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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

I can't get a handle on the seriousness of the so-called financial  
crisis. There is simply too much conflicting information.

"Both campaigns pledged to support efforts to resolve the situation,  
though they were short on details. Mr. McCain’s campaign said he would  
continue to monitor developments closely to see whether more House  
Republicans could now be persuaded to vote for the bill, or whether it  
had to be amended to address their concerns. But his aides said there  
did not appear to be a need to return to Washington immediately, since  
Congress had recessed for Rosh Hashana."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/us/politics/30campaign.html?ref=us

So, McCain is continuing his campaign. It is no longer of highest  
priority. It is not so serious that Congress is working straight  
through on it, like eighteen hours a day. They are taking time off for  
a religious holiday. Apparently that is more serious than the crisis.  
I didn't know what Rosh Hashana was but figured, whoa, this must be  
some big deal, so I checked Wikipedia.

It turns out that Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. They blow a  
ram's horn and do other solemn things. Also:

"Rosh Hashanah is a day of rest (Leviticus 23:24): with some  
variations, the activities prohibited on Shabbat are also prohibited  
on all major Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashana

So, in the midst of what we are chillingly told is the greatest  
economic disaster of our time, our elected officials are observing a  
religious holiday and taking a day of rest.

I thought we had separation of church and state.

What am I missing?