From Fox and Friends this morning:
John McCain: "I have talked to the President this morning and recommended an increase from $100,000 to $250,000 FDIC insurance on deposits. I also strongly recommended that we use the exchange stability fund that the Treasury has available -- $250 billion -- to shore up these institutions. Also, the Treasury has at its disposal about $1 trillion that they could begin without Congressional authority buying up some of these terrible mortgages and help stabilize the situation. So I've talked to the President. I know that we have to act. Even though we failed yesterday, even though I went back and was able to get more Republicans on board or help get more Republicans on board, we will go back to this, and I will be engaged always where I think America needs engagement."
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
McCain statement on House Vote
I won't attempt analysis on today's Congressional debacle because unlike some members of Congress who are taking 3 days off when we finally DO need them - ahem - I spent today doing MY job as a Mom.
I have very mixed feelings about the bailout, but for the moment I'll merely encourage everyone not to panic until we actually have to. Use your fears and concerns for something productive, and remember how important it is that we put someone in leadership with integrity and a willingness to work - even when the cameras are off.
McCain's statement is below.
* * *
"I speak to you at an hour of crisis for our nation's economy.
"I believe the crisis facing our economy could have a grave impact on every American worker, small business owner, and family if our leaders fail to act.
"I share the anger and frustration that many Americans feel toward reckless and corrupt mismanagement on Wall Street and in Washington.
"I returned to Washington last week to work on a bipartisan rescue plan. It was the only plan at that time on the table but lacked enough support to pass. It also lacked sufficient accountability and transparency to justify expenditure of the taxpayers' money.
"At the time, the concerns of all members were not being heard. My colleagues were worried about the size of the plan and the risk it posed to taxpayers. I shared those concerns and I laid out principles that I thought must be adhered to. Those principles included responsible oversight, effective transparency, added protections for the taxpayers, and a cap on excessive salaries for executives.
"I also believe that the legislation should have no earmarks. I worked hard to play a constructive role in bringing everyone to the table. The plan is now significantly improved. We strengthened taxpayers' protections and oversight, and the taxpayers were on the hook for less money up front. Don't get me wrong - it isn't perfect. And the fact that taxpayers could have to spend a single dollar to create stability in our economy is a decision that I do not take lightly.
"I was hopeful that the improved rescue plan would have had the votes needed to pass because addressing a credit crisis is of vital importance to families, small businesses, and every working American who must be assured that their assets are safe and protected and that our economy will continue to function.
"Today, I've spoken to the Federal Chairman Bernanke, Secretary Paulson, Congressional leaders and now it's time for all members of Congress to go back to the drawing board.
"I call on Congress to get back obviously immediately to address this crisis. Our leaders are expected to leave partisanship at the door and come to the table to solve our problems. Senator Obama and his allies in Congress infused unnecessary partisanship into the process. Now is not the time to fix the blame. It's time to fix the problem.
"I would hope that all our leaders, all of them, can put aside short-term political goals and do what's in the best interest of the American people. Thank you."
I have very mixed feelings about the bailout, but for the moment I'll merely encourage everyone not to panic until we actually have to. Use your fears and concerns for something productive, and remember how important it is that we put someone in leadership with integrity and a willingness to work - even when the cameras are off.
McCain's statement is below.
* * *
"I speak to you at an hour of crisis for our nation's economy.
"I believe the crisis facing our economy could have a grave impact on every American worker, small business owner, and family if our leaders fail to act.
"I share the anger and frustration that many Americans feel toward reckless and corrupt mismanagement on Wall Street and in Washington.
"I returned to Washington last week to work on a bipartisan rescue plan. It was the only plan at that time on the table but lacked enough support to pass. It also lacked sufficient accountability and transparency to justify expenditure of the taxpayers' money.
"At the time, the concerns of all members were not being heard. My colleagues were worried about the size of the plan and the risk it posed to taxpayers. I shared those concerns and I laid out principles that I thought must be adhered to. Those principles included responsible oversight, effective transparency, added protections for the taxpayers, and a cap on excessive salaries for executives.
"I also believe that the legislation should have no earmarks. I worked hard to play a constructive role in bringing everyone to the table. The plan is now significantly improved. We strengthened taxpayers' protections and oversight, and the taxpayers were on the hook for less money up front. Don't get me wrong - it isn't perfect. And the fact that taxpayers could have to spend a single dollar to create stability in our economy is a decision that I do not take lightly.
"I was hopeful that the improved rescue plan would have had the votes needed to pass because addressing a credit crisis is of vital importance to families, small businesses, and every working American who must be assured that their assets are safe and protected and that our economy will continue to function.
"Today, I've spoken to the Federal Chairman Bernanke, Secretary Paulson, Congressional leaders and now it's time for all members of Congress to go back to the drawing board.
"I call on Congress to get back obviously immediately to address this crisis. Our leaders are expected to leave partisanship at the door and come to the table to solve our problems. Senator Obama and his allies in Congress infused unnecessary partisanship into the process. Now is not the time to fix the blame. It's time to fix the problem.
"I would hope that all our leaders, all of them, can put aside short-term political goals and do what's in the best interest of the American people. Thank you."
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Presidential Debate Reactions
Since I've spent the last 24 hours battling a stomach bug, I will let other people do the talking about yesterday's debate:
S.E. Cupp in the Daily News says Score One for John McCain.
Kathy at Purple People Vote points out the difference between McCain's soldier-rmembrance narrative and Obama's.
The Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett ntoed some of the same things that stood out to me: Obama came off as smooth but smug, and yes the "Pahk-ee-stuhn" thing was distracting.
Newsweek acknowledges McCain's superior grasp and experience on foreign policy, but asks will it matter to voters?
Off the top of my feverish head, I noticed that Obama mentioned Bush 16 times - an odd choice considering Bush isn't on the ballot.
The transcript of the debate is here.
S.E. Cupp in the Daily News says Score One for John McCain.
Kathy at Purple People Vote points out the difference between McCain's soldier-rmembrance narrative and Obama's.
The Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett ntoed some of the same things that stood out to me: Obama came off as smooth but smug, and yes the "Pahk-ee-stuhn" thing was distracting.
Newsweek acknowledges McCain's superior grasp and experience on foreign policy, but asks will it matter to voters?
Off the top of my feverish head, I noticed that Obama mentioned Bush 16 times - an odd choice considering Bush isn't on the ballot.
The transcript of the debate is here.
Friday, September 26, 2008
McCain Campaign Statement on Negotiations
From the folks at the campaign:
"John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis.
"In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bailout bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices.
"Both parties in both houses of Congress and the administration needed to come together to find a solution that would deserve the trust of the American people. And while there were attempts to do that, much of yesterday was spent fighting over who would get the credit for a deal and who would get the blame for failure. There was no deal or offer yesterday that had a majority of support in Congress. There was no deal yesterday that included adequate protections for the taxpayers. It is not enough to cut deals behind closed doors and then try to force it on the rest of Congress -- especially when it amounts to thousands of dollars for every American family.
"The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections.
"Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners."
###
"John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis.
"In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bailout bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices.
"Both parties in both houses of Congress and the administration needed to come together to find a solution that would deserve the trust of the American people. And while there were attempts to do that, much of yesterday was spent fighting over who would get the credit for a deal and who would get the blame for failure. There was no deal or offer yesterday that had a majority of support in Congress. There was no deal yesterday that included adequate protections for the taxpayers. It is not enough to cut deals behind closed doors and then try to force it on the rest of Congress -- especially when it amounts to thousands of dollars for every American family.
"The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections.
"Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners."
###
BREAKING: McCain going to debate
From Yahoo 1 minute ago:
WASHINGTON - Republican John McCain says he's going to be at the first
presidential debate, even though Congress doesn't have a bailout deal.With less than 10 hours until the debate was scheduled to start, the McCain campaign announced that the Arizona senator would travel to the University of
Mississippi. The campaign said after the forum he will fly back to Washington to
continue working on the financial crisis.The campaign's statement said McCain is optimistic that there has been progress toward a bipartisan agreement. But earlier in the week, McCain said he would delay the debate "until we have taken action to address this crisis."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Bailouts and Debates: The $700 Billion Question
Today the straw broke the camel's back. John McCain shocked everyone, myself included, when he announced that he would put political campaigning on the back burner to roll up his sleeves.
Normally I use my blog and forums to 'talk fellow Moms off the cliff.' But this time Moms, I will admit without apology that this is a risky move. But what does it mean?
For one, McCain has courage. Cojones. (McCainSpace blocked that word, so if you prefer, use 'bollocks' which means the same thing but is evidently not as dirty.) If ever there was a maverick campaign move, it is - well - not campaigning. (Volunteers we are not off the hook - now is a great time to do some legwork!)
Politically, McCain has abruptly popped several liberal balloons. Commercials foolishly emphasizing 'McCain is the same as Bush!' will make Obama look petty and misguided -- unlike McCain's other bucking-the-party victories, this one can't be forgotten or ignored. Obama's claims of bipartisanship, open-mindedness and accomplishment will be put to the test without a teleprompter or a proverbial net. For better or worse, our would-be leaders will have to prove their worth by (gasp) leading.
Legislatively, McCain is right on the money. He and Obama (and Biden, while we're at it), are paid and trusted to do an actual job in the Senate, and I for one am not willing to kiss away thousands of dollars of hard-earned money - or worse - because someone wanted to eat waffles and kiss babies in Scranton. Showing competence at your current job is typically a prerequisite for a promotion, so both McCain and Obama are right to use their influence now for the common good. (I would, however, love to be a fly on that wall!)
Was McCain's announcement geared to attract attention? Of course. But He Who Changeth the Seal and Dresseth Like A Greek God Throweth Not Stones. Like all McCain fans, I would love to see McCain debate Obama on foreign policy (I had even arranged child care so I could attend a McCainNation debate event). But I think that having that discussion in the current circumstances is, not to overdo the Classical analogies, "Fiddling While Rome Burns." If a delay of a few days saves thousands of homes and millions of taxpayer dollars, that time is an excellent investment.
This is not the time to play "Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots". Obama acknowledged that with words, McCain is choosing to take criticism on his shoulders now, and acknowledge it with action. As a McCain supporter, I'd love to see him grow momentum right now, but as an American whose entire life savings is in my home and a few stocks, I think McCain got it right.
You wanted change, America? You got it.
Normally I use my blog and forums to 'talk fellow Moms off the cliff.' But this time Moms, I will admit without apology that this is a risky move. But what does it mean?
For one, McCain has courage. Cojones. (McCainSpace blocked that word, so if you prefer, use 'bollocks' which means the same thing but is evidently not as dirty.) If ever there was a maverick campaign move, it is - well - not campaigning. (Volunteers we are not off the hook - now is a great time to do some legwork!)
Politically, McCain has abruptly popped several liberal balloons. Commercials foolishly emphasizing 'McCain is the same as Bush!' will make Obama look petty and misguided -- unlike McCain's other bucking-the-party victories, this one can't be forgotten or ignored. Obama's claims of bipartisanship, open-mindedness and accomplishment will be put to the test without a teleprompter or a proverbial net. For better or worse, our would-be leaders will have to prove their worth by (gasp) leading.
Legislatively, McCain is right on the money. He and Obama (and Biden, while we're at it), are paid and trusted to do an actual job in the Senate, and I for one am not willing to kiss away thousands of dollars of hard-earned money - or worse - because someone wanted to eat waffles and kiss babies in Scranton. Showing competence at your current job is typically a prerequisite for a promotion, so both McCain and Obama are right to use their influence now for the common good. (I would, however, love to be a fly on that wall!)
Was McCain's announcement geared to attract attention? Of course. But He Who Changeth the Seal and Dresseth Like A Greek God Throweth Not Stones. Like all McCain fans, I would love to see McCain debate Obama on foreign policy (I had even arranged child care so I could attend a McCainNation debate event). But I think that having that discussion in the current circumstances is, not to overdo the Classical analogies, "Fiddling While Rome Burns." If a delay of a few days saves thousands of homes and millions of taxpayer dollars, that time is an excellent investment.
This is not the time to play "Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots". Obama acknowledged that with words, McCain is choosing to take criticism on his shoulders now, and acknowledge it with action. As a McCain supporter, I'd love to see him grow momentum right now, but as an American whose entire life savings is in my home and a few stocks, I think McCain got it right.
You wanted change, America? You got it.
UPDATE: McCain statement on returning to Washington
Complete statement from John McCain (posted 5:30 pm PDT):
Yahoo article here.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_el_pr/mccain
Yahoo article here.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_el_pr/mccain
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