Quote Originally Posted by daihashi
What astounds me is that people are bashing McCain for attempting a bipartisan solution.
The funny thing about the partisan and bipartisan dynamics that are working out right now is who is on what side and why.

The Preisdent is the one who has asked for the bailout and made the case that it is vitally important to get it done NOW.

Most of the house and senate have agreed about the urgency of the situation but are hung up on details, and also hung up by the fact that most of the electorate HATES this baliout. It is actually Democratic congressional members who are supporting the bailout from a policy point of view, but who are most squeezed by the election politics of it not being popular. Many Republican congressional members are actually against the bailout from a policy point of view.

So you have Republicans threateneing to vote against it. And you have Democrats saying, Well, I support it, but I'm not going against my constitutency and siding with freakin' BUSH, if the Republicans aren't even going to vote for it!

McCain is in a very bad spot politically, because his party is in most disarray over it, and becasue he has the most political need to distance himself from Bush.

Obama offerred the best bipartisan approach. Their postions aren't that far apart on this thing, so he suggeted to McCain that they issue a joint statement. McCain agreed to that today, then apparnelty blindsided him with this "suspend the campaign" BS. Maybe they will still do the joint statement. That would probably be the most productive and least disruptive approach.