The American Presidency: I <3 them so much

Elki

The Economist.com wrote:

KATHLEEN PARKER saw Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric too:

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Ms Parker is not the first conservative to back away from her initial enthusiasm for Mrs Palin, but she is the first (that I'm aware of) to come to this conclusion:

McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.

Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.

This reminds me of Charles Krauthammer's column on Harriet Miers' exit strategy. Similar situation: Half the country was outraged over the nomination of an underqualified person (in this case, Ms Miers, a White House counsel and George Bush confidante) to a sorta-important government post (in this case, the Supreme Court). Although conservatives initially tried the defend the pick, the wheels started coming off the wagon and everyone was casting about for an exit strategy. Mr Krauthammer came up with an idea in the column linked above—that the Senate could ask for supporting material from Ms Miers' time at the White House, she could sorrowfully decline, citing executive privilege, and everyone would shrug sadly and say, sorry it didn't work out, no harm, no foul. And that's just how it played out, except poor Ms Miers became a bit of a laughingstock (and a popular Halloween costume that year).

If Mr McCain is regretting his choice (an open question), Ms Parker's strategy might be a palatable though cynical option because it puts most of the blame on Mrs Palin. (The not-so-subtle message that you can't rely on a working mother would irritate all those newly-minted conservative feminists, wouldn't it?) But from Mrs Palin's perspective—and I think it's even less likely that she is blinking, though my colleague below might disagree—this seems like a bum deal. If she sticks it out she might become vice-president. If she leaves the ticket for any reason, her national career is probably over. I reckon she'll be a Halloween costume either way.

I'm not sure if what Ed Schultz reported about her mock debate performance is the truth or a lowering down of expectations by the McCain campaign, but I don't see how McCain can dump her without enraging the base, feeding the narrative that he's impulsive and erratic, and effectively conceding the election.

Zoolander

It would be absolutely insane to dump her now (or ask her to quit). Right now there's at least the chance that she will do well enough in the debate to escape further ridicule (I think this is quite possible).

Zimmydoom

Elki wrote: »

The Economist.com wrote:

KATHLEEN PARKER saw Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric too:

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Ms Parker is not the first conservative to back away from her initial enthusiasm for Mrs Palin, but she is the first (that I'm aware of) to come to this conclusion:

McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.

Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.

This reminds me of Charles Krauthammer's column on Harriet Miers' exit strategy. Similar situation: Half the country was outraged over the nomination of an underqualified person (in this case, Ms Miers, a White House counsel and George Bush confidante) to a sorta-important government post (in this case, the Supreme Court). Although conservatives initially tried the defend the pick, the wheels started coming off the wagon and everyone was casting about for an exit strategy. Mr Krauthammer came up with an idea in the column linked above—that the Senate could ask for supporting material from Ms Miers' time at the White House, she could sorrowfully decline, citing executive privilege, and everyone would shrug sadly and say, sorry it didn't work out, no harm, no foul. And that's just how it played out, except poor Ms Miers became a bit of a laughingstock (and a popular Halloween costume that year).

If Mr McCain is regretting his choice (an open question), Ms Parker's strategy might be a palatable though cynical option because it puts most of the blame on Mrs Palin. (The not-so-subtle message that you can't rely on a working mother would irritate all those newly-minted conservative feminists, wouldn't it?) But from Mrs Palin's perspective—and I think it's even less likely that she is blinking, though my colleague below might disagree—this seems like a bum deal. If she sticks it out she might become vice-president. If she leaves the ticket for any reason, her national career is probably over. I reckon she'll be a Halloween costume either way.

I'm not sure if what Ed Schultz reported about her mock debate performance is the truth or a lowering down of expectations by the McCain campaign, but I don't see how McCain can dump her without enraging the base, feeding the narrative that he's impulsive and erratic, and effectively conceding the election.

So what you're saying is that it's like 50/50.

DoctorArch

If Gwen Ifill asks her a straightforward question and she comes across like a fool next to Biden, I think the election could be over.

Willy-Bob Gracchus

a sorta-important government post (in this case, the Supreme Court)

Jebus wept. Profusely.

deadonthestreet

If she quit, the media would skewer her and McCain nearly as bad as if he fired her.

Shadowen

Yeah. At this point--even though there's still more than a month to go--I'm willing to say it.

Barring horrible performance in the debates from Biden and Obama and/or some kind of October surprise, I don't think McCain's gonna recover from last week. Obama's got this. Hell, even Bartcop, who's about one step away from a PUMA, who directed belligerent asides to Obama for not having it in the bag in late August, has said he thinks Obama's going to win, and that McCain's "suspending his campaign" will be the moment everyone will point to in the future as the death knell of his candidacy, and that several of Obama's recent statements are "Clintonian" (as in Bill, whom he all but worships).

The media (except Fox News) dislike him (and Rupert Murdoch is too afraid of being shut out of a possible Obama administration to allow his people to stomp on Obama, reducing them to talking up McCain or asking if Obama has the support he needs to win), Sarah Palin's a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't, traditionally red states are purpling, the most accurate polls are frankly ridiculous in favor of Obama, McCain's being called out on his lies by Obama campaign officials and media personalities alike, and even the mainstream late night folks and the morning-television fluff piece people are turning against McCain.

Thomamelas

deadonthestreet wrote: »

If she quit, the media would skewer her and McCain nearly as bad as if he fired her.

The only way for the McCain campaign to get any use out of her not being on the ticket is if she died. Unfortunately the retarded nephew of Rove who is running this campaign would fuck that up and we'd end up with McCain dead.

Quid

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

Fleck0

Quid wrote: »

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

There was a small editorial in the LA Times today suggesting said pastor's churhces should lose their tax exempt status if they go through with this, which sounds about right to me

ph blake

There is no way they are going to dump Palin now; it would be a PR disaster. I expect that they'll hope she doesn't screw up too badly during the VP debate then employ their usual "ignore it until it goes away" strategy. Remember, these guys are experts at doublespeak and they'll point out that this election is between the new, inexperienced radical Obama and the steady experienced maverick McCain, while dropping occasional references to how Palin is a reformer and brings change to Washington. This entire time Palin will be doing her best Solid Snake impression under the guise of caring for her family; the hope is that she can just stay afloat until McCain is in the White House and Palin can go on to being the ceremonial prop piece VP that she was always meant to be.

Zimmydoom

Fleck0 wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

There was a small editorial in the LA Times today suggesting said pastor's churhces should lose their tax exempt status if they go through with this, which sounds about right to me

This sounds really familiar. Who was it?

EDIT: Isn't it Dobson's crew?

Hedgethorn

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

ph blake

Fleck0 wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

There was a small editorial in the LA Times today suggesting said pastor's churhces should lose their tax exempt status if they go through with this, which sounds about right to me

This news is kind of disturbing. Pastors have absolutely no business publicly endorsing a political candidate.

Quid

Fleck0 wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

There was a small editorial in the LA Times today suggesting said pastor's churhces should lose their tax exempt status if they go through with this, which sounds about right to me

Not just about right. Is right. One of the provisions for keeping their tax exemption is keeping out of politics.

Fleck0

Zimmydoom wrote: »

Fleck0 wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

So presumably about 30 pastors will endorse a political candidate tomorrow. I, for one, look forward to the shit fest this will cause.

Though I suspect it is more likely to hurt Obama than McCain.

There was a small editorial in the LA Times today suggesting said pastor's churhces should lose their tax exempt status if they go through with this, which sounds about right to me

This sounds really familiar. Who was it?

EDIT: Isn't it Dobson's crew?

Dunno who wrote it, it was one of the little ones off the the side of the page that doesn't list the author, though I'm sure there are many who share the same idea

Manning'sEquation

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

deowolf

Archgarth wrote: »

If Gwen Ifill asks her a straightforward question and she comes across like a fool next to Biden, I think the election could be over.

No, Gwen Ifill is a well known sexist.

Quid

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Cervetus

I never heard how exactly Palin was even chosen.

deadonthestreet

according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

Amazing wording there, WaPo

Quid

Cervetus wrote: »

I never heard how exactly Palin was even chosen.

Lots of executive experience. And during the initiation contests she carried a cherry between her butt cheeks the furthest.

Manning'sEquation

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Heard it word of mouth around 3:00 p.m. today. I wonder if anyone could verify or tell me it was a hoax.

Zimmydoom

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Wow.

That's all I got.

Crimson King

Cervetus wrote: »

I never heard how exactly Palin was even chosen.

She's an evangelical with a vagina. This was literally their whole thought process.

Santa Claustrophobia

deadonthestreet wrote: »

If she quit, the media would skewer her and McCain nearly as bad as if he fired her.

Not really. She could 'voluntarily' step down claiming that the media attacks were too much for her and her family. Twisting it into some kind of narrative about the MSM hating on her because she's a woman. Then the McCain camp can introduce Donald Duck and people would think he was instantly more qualified. The McCain campaign can come off all Mavericky because they tried to 'buck the system' and still go with the flow insider-wise.

The replacement would probably need to be Huckabee, or someone like him, to keep the same pandering mindset to the base. That or someone similar.

However, it would all have to be done before the VP debate. Otherwise the Republican campaign won't be able to provide a consistent narrative and Obama/Biden would probably be even more free to hammer the replacement.

It would still hurt McCain's credibility a bit because he didn't make the best choice to start with (more ammo for Obama/Biden).

Quid

Hoax. There's no mention of it anywhere on the internet that I've seen. Unless you were hearing it from someone who was coincidentally also Biden's doctor I wouldn't believe a word of it.

werehippy

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Damn you to hell! I was just formatting my post for this exact same article

To the point, that article is really great. I love any shred of behind the scenes reporting, and that sheds a lot of light on the end of last week.

Hakkekage

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

The man looks spry as springtime. It's the other guy I suspect has some issues with his health.

Zimmydoom

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Heard it word of mouth around 3:00 p.m. today. I wonder if anyone could verify or tell me it was a hoax.

Sounds like BS to me.

ph blake

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Quick google search on "Biden drop out" reveals little, but it looks like bitter clintonites claiming that Biden was "just a decoy" and will drop out to make room for Hillary as VP. Obama campaign has already shot it down and literally no one important is talking about it.

werehippy

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Heard it word of mouth around 3:00 p.m. today. I wonder if anyone could verify or tell me it was a hoax.

Unless you work in the office of a national politician or a major news organization, I find it impossible to believe something like that would have leaked badly enough to be traveling by word of mouth without hitting one of the dozens of news sites people in the thread troll nearly constantly.

So it may be possible, but I really doubt it.

Lord Yod

So are there any forumers that live in the SF bay area? I just found out that the Cerrito theater right by me is hosting debate parties. And they serve pizza and beer. I think I'm gonna go to the next one with the gf. If anyone is interested in going or something, send me a PM and we could try and meet up.

Hedgethorn

Cervetus wrote: »

I never heard how exactly Palin was even chosen.

Spite.

A number of GOP delegates made it known that they would protest at the convention if McCain's VP-pick was pro-choice. The McCain camp wanted an exciting, "maverick-style" pick, but the abortion issue nixed all their top candidates (Lieberman and Ridge primarily, but Hutchison, Fiorina, Whitman, and other Republican women were out for the same reason).

So they chose Palin. I choose to believe it was out of spite.

Santa Claustrophobia

Zimmydoom wrote: »

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Wow.

That's all I got.

Wait, that said McCain did this on Thursday. I thought he didn't leave New York until Friday morning.

Quid

Lord Yod wrote: »

So are there any forumers that live in the SF bay area? I just found out that the Cerrito theater right by me is hosting debate parties. And they serve pizza and beer. I think I'm gonna go to the next one with the gf. If anyone is interested in going or something, send me a PM and we could try and meet up.

Drive to Monterey and take me there.

Hedgethorn

Santa Claustrophobia wrote: »

Zimmydoom wrote: »

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Wow.

That's all I got.

Wait, that said McCain did this on Thursday. I thought he didn't leave New York until Friday morning.

You're a day off. He was in New York Wednesday, went to D.C. Thursday morning, was at the White House Thursday afternoon, at home in Virginia Thursday night, and flew to Mississippi Friday morning for last night's debate.

Santa Claustrophobia

Hedgethorn wrote: »

Santa Claustrophobia wrote: »

Zimmydoom wrote: »

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Wow.

That's all I got.

Wait, that said McCain did this on Thursday. I thought he didn't leave New York until Friday morning.

You're a day off. He was in New York Wednesday, went to D.C. Thursday morning, was at the White House Thursday afternoon, at home in Virginia Thursday night, and flew to Mississippi Friday morning for last night's debate.

Really? I thought Letterman was first blasting him on Thursday. I guess all this shit is just blending together.

Manning'sEquation

ph blake wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

Manning'sEquation wrote: »

anyone heard the rumor that Biden will drop out?

b/c of health reasons...

O_o

Bwah? Is there even a blog mention of that?

Quick google search on "Biden drop out" reveals little, but it looks like bitter clintonites claiming that Biden was "just a decoy" and will drop out to make room for Hillary as VP. Obama campaign has already shot it down and literally no one important is talking about it.

thank you

Hedgethorn

werehippy wrote: »

Hedgethorn wrote: »

I meant to put this in the Presidency thread and accidentally posted it in the debate thread. So here I go again.

The Washington Post has an absolutely brilliant write-up on Thursday's White House meeting over the bailout bill. They apparently managed to get a few people to talk, because they have a pretty thorough play-by-play on how the day's events unfolded. I encourage you to go read the entire thing, but here's some of the meat.

How McCain Stirred a Simmering Pot wrote:

When Sen. John McCain made his way to the Capitol office of House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) just past noon on Thursday, he intended to "just touch gloves" with House Republican leaders, according to one congressional aide, and get ready for the afternoon bailout summit at the White House.

Instead, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, was waiting to give him an earful. The $700 billion Wall Street rescue, as laid out by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., was never going to fly with House Republicans, Ryan said. The plan had to be fundamentally reworked, relying instead on a new program of mortgage insurance paid not by the taxpayers but by the banking industry.

McCain listened, then, with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), he burst into the Senate Republican policy luncheon. Over a Tex-Mex buffet, Sens. Robert F. Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) had been explaining the contours of a deal just reached. House Republicans were not buying it. Then McCain spoke.

"I appreciate what you've done here, but I'm not going to sign on to a deal just to sign the deal," McCain told the gathering, according to Graham and confirmed by multiple Senate GOP aides. "Just like Iraq, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I need to."

For a moment, as Graham described it, "you could hear a pin drop. It was just unbelievable." Then pandemonium. By the time the meeting broke up, the agreement touted just hours before -- one that Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), the No. 3 GOP leader, estimated would be supported by more than 40 Senate Republicans -- was in shambles...

In truth, McCain's dramatic announcement Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign and come to Washington for the bailout talks had wide repercussions.

Democrats, eager to reach a deal before McCain could claim credit, hunkered down and made real progress ahead of his arrival. Conservative Republicans in the House reacted as well, according to aides who were part of the talks.

The Republican Study Committee, an enclave of House conservatives, had already begun turning against the Paulson plan. When McCain announced his return, the conservatives feared he would forge an agreement largely along Paulson's lines, with slight alterations and the GOP leadership's blessing...

It was Ryan who made it most clear that there really was no deal. The core of Paulson's plan -- using $700 billion in taxpayer money to buy distressed assets from failing financial firms -- had to be changed, he told McCain. Instead, banks should have to pony up money for a new federally administered insurance program, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Banks suffering from mortgage defaults would then be able to draw funds from the insurance pool to remain solvent...

"McCain has been trying to help the House guys, trying to get their ideas into the broader bill," said a senior Republican Senate aide. "If McCain can do that, he can bring 50 to 100 House Republicans to the bill. That would be a big damn deal."

McCain and Graham made just that point at the Tex-Mex lunch, but McCain also spoke in the starkly personal terms of a presidential candidate in trouble: "You all put me on the hook for $700 billion," he told his colleagues, according to an aide familiar with the lunch.

The breakdown was serious enough that word reached Paulson. Just 25 minutes before the scheduled meeting at the White House, Paulson phoned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alert her to trouble, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. When congressional leaders converged on the White House, the Democrats peeled off into the Roosevelt Room to discuss the revolt over the insurance plan. President Bush was kept waiting, something he has always hated.

After the cameras left the Cabinet room...Pelosi said Obama would speak for the Democrats. Though later he would pepper Paulson with questions, according to a Republican in the room, his initial point was brief: "We've got to get something done."...

Boehner was blunt. The plan Paulson laid out would not win the support of the vast majority of House Republicans. It had been improved on the edges, with an oversight board and caps on the compensation of participating executives. But it had to be changed at the core. He did not mention the insurance alternative, but Democrats did. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, pressed Boehner hard, asking him if he really intended to scrap the deal and start again.

No, Boehner replied, he just wanted his members to have a voice. Obama then jumped in to turn the question on his rival: "What do you think of the [insurance] plan, John?" he asked repeatedly. McCain did not answer.

One Republican in the room said it was clear that the Democrats came into the meeting with a "game plan" aimed at forcing McCain to choose between the administration and House Republicans. "They had taken McCain's request for a meeting and trumped it," said this source.

Congressional aides from both parties were standing in the lobby of the West Wing, unaware of the discord inside the Cabinet room, when McCain emerged alone, shook the hands of the Marines at the door and left. The aides were baffled. The plan had been for a bipartisan appearance before the media, featuring McCain, Obama and at least a firm statement in favor of intervention. Now, one of the leading men was gone.

The rest of the actors poured out of the room still highly agitated. Democrats clustered in the hall between the lobby and the Oval Office, pressing Bachus to explain what had happened to the deal. The Democrats discussed whether to go before the cameras waiting in front of the White House, but Obama refused. Without McCain next to him, he said, he would be skewered for using the White House as a backdrop. As the talk grew louder, Obama asked if they could duck into a room, and back they went to the ornate, windowless Roosevelt Room.

It was then that Paulson gingerly walked in to beg, "Don't blow this up, please." The secretary feared that Democrats would throw their hands up and declare the deal dead.

The crowd erupted in unison, all barking at Paulson that they were not the problem -- he needed to talk to his own party. Under the barrage, Paulson dropped to one knee, clasped his hands in front of his face as if he were praying and joked: "Please, please, don't blow this up. Give me some time."

"Hank," Pelosi replied, "I didn't know you were Catholic."

Damn you to hell! I was just formatting my post for this exact same article

To the point, that article is really great. I love any shred of behind the scenes reporting, and that sheds a lot of light on the end of last week.

The article makes it sound like blaming Thursday's melt-down on McCain is probably misguided; the House GOP was planning to protest all along, but their worries that McCain was going to support the Senate deal made them work around the clock so they could have something to say at the White House meeting.

Hedgethorn

Sarah Palin thinks we should send troops into Pakistan!

CNN wrote:

The governor got a more serious interrogation moments later when Temple graduate student Michael Rovito approached her to inquire about Pakistan.

"How about the Pakistan situation?," asked Rovito, who said he was not a Palin supporter. "What's your thoughts about that?"

"In Pakistan?," she asked, looking surprised.

"What's going on over there, like Waziristan?"

"It's working with [Pakistani president] Zardari to make sure that we're all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border," she told him. "And we'll go from there."

Rovito wasn't finished. "Waziristan is blowing up!," he said.

"Yeah it is," Palin said, "and the economy there is blowing up too."

"So we do cross border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan you think?," Rovito asked.

"If that's what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should," Palin responded, before moving on to greet other voters.

I guess she didn't listen too closely to her running-mate last night...

John McCain wrote:

[Obama] said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan. Now, you don't do that. You don't say that out loud. If you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government.