As McCain suspends campaigning, aide accidentally e-mails bailout talking points to media Nick Cargo

Published: Wednesday September 24, 2008





Print This Email This As of Tuesday, GOP candidate hadn't read bailout proposal



Sen. McCain's campaign accidentally e-mailed a list of talking points to several media outlets today amidst his announcement this afternoon that he was suspending his campaign to "focus" on the ongoing Wall Street bailout discussions.



"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Sen. Obama and myself," McCain said. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem." According to McCain senior adviser Mark Salter, the campaign will suspend all ads and campaign events in addition to postponing a planned Friday night debate with Senator Obama.



"It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation's economy," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid countered. "We need leadership, not a campaign photo op...If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now."



Obama has rejected the notion of postponing the debate. It's "more important than ever," he said, that the two candidates debate.



As of Tuesday afternoon, McCain hadn't read the Wall St. bailout proposal now being reviewed by Congress. "I have not had a chance to see it in writing," he told WKYC's Tom Beres. "I have to examine it."



The campaign talking points, a copy of which appears above via POLITICKER CO, focus on bipartisanship with aims to push bailout legislation through by Monday. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem," one talking point reads. "This is a time to put our country first. We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved."



"America faces an historic crisis in our financial system, and we must pass legislation to address this crisis," another talking point says. "If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy."



"John McCain is confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people."



