Quote Originally Posted by dragonrider
Wrong.

It is not critical that these two men be in Washington or suspend the debates or suspend their campaigns in order for them to DO THEIR JOB on this issue.
Obama says that a president should be able to do two things at once... Remember the flak Bush caught for not dropping what he was doing to see the katrina landfall site?

As callous as it sounds that situation was not nearly as Critical as the one we're in right now as this 700 billion effects the nation on a whole. While a president should be able to do two things at once it's also important that he realizes when something detrimental is on his plate and he needs to stop what he's doing to place focus on it. This is one of those times. They are SITTING SENATORS. Nothing changes that, not their campaign, not the dump I just took.. not anything. They have a job they are still obligated to.

How do you think this stuff works? Do you think all 100 senators sit together in a room working things through together? Do you think nothing gets done if one of them is not in the building? No. Party leadership from both sides canvass their membership on what is acceptable to each and what they want, and then it gets hashed out in committee. If a compromise is necessary, they contact everyone to see how they will vote. NEITHER ONE OF THESE MEN HEADS OR SITS ON A RELEVANT COMMITTEE. As long as they are in contact with their party leadership, they don't need to be there, except to vote. They certainly do not need to supend their campaigns.
I actually found the beginning of this paragraph condescending. I'm not stupid. Fact is we pay them with our tax dollars, this is a critical situation not a vote for getting some money to throw the White Sox a party for winning the world series.

If congress goes into an extended session then yes, I think they will have to suspend their campaigns. I'm sorry but to pull an argument from the left, they are running for president and this is something a president will have to addres correct? So why is it ok for Obama not to show up or stay in Washington if an extended session is called for?

Don't talk to me as if I'm ignorant again.

That's why I asked what Super Maverick thinks he is going to do. Is he going to barge into the committee meetings where he does not belong? Perhaps he will entertain with a song and dance? Maybe he will hold press conferences and look "presidential." I'd say he should spend the time boning up on his debate topics.
No, he intends to participate to do his job. And to be fair president bush actually called both McCain and Obama and urged them to come to washington. I don't believe the idea actually originated from either of these two even though Obama says it was his idea and McCain is portraying it (not directly saying it) as if it were his idea.

You are so eager to trash the other side you don't even see what's important. Let's use your argument that neither one of these people NEED to be there. Well let's use another one of your arguments from the past, both of these Men are running for President. If there is a time of Crisis things need to be stopped to place focus on it. If even lame duck President Bush can do this I would expect Obama to do the same.

I am using your arguments here because my arguments seem to have no effect on you.

Most likely what he will do is disrupt the whole process. If the candidates go to Washington and start staking out sides, this whole thing is going to degenerate into a situation in which every representative and senator is acting as a proxy for his candidate. And that is how this whole thing is going to get screwed up. This is a very imoportant and very delicate situation, and it should not be infected with partisan presidential politics. This is probably the WORST possible time for a crisis like this to happen, right in the middle of an election. Both of these candidates should keep their distance, let their leadership know what they want, just like all the other Senators, and let it get negotiated outside of the context of the presidential campaign by the people whose proper role it is to handle this thing.
Like you said, what's he going to do? He's just 1 man currently who's not President. Same as Obama. Make up your mind... is McCain important enough to sway and delay the process in which a couple of hundred people are involved or is he just another one of the group?

You can't have it both ways. Pick a stance.

I don't criticise McCain for wanting to "do his job." I criticise him for pulling a stunt in the middle of something serious. He knows what his role is as senator, and he is overstepping it and making the situation worse. And he is doing it so that he can appear to be doing more than he really is. It's purely political, and he should not have done it.
Uhh, the debates are coming up on friday. I don't think it's so ludicrous to try to go through the proper channels to delay the debate, coordinate with the Obama campaign to address this issue and then get back on track with the elections.

I criticize you for being overly biased and obtuse to a situation that is critical to all Americans and a situation that every elected politician should currently being in Washington trying to address.

Neither of these candidate need to draft the plan.. to be honest I would prefer they didn't. What they need to do is go to washington, listen to the discussions there.. and VOTE. THAT IS THERE JOB!