Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Mac Chilly to Obama's Senate Greeting

GOP nominee rewards Dem's advance with cursory handshake

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 2, 2008 12:14 PM CDT

(Newser) – Last night's bailout vote featured a moment of campaign drama on the Senate floor, the New York Times notes. Barack Obama, who arrived in the chamber at 5pm, crossed the aisle to greet John McCain when he arrived about three hours later. Their handshake lasted barely a second, as McCain offered a cold stare and a turn of his head.

Obama gave a 13-minute speech in support of the bailout, and he spent time chatting with fellow senators, including a long conversation with Hillary Clinton. McCain declined to speak on the bill—aides said he did not want to speak before or after a Democrat—and stayed mostly near his seat. Both Obama and McCain voted in favor of the bailout.

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

Barack Obama left, talks with reporter Jeff Zeleny, right, as he leaves the Capitol after voting on a $700 billion economic package Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks on the Senate floor about the financial bailout legislation last night in Washington. (AP Photo)

The motorcade of John McCain heads toward the Capitol, seen in background, to vote on the financial bailout bill in the Senate in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Republican presidential nominee John McCain gave Democratic opponent Barack Obama the briefest of handshakes last night when Obama greeted him ahead of the Senate vote. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Barack Obama speaks in support of the bailout on the Senate floor last night. (floatingcapital)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

McCain, Obama Bury Hatchet to Back Bailout

Partisan bickering shelved for crucial Senate vote

(NEWSER) - The partisan rancor of earlier this week was put on hold as John McCain and Barack Obama went back to their day jobs to vote in favor of the bailout bill, reports the Washington Post. The senators struck remarkably similar tones on the campaign trail earlier in the day, calling for America to unite at a time of national crisis. More»

Candidates Return to Capital to Back Bailout

McCain, Obama stress urgent need for financial intervention

(NEWSER) - The presidential candidates took a break from stumping today to visit Washington, DC, and support the Senate's financial bailout plan, the New York Times reports. Barack Obama repeated his pro-bailout argument on the Senate floor, saying that "the worldwide economy could be plunged into a very, very deep hole." He admitted earlier today that the plan was "not perfect," but necessary to "prevent a crisis." More»

Stumping McCain and Obama May Skip Bailout Vote

Both might be stumping in key states

(NEWSER) - Despite the heated campaign debate about the US financial crisis—and John McCain's emergency "suspension" of his campaign until a deal on the rescue package was struck last week—both John McCain and Barack Obama may skip the vote on the bailout, reports Politico. Neither camp has committed to attend, citing campaign events, though both say they are inclined to support the package. Obama is in Colorado today, and McCain in Ohio. More»

Obama and McCain Back at It, Over Stimulus

'Season of cooperation' short-lived as Mac rips 'comical' spending bill

(NEWSER) - How to spend hundreds of billions of dollars has a way of opening up old rivalries, the Washington Times reports, with John McCain—who recently pledged to cooperate with President Obama—spearheading the Senate effort to rewrite the stimulus package. “I cannot and do not support the package on the table from the Democrats and the Obama Administration,” McCain wrote to his email list yesterday. More»

Obama Gets Tough in Sharp New Ads

Camp launching preemptive counter-assault

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is getting his political jujitsu on, reports Politico, launching a preemptive strike against John McCain’s upcoming attack ads with an aggressive message of his own: McCain is erratic and out of touch. The McCain camp plans to run ads next week tying Obama to a convicted money launderer and a political radical, and Obama’s team is spinning the attack as a dodge on the financial crisis. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mac Chilly to Obama's Senate Greeting