DC Trip Nets Mac Little More Than Muddled Campaign

John McCain's insistence on rushing to Washington to involve himself in the bailout process left his campaign reeling, gave critics new ammunition, and widened Barack Obama's poll margins, Bob Drogin reports in the Los Angeles Times. The Arizona senator, who didn't help draft the plan and also skipped voting on another bill, "needs to be a bit more measured," says his former campaign manager.

“It was all very dramatic, but maybe the American public is tired of drama after the last 8 years," John Weaver adds. "John needs to demonstrate he has a steady hand.” Says an analyst: “His message has been pretty muddled, and the stunt coming back to Washington basically… made him just another senator at a table with everyone else.” (More John McCain stories.)