From The Hill: the White House is for some reason not excited by McCain's ludicrous idea that he must race back to Washington to Save the Economy in manner of Fiscal Batman or similar:
The White House said Wednesday it welcomes GOP presidential candidate John McCain’s call for a bipartisan solution to the ongoing financial crisis, but a spokeswoman stopped short of endorsing McCain's call for the president to convene a bipartisan summit to find a solution.
Clearly, Bush is worried that having McCain around will drag down his approval ratings.
MORE. Jonah Goldberg will shortly announce that McCain cannot debate because of his war injuries, and liberals are mean for suggesting otherwise. Bets?
FURTHER: One of Jonah's genius e-mailers:
I think McCain should show up for the debate looking reluctant and disheveled. He could apologize for this condition, saying he had to rush back from doing the nation’s business. He could be like Grant having to apologize to the impeccably dressed Lee at Appomattox for showing up all muddy and in an old private’s coat. There was, after all, a war that needed winning.
For this to work you would need to actually have won the war. For McCain, this will perhaps not have been the case. But at least looking "disheveled" might save McCain several thousand dollars in make-up artistry, a nice gesture in these difficult times.
EVEN MORE FUN! Apparently the Corner e-mailers (and if you were looking to unload some Nigerian investment opportunities, wouldn't you just kill for the NRO subscription list) think it would be a great idea to send Palin as McCain's stand-in.
However...
McCain then looked around the room and gestured as if to welcome questions. The AP reporter shouted a question at Gov. Palin (“Governor, what have you learned from your meetings?”) but McCain aide Brooke Buchanan intervened and shepherded everybody out of the room.
Palin looked surprised, leaned over to McCain and asked him a question, to which your pooler thinks he shook his head as if to say “No.”
Palin should go, but with a satellite hookup to McCain so he can tell her what to answer, as soon as he gets it sent to him by his handlers talking into his earphone.
FINALLY. I'm not the only one enjoying himself immensely right now.