Hope and Change Inaction

While the world was awaiting the congressional vote on the bailout, knowing it would be a close vote, Sen. Barack Obama did...well, nothing:

Aides to Mr. Obama said he had not directly reached out to try to sway any House Democrats who opposed the measure. But where Mr. McCain had accused Mr. Obama of taking a hands-off approach to the financial crisis, Democratic advisers said they believed that Mr. McCain now had a role in the legislation’s failure.

As aides to both campaigns pointed fingers, Mr. Obama sought to stay above the fray and maintain a steady demeanor that advisers maintain has set him apart throughout the financial turmoil.

Generally, a man who is campaigning for President should have the clout to sway congressional members of his own party--especially when you've already disseminated your speech lauding the passing of the bill before it was even voted on. But no, we have BHO doing essentially nothing while this bill crashed and burned leading one to surmise that that was the plan all along. To watch it fail, blame the GOP and use it as a battering ram in the November elections.

In other words, politics as usual.

Now that's hope and change you can believe in!

Do note that this was at least twelve paragraph's into the Times story.

Update: Read this right now.