August 26, 2018
THE MOMENT THAT DETERMINED THE UR SHOULD BE PRESIDENT:
No Bailout Deal After McCain, Obama, Bush Meeting (JENNIFER LOVEN and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, 9/25/18, Associated Press)
Urgent efforts to lash together a $700 billion rescue plan for the national economy appeared to be stalling tonight, hours after key lawmakers had declared they had reached a deal. [...]The day's earlier apparent breakthrough, announced with fanfare at midday, was followed by a White House summit bringing together President Bush, Senators McCain and Obama, and top congressional leaders. But that meeting, aimed at showing unity in resolving a national financial crisis, broke up with conflicts in plain view.Inside the session, the House Republican leader, John Boehner, expressed misgivings about the emerging plan and Mr. McCain would not commit to supporting it, said people from both parties who were briefed on the exchange. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was private.The earlier agreement by key members of Congress from both parties -- but not top leaders -- would have given the Bush administration just a fraction of the money it wanted up front, subjecting half the $700 billion total to a congressional veto.But conservatives were still in revolt, balking at the astonishing price tag of the proposal and the hand of government that it would place on private markets. [...]Layered over the White House meeting was a complicated web of potential political benefits and consequences for both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain.Mr. McCain hoped voters would believe that he rose above politics to wade into successful, nitty-gritty dealmaking at a time of urgent crisis, but he risked being seen instead as either overly impulsive or politically craven, or both. Mr. Obama saw a chance to appear presidential and fit for duty, but was also caught off guard strategically by McCain's surprising gamble in saying he was suspending his campaigning and asking to delay tomorrow night's debate to focus on the crisis.
W tried to hand Maverick the election wrapped up in a bow, but when Maverick wouldn't stand up to the House GOP and the UR stood by W's side against most Democrats it was all over.
While he most regretted his involvement in the personal corruption of the Keating 5 scandal, it was this policy failure that was his worst political moment.
Like Bob Dole, he was ultimately too much a creature of the Congress to be a great presidential candidate. He likewise flubbed when he played footsie with the pro-choice neocons in the 2000 race and the nativist Right in his last Senate campaign.
Taking the man in full, he is worthy of the praise he's receiving, but portraying him as a singularly courageous politician does a disservice to many of his peers, who are similarly decent but cut and trim for party and electoral purposes. That, after all, is their profession.
Posted by Orrin Judd at August 26, 2018 2:54 PM