McCain is actually going to do in Washington. He sure won't be 'negotiating'

[bigtree]

from Hotline this morning: http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/09/hotline_after_d_453.html

McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer (politicking on FOX News, in contradiction of her boss' suspension), asked how McCain came to this decision: "I think he met with his economic advisers today and then continued to have conversations with people on the Hill. And basically what was underscored was the fact there was going to be a massive fallout in the economy if this wasn't resolved quickly, and that the resolution did not seem to be in the offing, and that there ... was a leadership vacuum. There was a real need for bipartisanship or even non-partisanship, if you will. And that's when Senator McCain took up the gauntlet and has gone forward . . .

But, that's not what they're saying on the Hill . . .

House Financial Services Cmte Chair Barney Frank (D-MA): "I was pretty confident we were close to getting a deal until they decided to air-drop John McCain into this. ... I hear Senator Brownback say, 'Well, McCain's here to save us.' Well, I'm not drowning. I mean, we were making progress. I hope the presidential politics that he's injecting don't stop it" ("On the Record," FNC, 9/24).

More Frank: "It sounds to me like he is trying to set himself up to take credit for something that is in the process of happening without him. ... The notion that he's going to come, airdrop himself in here tomorrow, it's not a subject with which he was very familiar when he was in the Congress. I think it's just a stunt. ... The fact is that the presidential campaign between Senator McCain and Senator Obama has had no destabilizing effect here. We have been making progress" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 9/24).



from Think Progress: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/25/lawmakers-mccain-bailout/

Time’s Jay Newton-Small reported last night that “leaders from the left and the right rejected the idea of McCain and Obama taking over the talks”:

But leaders from the left and the right rejected the idea of McCain and Obama taking over the talks. When asked by reporters if he wanted McCain sitting in blow-by-blow negotiations Rep. Adam Putnam, the No. 3 House Republican, simply smirked, mute for ten seconds as reporters laughed. Democrats were more voiciferous in their rejection of McCain-Obama negotiations; New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 House Dem, both said if McCain had really cared where have he — and his staff — been in the negotiations thus far.

Putnam told Politico that “McCain and Obama were most valuable in speaking to the need for action rather than getting into the legislative details.” Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), the ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, indicated he didn’t want McCain’s help, pointing “McCain away from the House and toward the Senate.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the candidates return would “not be particularly helpful“:

One anonymous Republican ridiculed McCain’s plan to jump into negotiations, telling the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank, “Daddy’s coming home.”

[unblock]

1. asking people who know much more than he does exactly what he can take credit for

[liberal N proud]

2. If and when there is a deal, The republicans will let Johnny present it

on their behalf.

That will give him the ability to appear that he had a major role in "saving America" from the recession that they still have not realized we are in.

[bigtree]

3. I'm not sure how he's going to maneuver that in the Democratic-controlled Congress

I expect for the leadership to organize that moment (if it happens) to their own advantage.

[liberal N proud]

5. The Republicans will put him front and center of their show

Make it look like he was involved all along or that they couldn't get anything done with damn Democrats and the Maverick came in and was able to work with both parties to bring them together. The Democratic leadership will not have much chance to counter it.

[bigtree]

6. sure, they can (and likely will) have their photo-op

But, there will be a separate process involving members of both parties who will insist on appearing together if they get a deal. It's hard to imagine McCain getting any mileage out of a huddle with his own troops of 'reformed' deregulators.

[chelsea0011]

4. What would be funny bipartisanship is inviting McCain to sit in on

the negotiations and they all sit quietly and ask McCain to explain to them how to proceed. The silence would be a hoot.

[bigtree]

8. I actually believe that the folks he'll meet up with, Boehner, McConnell

. . . will lock him in a room and beg him to find a way to stop the process so they don't have to vote for it. There are rumbles that their conservative base is ready to revolt over what they view as a just another government handout and definitely oppose any regulation on their money tree. I can't believe that these cretins aren't working their asses off to undermine ANY legislation that might emerge and aren't looking for McCain (begged him to come back) to stand in the way of the bailout.

[targetpractice]

7. He could help collate photocopies of the bailout plan.

That would make a nice "work'n hard" photo-op.