Mac Blames Bailout on Obama, Who Returns Fire

John McCain blamed Barack Obama and the Democrats for injecting partisan rancor into a House vote that killed the $700 bailout plan today, Reuters reports. They "infused unnecessary partisanship into the process," McCain said in Iowa. A McCain advisor went further, saying Obama had "failed to lead, phoned it in" during negotiations. Obama's camp called the statement "hyper-partisan."

"This is a moment of national crisis, and today's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington," an Obama spokesman said. Stumping in Colorado, Obama called for both sides to agree on "an emergency rescue package that can at least stop the immediate problems." (More bailout stories.)