Agree or Disagree: Friday's presidential debate should be postponed so the candidates can focus on the economy

AMEN! I totally agree with this.. McCain has not been in DC for this whole term so why now?? Because as of this morning he was 11 points behind in polls?? is he scared?? he should be.. Obama is going to kick his butt!!

A disturbing and disgusting ploy.

The only thing that changed in the last 24 hours are the polls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brilliant political move on the part of McCains handlers! They are so clever!

However, I see it for what it is and look forward to the debates at the regular time this Friday. Let the games begin.

McCain and Obama are operating under the same crisis. Both are affected or unaffected so no one is worse off personally than the other due to this unforseen event.

Let it roll, baby! No quarter! No postponements!

I totally agree. This is no different than his quick response to the Russia / Georgia confrontation last month in order to "appear" that he can quickly handle a situation. His actions are obvious, this is about exploiting a situation to avoid a debate as well as gaining votes. Nothing more nothing less. This guy will say and do anything to win votes.

I guess McCain is trying to prove to the public he can't do two things at one time. I hope if he wins (God Help Us) that America is never faced with 2 Crises at the same time. Like a 2 frontal war and a Devastating Hurricane. Maybe that why is against Global Warming he can only handle one thing at a time. Our next President better be able to multi-task.

The "difference" is that Obama is not making up excuses to get out of debating McCain.

McCain is continuing with his "date" with Palin today and speaking tomorrow at the Global Warming Summit. Congress will go on recess on Friday. If McCain wants to "SAVE THE WORLD" it would seem that he would go to D.C. today and Thursday instead of Friday after everyone else has gone home.

He can still make it to the debate on Friday night.

Never been in Washington...yet Obama's somehow sponsored major bipartisan legislation (ethics and nuclear proliferation) and, according to Thomas (LOC), sponsored a total of something like four times as many bills as McCain. A pretty good leadership record for someone who was supposedly never there!

It's not up to either of them. McCain is stalling as usual.

Geez, we highly criticize politicians for getting paid to do the jobs they were elected for, but aren't doing because they're on a campaign trail instead (read: still being paid to be senators by we, the taxpayers). An opportunity comes up to put politicking aside and get back to their real jobs, to tend to what everyone agrees is a major economic crisis, but now they get criticized because they want to DO their jobs (read: jobs that we're paying them to do)? Get real. McCain's talking bipartisanship; McCain's talking about doing his job; he's asking Obama to do the same. Why would anyone object to that?! I just don't get it. I'm so sick of partisan politics.

If McCain is so worried about the economy he shouldn't force a small Mississippi college town to waste the 5.5 million that they've spent preparing for him...not to mention the manhours wasted by both McCain and Obama advance people that have likely been in Oxford all week already...

If Obama does not agree to postpone the debate, the McSameiacs will say that Obama doesn't care about the country. If Obama does agree to postpone the debates, they will say that McSame showed leadership and Obama was a follower. is that about right GOPers? P.S. - Can I say Obama without putting Hussein in front of it? Is that putting lipstick on a pig? Oh I forgot we can't say that any more either...

Sallye, get your facts straight:

"John McCain has missed 412 votes (64.1%) during the current Congress " - The Washingpost, Votes Database.

"Barack Obama has missed 295 votes (45.9%) during the current Congress." - The Washingpost, Votes Database.

http:// projects. washingtonpost. com/congress/110/senate/members/

You may find it interesting that the Obama camp initiated the contact with the McCain camp, regarding the vote/bill/vote/economic crisis, first thing this morning..

McCain is falling behind in the numbers, even in the latest FOX poll. So he is scared. This is a cowardly move and yet more proof that he is incapable of leading a country.

Country First!

Can You believe this bs...Mcsame is running to Washington because there is a "Crisis"??? You aint president let Bush continue to run this circus! There are plenty of Senators in Washington on both sides of the aisle looking into this "Crisis" you stay and debate Obama and get your wrinkles handed to ya>>>Pleeeeezzzzee...oh by the way take Mcpalin with you she needs as much cover as you can give her too!! what a sorry bunch!

Senator with 26-year disdain of oversight and regulation of financial institutions calls off presidential debate as to offer his personal oversight
for lending/insurance institutions that have crashed due to lack of political oversight and regulation!

Does anyone see the sick irony here?
Shakespeare couldn't't write this stuff!

Mccain are you strong enough, are you mentally fit, and is your health capable to endure the demand for the job? Evidently not!

Agreed. Our president must be able to multi-task. McCain is stalling and wants to look like he's got a handle on things. Its far too late for that, Mr. "The-fundamentals-of-the-economy-are-strong".

You've got it right. A few months ago Mc Cain acknowledged knowing little about economics, no wonder he wants to post pone the debate. This is an excellent try on McCain's handlers part to let him hide behind Bushes skirt until this all blows over, and then McCain would come out claiming that he single handedly resolved the crisis, that his advisor Phil Graham helped create with deregulation. If McCain isn't up to this debate perhaps Sarah Palin should step up to the top of the ticket.

thank you!!!!

I agree. After hearing Obama at todays rally in Dunedin, I am more convinced than ever that we must elect Obama. If the Republican really want to change - they can prove it. They've had 8 years with no change - just bad decisions and lack of concern for anyone except the top 5%. I truly doubt they will. To them, change is just a campaign slogan they use to look like they want a different government. But it's their tactics and political motives that got America into this mess. Make them prove it. They must redeem themselves after getting us into this. Please test them first before giving them this kind of power ever again. Then maybe after 4 years or more of an Obama presidency, we'll see just how sincere their campaign promise was.

The Few The Proud...the Ignorant?

As others have pointed out, this presents an excellent opportunity for the American people do see these candidates would address hard, real world, impactful problems. McCain can't handle the topic and he now clearly feels he can't handle a debate. I think this speaks volumes about his readiness for office.

You have your facts wrong, the democrats have held the majority for the last two years, not six.

Last 6 years? no, make that the last 17 months. Congress was under Republican control.

I agree. McCain is too old and washed up. He only is wanting to go to DC because his campaign people think it might help him. Too late McCain, you're just too old and VERY FORGETFUL!

Hooz- Are you sure the Democrats have been in control of the house and senate for 6 years? Maybe you ought to check your facts and reassess who's to blame... It's been BUSH and the REPUBLICANS running the show, and now look, everything's fallen apart.

If McCain can't find time to debate and solve a financial crisis, I doubt his capability to run this country. McCain isn't even a big part of the solution, neither is Obama. But, I sure would like to see them debate and let me know where they stand and what they are doing and can do.

But, then again, republicans aren't really known to react well in crisis situations. We all remember how Bush still found time to read children's books on 9/11. I hope McCain has time to read Palin a bedtime story this Friday when he skips out on the debates.

Amazing! So now our economy needs fixing desperately! Senator McCain you and your advisory staff ought to be ashamed. I think everyone is fully aware of the how bad the economy is, has been, and will continue to be. But your sense of urgency now is almost amusing. If only you, President What's His Name, the rest of D.C., Paulsen, and Bernanke, had this same urgency even 6 months ago, then your plight to run from the debate would be understood more. My recommendation: Get to the podium and debate because you are clearly running out of chances with the voting population, which is not a good thing for someone seeking the office of the President.

Remind me again why NOW, the second week of this mess, McCain thinks it's a good time to chill out, whereas last week when people were watching their children's future rapidly go down the toilet the fundamentals of the economy were strong enough for him to continue campaigning...

If McCain can't handle the stresses of a simple debate during this, what kind of president is he gonna be? We already have Palin who will tell foreign leaders to treat her with deference, now McCain has to take periodic naps to rest up before he can effectively debate!

C'mon, You've known for how long you were gonna be the nominee who would have to debate the Democratic nominee? I'll admit this whole deregualtion thing coming back to bite you in the butt was a bit off a stinker as far as timing, but from the guy who "knows how to win wars" and is prepared to follow terrorists to fiery gates, isn't it a little, uh, how do you say... pathetic! to try to postpone a debate, esp. by conjuring the "country first"/"maverick"excuse? Gimme a break!

Some of you should learn how your government works. Having a majority in Congress does not equal total, unbridled control; that requires a majority of 60 seats for either party and the last time that happened was 28 years ago. So, even if you have a majority it doesn't mean that you control what gets done as the use of the filibuster has made passing totally partisan legislation impossible.

These problems lay at the feet of both parties. Maybe, if you stopped treating politics like a sporting event and more like an important decision to be based on research and personal knowledge, we could quit voting the same morons back into office.

I don't know much about all this bailout business. It seems to me like someone got there finger in the cookie jar and now they wont to make the American tax payer pay for it. I think we should find out where the money went and put someones butt in jail for starters. I would never agree to give these people responsible for all this to profit one dime from the American Tax Payer. If for some reason I made the loan (LOAN) it would have checks and balances. And these fellows making 4 mil or more a year would half to take a cut in pay until the loan (LOAN ) is paid in full. So far as the debates I would like to get them on we have some deciding to do that is very important. These other fellows would just haft to Waite. They got all the money they shouldn't starve to death. I have survived three disasters and have recovered from all of them without any ones help. I wont pretend it was easy. But we can recover and will without helping these fat cats.

Right, I want the guy who doesn't really understand economics trying to sort this out.... go debate John, leave this problem to the people who understand it......

With Wall Street's financial institutions in turmoil, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) argued in a series of interviews today that his experience on the Senate Commerce Committee meant he knew "how to fix this economy." "I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights every part of our economy," McCain told CNBC's Squawk Box.

But, as the Washington Post points out, the Commerce Committee doesn't oversee "every part of our economy," let alone "the very areas now in crisis":In fact, it is the Senate Banking Committee that has oversight of "banks, banking and financial institutions; control of prices of commodities, rents and services; federal monetary policy, including the Federal Reserve System; financial aid to commerce and industry and money and credit, including currency and coinage."

According to its Web site, the Commerce Committee oversees 13 areas, beginning with the Coast Guard, and continuing through "regulation of consumer products and services … except for credit, financial services, and housing" — the very areas now in crisis.

It's not that surprising that McCain is confused about the Commerce Committee's economic responsibilities, considering that he freely admits, "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."

Months ago, McCain admitted that he is weak in the area of economics. Well, then, he is not needed in DC. Let the experts handle the situation. He is wrong to try to postpone the debate. It looks as if he is not prepared for this first debate. Maybe he lets things go until the last minute. After all, he had many months to select a vice presidential nominee, and it appears he made a quick, lackluster, last minute choice then.

A PLOY? SOUNDS TO ME THAT WE NOW KNOW WHERE McCAIN'S HEART REALY IS. WITH THE CONCERNS OF THIS NATION. LETS FACE IT, DEBATES ARE NOTHING BUT A CHANCE FOR SOME ARROGANT CANADATE TO START AN ARGUMENT WITH THE OTHER AND THEREFORE LET OUT THE CHILDISH,IMATURE SIDE OF HIS PERSONALITY. OBAMA NEEDS TO MATURE AND BE A REAL MAN BEFORE HE EVEN THINKS OF TRYING TO RUN A NATION OF THIS MAGNITUDE

McCain, is trying to bail out because he never cared for the American's economy before, why now. He knows that he is losing therefore, he wants to buy some time and space. He has chickened out and just doesn't want to admit it in plain words.

Hey few and the proud????? Not sure how you could be proud from this gutless corrupt wannabee leader. If I hear this hero bit I'll puke. The repugs have either lied about or have run away from every important issue in the campaign. He couldn't help in DC if there were 2 of him. Give it up few and proud there are too few of you and false pride is meaningless.. O8/12

Some fun facts about John McCain: Of all Senators, John McCain has been the most absent. There have been 643 votes taken in the current Senate session: McCain has missed 412 of them.

McCain has not voted in the Senate since April 8th. Since March, he has missed 109 of the last 110 votes.

People get real and support Sen. McCain he's the only man, because he's a man that can't be bought. Obama is doing what the so called big wheels in Washington want done he's a bought man.

Senator McCain has not cancelled his scheduled international affairs address at the Clinton Global Initiative summit on Thursday—surely, then, he can spare 90 minutes the next day, Friday, to participate in the scheduled international affairs debate with Senator Obama?

another obama supporter commentary. It's so obvious that obama doesn't have a grip on current events.

All week? Where to hell has he been for 26 years?? He's the DE-regulation candidate until it doesn't suit him, then he changes his mind.He checks to see what Obama is saying then changes his tune to fit Obama's, because he doesn't know what to say in the first place. He's change alright, change my tune to fit the way the wind is blowing. What a disgrace!!! Stay home McSame, we won't know you're missing. I'm sick of listening to him, and I'm not "his friend".

You are right, Annette. McCain is very transparent. Perhaps if he sells six of his seven homes, he can bail us all out of debt.

You're in the Strongly Agree that this SHOULD BE postponed!

As are many others. The numbers do not show accurately. Probably a much higher percentage

STRONGLY DISAGREE that it should be postponed.

If he gets further behind in the polls and we were approaching election day I guess McCain would ask to suspend voting for the day and reschedule it for the following Tuesday. He should be ready for a debate that he was aware of for the longest. As a matter of fact, the debate is on his preceived strength topic. I guess he has not had enough time with the former Bush team due to their time with Palin and getting her in the race.

McCain said unless a deal to address the crisis is reached. At least we now where is priorities are.

Obama is quoted as saying:
This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess.

We will know who won the election by then, but the new president will take office in January.

Obama has a chance to prove himself by helping our government but chooses more rhetoric. Exactly as he would work in Washington as president.

@ one4REALchange - Oh, now the poll is skewed as well? Are you just going to call bias on everything you don't like? I guess that's how the McCain campaign does it so I can't blame you. Face it, McCain pulled a jerk move when he suspended his campaign- basically just to challenge Obama and weasel out of the debate. It was totally political. If he wanted to be a true bipartisan, he would have worked through it with Obama and they would have announced the suspension together. He's rushing in for no reason just like he did during Hurricane Gustav. He needs to be telling the people what he'd do as president, not getting in the way of the banking committee.

McCain/Palin - worst.ticket.ever.

According to the library of Congress, in the most recent sessions of Congress.

Obama has introduced 113 bills
McCain has introduced 37.

You obviously don't do your homework....but reading your other posts it does not
surprise me. Stop listening to Rush the Racist Limbaugh and start reading and doing
research before you make ridiculous comments.

Doesn't look like the banking committee can solve the problem. Debates are B.S. anyway. These people need to carry out their "current" duties as elected officials and that means being in Washington. I don't care what their motives are or are not. I want this financial problem solved then they can debate their heart outs. I don't know if McCain/Palin is the worst ticket ever because I can think of some other tickets that were pretty bad in past elections but we will see.

Actually I'd like to see BOTH Canidates actually WORKING to earn their paychecks! Being a Senator should require a minimum amount of real work and voting on issues or they should be fired. Could YOU show up to your job when you feel like it and work only on what interests you? Actions speak louder than words; lets see some real action, real ideas, real reaching out across the isle. Lets get a real preview of what we can expect for the next four (4) years.

Remember to vote any Senator or Representative who votes for the Bail Out, out of office. It doesn't matter if it has Bi-partisan support, we can Bi-Partisan vote them all out of office if they vote for this measure. We the Voter don't care if it has Bi-Partisan support, we do not want to give corporate welfare to Wall Street. Vote anyone who votes for this Corporate Welfare, Out of office!!!

Obama should show up at the Debate and debate McCain's Empty Chair That would be very very funny.

To Deucalion, Art, Doc and all the other mindless GOP regurgitators, you're all either truly blind or blissfully ignorant. McCain has not voted since April and now he's running back to Washington to try and help a problem that he damn near created? He's been the biggest champion of deregulation, but somehow he thinks he can contribute something? Like what, a shining example of what NOT to follow?

And I'm sorry, but am I the ONLY person who noticed that McCain isn't scared of debating... think about it, the debate is about Foreign Policy, it's his biggest strong suit. But since he said that they would cancel Friday and take over the VP debate slot, with the VPs to debate at an "undetermined date to be announced", it's clear who he IS trying to protect. I say, fine Johnny Boy, you and Obama go hang out in Washington and Joe and Sarah can take the Friday slot, since Ole Miss spent MILLIONS to finance this damned debate!

Running scared yet, Sarah?

At the beginning of the show, set to air later tonight, Letterman tells his audience about the cancellation. But then, in the middle of the taping, Letterman finds out that McCain had gone to tape an interview with CBS's Katie Couric instead of back to D.C.

"Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?" Letterman joked.

He used the on-again, off-again appearance to crack jokes at McCain's expense.

"You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right," he said. "This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

And another: "What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

I totally agree Annette...besides, McCain can just phone it in like he has been for a long time now! He does know we have phones now...right? Anyone? Oh well...he can use smoke signals...from his campaign going up in flames...

Karen and TBear: It is not McCain's job to stall the debate. He is not even on the committee that is meeting to come up with the solution. He was also told to stay away from the committee. He is trying to make it political, when he needs to let them do their job. He has not been in Washington since April. He is looking more like Elmer Fudd than Maverick. " The fundamentals of our economy are strong?"

THIS ALL SOUNDS LIKE A DEMOCRATIC BUNCH OF GARBAGE! OBAMA AHEAD IN THE POLLS BECAUSE THEY ONLY ASKED DEMOCRATS WHO THEY WOULD VOTE FOR. THESE POLLS ARE ALWAYS RIGGED!!!

THINK OF IT THIS WAY... HE HAS HOPES TO HAVE THE VP DEBATE ELIMINATED AND HAVE THIS PRES. DEBATE IN ITS PLACE. HE DOESN'T WANT PALIN TO DEBATE BIDEN.

DON FRETENBOROUGH- Drugs are bad

Foxnews poll is rigged too? Why would they lie for Obama? Obama is +6% in their poll

MCCAIN & COCAINE...they will both ruin your life.

And how will Obama vote in the Senate-- present of course

Give it a rest already! Obama participated in more votes last year than McCain by a large percentage. AND McCain hasn't been in Washington since April.

Obama has his mouth and no experience he has led nothing and is not at a point in his carreer were I would trust him to lead our country..he may be the right man in 10 or 12 years. His taxation plans will drive us further into a recession. The fact that Mccain wants to work on this most important issue and that he is ON the senate finace committee soething Obama can't do for another 8 years is part of the reason Mcain is the choice of the choices we have been given.

i think he has plenty of time to fly back to the debate. its called bailout he needs more time he was sneaky not having the comment to do a talk with obamma and he thinks he is the only person that is doing that. he does not have the right answers and will really show what he knows and what he can do anything for the econmy plus its a ploy.
anyone who has to read prompters or cards when he is saying somthing from his heart for our country.
he and bush read everything that tells me nothin. GO BEBATE AND SHOW WHO WHAT YOU ARE REALLY FOR////////////////////////////////////////////////????????????????????????????
marge fusco ive been a republican for years but after this last 8 years i have had enough how about you AMERICANS

Oh yea now an other delay ?? I don't think so,Let the debate begin and let us know what you got Mc Cain,I have the idea we are going to hear the same,same stuff and nothing new
Time to hang it up John and in the same time free yourself from that block on your leg Palin
It's time for the young Obama to take the helm Change will come to America soon.

FINALLY JOHN MCSAME IS BEING THE SAME PERSON HE HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 26 YEARS RUN AWAY FROM THE TRUTH WHEN IT SLAPS HIMIN THEFACE
IS THIS THE PRESIDENT YOU WANT IN THE WHITEHOUSE?
ONE WHO LIES UNTILL THE LIES CATCH UP WITH HIM THEN HE GOES AND HIDES..............
MCCAIN YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND YOU KNOW OBAMA IS GOING TO HAND IT TO YOU FRIDAY NIGHT AND YOU WILL BE LOOKING LIKE THE LAME THAT YOU REALLY ARE STUMBLING ON WORDS AND FLIP FLOPING THE ISSUES
AND YOU KNOW IT THATS WHY YOUR NOT GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BUCK STOPS HERE YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH AMERICANS LONG ENOUGH IF YOU HAVENT GOT IT BY NOW THEN YOU NEVER WILL
OBAMA/BIDEN 08

He wasn't there all week because as of Monday, McCain said the economy was fundamentally stable. Again another move for the moron column

I agree that this is a ploy, but I think it's a little different than McCain simply not wanting to debate. I feel, and I know others have voiced this opinion, that this is actually an attempt to get Palin out of her debate. The Republicans are saying the debate should be held on Oct.2 instead of the VP debate, and the VP debate will be rescheduled for a future date. I'm sure they would then say a debate couldn't be worked into the schedule, and Palin would not have to debate.

Let the VPs debate on Friday, and hold the Obama / McCain debate on Oct 2. I'm sure Biden would be ready.

Small minded thinking and 7.5 years of a Democratic congress got us into this mess. Campaigning isn't going to fix this issue. Maybe Obama can enlist the help of Hollywood to bail us out?

McCain/Palin Supporter: What are you totally ignorant or just don't want to face the truth. Phil Gram put in the law repealing the safe guards but in after the Great Depression -Repugs have been in control of congress since 1994 until 2006 so thank them for the mess.

McCain is going to have to deal with this when he is president so why not be there and participate in these discussions. Obama just shows that he is just what he is in the Senate...a NO VOTE. He'd rather be gone than actually participate. That is what I find disgusting. McCain just doesn't want the Democrats to screw this up...

This crisis was caused by political correctness being forced on the mortgage lending industry in the Clinton era.

Before the Democrats' affirmative action lending policies became an embarrassment, the Los Angeles Times reported that, starting in 1992, a majority-Democratic Congress "mandated that Fannie and Freddie increase their purchases of mortgages for low-income and medium-income borrowers. Operating under that requirement, Fannie Mae, in particular, has been aggressive and creative in stimulating minority gains."

Under Clinton, the entire federal government put massive pressure on banks to grant more mortgages to the poor and minorities. Clinton's secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Cuomo, investigated Fannie Mae for racial discrimination and proposed that 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low- to moderate-income borrowers by the year 2001.

Instead of looking at "outdated criteria," such as the mortgage applicant's credit history and ability to make a down payment, banks were encouraged to consider nontraditional measures of credit-worthiness, such as having a good jump shot or having a missing child named "Caylee."

Threatening lawsuits, Clinton's Federal Reserve demanded that banks treat welfare payments and unemployment benefits as valid income sources to qualify for a mortgage. That isn't a joke -- it's a fact.

When Democrats controlled both the executive and legislative branches, political correctness was given a veto over sound business practices.

In 1999, liberals were bragging about extending affirmative action to the financial sector. Los Angeles Times reporter Ron Brownstein hailed the Clinton administration's affirmative action lending policies as one of the "hidden success stories" of the Clinton administration, saying that "black and Latino homeownership has surged to the highest level ever recorded."

Meanwhile, economists were screaming from the rooftops that the Democrats were forcing mortgage lenders to issue loans that would fail the moment the housing market slowed and deadbeat borrowers couldn't get out of their loans by selling their houses.

A decade later, the housing bubble burst and, as predicted, food-stamp-backed mortgages collapsed. Democrats set an affirmative action time-bomb and now it's gone off.

I think all your people squawking about how McCain is "doing his job" and "being there for the American people" are forgetting the fact that BOTH parties have said that he isn't needed there. There is no point in him coming there, the Fed said they DON'T want either of them there because it would politicize the entire thing, and there's nothing he can do at this point to speed anything along. Its a big show and apparently, people are getting sucked into it. Try thinking for yourselves.

Also, people who keep saying Obama hasn't sponsored a single bill are listening to too much O'Reilly and Limbaugh. The man has sponsored or been involved with numerous bills since he became a Senator in 2005. Once again, try doing some investigating on your own instead of swallowing everything thrown at you by Fox News like a bunch of little fishies.

You have got to be kidding. McCain has more foreign policy knowledge than Obama; he doesn't need more time. What he's doing is his "job." Campaigning is NOT his job. Working for us IS his job. That's something Senator Obama seems to forget, especially since he's been on the campaign trail longer than time spent working in the Senate.

I think it is a smart idea to postpone until this crisis is solved. We must all band together - it wasn't just the republicans or the democrates that put us in this bind - it was all the greedy people out there that just thought about the almighty dollar when they did the things they did. Let's band together and get this problem resolved.

If working for us IS his job, then why hasn't McCain been in Washington since the primaries began!?! He's been absent more than anyone, except for one Senator who has been out due to having had brain surgery.

As if Obie-1 has close to the rhetorical skill of John McCain to begin with.

Politics of "what went wrong" need to wait for the immediate solution to an American crisis of Democrat and Republican missed oversight. Election day will come soon enough but there is only one oppty to get this financial crisis sorted out in a timely matter. People need to start thinking like Americans instead of Democrats and Republican.

But it can be argued that it is the dissention that divides us as a united America....

McCain is putting our country first not the election. Good for him. Congress is not going to past this current package and SOMETHING needs to happen fast or forget you 401K. Obama only cares about winning the election anyway he can.

Amen! McCain was dealing with foreign policy before Obama was born! I agree it's a brilliant tactical move on the part of McCain because if Obama refuses, he's refusing to perform his real job in the face of the largest threat to taxpayers of our generation and refusing to put aside campaign rhetoric and partisanship. He makes the choice to what?keep selling himself and the democratic party. A refusal shows his most important priority is definitely not unity or the greater good of the American people in crisis. If Obama refuses, McCain looks like the team player and Obama looks like an ass...and the people of America are watching. It's possible that they could both still catch a plane to Oxford for the Friday night debate, but the crisis in Washington is more important, or should be to all Americans who are taxed by the Federal Government. Anybody who thinks McCain is afraid or unprepared to take on Obama doesn't have their head screwed on tight enough.

This is a nation divided already, thanks to this past administration. The time to show everyone what the furture administration will be is now. I think the people of the United States deserve to know what these two candidates have to say, head to head. Delaying the debates seems like more tricks by the Republicans. What is the point of the delay, to work on this crisis for a few more hours?--don't sleep then! Work more hours! I want to hear what each has to say, and I want to hear it now.

Your would have to first believe that the crisis is real and not a political ploy. The urgency of the situation was create to force Congress to act. Now McCain is pretending that he is needed to negotiate the details?!? What can he possible bring to the table except for Phil Graham? We let them do this after 9/11 and in the build up to the war. Think People! This is our democracy and our Constitutional integrity that we are talking about. The ends do NOT justify the means. This election could possilbly be the most important in my lifetime. It should not be minimized because of another administration ploy.

I don't understand... McSame has already said that he doesn't understand much about the economy. He has already reported that the "fundamentals of the economy are sound." Then he was against the bail out before he was for it. Phil Graham authored both the deregulation that caused this mess and John McSame's economic policy. So what does Angry McSame have to offer? Shouldn't he just stay out of the way of the big boys and go to the debate? Maybe there he can once and for all tell us why we went to war in Iraq.

And are YOU kidding? McCain didn't even know who the President of Spain was!!!! Or did he really think Spain was in this hemisphere or in Latin America??

you funny lady

tmac-552533-You truly are part of the McLame party aren't you? It doesn't matter where he was when Obama was born or what he was doing. The guy is 72 years old, wearing diapers and can't remember how many houses he has. Come on! He has no business representing the rest of us who do know how many houses we have. Obama is more in touch with us than he is and with his upbringing in Hawaii and India. McLame, you are losing, face it!!!

If "dealing with" foreign policy is being a prisoner of war then I suppose McCain was "dealing with" foregin policy before Obama was born. I have still not yet heard a cogent explaination for how fighting in a losing war qualifies this man as some kind of an expert at combat strategy or foreign affairs. Nonethelss, your comment reflects a part of the problem with Mr. McCain's outlook and approach: they are outdated, outmoded, and as such are unfit to bring about any change in direction for this country- be the issue foreign affairs or the economy. McCain can scramble to conjure up all the "tactical moves" that he wants, but the fact remains that he is wholly unqualified to offer any legigimate insight, much less leadership, on the current economic crisis in this country. His politics of deregulation are the core source of the problem so he needs "tactical moves" to manipulate public perception. During the primaries, when he was still being honest, he directly admitted a lack of insight and expertise on economic affairs. What is he going to do now? Suddenly unveil the secret to all of this mess? Like he will suddenly reveal the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and drag him into the light as soon as he is elected President? We have seen this story before and now here is the sequel: McCain is truly another "W." Destined to overpromise and underdeliver.
It is really a shame that Republicans don't govern nearly as well as they campaign. If they did, our nation would not be in this near-chaotic state of affairs. John McCain is a Republican despite all of this propaganda about his being a "Maverick" and his campaign reveals it clearly for all of those who have any grasp of objectivity.

As has been said before, a good President can handle more than one crisis at a time. Believe me this election and who wins is more important than seeing the crooks in the banking and stock market industry go under. A depression is not the worst thing that can happen to this country. We have been through one before and pulled ourselves out of it with hard work and integrity, non of which the new generation knows anything about. Those with the most to lose are those in the banking and stock market business. If this proposed deal goes through each individual citizen in this country will now owe approximately $33,000 each in taxes (that doesn't count the illegal immigrants who get away with not paying anything) to pay for our nation's outstanding debt. It is time to come down from fantasy land with big the houses with granite counter tops, the 2 brand new $30,000 and up vehicles in the garage and all the toys they this nation has put on their credit cards or financed and can't afford to pay. It is time for a reality check. The upcoming election and debates are just as important as the crisis on wall street.

If "dealing with" foreign policy is being a prisoner of war then I suppose McCain was "dealing with" foreign policy before Obama was born. I have still not yet heard a cogent explanation for how fighting in a losing war qualifies this man as some kind of an expert at combat strategy or foreign affairs. Nonetheless, your comment reflects a part of the problem with Mr. McCain's outlook and approach: they are outdated, outmoded, and as such are unfit to bring about any change in direction for this country- be the issue foreign affairs or the economy. McCain can scramble to conjure up all the "tactical moves" that he wants, but the fact remains that he is wholly unqualified to offer any legitimate insight, much less leadership, on the current economic crisis in this country. His politics of deregulation are the core source of the problem so he needs "tactical moves" to manipulate public perception. During the primaries, when he was still being honest, he directly admitted a lack of insight and expertise on economic affairs. What is he going to do now? Suddenly unveil the secret to all of this mess? Like he will suddenly reveal the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and drag him into the light as soon as he is elected President? We have seen this story before and now here is the sequel: McCain is truly another "W." Destined to overpromise and underdeliver.
It is really a shame that Republicans don't govern nearly as well as they campaign. If they did, our nation would not be in this near-chaotic state of affairs. John McCain is a Republican despite all of this propaganda about his being a "Maverick" and his campaign reveals it clearly for all of those who have any grasp of objectivity.

You ask what McCain has to offer-What does Obama have to offer? He has done NOTHING for Illinois-yet you want to elect him for president? At least McCain has sacrificed for his country and has years of proven experience.

The heinous and bigoted posts on this thread are disgusting. Look people, this is not some political ploy by either the Bush administration or John McCain and Lord knows John McCain isn't stalling because he is afraid to debate Obama, that is just laughable. John McCain was writing foreign policy when Obama was still in diapers.

For the good of the country would everyone please drop the whole pointing fingers game and shouting about how the Republicans are at it again or the the Democrats are clueless. It won't do anyone any good.

The economy truly is on the very edge of a complete financial melt down and it is the responsibility of our elected officials to stay in Washington D.C. and work until they come up with a solution to this problem. Granted if this was just business as usual there would be no point to hold off a presidential debate and I would totally agree with those who are posting that this is a stall tactic by McCain. However, the circumstances are a bit extenuating don't you think?

From what I have read, I don't think most people understand the brevity of the situation. So just in case you don't here is a quick snap shot.

1. There is close to 6 trillion dollars of bad home loans that are dispersed among banks right now.

2. Since people are being foreclosed upon and not paying their mortgages, the debt is sitting on the banks ledgers and has stagnated.

3. Unless that bad (or "toxic") debt is taken off the ledgers by someone buying it, banks can not lend money out.

What does that mean?

That means, the farmer can't get a loan to buy grain to plant his crops. That means the small business owner can't get a loan to buy a new piece of equipment or repair the equipment he already has. All that to say, unless the U.S. government does something very soon the entire economy will come to a complete stand still. That will in turn cause rapid inflation and we would in a depression.

Who is to blame for this situation? Both Democrats as well as Republicans who did nothing to regulate the reckless lending these institutions where doing, real estate speculators and those who took out loans that they knew they couldn't afford. The details of how we got in to this mess are too long to post here. The point is, John McCain is doing the right thing. I hope Obama does the right thing too.

And he's forgotten most of it.....

Thank you and bravo for speaking up about this with such clarity! I too, am tired of all the bickering about John McCain doing this for solely political reasons. Over the last few days, I wondered when the two of them were going to get themselves on a plane and get back to Washington to do the job they were elected to do. I don't want to HEAR about the job they would do if they were to be elected to the presidency...I want to SEE what they'll do in the job they've already been hired to do. I'm tired of the talk...we still have over a month to hear it from both of them. It seems to me that not enough Americans are concerned enough over this current financial crisis as they should be.

The truth is what 80% of the people know to be true, that this is nothing more than a phoney ploy to make McCain look like something he isnt.
The only thing you didnt say was hes a saint and GOD is on his side.
isnt it funny when you guys screw something up, all of a sudden it becomes WE.
The democrats were for giving free reign and little of any oversight? Come on pal this is a republican policy that you guys have been pounding down the rest of our throats about how government needs to get out of the way of private enterprise.

McCain has been the leader in Washington for Deregulation so it is funny that now he want to run back and help clean up the mess that he made.

The whole point if the crisis is so historic why not go to Washington now? Why wait to go when you already have something planned to do, like the debate.

Don't threaten the American people with unemployment and higher gas and food prices. We have been there and seen that. And nothing has been done to fix any of that with any URGENCY! BUT now that the ones higher on the food chain are at risk we get this ARMAGEDDON hurry up and do something now crap! Whatever!

Excellent Nikki -- I couldn't agree more!

funny, McCain didn't MAKE this mess...I am pretty sure it was a collective effort and let's not forget who has been in control (democrats!!). Do you know what Deregulation is?? Why wouldn't you be for it if you don't want more Unemployment?? let's do our home work!!

Ok, if the mortgage companies and the banks took 6 trillion dollars in bad loans, how is only $700 billion going to help? Last year they proposed that the banks refinance the mortgages to better rates not just give aways but, something that the owner could afford and keep his house. Each bank would have had loses but, only on paper. NO DEAL THERE Now when banks start failing, they want a blank check... Both McCain and Obama have 5 points that they agree on. If they can't push their respective sides to agree and go forward over the phone and need a photo op in DC to get the job done, so be it. I still feel that the debates must go on.... Hey if they sit down, Congress & Executive branch will McCain claim foul if Biden gets a seat at the table and Palin doesn't?

No, I think Obama is afraid of forgetting what he has been studying the past few days. Also, Obama would rather be on TV spewing more BS than actually doing the job he was elected to do.
The debate would be delayed, not cancelled.

Deucalion

Why should the debate be delayed, McCain has not been interested in the economy he said the fundamental are sound just last week wednesday, what happen they not sound anymore ? I think this whole thing of him suspending his campaign to go to Washington to help is a joke because he said he really doesn't know economic so my question is why go ? Is it because he is afraid to debate ? Obama He should be.

Obama may be smooth but isn't that a typical lib profile? smooth but without substance, Talks but cannot act, reacts to polls not his conscience, Style over substance....can't you see it?

AJ - You are pretty funny yourself I will humor you since i did my homework and show you my work.

Deregulation is a process by which governments remove, reduce, or simplify restrictions on business and individuals with the intent of encouraging the efficient operation of markets.

Now Sen. John McCain has spent much of his two decades in Congress pushing deregulation for a variety of markets, including his support of a 1999 bill that removed barriers between investment banks and commercial banks. Which is the begins of this MESS?

Now onto more recent headlines!

They have a DEAL that they can pass now, so what is the problem? Why is it taking him so long to say that he will be at the debate? Maybe he's mad that they figured it all out before he could have his summit with the president? Coming in at the last minute after all the work has been done and then claimming that you had something to do with it....sounds familiar.....Jesse Jackson!

McCain is not prepared and the foreign experience does not count if he gained it as a POW.
McCain cant take the heat he should just retire!

Tyler you are good....very good ! Way to police !

McCain isn't even on a committee that will address this financial crisis. What is he going to do to help "handle" it? This is just another scare tactic that the Republicans are famous for. They are saying we must do something today. Congress has to make a decision. There should be safeguards in the bailout for those that really lost money. The heads of the financial institutions didn't lose any money. They got their money up front when they sold the loans. It's the people who made what they thought were sound investments when they purchased the loans and the people who are going to lose their homes that need the money.

Jill -
I completely agree. If he was so worried, why didn't he go back to D.C. right away. What exactly would he do if he does go? Can he do anything more than is already being done?

They have advisors there and even the Congressional Finance Committee (including Paulson) were in shock with his surprise "news" yet once again...they don't even want him there and several including Paulson said he didn't know anything about economics and did not need to be there and they don't want him there.

This sort of surprise tactic to me, makes his intergrity worse. Leaders are expected to be grounded, able to multi-task, and be capable of informing the public in terms they can understand. McCain says one thing and then turns around and decides the exact opposite, we do not need someone in the White House without leadership skills and the Congressional Committee even stated that this is one of his political ploys to buy him more time to prepare for the debate, and sympathy with the public.

To me, McCain and his campaign have lost integrity and continue this downhill plunge through such surprise tactics, so I am with the Congressional leaders in that he is not a leader, is not prepared, and only using this stunt to further himself with no interest what-so-ever in "the people" or this nation.

Art-555583 yes it does sound like you are pretty biased, in denial and the one who is BLIND seeing that even his own REPUBLICAN party members who are on the Congressional Finance Committee INCLUDING PAULSON are saying that it is a political tactic and they want nothing of it in Washington and he said on national tv that they do not want him there and that the only reason he is doing this is to create drama since his numbers are dropping.

Even the Republican party AGREED with Barack Obama and give support to continue the debate.

art -

Obama is an idiot??????????????????

it's PROMPTER not procter

Obama has 300 advisors!

he has more than that. Why do you think he is able to sound so "eloquent" on so many issues

At least they're not all lobbyist's!

Yes Cliff, mine and several others it appears.

It is a debate, it is one night. I think they should be able to work on this financial crisis, created by rich peoples greed and still have a very important debate.

Lady - please. That's a bunch of garbage. It's an excuse to get out of the debate. Period. If you can't see that, then there's something wrong with you. Things will be worked out without McCain's presence...

And Cliff, what do you suppose he can do on the HILL! He doesn't know anything about economics which is why he was Mr. De-Regulator...which got us into this mess!

The Senate will not be working Friday night during the debate; he can send his ideas, get briefings all the rest of the day, but have his butt at the debate so the American people will know where he stands on all of these issues we have to vote on.

He's is running some popularity contest, "Mr. POW". Enough is Enough!

Do you really beleive that he isn't "just playing politics" with this move?

Cliff - give all of us a break! The matter of the depression is a little old considering we've been in a recession for how long? It is election year. The candidates need to be facing the issues head on. They are not sitting in their Senate seats because they are RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. It is seemingly strange that McCain would wait until one day before the debate to state the importance of him being in D.C. for the meltdown situation. Where the heck has he been all week, or last week, or last month??? It is time for you to get real and smell the pollution. This is just as it seems, a last minute ploy for McCain to bail himself out of facing the music and using the excuse of the meltdown as camouflage. Ray Charles would have been able to see through this one! It is truly a pathetic effort.

Go Cliff. Try speaking with intelligent people in the future. As the saying goes, you can teach a pig to sing, you frustrate yourself and annoy the pig. These people have no idea on what a mess we are in. We can't afford either Senator to be absent, perhaps we'll actually get a good view of where they stand in a real crisis.

Cliff:

That's what they signed up for "Politics". Seems a little late for McCain to think he can do something now. It's at the point you cannot believe anything out of his mouth.

Cliff...McCain obviously cannot handle more issues on his plate than one at a time. He runs and hides under pressure. So what would he do if we had as our President if our country had a major emergency that needed his attention right away?

Why is McCain in such a rush to suspend everything and run back to Washington? After all the economy is fundementally sound right? Oh wait, that was Monday, today it's in a crisis and everything must halt so he can fix it. But wait, 27 years in the senate is not enough time to forsee or prevent it? Wonder how much money he and Cindy are loosing or have already lost. THERE is the aswer as to why he is so concerned now.

You Dems are always seeing something sinister in every act someone makes. It must be your Clinton upbringing. Anyone that would support someone as inexperienced a obama (with a small "o") must be grasping for straws or are completely uninformed. Please spent the time researching the facts instead of throwing mud and you might find that McCain is the one in this race with the nations interest at heart. If his life hasn't proven that and you don"t see it then there is no hope for you.

I agree with Cliff. They shouldn't be playing politics right now, which is why McCain should stop using everything possible to play politics. I don't think the debate should be delayed. The debate should change its focus from defense to the economy, but not delayed or canceled. Does this mean the VP debate will be before a Presidential debate? McCain is seeming more and more like Palin; a robot that spits out pre-scripted answers. What happened to McCain? I USED to respect him. Now that I see more of his behavior and antics, I can't imagine ever voting for him...for anything!

What his so 40 years ago military service, qualifies him for what? Respect and that is IT, it does not make him presidential. He did his job no disrespect but he was a solider and he was captured and he stayed, thank you John. You have come back had a family and lived a wealthy life this country has repaid you and thanked you, unfortunately all of our service men did not get the same. In that case he was not the only POW should they all get a chance to be President. And that was cute Obama with a small. What Ivy league college did you graduate from? Were you the President of the law review? Oh you prefer a Naval academy graduate (593 out of 598). Who has been in Washington for 27 years, Mr. De-regulator who, he himself said "I don't know much about the economy" . Funny how this has been coming for years and he and Phil Graham help facilitate it. And now, just now he sees the need to be in Washington. Not last week, no not a crisis yet, I can still campaign. But this week we need to handle this. I think not, as President he will need to handle the economy, Putin, Iran and the the two wars that we have going, sorry called multi tasking. Lastly, how short the republican party's memory is where was all this love when McCain was running against Bush.

Well McCain is the one that has been talking about the experience or being ready for the job. Well America has always had more than one situation going on at one time we the American people need a President that know how to Multi-task. Hey did anyone see Biden speech today it was a knockout I mean totally. I have never seen him speak like this. So if you want to know why McCain decided to cancel the debates today. Look at or listen to the speech he told it like it is. WOW YOU WILL HATE IT IF YOU DO NOT !! CHECK IT OUT. Or maybe it something to do with his press this week between his miss specking, Palin and her refusals to testify or her issue with this Witch Doctor Preacher and the pregnancy daughter and now we are been told that McCain's son was involve in one of the Nevada bank that fell only two months after he left for personal reasons. And the icing on the cake one of his adviser Rick has been talking money from Freddie all this time and his last check stopped only a month before the FED took over Freddie & Fannie. But only days ago he said that he knew Rick was not involve with Freddie or Fannie in over a year. HE LIED AGAIN WOW What gets me is that McCain does not seem to know what is happen in his own campaign he is always surprise or pretend that he is. Which I am not buying THE MAN IS JUST A LIER WE HAVE ONE OF THEM NOW AS OUR LEADER.... WE NEED A CHANGE He is starting to look like the type of Maverick that is useless and worn out time to send out to paster. So McCain is running to the White House and save the day. To bad he is unable to perform more than one task at a time. We need answer as to why he Voted to take use to war and send our Sons, Daughter, Mothers and Father of to die for his and Bush Lie. IT IS TIME FOR ANSWER PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

OK, Annette, you got numbers in this blog, but you are falling for nothing more than charisma and smooth talking. McCain isn't the best speaker in the world, but he has substance and the ability to call a pile of poop a pile of poop. What will you say when he and Sarah win this election . . . that he also stole it?

Simply Stated - Please do tell us the definition of "recession". As with apparently all Democrats, you either don't know the definition, or choose to parrot the leftist press by lying about it. A recession requires TWO QUARTERS OF NEGATIVE GROWTH! Got it? Is that plain enough? The US had not undergone even one quarter of negative growth, so you cannot even say we are approaching a recession, much less that we are in one unless you are ignorant or lying. I tried to fix the first possibility by giving you the definition, so go and mis-state no more.
I give all your statements the credence they deserve - none.

Cliff... sorry to hear about your recent illness. Really.

What can McCain do? Just flap his mouth. He was part of the problem in the first place by wanting de-regulation. He has it now, doesn't he? He wants to dodge the debate and then let Palin dodge hers. He has a terrible temper and being a hawk, its very dangerous. He might get us in to WWIII...........are you ready? You think the economy is a crisis, wait till he gets in office, heaven forbid.

It is obvious to many of us that by saying he doesn't want to play politics, he is PLAYING POLITICS. His campaign probably feels like his only hope is to make this political ploy in effort to make Americans think he really is COUNTRY FIRST. Ironically, he is putting his campaign first by trying to get elected with this ploy instead of letting the people know how clueless and unready he is for this debate and for the presidency.

Are you people crazy McCain is a fraud they don't need him in DC he's not even on the committee that's handling the bail out.

so what is it you all think he can do?

we need to no what they can do to fix it when in office McCain and Obama need to stay out of it and get on with the debate.

I want to know what they plan to do to fix this mess its to many fan boys commenting (shut up please do you all watch the same news read the same papers McCain is not the guy).

we have forty days people he's using this to regain trust we don't need him to help with the deal we need him to help with rebuilding the economy its all politics sorry McCain "we don't believe you, you need more people".

PS. you cant put your country first when your opinion doesn't matter come on McCain step your game up you felt the economy was strong just days ago now your rushin to save us please people we were fooled before lets not go there again.

Cliff , Republicans had their chance. Bush/Cheney, 8 years. Enough. The USA couldn't be in worse shape in so many ways. Our dollar is worth nothing if you travel outside the USA. I am a Republican, white college educated woman. there is no way i would give McSame/Palin the arrogant, hubris extremist with her witchhunter pastor and cultlike church, She can't even run a family yet alone a state or country. Give me a break she just got her passport last year. She does not represent me. McCain picked her for a politcal strategy move thats it. He just recently said the economy was good. was that his personal economy having 13 cars 7 houses. Are you crazy???or just cultlike and follow your party no matter if Hitler was running?? Really its not a football game. Listen to them. Go Obama/Biden!!!!

Are you really sure we are going into a depression? After experiencing the Bush administration, I am skeptical as to how serious a "crisis" this is. Is Bush asking for the money to truly help this country or just help the financial institutions get out of debt and saddle us with the burden? He lied us into a war using scare tactics; he tried to scare us into changing Social Security by wanting to privatize it by putting it in the stock market (would have been just wonderful, right?); he keeps using scare tactics about terrorism. How many times can you cry wolf? I, for one, am very confused.

John McCain, the father of deregulation (Google transcripts and videos of his speeches over the past 20 years and take a gander at his voting record), now wants to play leader on an issue he claims not to know much about. Rather scary if you ask me. He is a senator just like Obama, and just like the majority of senators is/should be waiting on the sidelines for the major players negatiating this bail-out to present a plan. What gives him the right to interfere? To take charge when he has been on the campaign trail collecting his salary courtesy of the taxpayers and missing so much discussion and votes for more than a year?

If Palin-McCain, oh, excuse me - McCain-Palin are elected, we Americans deserve what we will be getting. Unfortunately, those of us with more objective thinking able to discriminate between falling deeper down the well and rising above will have to suffer at the hands of the ignorant and ideological. I have come to believe, that after speaking with some of my friends who are McCain supporters, they know McCain is not the right man for the job but they cannot admit it because they are either afraid to admit they are wrong or looking and learning from Obama and at other views is too scary for them. They have been safe and comfy in their views, and to find that since Reagan, republicans have been the root cause of this economic disaster (along with much else), is difficult to accept.

McCain is too old to be president; we do not need a president whose point of reference goes back 50 years. He could have a sudden heart attack; his melanoma could come back and be fatal; he could develop Alheimer's. Then we will be stuck with a woman who cannot speak well, has no finesse, does not know how to answer a question, and on top of that knows very little about anything!

If McCain cannot handle the Debate and a vote in the Senate, perhaps he cannot handle the multiple issues that are presented the President on a daily.

Perhaps he should stay with the job he already has.

I agree - obviously McCain can't multi-task. With respect to your last statement... 'perhaps he should stay with the job he already has' - I don't think he has been doing that well either. Yesterday afternoon, McCain looked and acted like he knows he has done major damage to his own campaign. Do I feel bad for him? Absolutely not.

The majority of the people posting here have it right, a political ploy to reschedule the debate. He is hoping to have the debate moved to the night of the VP debate to save Sarah "I'm in over my head" Palin from the embarrassment of the debate with Biden. He picked her to get the votes of white women that the Republicans need and don't typically have. Not because he believes she can jump in and handle the job of the President should the need arise. He hasn't even thought about that. He is just doing what he thinks he needs to get into office. Well, he hasn't got this white woman's vote!

We need this debate to happen, whether they discuss economics or foreign policy. We have a little over a month before we all have to choose the next person to run this country. We need as much information as possible before we have to make that decision. He knows he is losing and is trying to scare us in to believing his bull once again. He is no different than Bush and if we vote him a Palin into office, nothing is going to change. We are going to have more of the same. Obama is for the people and has shown that. Go Obama/Biden!!!!!

Touche Donna. That's the best idea of all. If they debate about the economy instead of foreign policy, we can kill two birds with one stone. Well, one bird, McChicken, is already losing his feathers.

Hey, the debate on Friday is "foreign policy" not "economics" that is why McCain wants to postpone the debates. Be informed!!!

McCain probably wants to make sure he's there so no one can throw stones at him or Phil Gramm for getting us into this mess. His intention likely has nothing to do with looking out for the best interests of the country unless he believes it's in our best interest to have Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.

NADER'S A GOOD GUY, 15 MIN. OF FAME UP 30 YRS. AGO. "LEGEND IN HIS OWN MIND". TIME TO MAKE A STAND ON SOMETHING EFFECTING AMERICA NOW AND ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE. MUST NOT BECOME A "COG" IN THE WHEEL LIKE THE PAST.

I completely agree with you. There is not other reason to potpne the debate other than for McCain to try to look better in the eyes of Americans (not sure how that will happen). In my opinion, I do not think delayign or canceling would be a good idea. We have the right to hear what they have to say on ALL of the issues. With the current situation there is no reason why the economy cannot be brought into the debate. I am looking forward to it.

I agree.

Change the debate to the economy, but get some real vigorous debate going. The mainstream pretty much accepts the idea that the bailout will happen. It is just a question of how the new debt will be scheduled and whatever corporate spankings the Democrats will have the cojones to insist upon.

The bailout will eat up a lot more taxpayer money than has already been wasted in Iraq in order to buy 'paper' whose value is unknown because the value of the underlying 'commodity' (i.e. debt) is unknown. We will all get to keep our huge credit limits and the financial whiz kids that got us in this mess will be able to maintain jobs and lifestyle, but forget expanding health insurance or reforming Social Security.

I want to hear something about the alternative: no bailout. Just close our eyes and cover our ears and let the bad practices of the past crash thunderously to the ground. It seems as though the bulk of the damage would be sustained by the exposed financial institutions, anybody who purchased corporate bonds collateralized by the failing mortgage instruments or by the exposed financial institutions and those non-producing players that are gaming commodity prices. This could seriously affect mutual funds and maybe index funds for as long as 10 years.

But...

Low wage fast food jobs (and workers) would probably be unaffected. Retail workers could see some uneven damage depending on transportation and manufacturing issues. Outsourcing manufacturers may find the cost of overseas business not as cheap as home operations simply because of the change in the dollar's value. The contraction would get rid of a lot of inefficient businesses and the new 'dangling demand' will provide plenty of opportunity.

As I see it, we can either stabilize an irrational sector of the financial system at an extreme cost to taxpayers while increasing our risk of the very problem we are trying to prevent: the total collapse of the financial system. We should consider letting this obscene excess go the way of all things.

The man is just plain scared...... lol

I wonder what the answer would have been if it were Obama who made the request? I guarantee it would 69.5% AGREEMENT. Let's just end this now and crown Barack and Michelle king and queen of the universe!

The result would have been the opposite BECAUSE the vast majority would recognize that Obama would have made the request in good faith and for the reasons stated, not as a cheap trick motivated by a frightened need to save his political tail.

Moot point. Obama has the judgement to not see a need to postpone the debate. Thus he DIDN'T ask. If he DID ask, he would be McCain. That is why so many support Obama...JUDGEMENT!! As much as you like to claim that it's baseless celebrity worship, it isn't.

That's kind of like using logic like: 'Since everybody loves Mother Teresa, I bet if she shot up a school full of kids 69% would still think it was a great act.' 1. Mother Teresa wouldn't do that. Is there even a 2? But let's say for arguments sake, as ludicrous as it is: 2. And if she did, NO, 69% would NOT agree with it.

E.H.,
I'm not sure King and Queen is high enough order. Messiah perhaps??? You would think so by reading all this unbelievable Obama worshipping.

.... Can you imagine a country that is actually PROUD of their president??? Is that what you are afraid of? That people actually like and trust Obama?...

Just have to say I love your comment. Bubble-headed pitbull is so accurate. Looks like McCain needs more pit in him, he's sure running from this fight. Apparently, he's afraid to get in the debate ring with Obama.

They used the hurricane to keep Bush away from the convention now their going to try to use the economic crisis to hide from one of the few accurate looks we get at our nominees. Debates are key to see the plans and agendas these guys represent. Hopefully Americans will see through this ploy for what it is. If he wanted to be at that debate he would be there, hell or high water!! Enough excuses!!! Lets see what you have to say!!!

AMEN - although I must say that my former bait dog/pitbull is getting very upset. She is smarter than Palin and looks better in lipstick than she does too.

McCain is afraid to debate. Period. He remembers what happened in 1960 and is afaid he will suffer the same fate as Nixon.

Just remember this debate is on foreign policy and national defense, something obama is very weak on, I am for the debate. The dems. are very weak on this issue as well as the economy and obama, too. McCain has the right plan for the economy.

Last time I checked it was Obama that was taking a vacation during his political campaign. A debate can wait a week or even a couple days. Our economy can crash over night. Politics are merely an insight to what we should expect from our President over the next 4 years. pSyKoBaBBLE-Why is it democrats can't back any of their arguments with facts but instead use insults?
Valerie- you made one key point-"economic crisis." Yes, our economy is in turmoil. Yes, the Bush plan didn't work. However, can our economy wait till after the election? Even when the election is over, how long do you think it will be until a plan is put in effect? Yes, there was a bailout. How long do you think the bailout will sustain itself? The corporation was crashing for a reason, and instead of finding out how to fix it, they give it more money that will eventually dissipate- leaving the corporation back at square one.

"Democrats are weak on foreign policy & defense" is one of the oldest unfounded Republican clichés in politics. It's funny how nobody who repeats that crap ever explains WHY they believe it. And when confronted on it, they usually say "because Reagan won the Cold War" - as if his merely saying "tear down this wall" won the Cold War.

Know your facts, peons: Reagan may have been the pitcher of record, but much like a baseball game, every player on the winning team has a hand in the victory. So the Cold War was not won single-handedly by one man or even one party; it was a truly bi-partisan victory, and a very gradual, relentless victory at that. Had the neocon fools currently running the Republican Party been in charge back in the days of Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan, we probably never would have won the Cold War because we would have invaded a Soviet satellite country in order to "liberate it" - and set off World War III in the process. Military might is not, as neocons such as Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, William Kristol, Charles Krauthammer and others believe, the answer to all foreign policy disagreements. It is, and always should be, an absolute last resort. And the "War on Terror" is a fundamentally different kind of war: it is not a military war waged by combatants with uniforms who sign peace treaties when all is said, done, destroyed and killed forever; it is an intelligence war waged in the shadows by undercover FBI informants, political dissidents, profilers and a host of others, with an occasional assist from the military when necessary. John Kerry understood this undeniable fact and was practically laughed out of the debate by George W. Bush - only to be "justified" later by Bush's acknowledgment that the War on Terror was indeed a fundamentally different war.

So I guess if you believe that waging war at the drop of a hat - for purely political and economic purposes at that - makes one party "strong on foreign policy & defense" while making its opponents "weak" on those same matters, then surely you do have reason to believe the old GOP fairy tale that Democrats are weak on defense. If, however, you believe in the more realistic notion that flexing one's muscles isn't the solution to every disagreement, you'll no doubt conclude that the Republican Party is weaker on foreign policy and defense after all, especially if its presidential nominee can't even remember who's fighting whom in the war he so vehemently supports.

AMEN !!!!!

make that a quadtriple AMEN

Excellent point, Obama called McWhine FIRST, and asked the nerd-nik to issue a joint statement. Instead, Rick Davis got the idea to issue a public statement saying McWhine wanted to issue the statment..................ARGHHH. I'm so sick of the Mccain/Palin mob changing their statements EVERY single day to reflect how much they "care" about Americans. NOT.

Obama has a brain, so Reps call him an "elitist"....but he grew up with a single mother on food stamps. Obama has one house, drives a Ford Escape, and until he entered the Senate he made less than $100K per year.

McCain has 11 houses, 13 cars, and thinks the "middle class" starts at an income of $5 MILLION per year.

Who is more "in tune" with the average American?

VOTE OBAMA, let's get a brain back in Washington, and bring ethics back to government.

Well why isn't Obama doing anything about it? It seems to me that McCain is stepping up to the plate first. If it was your money on the line, would you want someone to put it on hold for a debate? I don't think so

Obama made 100,000 a year until he went into the Senate? O yeah, that was when he bought the million dollar mansion from the criminal. Do you think Obama didn't receive any "golden parachute"?
McCain got his money the old fashioned way-He married it!

Interesting that McCain "thinks" he can actually do something about this financial mess and "needs" to be in the middle of it all. A rather ego-centric attitude. If he has a difficulty multi-tasking then he is NOT the right candidate for president. Can you imagine what would happen if he needed to address the UN and decide what he wanted for breakfast on the same morning? What a crisis... maybe that's what he wants from McPalin, a house keeper and meal planner...

Please identify one single thing that McCain will bring to the discussion in Washington that he could not literally phone in. He admits he knows next to nothing about economics (other than how to spend his wife's beer millions), so who among those who are framing that discussion gives a rat's rear end what McCain thinks? The most he can possibly do in Washington is toddle into the Senate chamber and cast his vote for whatever George Bush tells him anyway!

That's the point people! IT IS OUR MONEY! I think they BOTH should be in DC! postpone is not cancel and doing their current job (and maybe showing some leadership within their own party) is what we should be demanding from them both! This is OUR future financial state at stake and I personally would rather "all hands be o deck" than keep the revolving media circus going... Postpone it a week and we an all deal with the issue of 700 BILLION tax payer dollars ending up in some Lobbyist or CEO pocket and not our own... the people who pay for this need to be first, not second, third or last.

We can all afford a schedule change to help how ever we can. I just wish everyone else posting here would step back and think about where that 700 BILLION is coming from... $700,000,000,000.00 for those of you who cant seem to do the math right now!

Dude-you got 700 bil I could borrow till next Tuesday? I'll give it back I promise!!!

And what exactly would you like either of them to do, in DC? Is there really something to do there? I don't think so. Please enlighten me......

April, You are so out of it. McCain was part of the problem, so now he is going to be part of the solution. Don't think so.What this shows me is that he really can't handle the pressure and his swift attacks are no longer working, Palin is losing her bump and folks are now starting to really look at the issues. They are seeing McCain for what he is, so he will try this stunt to say he is suspending his campaign. Please wake up and smeel the roses and start to think for yourself.

McCain is putting America first all these negative comments are out of place. I mean really!! Grow up what are you 12?

Ummm....I believe the first debate is on National security...why would he be scared?McCain wins that debate hands down....what a joke.......PLEASE!

Your understanding of his veiled attempt is that of a 12 yr old.

What makes ANYONE think that McCain wins on ANY issue???? Give us all a break, and either do you homework, or stop thinking we don't do ours. Either you don't know the facts, or you do and you think that we don't! I am so glad that most of the people here are on the ball and calling out McCain for what he is. It's amazing that he picked a female runningmate, all while thinking women deserve less money for equal work, and while that female runningmate herself will attempt to totally get rid of a woman's right to choose in ALL SITUATIONS! The irony of trying to get women to vote for the anti-woman candidate.

Obviously McCain is trying to postpone Palin's debate. She isnt ready to debate, she isnt ready to be vice president, hence all the coddling.

How right you are!