CNN confirms: McCain, Obama to meet with Bush about bailout
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/24/art.bushwave0924.ap.jpg caption="Pres. Bush has summoned Sens. McCain and Obama and congressional leadership to the White House to discuss his plan to bailout the nation's fianancial markets."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Bush has asked both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama to join him for a meeting at the White House Thursday afternoon to discuss the economic bailout plan, a White House officials said.
"The President called Sen. Obama tonight around 7:30 pm," said Dana Perino, White House press secretary. "The president has invited the bicameral and bipartisan leadership, and the two senators running for president, to the White House tomorrow to work on driving to a bipartisan and timely solution."
Obama's campaign said in a statement that he has accepted the invitation.
"A few moments ago, President Bush called Senator Obama and asked him to attend a meeting in Washington tomorrow, which he agreed to do," the statement said.
"He has said that he will continue to work in a bipartisan spirit and do whatever is necessary to come up with a final solution."
A McCain adviser said McCain also plans to attend.
- CNN's Elaine Quijano and Dana Bash contributed to this report.
Yes, the debates must go on, if McCain cant debate and think at the same time he should not be elected,period. This is a politicle stunt and it will not work for him......0bama 08...later
I am truly amazed at the mccain campaign and the stunts they will try to pull. is mccain not ready to debate the economy, because no matter what, on friday night, the economy will be front and center, and mccain has not had a chance to try and get out his talking points. notice how obama is cool, calm , reasonable, smart, collected, and once again, mccain shoots from the hit. not to mention his underhandedness and calling a press conference to say he was suspending his campaign, etc. after he received a call from obama to meet on a joint press conference. i think the american people are starting to wise up about mccain...his total insincere approach. he is a joke!!!!
Question: When did Bush invite McCain to the White House for this emergency discussion of the Wall Street bailout? My guess is that it was much earlier in the day, possibly even before McCain announced his decision to suspend his campaign and head back to Washington, knowing that Obama would be forced to follow at the invitation of the President.
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Come on Bush, I need you to help me get Barack to come to Washintong. You owe me big time. You cost me the presidency the first time I ran. Don't do this to me again. You owe me dammit.
How many of the posters here are being paid by the campaigns. Come on Abby, at least try to make your comment sound like it came from a real person and not some advertising exec charged with writing sound bites.
At least McCain is acting on his beliefs that country comes first. Obama is acting on his "star" status! McCain has shown he is a leader. MCCAIN ALL THE WAY!!!!!
The whole situation disgusts me. McCain and Bush continue to show me, time and time again, why the American people need change. At one time, I respected John McCain but now I realize he is just more of the same.
By his own admission, Mr Mccain does not know much about finances. His wife takes care of all of their's and his mom did the same with his fathers. So now that this country is facing the biggest financial crisis (But or course the economy is fundamentally sound) in our history, who does the congress need to figure it all out for them? John Mccain. That would be like needing a free throw to win the game and of all the guys on your team you put Shaq on the line or needing a field goal from the 10 yard line to win and you bring in your 310lb tackle. A week ago this man thought the economy was fine, now he is the savior of the free market system, what a joke. An even bigger joke is all the people that wil vote for him, that is really scary. Face it america, we haven't come that far race wise when you have americans that would rather endure another 4 years of Bush 3 rather than vote for a black man that could make their life alot easier.
I am so glad that the American people are finally realizing that Obama not only is a good man, but will be a great President for our country!
We will all have an Obama Christmas! McCain has just demonstrated the kind of leader we do not need for this country especially now!
Obama, and Mccain are just one vote each them not being in DC will not make a difference. Tell congress to email the info- OOPs John doesn't read email. I guess he can't Vote on the bailout.
Get ready for the spin.... I will go ahead and be the first to predict it...
From the McFrantic campaign: "In response to the America first request on the part of Super Mario John, President Bush, thinking it was a world changing idea called John Wayne McCain and Obama to a meeting tomorrow at the White House. This was John's idea first."
Meanwhile, back in Reality-ville, this evening, Obama calmly showed presidential presence of laying out his position; while, once again, John frantically, threw down the gloves and fled the scene calling off everything.... except an interview with Katie Couric. And he did see that all his pundits got the talking points (an intercepted list shown on t.v. tonight) to spew all over the airways about his great leadership in the time of crisis.
A simple rational paraphrase is offered regarding what President Bush said to explain why the current financial crisis occurred. That is: an open market environment with minimally enforced regulation, simply allowed run away greed in the absence of conscience driven controls and had the natural result of exactly what has happened. Said another way, the aggressive pursuit of totally open markets, while in theory is seemingly attractive, in reality is inherent with the potential for drastic consequences and reality dictates the real need for conscientious government regulations diligently applied; not advocating for excessive control but for adequate checks and balances to insure a few don’t abuse the system. Now we the voters can see the truth in all of that and then demand that government recognize and avoid the problems with irresponsibly seeking totally open markets that encourage a few to abuse and benefit from the laxness of the system and instead demand they install enough controls and regulation to insure a productive market without abuse or we can simply wait for another go around of more of the same. The theory of totally open markets as an academic theory seems attractive but when the human element with the naturally inherent greed and aggressive ego characteristics is introduced, the result is unavoidably disastrous.
Get ready to hear about an important meeting, that will just happen to be scheduled for debate time, to get Johhny off the hook. This is getting pathetically predictable.
Maybe this is an end around play by McCain...taking BHO from his studies and then cleaning his clock at the debate...aahhh!!!
Gail, get your facts straight it was Obama's idea to meet but McCain went behind his back and cancel the debate. Gee!! It's funny how you people want to comment on the stuff that you don't know. Now my question is why are you "Gayle" voting for McCain?
Again:
Whatever!!!!!
"McCain showed true leadership today. Obama, on the other hand, seemed like an actor saying 'the show must go on.' "
Are you kidding? We've had far more serious situation in the past, and the electoral process continued. And it's not like these candidates travel by horse and buggy. With private flights, they can be anywhere in the country in a few hours. Seriously, what does McCain think that Congress will be doing on Friday evening that he can't miss?
Itis unbelievable that McCain thinks we are so stupid not to see his ploy here. He is so transparent and yet the lemmings still follow. If this man is elected we will know how dumb this country really is.
McCain's trying to politicize a crisis he contributed to and his crony Bush is helping him. I think it is RIDICULOUS that Palin is not allowed to face the press and prove whether she's got the right stuff, now the old man is running away too.
I do not want a President who runs and hides.
Comments on this article are so biased toward Obama. You Dems should be flatttered that Obama was invited to the White House along with McCain. Prez is including them in the big decision making. get your mind off the polls for five minutes, why don't you? Frustrated in SB, CA
I don't think alot of you bloggers understand the magnitude of this financial crisis. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs to be dealt with NOW. Are McCain and Obama Senators? Or just campaigners? They were elected to respresent their people in Congress. They need to be there. Obama has been campaigning forever. Time to do some work.
Folks believe me on this! This bail-out don't gonna change our down slope by any tangible margin!
1. Yes,Banks will be able to loan again. But how will JOBLESS consumers be able to pay back?
2. Can the Government be transparent enough to disclose ownership of every Financial business up for sale? My guess is that same guys are linked to these institutions and they merely want to get away from bad decisions.
As a Junior Economist (with Masters so far) my dose is to Re-tool our production and manufacturing. We must get back to the Basics and create jobs. It will be better National investments than Bail-out and cash hand outs(stimulus packages-–dead end consumption).
There are plenty of days left for debates. If the average American does not understand where these 2 stand on most issues (even foreign policy) then they should perhaps...ummmm..read a little? Or is that too difficult a strain in this world of drive-by soundbites?
They are both Senators, Senators that we are paying to deal with National issues IN CONGRESS. Let's get to DC, hammer out a bipartisan plan BEFORE congress goes into recess, and then come out swinging in the debates.
If I hear another cry of Multitask, Multitask, I will cry Common Sense, Common Sense. This is not an issue of someone being able to deal with multiple issues, it has to do with reaching a bipartisan agreement before RECESS–that will necessitate people to be in DC debating on the floor of Congress.
A true patriot will serve their country, not their own political aims.
Seeing the comments here it makes you wonder how hateful people can get, sometimes I get upset too, but this is a different situation where whoever wins will have to deal with this problem and they are needed to help this do nothing Congress make a hard decision which they have not done since 9/11 and the Iraq Invasion.
Hey McCain, why don't you "Stay and Fight"? I guess when the political going gets tough John McCain quits.
Is this how we are to expect Senator McCain to react when two things happen at once if he were to be elected President?
Pretty scary.
Obama is exactly right. There is no need to stop campaigning. This is exactly the time when Senator McCain needs to stand up and show America some leadership. He's admitted he doesn't know much about the economy anyway. What the hell is he going to do in Washington, attend a couple of meetings?