Shelby, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member: "John McCain hasn't called me this week".

[Barack_America]

Said in an interview on MSNBC just now.

So much for the "John McCain is actively involved in bailout negotiations" story. The main hold out in his own party just admitted he hasn't heard from him at all this week.

Um, if you were REALLY trying to push the bailout through, wouldn't that be the FIRST person you call?

In addition, in the interview, Shelby directly linked McCain to the Bush administration at least twice, by my count. It's almost as if Republicans in Congress have decided to scrape both Bush and McCain off in an effort to reclaim the Republican brand and save themselves.

The politics surrounding this are making my head spin.

ETA: This in contrast to Obama, who has spoken to Dodd, Paulson, etc. on a DAILY basis this week--with Dodd being Shelby's counterpart in the Senate, of course.

[Barack_America]

1. Can anyone help me figure out what's going on here?

Anyone?

:shrug:

[Cha]

2. Can't imagine why Shelby wouldn't be pushing the mccain

is a fucking maverick lie?

[Barack_America]

8. I have no idea. For some reason Shelby has positioned himself against McCain.

In addition to saying that he hadn't heard from McCain, Shelby said, "probably because he knows he wouldn't like the answer he'd get".

That doesn't sound like a guy who's trying to sell his candidate as a strong leader.

[Cha]

24. Indeed! Wouldn't like the answer

coming from someone who isn't in to propping up the deflated candidate.

[liberal1973]

30. Interesting move so far..

He's reading the polls and looking to get the republicans back at a shot gaining seats.

[grantcart]

11. long history of bad blood betweent he two

McCain almost attacked Shelby when Shelby voted against Towers for SOD


Shelby once said that "No one really listens to John McCain".

[Barack_America]

13. Ah. Now this makes a bit of sense.

But man, Shelby seriously undercut John McCain today.

A Dem strategist just tried to bring Shelby's comment up again, but Nora interrupted him to watch McCain arrive at the White House. It took about 15 minutes for Shelby's comment to be used against McCain. Not good news for McCain.

[grantcart]

12. found it

Stories abound on Capitol Hill: how McCain told Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., how "only an a-hole" would craft a budget like he did. Or the time in 1989 when McCain confronted Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, then a Democrat and now a Republican, because Shelby had promised to vote for McCain friend John Tower as secretary of defense, then voted against Tower.




According to other requests McCain was shouting at Shelby and was 1 inch from his face

[Barack_America]

22. Hey, just saw that.

Thanks.

[Cha]

25. Sounds like a wee bit of Shelby's

Democratic side is taking over. Thanks, grant.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Shelby was running the show, along with Dodd. Obama spoke primarily

with Dodd, multiple times. There is no reason why McStuntman couldn't have called the ranking Republican member of the Banking Committee to get his insight and advice on the situation--none. He is a total fraud.

[Barack_America]

6. Good point. I forgot to include that in the OP.

But will now.

[redqueen]

4. Ahahaahahahahahahaha

Fantastic!

:rofl:

McCain is making a joke of himself more effectively than anyone else ever, ever could have.

Thank you, John McCain! :patriot:

[Barack_America]

7. I think we're in bizarro world here.

I love political strategy, but it seems there's little "strategy" to be found here. It's all panic. McCain looked at his poll numbers, realized he desperately needed a distraction and away we went. Can you imagine 8 years of these histrionics? :scared:

[medicswife]

5. They're going to start trying to save their own asses now. nt

[Bryan]

9. I'm having trouble getting my head around all of this

Is it really possible that McCain has gone off the reservation on this?

I could see the White House using the McCain campaign to flank Congressional Dems to maneuver them to accept the bailout in a hurry, but if we grant that, why would Shelby say that McCain hadn't spoken with him? As a feint? This is inconsistent with the M.O. of the past eight years, where the R's always presented a unified front.

[Barack_America]

10. The only thing I can think of....

Is that they'll allow McCain to whip them into agreement so McCain can be the hero of the day.

But he seriously undermined McCain in that interview in a way that saying "okay, now I agree with him" doesn't come close to correcting, IMO. He completely undercut McCain's supposed reasons for returning to Washington, "suspending" his campaign, etc.

I think the strong public sentiment against this plan, combined with the Bush administration's panic to "correct" their own fuck-up is the driving force behind these bizarre politics. Republicans are clearly trying to distance themselves from Bush and maybe they're realizing that McCain's prospects are so dim that they might as well scapegoat him as well. Now, why McCain set himself up to be scapegoated is another matter. Anything from to detract from the polls, Davis's Fannie/Freddie ties and Palin's blatant unreadiness, I guess.

[closeupready]

14. I'm sort of wondering if he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and

his record of cancelling debates when under pressure is a panic attack?

And I'm not saying that to disparage him, but rather based upon my knowledge about PTSD and psychology.

[TheKentuckian]

15. McStupid had probably settle for a break from the constant FAIL

he was on.

If he tries to make himself the hero, he will get slammed relentlessly. If he thought last week was bad and panic worthy, the next several will make him wish for the good old days.

[msallied]

16. Christ in a sidecar! This just gets better.

It would appear that the party is eating itself alive. They want to distance themselves from Bush and they also know that McCain is tanking like a rock. They are turning on themselves in a big way here.

[Barack_America]

17. Yeah. I think we need to stop trying to make sense of this.

Because there's no making sense of it. There is no grand Republican plan here. They truly are eating themselves alive, as you note.

Nothing more to do but sit back and enjoy the show, I guess.

[MadrasT]

18. That's my take.

McCain has pissed off too many repukes in D.C. over the years. It's obviously he's become a sinking ship, and everyone is scrambling to get as far away from him as possible.

Nope, I don't think the congress critters are going to help him.

I love it when repukes go all cannibal on one another.

[bdamomma]

27. yes, I think the repigs are eating their own.

[Barack_America]

19. Shelby talking after the meeting now. No agreement.

According to him at least.

Doesn't look like he's playing into the "McCain comes to Washington and saves the day" scenario.

[renate]

20. the Republicans must really loathe McCain

And who can blame them, since they will be dragged down by his coattails in November. Sucks to be an R.

[Barack_America]

21. I think they do. And now that he's tanking in the polls...

Why should they follow his lead? Especially when it means going against their constituents?

[krkaufman]

23. Good analysis... "Republicans dumping Bush/McCain and reclaiming brand"

Very good analysis, in fact. They may be recognizing that McCain has already lost the election, and so Republican Congressmen/Senators are resetting themselves back to "fiscally conservative, free marketeers." Should be fun to watch.

[grantcart]

26. These guys hate each other

Goes back to Tower confirmation hearing


Almost got into a fight


At one point Shelby said that 'nobody really listens to John McCain'


He was one of the Republican Senators (originally a Democrat) that was rumored to have said that McCain should never have access to nuclear weapons.

[bdamomma]

28. well Reid hasn't got anything to say good about mc insane

either, Reid said he just sat there at the meeting and said something at the end of the meeting of no importance. And McInsane did not even read 3 pages of the proposal, don't let this guy get near the WH.

[Barack_America]

29. Kicking for the stock market crash that's about to happen.

Thanks for the stunt, John!

[skipos]

31. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want a link to a transcript

I am going to email this to everyone I know.