Did he say anything about what those five things he's so concerned about actually ARE?

Obviously McCain's quick action saved the day!

... McCain will be searching for photo opportunities that might help create the illusion that he had something to do with the deal.

"My fellow Americans, this morning I stubbed my toe, creating a crisis like none my foot has ever faced. I cannot in good conscience continue my presidential bid until this toe pain has passed."

How many planes did McCain ditch? This is a man who thinks it's presidential to be Chicken Little?

McCain hasn't even read the 2 1/2 page prposal form last week yet! It can't be done!

Somehow I don't think that will work. With Obama leading the Democrats are starting to grow a spine again.

Change you can believe in.

Anonny,

What evidence is there of Democrats having grown a spine?

The Dems seem to have been in a hurry hammer-out a deal before McCain can arrive for the photo op. Where are the Republicans?

If the Republicans are still expressing opposition to the proposal and McCain doesn't sign-on, this seems to leave a lot of room for deniability.

Reuters just reported that China has told it's banks to stop lending to the US. They're trying to protect themselves from a US financial meltdown.

Let's go to war without an actual goal! Burning money? Sure! Nothing wrong with it!

Let's bail out wall street without an actual goal! Burning money? Sure! Nothing wrong with it!

McCain is gonna mortgage off his..what? Is it Umm 6? Err 3? uh...9 homes to foot the bill, and if you believe that you'll believe McChump didn't duck the debate.

of the mccain campaign is now apparent to all but the most foolish and brainwashed. just a week ago -- was it a week, two weeks? it's all a blur now -- the economy was "fundamentally strong" (oops, I actually meant to say "workers"). now that it's politically expedient, we're on the verge of the great depression and folks in washington can't get it done without "the maverick."

wake up!

I know this topic has been up here recently...

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/09/wamu-cliff-diving_25.html

Everyone's backing off as WaMu's weight pulls it over the edge. It will be the biggest bank failure in history.

That's really the only populist tangible goal they ever had. Real 'main street' that one.

Since McCain can't be at the debate because he has suspended his campaign so he can save America, he should send Palin in his stead. He is arguing that she is ready to be President should he drop dead, ain't he?

I just got a letter from Johnny Isakson defending the bailout: http://www.madanalogy.com/2008/09/johnny-isaakson-lies-about-bailout.html

I thought McCan’t was a hero - but he's turned into a coward, after a week of miss-steps about the economy, he should be using this debate opportunity to show the voters how he is in command of foreign issues (his supposed strong suit) - instead he tried running away, into negotiations that don't really need him anyhow, seeing how he's part of the original deregulation establishment that help get us into this mess. Maybe he should have done something to prevent this mess the 20+ years he served on the Hill. Run away McCan't - your not made of presidential material.

Bennett is the No 2 ranking member on the Senate Banking; Shelby is No 1. Before yesterday, Shelby was speaking to the press; now Bennett is the spokesman. Has anyone heard any interviews with Shelby recently? It would be great if Salon could get in contact with Shelby to find out what he thinks of the Paulson's Economic Patriot Act.

The talking heads on CNBC are pulling for a 1000 point rally. Booyah, just as soon as the deal gets signed, but one sanguine trader on the floor said it would probably be a case of buy the rumor, sell the news, and the news will be a long list of provisions to the Paulson plan. Once the details are revealed the market will sell off.

Congressional types like to posture and pose for their constituents. Here I am signing the bill that will save the US economy. Here I am on vacation while the details are slowly revealed, and that bill turns into a bureaucratic quagmire. So Number Two looks pretty good.

These people aren't entirely stupid, they know that this thing needs some time, time to see if Paulson is bluffing, time to see if some of the measures appear to be working, time to let their constituents cool down. Time to let the campaign get going again, and get McCain some Ritalin to cure his hyperactivity.

The slow steady hand on the tiller is what Obama seems to be all about. By election day, if the hysteria dies down, the voters will take a deep breath and vote for the guy who didn't panic.

It does not seem at all clear at this time that the House is fully on board with the bailout terms emerging from the Senate. Legislators are shaking in their shoes over the bailout because the people who sent them to Washington are overwhelmingly against it. The Republicans and Democrats supporting the bill want political cover, and want a majority of members of each party to vote in favor of it.

We'll see.

Congressman Brad Sherman (D) was just on CNN and he said that the power over our money would be invested in an appointed group of Bush cronies, instead of in one person, Paulson. That's the frightened Democratic leadership's response to section 8.