Yesterday John McCain announced he was suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to help deal with the current economic crisis. Many questioned this move, Barack Obama going so far as to reject McCain’s appeal for Obama to join him in helping deal with this issue instead of playing politics and saying leaders in Washington can call him if they need him.
The thing is, leaders in Washington spent the first part of the week doing exactly that.
Only they didn’t call Barack Obama.
They called John McCain.
Fearing a political backlash against Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has told the White House that it must serve up support from Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) if it hopes to ensure bipartisan backing for a massive economic bailout package by week’s end.
We need the Republican nominee for president to let us know where he stands and what we should do.
And when McCain answers the call on Wednesday and says he’ll do exactly what Reid and Washington have been asking him to do, that he’ll come to town and help form legislation he can support and show exactly where he stands, Reid changes his mind.
[I]t would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, needing help in creating a bipartisan solution, called for John McCain, a man who has a record of reaching across party lines and leading.
When Washington needed someone to lead, John McCain was asked for by name. In private. In public. By leaders on both sides.
Now John McCain’s fortunes this Novemeber will not rise or fall based on the suspension of his campaign or even whether or not the debate goes off as planned this Friday night. It will be based on whatever solution comes out of Washington and whether or not it have McCain’s stamp on it.
Good or bad, this is called putting country first.
