I smell backstabbing!

McGoo has jumped the shark. This thing stinks to high heaven.

Is this how the McGoo/Palin administration can be expected to handle a crisis?

"Stop the world! We want to get off!"

Ok, this is too obvious. Grandpa McCain knows the debates are going to kill his campaign, so he is trying to use this to get out of them. Once this "suspension" takes place, how long will it go on? They can just delay the bill for weeks. By that time, they will argue that there isn't enough time for 3 debates. So maybe they are hoping to get it down to 1.

Looks like the politics have been exposed....

Just thought of something that would be brilliant-

Obama can say "sure, we'll suspend the campaign and even suspend the debate. But how 'bout we send our VP candidates out on Friday to debate the financial crisis and how each side would handle it?"

Nora ODonnel is interviewing McCain spokeswoman Nancy Putzenhouser (or something like that), and she did not deny the 8:30 call.

I like that McCain realizes there is an economic crisis just as he and Palin finish their UN political photo-ops.

Isn't that the campaign in a nutshell? We've finished our political agenda, now lets call off politics before our opponent finishes his!

I think McCain and Obama should continue to debate to talk about the Economy instead of the war. It's a great opportunity to help the American people understand where their tax dollars are about to go.

What National Crisis? Is this supposed to be bigger than World War 2, when we conducted normal Presidential election campaigns!

Irrational McCain, goes bonkers once again.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/what-national-crisis-we-have-n.php

This might have worked a week ago, when Wall Street and a lot of other people were genuinely freaked out. I don't see the sense of panic today that would let McCain get away with a stunt like this. Certainly it's hard to see how anything is in more of a state of crisis today than it was yesterday.

I predict the wingnut defense of this will be to make it about Obama's willingness to negotiate without preconditions. Nevermind that such an argument would equate McCain with Ahmadinejad, I think they'll go there.

This is going to backfire on McBlame in a big, big way.

This release is to show that McCain is just playing politics - Obama called for a joint release and McCain jumps out in front of the cameras with this stunt.

Obama should say exactly that - We had talked earlier inthe day about a joint release that McCain seemed open to, concluding with contact between the two parties at 2:30pm. Not ano hour later McCain jumped in front of the cameras with this suspension of his campaign stunt, something he didn't mention to us during the 2:30pm discussion. If he truly wanted a bi-partisan showing, he wouldn't have played this game about unilaterally calling for suspension of campaigns and making it seem like he was leading on this issue, which he surely is not.

Intrade: Obama 54.3; mcShame 44.9. Is this the emergency?

I honestly think many sports fans will see this as a cowardly act.

Obama should invite McFogu to an open forum with economists to be aired live in place of the debates.

They will field call in questions in the second hour.

McCain made his announcement of the suspension unilaterally, rather than jointly with Obama. So, did McCain really speak to Obama privately about his intention to suspend before going public with it?

This really is the key point. McLame is a backstabber and a dishonorable, dishonorable man.

There is Obama reaching out to him in private -- and there is the "country last" opponent of his going off and pulling a stunt behind his back.

I have not seen a more decent soul than Sen. Obama run for President; I thought Gore was fairly decent that way, but Barack Obama takes my breath away with his sheer human decency...

Headline grabbing, front running McCain. He's falling so far behind this is another version of "scrambling the jets".

McCain will stand on the senate floor, and while trying to look like a leader will end up just looking like another senator from Washington.

Politicizing a crisis while looking like your above politics...nice try....if it weren't in the closing weeks of a campaign.

Just say you will fire everyone and get on with the debate.

With all that it's out now, the more this looks to be a classic case of backstabbing.

Obama offers McCain to do a bipartisan statement, he agreed, but then, all the sudden, he decides to go further alone, without regard of the consequences and try to put Obama in an uncomfortable position. That's it. This is a move to just take back the initiative, without considering the long term outcome.

Whatever Obama does or says the first words out of his mouth should be:

"I think the senator means well but we all need to settle down. Who am I supposed to run against now?"

I think the rational response is to (a) continue with the debate as planned or (b) continue with the debate as planned but reserve some amount of time for the financial crisis. I also don't exactly see why suspending one's campaign is essential, though one might scale it back, of course.

But I wonder whether "suspending one's campaign" will be interpreted as not letting one's spouse, VP nominee and surrogates continue on the stump. Because on that score, I am pretty sure Obama wins -- Biden, Michelle Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Claire McCaskill, et al. are a lot more effective than the Republican alternatives.

Everyone has noticed that John and Sarah are always campaigning together, but Cindy doesn't seem to stray very far from her husband's side either (I don't blame her for that, I am sure I would hate campaigning too, if I had to do it). Just saying that McCain's campaign is deficient in more ways than one.

He saw the polls and freaked! He's trying to seem on top of it when, it seems to me, having him there (and O if he responds by going) will turn bi partisan cooperation into a purely partisan stunt. It may slow down committee progress, too. It looks like a real mess. He's a mess.

This is another Hail Mary by McCain to change the narrative by appearing to show "leadership." Ultimately, this move designed to be a challenge to Obama: if Obama is really committed to "putting country first" and bringing people together, he would accept McCain's offer. If Obama accepts, McCain gets credit for leadership. If Obama doesn't take the bait, McCain will say he's putting his ambition ahead of the interests of the country.

But judging by the initial reaction, the meltdown in the McCain camp has advanced to the degree that no one's buying it.

I want to know - does this mean McLame concedes the election?

If I was on the other side, I'd be asking that publicly. Very publicly.

Seems that the economic meltdown and the Mccain campaign meltdown are simultaneous...

...proof that you can't fool all of the people all of the time?

no worries, Obama says the debate is on!!!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/mccain-not-comm.html

Would somebody please tell McCain to just bend over and take it.

Exactly what does it mean to "suspend" a campaign?

Come on people, quick turn around on this sort of thing is crucial and doesn't allow time for too much analysis and/or disparagement.

This is a brilliant tactic on the part of the McCain campaign. Yes, they're behind in the polls and they're anxious. This is pure political theater of the highest order. McCain gets to act out his brand and act like a president. Bush will accommodate him and call the "leaders" together. What better way to try to push Obama into a corner, take charge of the media attention, and act presidential.

Obama has a major challenge on his hands. This could be his most substantial general election campaign make or break moment.

This idea that crisis means no debate is the exact opposite of how a democracy should function.
The Democrats must make the Republicans wear the disgrace of this crisis. It is not a time for bipartisanship but a time to point out over and over again that this is the outcome of Republican 'government is bad' philosophy.
Obama should show up to the debate, even if McCain does not. If he stands there alone, he should address the nation on the bankruptcy of Republican ideas.

Desperate...or stupid?

Did McCain not realize he would get outed for his grandstanding? It's like when Palin fired the Wasilla police chief...in writing...and then denied it to a reporter.

They're a great pair -- all the shrewdness of a preschooler. Yes, let's have them sitting across from Putin on our behalf!

The perfect storm now would be to make McCain wish he'd just shut his mouth.

In two days there's is going to be a debate. If he shows up, he lost. If he doesn't, he lost again.

This is poker, plain and simple: fold, call, or raise?
I say RAISE! Demand that Palin stand-in for McCain on Friday night!

Framing: McCain cannot multitask.

As POTUS one needs to be able to multitask. If McCain cannot campaign and deal with this kind of crisis how are we to believe he can handle the multitude of problems a president faces when he is in office? Would he postpone dealing with the War in Iraq so he can focus on the economic crisis at home? Can the man multitask?

Matt York's Op-Ed in the Huffington Post's OffTheBus appeared at 12:28, asking the candidates to suspend the debate to work on the financial crisis. Just fyi.

1:45, rather