WASHINGTON - John McCain should have seen this one coming.
The Republican presidential candidate suspended his campaign and dramatically announced he was going to Washington to help hammer out a $700 billion bailout to save the U.S. economy.
Then he called to cancel with David Letterman. At the last minute. Leaving the wickedly funny late night comic with blank airtime to fill. Probably not the smartest move.
“Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, was supposed to be on the program tonight,” Letterman said in an opening volley. “But had to cancel the show because he’s suspending his campaign because the economy is exploding.”
“You know who John McCain is,” he added to laughter from his live audience. “He’s the running mate of Sarah Palin, you’re aware of that?”
And that was just the start. Letterman wasn’t about to let it go. After heaping praise on McCain as an American hero, it was right back to the cancellation.
“When you call up and you call up at the last minute and you cancel a show, ladies and gentlemen, that’s starting to smell,” Letterman said. “This, this is not the John McCain I know, by God. It makes me believe something’s gone haywire with the campaign.”
“This just doesn’t smell right because this is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody’s putting something in his Metamucil,” he said.
A presidential candidate doesn’t just suspend the campaign, Letterman insisted.
“You go back to Washington. You handle what you need to handle. Don’t suspend your campaign. Let your campaign go on, shouldered by your vice presidential nominee, that’s what you do. You don’t quit,” Letterman said, pausing to let his audience mull over the idea of McCain letting the little-experienced Alaska governor take over the campaign.
“Or is that really a good thing to do?” Letterman asked.
The jibes kept coming. McCain’s age — at 72 he’ll be the oldest president to start a first term in office — and Palin’s inexperience.
He reacted with mock astonishment when he discovered McCain had not raced back to Washington but was instead being interviewed for the CBS evening newscast with Katie Couric. Letterman watched a live TV feed from the studio as McCain’s face was patted with makeup.
“Doesn’t seem to be racing to the airport, does he?”
“Hey John, I got a question. You need a ride to the airport?”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo credit: Reuters/Molly Riley (McCain at U.S. Capitol on Thursday after returning to Washington for talks on U.S. financial crisis)
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David Letterman just isn’t funny anymore…. his anger with the Republican party and anyone associated with it oozes from his pores and makes his humor seem desperate.
I think David needs to remember that he is just a highly paid comic who once knew how to creatively express his views in witty dialogue.
- Posted by DavidAccording to Republican and Democrat congresional leaders, McCain came to Washington and holed himself up in his office with his team. He didn’t even attend the meetings, he just sent his comments from his office.
Wake up America, this “hero” is pulling out all the stops and becoming the sleeziest of politicians.
Just like Bush, he’s playing the politics of fear and capitalizing on the downturn in the economy by “Suspending the campaign” in order to look like he’s saving the day. He hasn’t been in Washington to vote on behalf of his AZ constiuants since April, but NOW he’s got to rush back to Washinton? Give me a break.
- Posted by jamieFor several months, David Letterman has joined the other offensive Hollywood crowd, in telling insulting jokes, at Senator John McCain’s expense. Now, when one of the most important, challenging, and controversial decisions in our nation’s history must be decided, Letterman is still crying because McCain chose to do his job, fighting for the best deal he could get for Americans and America. I’d rather have McCain in Wasington watching out for America’s interests, than to have him on Letterman’s show, or to have our Nation’s future decided by Pelosi and Reid, who have a 15% approval rating for a good reason. If David Letterman cared about Americans, who made him rich, instead of being so self absorbed and petty, he would be supporting McCain and our country right now.
- Posted by HowardTo all of you knee-jerk naysayers who think Letterman’s just another Democratic shill, you might want to remember that he’s STILL jabbing Bill Clinton about his libido. He’s very much an equal opportunity offender, like all good comedians.
The fact remains that, had McCain been honest and said, “Dave, this isn’t the time for me to be on a comedy show, and Couric’s invited me to do her show. It’s more important for me to do the news,” he wouldn’t be in this spot. Instead, he tells a stupid “little white lie” and it’s blowing up in his face.
- Posted by ShazzbotQuestion: Why did McCain go to Katie and not David?
Answer: Because he cannot handle the truth. David is way too smart for him.
McCain is lying already, imagine if he became the next president! What a crook!
- Posted by herculesThis is all political posturing. WOOOSH! No, that was not McCain’s hurried pace to save DC, that was the sound of his poll’s plummet while he does news in NYC. Letterman does show bias and was pinched by the apparent no-show, but if McCain is ill-prepared for a 30 minute talk show that is a one hour flight from DC, while not uncommon to do 3-city rallies per day in the preceding week, then: first, how important are these senators–Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin–that they can just disappear campaining for years at a time; second, why is McCain now attempting to appear hard at work, while in actuality none of those senators are doing any work within this past year let alone what a normal 40/hr a week+ person would do; third, if they are not dilligent at their own jobs how can we expect them to know anything about how “economics” work for normal people; lastly, if there is a chance the republican nominees are avoiding debates or VP news coverage then either they are not assurred enough in their views or understand preparedness for pressure situations. In those executive roles, a person cannot just “wing it”,where is the execution? Palin seems too much like a fellow student in a political science course who upon being grilled on the reading material by a professor tries to get by with a smile or a vague unknowing response. Does not work these days–reporters are vipers. If the oval office is deferred to Palin due to McCains lack of vitality–god forbid–we will know that although Vietnam could not take down the fortitude of McCain, America’s relentlessness definitely can. It is not a soft job for bright smiles, weak minds, or the ill-prepared. As for myself, I cannot commit to a candidate yet, but this weeks events have further diminished my confidence in the major parties if not completely deflated my belief in the Republican nominees.
- Posted by Joer978First McCain did lie to the Letterman people about his immediate plans for the night. He could have said that his, Letterman’s, show was not a good forum to discuss the economic crisis; he would be glad to come again another time when the world was closer to being normal. Second, Letterman did have to fill empty air time. This requires a lot of scrambling and gnashing of teeth. He is responsible to the advertisers to provide an audience. Third, I can not believe that so many people are surprised Letterman was so mean to McCain. He is a Obama supporter. Wake up! The Democrats are on the verge of having control of all three branches of the federal government, something that hasn’t happened for a very long time. They believe they are the majority party and deserve to be in power. Letterman and any other “celebrity” will use their respective forum to influence voters to vote for their candidate or to vote against the opponent. Letterman is funny, continues to be funny, and this time next year a majority of the people who tuned him out for this incident will be back watching him. Take his and all other comments through a filter.
- Posted by JohnI live in Australia, and Dave is usually part of my late night T.V. Many Aussies follow US politics closely - what happens to you guys will eventually flow onto us to a degree.
Up until a year ago we had a Prime Minister (Howard)- in power for 10 years - who was a great friend and supporter of G.W. now we have a P.M Rudd)more aligned to your democrate philosophies. He addressed UN General Assembly yesterday.
I found Dave’s show hilarious. We have comedians satirists and commentators who take the same approach here, I can’t wait to see how many of his view filter into our media.
Well done Dave, you made some good points amongst the humour.
David
- Posted by david MckinnonDave is right, someone is puttig something in McCain’s Meramucil, he is not the hero of years past anymore.
The heck of it is, the lie was a needless lie. He could of just said:
“Hey Dave, I gotta go save the country, but first I have to go on CBS Evening News to tell the nation, and then help Rachael Ray, so I can’t make your show tonight, sorry bro”
Or something like that.
But nooooooooo! McCain has to make a big fat lie!!!
BTW, anyone that did not think Dave’s reaction was hysterical should probably also be taking Meramucil.
- Posted by plaza04433McCain has turned into a pathetic puppet of pathetic Republican campaign tactics. He is Chicken. His VP is chicken, and their b.s. excuses and posturing should be fooling no one anymore.
You think Bush is a complete screw up, just look what happens when you get Bush and McCain in the same room. Dave had a point, with those two in the White House today our economy is much more likely to explode.
McCain is too chicken to debate on Friday, and he is too chicken to let his VP nominee face the press, because then both of them would have to face the truth about themselves and the Republican Party for everyone to see. The thing is this time, finally!, more than half of this country not to mention the rest of the world have learned not to trust let alone elect people who campaign like used car salesmen. If you are going to run and hide McCain, please go somewhere other than Washington, where you won’t make things worse than they already are.
- Posted by FJLetterman is a nobody who is insulting a man who is a true hero,great American and an unselfish human being,John McCain.
- Posted by Dan MaloneyLetterman is a failure,a coward and he represents what this country is all about….greed.He has no talent and no craft,he is a real tough guy behind that desk,hiding in Connecticut or Montana.
What a crying shame.Only in today’s America.
11:02 pm GMT
I don’t get it why any of our candidates need to be on late night comedy shows with Letterman or others !
The display of Letterman’s “ego” here reminds me of someone needing anger management help !!! He has always had back up for last minute cancellations and has a large staff helping him
- Posted by LYNNI don’t get it why any of our candidates need to be on late night comedy shows with Letterman or others !
The display of Letterman’s “ego” here reminds me of someone needing anger management help !!! He has always had back up for last minute cancellations and has a large staff helping him
- Posted by LYNN“McCain spokeswoman Nicole Wallace said Thursday that the campaign “felt this wasn’t a night for comedy.”" The truth is that McCain’s campaign since the RNC has been nothing but the biggest Comedy of Errors! Actually it is a tragic comedy and a comic tragedy for all Americans…
- Posted by Saddam McCainHey Letterman, Hillary just announced her support for McCain. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
To those of you that didn’t see it on Gretta Van Susteren…it’s true. The Clintons are backing McCain.
I was wondering when she would figure out that if Obama wins…she can’t run in 2012.
It didn’t make sense for her to go around the country supporting him if she wants to run in 2012.
- Posted by PaulWell said David…the old guy and his mindless Alaskan babe should suspend the campaign til Nov 5th..we’d all be better off…
- Posted by ChuckI am a long time fan of Dave but last night he crossed the line. For the very first time in my life I turned his show off. I know he is an Obama supporter but please, leave it out of your show. Otherwise, I find no enjoyment in his “humor”. He has lost me as a viewer.
- Posted by Frank R“Letterman used to be so great…but, he’s really turned into just a WHINY, OLD GRUMP.!
- Posted by Ex-letterman Fan”
Huh.
Then you must loathe McCain.
- Posted by LouI had watched Letterman since he first came on the air (after Carson) in 81 or 82. He was refreshingly funny, goofy, silly and made you forget the days troubles. Over the years and I think especially after the NBC CBS switch out he seems to have taken a more sullen, serious tone, sometimes even bitter perhaps and doing much more political commentary (jokes).
- Posted by austexcal“I’m from Indiana, but like many Hoosiers, but prefer Jay Leno. Political jokes are to be expected from all comedians and hopefully toward candidates on a fair or equal basis, but Letterman has gone way too far, so, sorry Dave, you’re one Hoosier we can live without. CLICK. That was the channel changing. Stan in Shelbyville, Indiana”
I’m from Indiana, too. Nonetheless, I can write coherent sentences.
And I can vote for Obama, making me just another old white Hoosier for Brother Barack.
P.S. How stupid does McCain think we are? Very, very, very…
- Posted by Lou