Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) sharply criticized President Obama's lack of involvement in negotiations over the shutdown and suggested that Vice President Joe Biden should be be let "out of the witness protection program" to help out Sunday on Face the Nation.
Biden helped broker budget deals in 2010, 2011 and 2012 but has been almost completely absent during this budget impasse, likely at the direction of Obama. Obama served less than one full term in the U.S. Senate before being elected to the presidency in 2008, while Biden served there from 1973 until resigning to assume the vice-presidency in 2009.
McCain also panned Democratic leadership for playing politics over the shutdown, calling himself disappointed:
BOB SCHIEFFER: Senator McCain, do you see any kind of a path to a deal here?
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm glad that negotiations are going on. I'm disappointed that twice they were close to a deal, and the Democrats moved the goal posts, in light of the polling data. I'm very disappointed that the President of the United States has not played a more active role in this as Bill Clinton did back in '95. I am very disappointed that the 12 of us led by Sen. Collins, Sen. Ayotte, Sen. Mikulski, Sen. Klobuchar, Sen. Manchin -- We had a plan, and we wanted to present that plan, and the Democrat leadership squashed it. We were ready to go to the press gallery, and the Democratic leadership said no. And I still wonder why, unless maybe it was too generous. So I'm hopeful that we will get negotiations. I hope the president will become engaged. Maybe we need to get Joe Biden out of the witness protection program because he has good relationships with --
SCHIEFFER: We haven't heard very much from him.