This sounds like it came straight from The Onion.

Doesn't McCain know there's only 40 days left!!!???

And, moreover, people have already ordered their deli trays for the debate watching parties. You can't just CANCEL!

That's like skipping your scrabble turn so you can trade in a tile. What does this mean? Does it ever work?

Is this part of some Karl Rove plan?

Surprisingly, FOX didn't spin it as much as I thought they would -- but per this tig blog post - the first comment by Tina on that article page is suspect.

Obama: activate... we need your response!

Obama-camp powers, ACTIVATE!

Shape of, a Friday night debate!!!

Form of, a debate on economics instead of foreign policy!!!!!

I hope the Obama campaign comes out swinging about how a President needs to be able to think on his feet and discuss/debate anything, no matter how many crisis hit at once. They should offer to move the debate to somewhere in Washington and to change the topic to economics. Should be fresh on both their minds, yes?

I know we are in the throes of a crisis, but we are at six weeks -- we need to hear from our candidates!

So yes, awaiting word from Team Obama with bated breath (before canceling that proverbial deli tray for Friday...)

this is a stunt.

if he really wanted to be bipartisan he would have worked it out with Obama BEFORE announcing it to the media.

@James -- I COMPLETELY agree and thought the same thing.

@ everyone else, per our man Obama and his peep: THE DEBATE IS ON!

Wahoo!

I wish I were clever enough to have written this, from Talking Points Memo:

What's changed today in the financial crisis other than John McCain's poll numbers tanking? Isn't this the campaign equivalent of faking an injury when you're down late in the 4th quarter? Note too that McCain was in the midst of debate prep when he made this decision.

Look at what appears to have happened. Obama reached out to McCain privately to agree to a shared set of bailout principles. McCain went off the handle again and tried to use the crisis as a way to call off the debates.

How about McCain just bow out of the election? That would save the government a ton of money not to mention the amount of work hours people will take off to go vote in November. He could donate his un-used campaign finances to his to his favorite institution (it's going right back where it came from, right) and possibly even sell off one of his 7 houses (or condos-not sure) and donate that as well. Wait, the market isn't too great for selling a house these days...strike that! The whole thing...

@Mike Mess -- do you get the feeling that maybe even he knows he's in over his head? That perhaps he's starting to think retirement doesn't sound so bad?

If I were him I'd head out to (one of my) beautiful homes and drink some margaritas, ya know, enjoy my golden years.

Let's start a rumor that he's actually trying to lose.

Quote from Obama (per CNN): "It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once."

um, YEAH.

Don't worry ... the pundits will paint this as Obama being too obsessed with becoming president to return to Congress to deal with the "issues". And then Sarah Palin with bite the head off of a live moose and skin it with her fingernails to show that McCain-Palin are tough enough to deal with the issues.

The debate is back on! John McCain will be doing a lot of traveling today ... can somebody get the man some flip-flops!