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.
neither of the candidates, nor the president, is offering a decent economic plan... they're both just trying to tie each other to the problem... we don't need a president who points fingers... they need to be finding a solution... McCain also needs to get a backbone... I'm a republican and I can see that he's trying to avoid debating since he doesn't have a plan... also.... what's with bailing out the automotive industry? I don't think thats necessary...
Since when is it "true leadership" to parachute into a delicate negotiation two days after it starts?
John McCain proved that he is a leader, and at the end Obama had no choice but to follow.
The gravity of the problem is so big the John McCain again decided to put country above his presidential campaign, this is the same thing he did for the surge.
Obama just waited to see what everyone else will do. I said from day one this guy is not a leader.
John McCain bases his decision on principal, and you know America will always be his priority.
If I was Obama, I wouldn't eat or drink anything that Bush serves during that meeting. I would not at all put something like this past them.
If McCain really cared, he would have been taking steps to help with a solution before now. Senator Obama has been speaking to Hank Paulson every single day this week and McCain has been absent. This is simply a political move by McCain. It seems that he's working on a 'bailout' of his own...
my first reaction
this is PATHETIC!
BUSH ?
You are calling for HELP?
Republicans are LOSERS!
Thank Republicans for THIS MESS!
Go BLUE!
Vote OBAMA
Let's SURVIVE THIS!!
I cannot say this enough...WHAT ABOUT THE EARLY VOTERS? The debates must go on! Yes, that is multi-tasking, that is also putting country first. I am an early voter in Colorado and have been waiting looking forward to viewing the candidates during the debates. I would only hope that McCain could manage to pull of more than one task at a time.
Poor Obama – in a room with all the big boys. He should probably bring Oprah.
Mikey, please stop with the vote count.
Obama only votes PRESENT.
We all know who John McCan is, but we can't say the same about your golden boy.
I can hear McCain now, calling Bush: "Please, please, Mr. President, invite Barack Obama to come to the White House tomorrow. I can't get him to come, and it's just like Henny Penny said! The sky is falling! On me! (and on Don'taskheraquestion Sarah). This panic-induced ploy of McCain's is so ridiculous, but I'm glad that Obama accepted. His input may just surprise George and John; he might come up with the winning solution to the nation's financial ills.
How disgusting that at a time of real economic crisis, –What Warren Buffett called a financial Pearl Harbor-– Obama has to get a personal invitation to come back to Washington to do hisJOB! What will he do if he hasn't got someone there to do just that?
I find it highly suspicious that the Prez called for this meeting, AFTER McCain decided to suspend his campaign and go "rustle hisselfy some Bailout Bill" back in Washington....
Smells Fishy
Senator McCain has been doing an aweful lot of lying here lately.
There is no way the American people are going to vote Bush 44 this time.
We are sick and tired of all the dishonesty. We, the American people don't deserve the mess we've been brought into with our economy and our foreign affairs.
The lies are a sure sign that McCain will do and say anything. And on and on and it continues to get worse.
LOL, and what? Mr. Bush is going to give his 0.0000000000000000000000000000000002 cents on this economic problem? Wait, did someone say, "Deregulate"? No, wait... I think TWO people said it!
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Let me shed some light on this complex math,
since McCain isn't explaining it clearly enough:
90% the same = approximately 10% different
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Yeah, Bush doesn't know what to do......he needs Obama's help, just like how he's recently adopted some of Obama's foreign policy stances.
I'll be so glad on Nov. 5 when this country has a new, positive direction ahead.
Obama/Biden
I would like to see how many commenters here would be affected if the economy tanks and their jobs are lost.
Would you still be making making glib remarks then? Will you be able to make your mortgage payments and stay in your homes? So easy to make smart aleck remarks until it hits home.
McCain decided to act, while Obama just wanted to talk. What good would a debate about Foreign policy be when a real economic crisis is happening in your midst?
Obama just waits until everything falls into place, and he can lay claim to any "success". McCain had the courage to put his campaign in jeopardy to act on what he can do to help the country.
Who's more presidential now?
An absence of convenience, Senator McCain. You're not fooling anyone.
I have to wonder what the total bill is to date for W's Iraqi adventure. Wouldn't it be amazing if it were in the vicinity of $700B?
Get Real September 24th, 2008 10:39 pm ET
This is an ambush. McCain adn Bush have no ideas… they want to steal Obama's ideas so they can call them their own.
Funny Get Real, I thought the same thing...They want his "playbook"...
If anybody is playacting at being POTUS it's McCain. Wasn't he the one who accused Obama of being presumptuous?
Note that now CNN reports the VP debate might be delayed and first presidential debate might be moved into its slot next week. Interesting delay tactic by the republicans...
Should be an interesting meeting! We have the "Maverick" who championed de-regulation, the President who decisions have caused many of the dilemas we face today, and a true Agent of Change....
My money'(what little is left) is on OBAMA!
McCain-Palin: NO INTEGRITY, NO HONOR, NO SMARTS
John McCain seems to be trying to procrastinate. We deserve to have as much information as we possibly can before heading to the polls on Nov. 4th which is why the debates – including this Friday's – is extremely important! Come on McCain, step up and show the American public that you can multitask. You cannot schedule emergencies should you be lucky enough to be elected.
Chris, from Tustin CA you said it in a nutshell.