McCain, Letterman, Couric and Drudge

The weirdness of the week is best illustrated by a news flash from a place where irony is only unintentional, the Drudge Report:

"David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had to rush back to DC to deal with the economy.

"Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, 'Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?'

"Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, 'You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves.' And he joked: 'I think someone's putting something in his metamucil.'

"'He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sarah Palin. Where is she?'

"'What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!'

The McCain campaign will undoubtedly spin this as another media attack on their man. By Drudge?

McCain's "Sky Is Falling" Move

In the face of plummeting poll numbers and after Barack Obama's phone call suggesting a joint statement on the economy, John McCain is going what Las Vegas gamblers call "all in" by announcing a suspension of his campaign, suggesting cancellation of Friday night's debate and rushing back to Washington to...do what?

Obama says no, thanks to the charade. “It’s my belief," he told reporters today, "that 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. It is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.”

The Senate debate over the rescue bill is in good bipartisan hands with veterans Chris Dodd, Richard Shelby et al, so it's unclear what the presidential candidates could add by their presence, except that which is definitely not needed--partisan posturing for political gain.

When the time comes for a Senate vote, McCain, Obama and Joe Biden will certainly be there but meanwhile the Republican nominee is showing, not presidential command (George W. Bush will playact that on TV tonight) but the desperation of a candidate who is tied to the eight-year failure of leadership that led to this mess.

That subject is better addressed to voters out on the stump than in the one place in America that calls for serious leadership now without Karl Rovian politicking on the part of the next occupant of the White House.