BREAKING NEWS! McCain is suspending his campaign and is asking Obama to do the same!

[dragonrider]

My quote:

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.

Your response:

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.

Daihashi, are you out of smoke? You seem to be getting a little bit "prickly." I never called you stupid or ignorant. I was giving you crap because you keep insisting McCain needs to be in Wshington in order to do his job, but you are actually SMART ENOUGH to know that is not the case. If I thought I was just talking to an idiot who couldn't be expected to know any better, I wouldn't bother. But you do know better.

You are so eager to trash the other side you don't even see what's important.

Ha ha! I'm not eager to trash McCain! I'm just very disappointed in him for playing a political stunt with something that is important. I do see that this is important --- it's too important to be playing games with it.

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.

Are you kidding me? I'm not trying to have it both ways. I said he doesn't need to be there, and his presence will be a distraction and a disruption. How is that having it both ways? It's like not wanting a 3-year-old help you paint the kitchen --- "How can you say he's not helpful? If he's big enough to spill paint on the floor, then he's big enough to do the trimwork. You can't have it both ways!" Ridiculous. Just because McCain is important enough to cause a disruption does not mean he is necessary to a solution.

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.

And I criticise you for being biased as well and obtuse to the fact that McCain does not need to call for a suspension of the campaign and a delay to the debates in order to do his proper role, which is to wait for a negotiated deal between the House and Senate party leaders and the White House, and then go vote on it. You are being obtuse to the fact that this campaign suspension is a stunt. McCain wants you to believe that he is necesary to a solution so that you will think he is more important than he really is, and you apparently DO believe that.

I've yet to see an explanation of Substance from anyone here on Obama's side.

I guess you can dismiss my explanation as not having "substance" if you want. I thought I explained it well enough. Most people seem to understand it.

All I've seen are people defending Obama but not explaining.

Actually, there is not a lot of "defending Obama" going on here, because so far there hasn't been much criticism of Obama --- nothing to defend him over. He is both doing his job as Senator and running a very effective campaign, so what is to criticise? What is to defend? The thread is mostly about criticism and defense of McCain.

As for "not explaining," no one has explained exactly what McCain intends to do while the election is on hold and he is in Wshington. The argument is he is going to "do his job" and "deal with the crisis." But what exactly? He deosn't have a seat at the negotiations, so what the hell is he going to do that he couldn't do from anywhere in the country? If word comes down that there is going to be a vote, he will have time to get back, so he does not need to be there. As far as I can tell, the Senate leadership has NOT wanted him there. I've seen leaders on both sides say these two should keep out, and the deal is almost done.

Unless people have an explanation with substance in it.. I will not be participating in this thread any longer.

Maybe you should step out for awhile --- seems like you are getting a bit worked up and emotional.