McCain blames bailout vote on Democrats

John McCain's campaign claims the $700 billion bailout legislation failed in the House because Democrats, from Barack Obama to Nancy Pelosi, created a toxic, partisan environment.

McCain senior adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin said in a statement on Monday that while the Republican presidential candidate had tried to lead on the issue by suspending his campaign and returning to Washington last week, Obama had not been involved with the negotiations and other Democrats had put partisanship ahead of finding a solution.

{mosads}Holtz-Eakin pointed to Speaker Pelosi's (D-Calif.) "strongly worded partisan speech," delivered just before the vote and already serving as a lightning rod for the anger of many Republicans.

Holtz-Eakin said Pelosi's remarks "poisoned the outcome" of the vote.

“This bill failed because Barack Obama and the Democrats put politics ahead of country,” Holtz-Eakin said.

He added that McCain had been "attacked by the Democratic leadership: Sens. Obama [Ill.] and [Majority Leader Harry] Reid [D-Nev.], Speaker Pelosi and others" for returning to Washington last week.

"Their partisan attacks were an effort to gain political advantage during a national economic crisis," Holtz-Eakin said. "By doing so, they put at risk the homes, livelihoods and savings of millions of American families."

Obama did join McCain and congressional leaders at a meeting at the White House last Thursday afternoon in an effort to reach a bipartisan solution.