Extract from Harry Reid's book re Obama/McCain/Bailout meeting

[Jackeens]

The White House meeting happened, of course, and Reid writes that the Democrats "entered the Cabinet Room having decided that Barack would do most of the talking on behalf of the Democrats. His presentation—eloquent, thoughtful, and commanding—was devoid of politics, and as he spoke, without notes, expertly dissecting how we had gotten ourselves in the situation, outlining the myriad problems before us and making the case for imperative action, the room was rapt. The senior staff lined the walls of the room, and the chief of staff for a senior Republican senator could be heard to whisper to a colleague: 'He is good.'

"Obama concluded his remarks. 'Yesterday, Senator McCain and I issued a joint statement, saying in one voice that this is no time to be playing politics,' he said. 'And on the way here, we were on the brink of a deal. Now, there are those who think we should start from scratch. . . . If we are indeed starting over, the consequences could well be severe.”

President Bush turned to McCain who suggested someone else should speak instead, Reid writes. "The longer I am around here, the more I respect seniority.”

"And then, as the meeting that he had called disintegrated into acrimony and disunion, John McCain remained silent," Reid writes. "I don’t think that there was a person in that room, Democrat or Republican—with the possible exception of John McCain—who came away from that meeting thinking that Barack Obama shouldn’t be the next president of the United States."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/obama-to-reid-i.html

[Thrill]

1. LOL!

[DrToast]

2. That meeting was one of my favorite stories from the campaign

I remember when that meeting happened. There were Republican sources saying that McCain looked like a damn fool.

[Clio the Leo]

3. The report at the time was that the President....

.... and by "President" I mean THE President, not that Bush twerp ... "yelled" or "screamed." Which seems totally out of character. I think if he'd REALLY yelled or screamed, Reid would have said it.

[Jennicut]

4. This is hilarious. McLame was a deer frozen in headlights.

Obama blew even the Rethugs away.

[Johnyawl]

5. It proves that McCain was grandstanding when he asked for the meeting

He had absolutely no clue what the problem was, or what to do about the it.