This afternoon, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) announced that he planned to suspend his campaign for a time so he can return to Washington to do what he can to deal with the ongoing national financial crisis, and has suggested to his opponent, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) that he do the same, and that they agree to postpone the debate scheduled for Friday. After all, dealing with the potential $700 billion encumbrance is what the voters of their respective states have hired them to do.
Obama has decided to take the low road, essentially saying that he can deal with this issue while campaigning and preparing for the debate, which he’s not willing to postpone. Sounds like something an ornery, self-centered teenager would do; like he’s saying, “No problem. I can do it all. What’s the matter, Old Man? Can’t handle it?” All the while missing the point that it’s not about him, it’s about the country. My guess to the real reason he isn’t eager to go back to DC? He figures he hasn’t done much of anything there in his two years as Senator; why start now?
It’s not that McCain can’t campaign and do the debate and deal with the bailout legislation, it’s that he recognizes there are higher priorities than who will get the upper hand in the campaign this week. Obama’s attitude in regard to the debate is that “people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess.” Note to Sentator Obama; the election is in 40-some days. If you win, you don’t get the keys until January 20.
I have high hopes that come November voters will see past Obama’s bluster and recognize his immaturity and narcissistic tendencies, and will overwhelmingly reject him as President.
All that said, I hope that this legislation goes down in flames. The last thing we need is another $700 billion in debt, going to fund an ever larger bureaucracy with too few restrictions on how that money is to be spent. Little more than “financial socialism”, as Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) so aptly put it. Let the market make it’s own corrections; it’ll be tough in the short term, but the long-term results will be worth it.