Bush asks Obama, McCain to join White House bailout meeting tomorrow -- Obama accepts

[bigtree]

Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:31pm EDT


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush invited Democratic White House nominee Barack Obama to a meeting on Thursday with members of Congress to forge a financial bailout plan, a White House spokesman said.

Spokesman Tony Fratto said the Bush had invited Obama and Republican nominee John McCain to the White House session. Obama accepted.

"A few moments ago, President Bush called Senator Obama and asked him to attend a meeting in Washington tomorrow, which he agreed to do," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE48O06G20080925


statement from Obama camp: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/09/bush_asks_obama_mccain_to_whit.html

"Sen. Obama has been working all week with leaders in Congress, Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke to improve the proposal,''' Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to buy bad mortgage debt from banks. And "Obama will continue to work in a bipartisan spirit and do whatever is necessary to come up with a final solution.''

[tblue]

1. Of course! B*sh and McLoser need Barack to explain it to them.

[bigtree]

4. Bush, inadvertently, took the wind out of McCain's march back to Washington

. . . and put them both in the position of accepting or rejecting his initiative.

If I were Obama (right) I'd find a way to get solidly in line with the Democratic majority when he leaves there.

[tblue]

8. He'll be the de facto leader. You watch.

[bigtree]

9. If McCain's going to Washington to 'lead' the bailout effort, he'll just be carrying water for Bush

More important, he'll just end up owning whatever stand the republicans decide on, because, Democrats in Congress aren't going to follow him anywhere.

And I seriously doubt McCain has enough support on the Hill to lead republicans toward or away from any compromise, or even wants to.

from Swampland: http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/why_the_gop_needed_mccain_back.html

"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.'"


The White House said they expected McCain to push his colleagues to a "conclusion" on their proposal: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/congress.mccain.reaction/?iref=mpstoryview

"The financial market crisis is a big problem that requires a big solution, and solving this in a bipartisan way will help prevent economic damage spreading from Wall Street to all Americans," they said.

[MaryEllen9399]

2. Who wants to bet

that bush threatened Obama to come to the WH and if he didn't they would cancel the election. I wouldn't put it past them.

[bigtree]

7. I don't believe Obama would keep that quiet

[guruoo]

3. So, this was the trap they planned all along

[bigtree]

6. It could have the effect of forcing McCain and Bush together, though

Most of the republicans on the Hill don't want to deal and the Democrats may end up forging their own way and forcing Bush to heel. This ain't over. I think Bush screwed McCain's pooch with this invite.

[endthewar]

12. McCain had called publicly for Bush to ask for this meeting

Bush is just allowing McCain to be viewed as a leader on this issue.

[bigtree]

14. All it does is make McCain and Bush look like they're operating together on this

When McCain initially wanted to appear independent. All he can do is carry Bush's water. At least Obama has the Democratic majority to assert the only authority in town that has any hope of producing any resolution.

[guruoo]

16. I believe they're trying to somehow hand blame for the mess to Obama

[bigtree]

19. well,

that's what leadership is all about. He'll have to assume responsibility sometime. Someone has to lead.

[guruoo]

20. for fixing it yes, creating it no.

[guruoo]

15. That's what Im thinking. But will it work? Will McCain take questions? Will Bush

loan him his hump-mount GPS talking points search engine?

[Imagevision]

18. Mccain needs to be wired, it's his only chaance, Bush remarked on photo that it was

a poorly tailored shirt and that is an exact quote. - the funny part of this pic is that it was provided by of all people --> FOXnews...!

[PATRICK]

10. The trap would be

to find inconsistencies in the meeting(throwing off Obama's prep for FOREIGN POLICY) and what he would say in the debate or find a weak point to give to McCain. Canceling didn't work obvious so they try this
as trying for a quick surrender of the Treasury to their crooked pals didn't work so they are grinding out what they can by combining political pressure and chaos with "bipartisan" responsibility.

A cornered beast is always the most dangerous, but the hunter must just be wary and persistent. very dramatic, but we have the heroes. They have the losers.

[phusion]

5. Right...

and then we can continue with the debates as scheduled.

[knowledgeispwr]

11. I don't think going hurts Obama....

so I don't understand some of the 'concern' I've seen in posts about this.

It'll be Bush, McCain, Obama, and members of Congress.

[bigtree]

13. I agree. It'll force McCain to either embrace or reject his unpopular WH mentors

. . . while Obama enjoys a unified Democratic majority in Congress.

[seasat]

17. Even as despised as Bush is you have to respect the office by going.

Obama didn't have a choice when they played that card. IMHO, they're backed into a corner. McCain is tanking and our party didn't bite on Paulson's first offer. Obama didn't take the bait when McCain pulled out the "cancel the campaign" gambit so they went with a presidential request. Despite the fact that this meeting is a farce to shore up McCain and cover Bush, Obama can't turn it down because it would show disrespect to the office. Even though Bush has shown greater disrespect towards the office than even Nixon, Obama has to accept the request not because of the person but because of the office.

I predict they're going to try to pressure him in compromising more towards the Paulson plan and for there to be a vote before Friday. I think Obama will tell them no compromises. If the Democratic plan is set as this draft indicates, then they might get a vote on Thursday or early Friday. McCain will then claim that he brought the Repubs on board. IMHO, if the plan still needs work or they try to weaken it towards the Paulson plan then, Obama should tell them that it'll have to wait until next week for a vote. He should call McCain's bluff on canceling the debate.

I have confidence in Obama in dealing with them. He's a poker player while McCain likes to shoot craps. Obama knows when someone is bluffing while all McCain knows is to throw the dice.

[Fire Walk With Me]

21. That frames them as "doing something" and Obama as second-tier, joining in.

It frames them as leading, and worthy of leadership.

Here it comes, the recontextualizations...they can't win in a debate, so pony out the problems and =their= solutions. It's all pre-planned, and they come out looking "strong" and "decisive" and "interested in helping the nation" (of course, they created the damn problem in order to appear to be "doing something" about it).

I do not like republicans or anyone who acts like them.

[bigtree]

22. It's still the Bush White House we're talking about

How many Americans do you think are looking to Bush for a solution?

Obama will come out the other side with his independence intact. McCain will be bound to carry the administration's water, or else, stand with whatever miserable republicans he can find on Capitol Hill. It's the 'maverick' who's been lassoed back into his miserable fold. Obama will stand tall with the Democratic majority behind him.

[Fire Walk With Me]

24. "How many Americans do you think are looking to Bush for a solution?"

Sadly, all of the people they've frightened into being afraid of change. They're entering televangelist land with this stuff...9/11, terra, the economy, are all the things that'll getcha unless you come to them for protection...

And yes, hopefully the vast majority of Americans will see past these repeated, cyclic button-pushings and vote for change.

[bigtree]

25. I think voters have pretty clearly said in this election that Bush is the problem, not the solution

Democrats are the only ones talking about 'rescuing' average Americans while the republicans are focusing the bulk of their argument on propping up the financial institutions.

Don't forget, McCain, initially wanted to set himself apart from the bill, as did many of his republican peers in Congress (urged on by wingers like Gingrich). Whatever new position he assumes coming out of the WH tomorrow, he'll still be at odds with the controlling thrust of the Democratic majority in Congress (and a plurality, perhaps, of republican legislators) who are already pushing forward toward a compromise without him.

The only effect of Bush's interference and McCain's dash back to the White House to figure out where he stands will be a very visible public connection of the republican senator and his mentor to remind the public where his roots lie.

[Orsino]

23. Check the Oval Office floor for plastic sheeting. n/t