U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. in a phone interview that ended a couple of minutes ago had this to say about Republican John McCain’s move to suspend his campaign until Congress comes up with a solution to the Wall Street mess:
This latest thing on the debate was really bizarre in the sense that he’s saying at the 11th hour he’s not going to show up for a debate that’s been scheduled for many, many weeks now because he thinks he’s gotta be in Washington leading in the negotiations.
One thing that we don’t need is more presidential politics in this.
Casey said Republicans and Democrats in Congress, many who don’t get along with one another, are working together in a way Casey said he’s never seen before to solve the financial crisis.
The idea that John McCain’s physical presence in Washington is going to make that better, I just don’t see it. I really just don’t see it.
Casey’s been a Barack Obama supporter since the Pennsylvania primary, and in Casey’s view Obama has acted more presidential by listening to his financial experts and not taking a firm stand yet on the proposed bailout legislation (Obama has said that would be playing politics with a serious issue) and laying out basic principles he thinks would resolve the situation. McCain, on the other hand, was “for the bailout then against the bailout” and has reversed position on regulation compared to his career-long stance against it, Casey said.
One person was trying to demonstrate leadership, presidential leadership, and the other was looking at something much mor politically expedient.
Casey serves on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is at the forefront of the Congressional battle to hammer together a bailout package.
