IS BAILOUT A BUSH HEAD-FAKE?

The $700 billion bailout could be a huge opportunity for John McCain.

The bailout is so radically far-left of center in its approach that it doesn’t pass the smell test for most conservatives. The plan is so far-reaching for Republicans (and most taxpayers) that Democrats can’t help but to intuitively embrace it.

Don’t underestimate the Republican’s ability to drive Democrats crazy and send them into a frenzy…Republicans have been doing this for years; it’s actually pretty easy to do…look at what’s happening now.

Could this whole thing have been crafted by design to a certain extent? Could the bailout be the biggest political head-fake in the history of our country? The left would say ‘Absolutely not…Bush is too dumb to think of such a thing’. One of Bush’s greatest strengths, though, is that he’s still a very skilled politician and is continually underestimated.

We probably need a bailout of some type, but to suggest a bailout so large with so few strings attached seems to scream 'politics'. Why couldn’t the bailout have waited a few months? Why not try a bailout of $300 billion and let a few more banks fail before doing something so drastic?? Bernanke and Paulson have been continually wrong over the past year on the economy...this leads me to believe that this move is as much political than anything else.

The bailout by Bush allows McCain a political opportunity to: 1) disagree with the President’s bailout plan (further distancing himself from Bush policies), 2) demonstrate his Maverick qualities by developing a bi-partisan approach to solve the issue, and 3) catch Obama in supporting Bush’s bailout on some level (yes, this is a real possibility!).

Wouldn’t it be ironic if later this week the Obama camp did not disapprove of the Bush bailout?? This is as good as supporting Bush! This is not a position the Obama camp wants to be in…perhaps this is why Obama is proceeding with caution (i.e., inaction for political reasons as McCain's camp has suggested). Obama has to be extra careful on this issue due to his direct associations with Fannie & Freddie, both of which are at the heart of the entire debacle.

I just can't see Obama getting elected if this bailout continues to send a Democrat-led Congress into a tailspin. McCain should be hoping for a Congress divided all the way to November 4th. This gridlock would continue to highlight the ineptitude of Congress, building on the Republican's platform of reform.

FMC