Leadership and Experience

McCain has made a big deal of suspending his campaign to concentrate on our financial woes (well, mostly, his campaign manager went ahead with a fundraising dinner, apparently). But what kind of impact did McCain make?

Largely a negative one, according to a post at the New York Times.

So McCain "suspends" his campaign--he didn't, really--and equivocates about whether to debate because the financial emergency is so crucial--a week after he said the fundamentals of the economy were sound--and he flies to Washington where:

1. The House Republicans blow up a rare, and necessary, moment of true bipartisanship to make it look like McCain, who has no expertise in this area, has come to the rescue.

2. McCain sits mute in the White House summit arranged for his benefit. He doesn't even ask Paulson what he thinks of the House Republican plan.

3. He refuses to take a stand, one way or another, on the Republican plan.

Gosh, thanks, Senator McCain. But maybe you should go ahead and get back on the campaign trail.