Screenshot from the website for The Late Show. Video is below
John McCain was scheduled to appear on Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday night, but citing his suspension of his campaign to focus on the economic issues being discussed on Capitol Hill, he cancelled the appearance. Letterman took a personal call a few hours before showtime from McCain saying he wouldn’t be attending because he was rushing back to DC immediately. The talk show host made his feelings about McCain’s last minute cancellation clear after first praising the Senator as a war hero.
Praises McCain as a war hero
David Letterman talked at length about John McCains hero status in his monologue, making it clear that he has the utmost respect for the Senator and the wartime adversities he experienced. He called him a true hero, going as far as to say he felt that McCain was the only true hero he has ever known.
“We always like having the Senator on the program. Here’s a guy, by the way, I have nothing but the highest regard for the this man because a true American hero, and as Bill Clinton said the other night, gave everything but his life for America during the Vietnam war and we’re in sorry need and short supply of actual heroes like John McCain.”
[Transcribed from video of The Late Show, 9/24/08]
Letterman asks why Sarah Palin didn’t show up instead when McCain canceled
He added, however, that “When you call up at the last minute and you cancel a show… this is not the John McCain I know.”
He went on to point out that the Vice President’s job is to serve when the President cannot.
“But here’s what you do when you’re running for campaign in the middle of an economic crisis… You’re a fourth term senator… you go back to Washington, you handle what you need to handle. Don’t suspend your campaign. You let your campaign go on shouldered by your vice-presidential nominee, that’s what you do… You say ‘I gotta get back to Washington to save this country!’ Good for you! ‘And while I’m gone, campaigning in my stead will be my great running mate from the state of Alaska, Sarah Palin.’ And she comes out and campaigns. What happened there? What’s the problem? Where is she? Why isn’t she doing that? Something has gotten to him. This doesn’t smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves.”
[Transcribed from video of The Late Show, 9/24/08]
The much longer than normal monologue was, of course, peppered with Letterman’s usual humor, but he legitimized his point in all seriousness, too.
On short notice, Letterman got MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann to fill the segment vacated by McCain. They speculated on the McCain camp’s intention as to why he wants to postpone this Friday’s Presidential debate with Barack Obama. Olbermann, an outspoken and vigilant GOP critic, surmises that since it’s so difficult to reschedule a debate, one of the scheduled debates would be cancelled… likely suggested to be the vice-presidential debate.
McCain told Letterman he had to go to Washington, did interview with Kate Couric instead
When returning from commercial during the Olbermann segment, Letterman was informed that John McCain was three blocks away in another CBS studio sitting in a live interview with Katie Couric. Cutting to the live feed, Letterman commented that McCain didn’t seem to be “racing to the airport.” He asked Olbermann if he thought it was McCain’s fault that he had cancelled on Letterman, or CBS got ahold of him and said he had to come in and do the Couric interview.
Olbermann responded, “I would be speculating, there’s very little done in that campaign without his knowledge. I think he dissed you.”
Letterman opened the second half of the show with a joke, saying “We’re told now that the Senator has concluded his interview with Katie Couric and he’s now on Rachael Ray’s show making veal picatta.”
Transcribed clip in shortened segments from Breitbart.com.
I strongly recommend watching the video above, if possible, to hear everything David Letterman said and all comments in context.
Note by Celebitchy: Unfortunately Redlasso is still inaccessible due to legal action by the networks and we could not watch the show in full online. I would have liked to see the rest of Olbermann’s interview.
CB — Comments on the Tabloid Covers thread are locked down. Can you open them please? Thanks 😉
**Edit – great article Ceilidh – made me laugh. Although…..I’d like to have been a fly on the wall when Letterman first heard the news about McCain and Couric. I’ll bet THAT was hilarious! 🙂
I think what he did was admirable.
Im not going to vote for him, but I think its appropriate thing to do.
mccain=shenanigans. quit messing around dude. the rest of the people trying to fix this mess dont even want him back in the senate while they try and work it out. he’s gonna go back and ‘fix’ it. fffptt. after he spent 26 years doing his utmost to break it, including having a campaign manager who is a lobbyist agaist regulation. he needs to quit acting like his run for the presidency is little more than a vegas stage show and stop with the tricks and chicanery.
well put, bros.
I agree with bros, this is simply foolishness (there’s no fool like an old fool). He’s trying to postpone because he doesn’t want to face Obama in a debate and he definately doesn’t want the Palin/Biden debate to happen either. He’s stalling for more time. Seriously, what is his presence in Washington NOW going to do? He’s had 26 yrs to do something and 1 day is going to make a difference? Sure….. I heard clips from the Couric/Palin interview and it was a mess. When Couric took away the 1 point Palin had to use when answering what exactly McCain has done do to prevent the current economic crisis Palin’s response (after she hemmed and hawed for awhile) was “I’ll search that and get back to ya!” Disgraceful. I think they (McCain/Palin) are making a mockery of the whole presidential/vp nomination process and should be ashamed!!
Why can’t they do both? The debate will take 90 minutes – is it impossible for them to jet to Washington, vote on whatever bill is finally drafted (because that’s all they really can do – neither of them are even on the committee debating the legislation), leave for the debate, head back to Washington if necessary and then continue on with the campaign? We – the American people – don’t have time for games. We NEED to hear from the candidates, in their own words – no lie-filled commercials, no rehearsed sound bites. This is a poorly crafted stunt and I think McCain has played his last card – people aren’t going to buy it this time.
Yep, absolutely despicable political move – especially considering how responsible McCain and other Republicans are for deregulation! Oh, wait….
‘Citigroup Chairmen and Co-Chief Executive Officers Sandy Weill and John Reed said: “We congratulate the leaders of our country for their efforts in hammering out a successful agreement on the last remaining issues surrounding the Financial Services Modernization Act.
In particular, we congratulate President Clinton, Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, NEC Chairman Gene Sperling, Under Secretary of the Treasury Gary Gensler, Assistant Treasury Secretaries Linda Robertson and Greg Baer, Senators Gramm, Dodd, Schumer, Johnson, Edwards, and Members of Congress Leach, Bliley, Dingell and La Falce and the Congressional Leadership including Senators Daschle and Lott and Speaker Hastert and Democratic Leader Gephardt.”
That’s from 1999, the Financial Services Modernization Act. See many names with an (R) next to them? Doubt you’ll hear much from the Obama campaign criticizing that move though, will you?
McInsane had really put himself in shit’s creeks without a paddle. And is it me or is he suffering from an extremely serious case of wonk eye? McAncient is literally melting before the public’s eyes.
BTW…there is no emotion that can describe how much I hate the nitwit that is Sarah Palin. If McSame can’t rely on her how can America? He’s protecteting the self proclaimed
“pitbull in a skirt” as if she were a delicate flower living in a glass house.
I think McCain is a good guy; but he has become unscrupulous; and his desperation reeks. As Letterman says…this entire situation reeks.
Someone on Fox (I know, right?) said it best… if you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, you can’t be president. Can’t handle a debate in the middle of an economic crisis, why would we elect you?
I think Letterman was offended that McCain lied to him… McCain told Dave that he had to head right to Washington, yet stayed to do the Couric interview, then stayed in NY overnight to address the Clinton Global Initatives Forum this morning.
I stayed up and watched Letterman… Olberman was wonderful. 😀
I saw some poll this morning, over 60% thought he did it to avoid the debate.
It’s a foolish move on his part, and I’m happy to see him do it. This financial crisis didn’t just happen this week, it’s been coming for a long time and nobody seemed to bother doing anything about it. So now he’s going to go fix it single-handedly while Obama frivolously refuses to cancel the debate?
We need the debates. They are our chance to get closer looks at the candidates, see how they react, how they handle pressure and what their ideas are. Some people still don’t know who they’re voting for. The debates can help them make up their mind. Debates are a good thing.
He may want to appear as Superhero to the rescue on this, but I think he’s coming across as an ignorant old man who’s afraid to face someone who’s brighter, more eloquent and more personable than he is.
😀 I loved it! McCain was SOOO BUSTED on Couric!
Ha! Did he not know that the boys at Letterman would not see the feed off the CBS satellite bird.
How funny!
I’ve noticed that too, Suzy. McCain’s left eyelid is getting more and more swollen… I’ve actually been wondering if it’s his skin cancer re-occurring.
Amen, Syko.
David Letterman was great last night – he did NOT hold back and he shouldn’t have. McCain is trying to throw yet another “hail mary pass” and deceive the American public. I’m surprised that many people will buy into his “knight in shining armor” image that he is now trying to get us to swallow.
Letterman called him out and showed that he LIED. It was great!!!
The debates do need to go forward, the American people need to hear from both candidate NOW – face to face and if McCain can’t handle it – then it clearly shows that he is not ready to handle being President. Maybe people will remember why George Bush won the Republican nomination back in 2000 against McCain – McCain was scary then and he is even more scary now.
@ Scott F.
The bill you are talking about was a Bi-partisan act, introduced into congress by Phil Gramm (R-TX) and James Leach (R-IA) and ratified by then Democratic president Bill Clinton.
I think that a time like this, pointing fingers and playing the blame game is so helpful and productive. 🙄
Of course McCain has ties to this bill, but they are all that negative: (he voted “necessarily absent”) as he was in congress at the time. Obama was not. However, I have not heard (and you can correct me if I am wrong) Obama criticize McCain directly on the current state of Wall St. There have been some criticisms from both campaigns about each sides proposed amendments and provisions to the 700 billion (more like a trillion in actuality) bail-out.
Most people blame the government in general, not one side or the other, both sides have dirt on their hands for this colossal mistake.
**Edit: I meant to to say that McCain’s ties to that bill AREN’T all that negative…Sorry!
Obama pointed out that now, more than ever, it is critical for us to hear from the candidates where they stand.
The debate should absolutely go on, though perhaps they could add some discussion of the current fiscal crisis (since the original subject of the debate was to be foreign policy.)
I’m very disappointed in McCain. I plan to vote for Obama, but I do want to hear directly from both candidates – live, without a teleprompter. SO much about the U.S. campaigns is scripted and choreographed…I want to hear how THEY, as candidates, discuss the issues, without their handlers.
Grrr. Can’t get any volume on the Letterman video. What a shame that McCain, a man most of us admired and respected, has sullied his own reputation with the disgusting campaign he has run and his clearly political choice of a VP. The silver lining to this is that finally Obama is pulling ahead in the polls. This has been too scarily close for comfort. I can’t remember who said it, but it was right on the money – ‘America is busy entertaining itself to death’. Like I’m doing right now….
haha letterman is so awesome.
i just think this is supposed to be some great campaign strategy for mccain thats going to fail miserably.
why would we elect someone that cant handle two issues (presidential debate, economic crisis) at once? uhhh….duh! mccains really got himself in deep with this one, and palin sure isnt helping!
and what happened to mccains statement that he doesnt think our country is going into a recession he made a little while back? hmmmm what a mystery! 🙂
by the way, i must tell you that celebitchy has the best comments of any gossip site!
Orangejulius I have that problem with no volume on Flash movies in Firefox. I have to use IE or Chrome (That browser is *awesome* http://www.google.com/chrome ) to hear movies.
Mccain is a pilot right? He realizes you can do letterman and be in washington in an hour? Heck you can getthere by train in a few hours. You can do the debate and not miss any votes on the bailout.
Its all political posturing and if you buy into it you are a tool.
I saw the whole segment on “YOU TUBE”. It WAS hilarious. 😀 😀
exactly M Hung-you can also use your private campaign jet to go to MS and get back to washington in about 2 hours. i dont think they are holding the vote at the exact same time as the debates, but I wouldnt put it past the republicans to try and force it to be at the same time, just to force obama’s hand. oh, and I love that our friend scott is trying to lay this at clinton’s feet, just like 9/11 was all his fault too. republicans cannot take responsibility for anything they do wrong.
I think you and all persons in Hollywood need to keep their comments to themselves. The average citzen is not able to voice their opinion because their faces are not all over the news.The only thing it makes me have a different oppinion against them. I will not watch David Letterman again which I use to but Im sure he doesnt care he’s getting paid anyway.
Wow, amazing, that was fantastic. I am so glad Dave didn’t let it slide and went for the jugular.
Think before you act McCain
*Sherry wrote*
“I think you and all persons in Hollywood need to keep their comments to themselves. The average citzen is not able to voice their opinion . . .”
David Letterman isn’t IN hollywood he is in New York (and as noted in other comments very close to DC, so McCain’s excuse really doesn’t fly either way). You then go on to voice your “average citizen” opinion on a blog that you are saying has a voice while you don’t. Is it really a wonder to you why a lot of people think that most republicans spend their life lying to themselves? (I’ll vote for Bush because he is pro-life (insert other single issue option of your choice) and will do something about this and then it doesn’t come up again until the next election where another republican will say the same thing, get elected and do NOTHING!) You put people in positions of power for the wrong reasons and we end up in an economic, ecological, educational, foreign policy mess and then try to say it is because of the people who were in power when things were actually starting to run smoothly. John McCain has a voice he just happens to be using it very poorly at the moment.
Tip’s my hat to longlocks. Clear concise and to the point. 😀
@scott f – i usually appreciate your opinions as it is interesting to hear from a republican that isn’t just running around screaming “don’t kill the single-cell babies! ahh!”
but i am confused. you really think mccain is in the right here?
the debates must be canceled because only mccain can save us right now?