|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At White House, McCain Plays Bailout
Spoiler For Bush |
|
|
|
September 25, 2008 Inside an intense White
House meeting over the financial crisis on
Thursday, where nearly every key player came
to an agreement on the outlines of the bailout
package, Sen. John McCain stuck out. The
Republican candidate, according to sources
with direct knowledge, sat quiet through most
of the meeting, never offered specifics, and
spoke only at the end to raise doubts about
the rough compromise that the White House and
congressional leaders were nearing.
McCain's reluctance to jump on board the
bailout agreement could throw the entire
week-long negotiation into a tailspin. Sen.
Chris Dodd, after leaving the White House,
suggested on CNN that the tenuous process
could be derailed by what he viewed as
McCain's political motives.
"What happened here, basically, if you want
an honest appraisal of the thing, we have been
spending a lot of time and I am tired. I have
spent almost seven straight days at this in
trying to come out with a workout plan for our
economy a rescue plan," said Dodd. "What this
looked like to me was a rescue plan for John
McCain for two hours and took us away from the
work we are trying to do today. Serious people
trying to do serious work to come up with an
answer."
According to the source with knowledge of
the White House gathering -- which featured
both presidential candidates, congressional
leaders and the President -- virtually ever
key figure in the room, save McCain and GOP
Sen. Richard Shelby, were in agreement over a
revised version of Treasury Secretary Hank
Paulson's plan.
Towards the end, McCain finally spoke up,
mentioning a counter-proposal that had been
offered by some conservative House
Republicans, which would suspend the capital
gains tax for two years and provide tax
incentives to encourage firms that buy up bad
debt. McCain did not discuss specifics of the
plan, though, and was non-committal about
supporting it.
Paulson, however, argued directly against
the conservative proposal. "He said that he
did not think it would work," according to the
source. At another point in the meeting,
President Bush chimed in, "If money isn't
loosened, this sucker could go down" -- and by
sucker he meant economy.
ABC News reported that, prior to the
meeting, Paulson "walked into the room where
Democrats were caucusing...at the White House
and pleaded with them 'please don't blow this
up.'" This story isn't completely correct.
Following the meeting, Democrats stayed
talking in the Roosevelt room and Paulson
approached them. Speaker Pelosi and Rep.
Barney Frank shot back at Paulson that the
real problem was with House Republicans,
according to sources. Paulson replied, "I
know, I know," as he got down on one knee to
lighten the mood. Pelosi joked back, "I didn't
know you were a Catholic."
After the White House meeting, Shelby, the
top Republican on the Senate Banking
Committee, restated his long-standing
opposition to the bailout, and suggested that
a deal was not, as reported earlier in the
day, imminent. But Shelby's no. 2 on the
committee, Sen. Bob Bennett, supports the
compromise principles, as do other top GOP
House and Senate leaders.
Dodd himself was incensed that the hard
work he and others had put in could be
undermined at the last minute.
"We were told it came out of the Republican
House. We were told at this one point that
this was maybe John McCain was floating the
idea that Hank Paulson was considering it,"
Dodd said of the proposal, which he did not
elaborate upon. "And of course Barney Frank
and I, along with Republicans from the House
and the Senate, had spent three hours this
morning working on a different core. We were
told for the last seven days it was the core
issue to give the Secretary authority to move
with the crisis, but simultaneously protect
the taxpayers and accountability and deal with
foreclosure issues all of the things the
president mentioned last evening were going to
be important as well."
Obama himself did not directly take McCain
to task at his post-meeting press avail, but
suggested that his methods were not helping
the process.
"What I found and I think was confirmed
today when you inject presidential politics
into delicate negotiations it is not necesary
as helpsful as it could be," he said,
according to Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown.
"When you are not worried about who is getting
credit and who is getting blamed you tend to
move forward more constructively." |
|
|
|
|
Place Your Comments On This Story | |
|
|
|
©
esinislam.com No Copyright
Reserved For Da'wah And Muslim Services Users |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internet Window That Gives You Instant Access To Media, Broadcasters And Publishers For Information And References Especially About The Muslim World :: نافذة الانترنت التي تمنحك الوصول الفوري الى وسائل الاعلام ، والمذيعين والناشرين للحصول على معلومات ومراجع خاصة عن العالم الاسلامي
Revenues From This Site Are Endowed To Muslim Welfare, Education And Da'wah :: مصادر الدخل لهذا الموقع وقف لرعاية المسلمين والتعليم والدعوة
Awqaf Africa Bazaar promotes collection of Islamic heritages and possession of its items, enabling people to proudly display their faith as well as their identities as Muslims while generating revenues for sole purpose of Da’wah and releief programmes :: بازار أوقاف إفريقيا تعزّ جمع التراث الإسلامي وحياز مواده ممكنة للناس من إعلان إيمانهم بكل فخر وكذالك عرض هاوياتهم الإسلامية في حين أن تدر الجمعية الخيرية إيراداتها لغاية الدعوة والإسعاف
This Is EsinIslam.Com The African Muslim Portal Also Available Via IslamAfrica.Com
We Are Awqaf Africa The Muslim Communities And A Non-Profit Making Organization Established For Da’wah, Education And Relief Inside And Outside Africa :: نحن أوقاف إفريقيا المجتعات المسلمة وجمعية غير هادفة للربح موسسة للدعوة والتعليم والإسعاف
Balanced news and safe information about the Muslim World covering the Arabs, African World and beyond with pure Islamic perspectives in a way of Da'wah :: الأخبارالمتوازنة والمعلومات المأمونة عن العالم الإشلامي فيما يتضمن العرب والعالم الإفريقي وأبعد من وجهة النظر الإسلامية السليمة بشكل دعوي
The African Muslim Portal Tip
|