Declaring that it was time to "set politics aside," Sen. John McCain said yesterday that he would temporarily stop campaigning and seek to delay tomorrow night's debate with Sen. Barack Obama to return to Washington to help to forge an agreement on a proposed $700 billion bailout of financial institutions before Congress.
The Obama campaign rejected McCain's call to delay their debate, the first of what are expected to be three decisive sessions between the two presidential contenders.
Hours later, both McCain and Obama accepted President Bush's invitation to meet with him today to address the crisis.
McCain's actions not only cast doubt on whether the highly anticipated debate would come off, but they also thrust an unpredictable new element into the negotiations for the bailout, with some Democrats warning that the Arizona Republican's intervention could derail progress being made on the rescue package.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that McCain and Obama should not return to Washington and inject presidential politics into the bailout negotiations.
"We need leadership, not a photo op," a statement issued by Reid said.
But Republicans, eager for political cover from McCain on a bailout proposal that members of both parties see as deeply unpopular in the country, embraced his return. "The threats to Americans, and their homes, savings and retirements, is not a partisan problem, and it won't be fixed with a partisan approach," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. He called McCain's attempt to forge a deal an "outstanding idea."
Explaining his decision to reject McCain's call to postpone their debate in Oxford, Miss., Obama cited the gravity of the financial crisis afflicting the nation.
"It is my belief that 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," the Illinois Democrat said. "It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once."
McCain's move came hours after Obama reached out to him requesting that they issue a joint statement about the financial crisis. McCain's resulting decision seeking to postpone the first debate was yet another unpredictable, daring step taken by his campaign over the past month: Its selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as a vice presidential candidate shook up the race in late August, and days later the campaign stripped down the first day of the Republican National Convention because of the threat of Hurricane Gustav.
