Seeking a boost, McCain changes the game

NEW YORK -- Statesmanship or gamesmanship?

As he did four weeks ago with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Republican John McCain shook up the presidential race Wednesday with an unexpected maneuver.

Announcing that he was suspending his campaign so he could return to Washington and join negotiations on the White House's proposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street, McCain sought to portray himself as a forceful leader on the economy, an issue on which he's been stumbling in the polls.

"I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time," McCain said.

Democrat Barack Obama agreed the talks "should not be subject to the usual partisan politics" but questioned McCain's call to postpone their debate scheduled for Friday in Oxford, Miss. "This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess," he said.

The fast-moving developments sent behind-the-scenes talks on Capitol Hill colliding with a fierce presidential campaign now heading into its final five weeks. McCain's move — praised by some Republicans as a sign of leadership, ridiculed by Democrats as grandstanding — was a gamble that might recast a slipping campaign. It also could affect what is likely to be the biggest bailout in U.S. history.

Late Wednesday, Obama and McCain issued a joint statement calling for "a spirit of cooperation" to resolve the financial crisis. Both senators are expected at the White House this afternoon for a meeting with President Bush and congressional leaders.

The back-and-forth between the McCain and Obama campaigns Wednesday underscored what has emerged as striking differences in the candidates' characters and responses to a crisis: McCain's willingness to take a risk and Obama's refusal to be distracted from his game plan.

"McCain needed to do something dramatic to change the tone of the conversation," said Dan Schnur, a top aide in McCain's 2000 campaign. "It may work. It may not work. But it's got a much better chance of working than just sitting there and letting this crisis roll over him."

Democrats — noting that until recently McCain had opposed government intervention in the financial crisis and insisted the economy was fundamentally sound — cast his move as politically convenient.

"Transparent, vapid publicity stunt," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman scoffed.