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McCain Works The Phones

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. - Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona placed phone calls to President Bush and Republican congressional leaders Saturday to help steer a bailout of failed financial institutions.

His campaign and that of rival Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois also sought to steer perception of the first presidential debate.

The two candidates sparred over foreign policy and the economy - including the $700 billion proposal to stabilize U.S. markets being considered by Congress - in a 90-minute televised forum Friday at the University of Mississippi.

Neither candidate decisively won the debate, nor did either commit a game-changing gaffe. But that didn't stop each campaign from proclaiming victory and spending much of Saturday trying to shape the perception of the forum in the days going forward.

McCain harshly criticized Obama's debate performance Saturday in a speech to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance.

"It wasn't such a good night for my opponent," McCain said, saying among other things that Obama was trying to use the looming market meltdown for political gain.

After making a dramatic entrance on Capitol Hill Thursday to be part of the bailout negotiations, McCain stayed away Saturday as lawmakers inched toward an agreement. He made phone calls to the White House and to GOP leaders from his suburban condominium and later from campaign headquarters.

Aides said that in addition to Bush, McCain spoke with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and about a dozen influential Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., a leader of a House GOP effort to craft an alternative plan.

The Obama campaign needled McCain for staying away from direct engagement on Capitol Hill.

"Now the McCain campaign says he can negotiate the bailout by phone?" campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor asked.

McCain senior strategist Mark Salter defended the decision, saying that McCain "can effectively do what he needs to do by phone."

McCain jolted the political world Wednesday when he announced he would forego most campaign activities to work on the rescue deal.

Aides said McCain decided to go to the debate because was satisfied a framework for an agreement was in place.

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