On Economic Bailout, Biden Brags on Obama & Blasts McCain

[WI_DEM]

You Go Joe!

BC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: While Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain return to Washington to meet with President Bush about an economic rescue plan, Sen. Joe Biden, campaigning in Pennsylvania Thursday, argued that Obama had shown leadership on the issue while McCain had "lurched so rapidly from one fundamental position to another."

"Yesterday Barack Obama - and this is the tradition of this guy, this is how he works - in the midst of all this political blather that's going on, all the negative ads being heaped upon him, what did he do?" Biden asked at a rally in Greensburg.

"He reached out. He picked up the phone and he called John McCain and he said, 'We should put aside the politics for the day and we should see if we can agree jointly, we can agree jointly on the basic elements of what needs to be in this package, this rescue package so that not only Wall Street doesn't fail, but Main Street doesn't get crushed in the avalanche when it falls'. He showed leadership. He showed leadership by suggesting that we come together."

"In a closely contested presidential election," continued Biden, "Barack Obama stepped up to say, 'John, this is too important. This is too important. It's essential we show unity.' That's how you change the tone in Washington. That's really leadership."

At the same time, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate continued to blast McCain for what he calls the Republican's "economic epiphany" last week, when McCain said "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" and then later said "the economy is in crisis."

"You can’t be president of the United States of America and lurch so rapidly from one fundamental position to another, seeing sunlight and then seeing nothing but darkness all in a matter of two hours," Biden said, accusing McCain of flip-flopping with his views on the nation's financial stability.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you can’t gain the confidence of the nation and you can’t gain the confidence of the world when in fact you are not rooted and know exactly what you think.”

When the two candidates converge at the White House, Biden said he knows what Bush should expect to hear from Obama.

"We cannot and we will not simply bail out Wall Street without helping the millions of innocent homeowners who are struggling just to stay in their homes," said the Delaware lawmaker. "If Wall Street is going to get this help, Main Street, Main Street has to get the help as well.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/on-economic-bai.html