McCain Suspends Campaign To Lead In Economic Crisis; Democrats Pandering

John McCain announced that he would suspend his campaign – including all advertising and the upcoming debate – in order to focus on providing leadership in addressing the financial crisis.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued the following statement:

This is a critical time for our country. While I appreciate that both candidates have signaled their willingness to help, Congress and the Administration have a process in place to reach a solution to this unprecedented financial crisis.

I understand that the candidates are putting together a joint statement at Senator Obama’s suggestion. But it would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation’s economy. If that changes, we will call upon them. We need leadership; not a campaign photo op.

If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now.

The only problem with this is that it completely flies in the face of what he said only yesterday:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is watching Republicans in both chambers, one after another, criticize the Wall Street bailout, but he says he’s not going to let them off the hook by passing the bill and letting the GOP cast soft “no” votes against the plan.

“This is a Republican proposal, and we need some Republican votes,” to help it pass. “At this stage we [Democrats] are working with ourselves.”

Reid went on to say in the same statement:

“We now need Republicans to stand up,” Reid said. “We need the Republican nominee for president to say what he’s for.”

So, anyone who thinks that Democrats aren’t completely full of crap, and determined to use whatever side of any issue to posture and pander and demagogue – no matter how dangerous it is to the nation’s well being – explain Harry Reid’s complete hypocritical turnabout to me.

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims that he isn’t seeing enough Republican action on the Paulson financial bailout plan.  Yesterday Reid claims that we need the Republican nominee – and that’s John McCain by the way – to step up and say what he’s for.  Reid demands that of McCain even though Barack Obama hasn’t bothered to say what he’s for.

So John McCain suspends his campaign to return to Washington and put his leadership in the Republican Party – and his very political future – on the line to become personally involved in the economic situation in order to break the impasse and reach a compromise deal that is best for the American people.

And immediately following his announcement to do so, Reid suddenly says McCain’s involvement is unnecessary.

If any thinking person had any doubt that the Democratic leadership – and that includes Barack Obama, who is planning to keep launching divisive attacks when we need to come together fast, keep fundraising in the midst of economic crisis, keep playing the same old politics – is not above cynically manipulating a crisis, it ought to be clear now.

Democrats are trying to present John McCain’s suspending his campaign in order to return to Washington to lead the Republican effort to produce a bipartisan plan as nothing more than a desperate political act.  But please don’t forget that this isn’t the first time John McCain was willing to suspend his political campaign in the face of a national crisis: he did so during the Republican Convention as Hurrican Gustav was bearing down on the Gulf Coast.

Tags: advertising, bailout, Barack Obama, campaign, financial crisis, Harry Reid, John McCain, Paulson, Republican votes, suspend, Wall Street