temporarily.

Quote :

"NEW YORK (CNN) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign to return to Washington and focus on the "historic" crisis facing the U.S. economy. The Arizona senator called on his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, to do the same. The Obama campaign announced that Obama would make a statement shortly. McCain also urged that organizers of Friday's presidential debate at the University of Mississippi to postpone the event. "I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself," McCain told reporters in New York. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem." VideoWatch McCain's announcement » Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement saying the presidential debate should go on and that McCain's negotions should not be a "photo op." "It would not be helpful at this time to have them come back during these negotiations and risk injecting presidential politics into this process or distract important talks about the future of our nation's economy," the statement said. "We need leadership, not a campaign photo op." "If there were ever a time for both candidates to hold a debate before the American people about this serious challenge, it is now," he added. McCain senior adviser Mark Salter briefed reporters shortly after. He said the campaign will suspend airing all ads and all campaign events pending Obama's agreement. Salter also set McCain called President Bush and talked to colleagues in Washington and learned that passage of the Paulson plan was next to impossible to be passed. McCain would partake in debate if they passed agreement by Friday morning, Salter added. McCain's campaign also said that he had canceled his scheduled appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" for Wednesday night. The announcement came just hours before President Bush was scheduled to address the nation on the troubled state of the U.S. financial system -- a problem for which his administration has proposed a $700 billion bailout. Immediately after the announcement, White House press secretary Dana Perino released this statement: "We welcome Sen. McCain's announcement. We are making progress in negotiations on the financial markets rescue legislation, but we have not finished it yet. Bipartisan support from Sens. McCain and Obama would be helpful in driving to a conclusion." A McCain senior adviser said that Obama called McCain early Wednesday morning to asking a joint statement of "shared principles and conditions" for the bailout proposal. An Obama campaign source confirmed the call and said that McCain returned his call six hours later, and accepted the concept and suggested the two of them return to Washington to join the negotiations. The source says that Obama told him that he would do that only if negotiators saw it as useful. According to the Obama source, soon after they ended the call, McCain announced he was suspending his campaign and returning to Washington. The bailout plan has met with a cool reception in two days of hearings on Capitol Hill, where both Democrats and Republicans have expressed skepticism about the proposal drafted by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. "It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal," McCain said. "I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time." But he added that he believes Congress could forge a consensus on legislation "before the markets open on Monday." McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, were in New York to meet with world leaders at the United Nations. They had met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. "Senator, governor, I'm really honored to be here with you. I know you have a very important campaign to run," Saakashvili said. "Overall, I have to say I greatly appreciate the solidarity we felt from the American people." Earlier, Palin met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Obama on Wednesday lashed out at the Bush administration and his opponent on the handling of the crisis on Wall Street as well as the $700 billion bailout plan by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Congress and the White House are trying to negotiate the details of what would be the most sweeping economic intervention by the government since the Great Depression. Bush has asked Congress to act quickly on the bailout proposal following news of failing financial institutions and frozen credit markets. "The clock is ticking on this crisis. We have to act swiftly, but we also have to get it right," Obama said in Dunedin, Florida. "And that means everyone -- Republicans and Democrats, and the White House and Congress -- must work together to come up with a solution that protects American taxpayers and our economy without rewarding those whose greed helped get us into this problem in the first place." Obama said it's unacceptable to expect the American people to "hand this administration or any administration a $700 billion check with no conditions and no oversight when a lack of oversight in Washington and on Wall Street is exactly what got us into this mess." He said struggling homeowners must be taken care of in any economic recovery plan -- and that taxpayers should "not be spending one dime to reward the same Wall Street CEOs whose greed and irresponsibility got us into this mess." Read more on both candidates' recovery plans He also hit McCain for switching from his stance as an advocate for market deregulation to a strong supporter of regulation since the Wall Street crisis became front-page news. "He's suddenly a hard-charging populist," Obama said. "And that's all well and good, but I sure wish he was talking the same way over a year ago, when I introduced a bill that would've helped stop the multimillion-dollar bonus packages that CEOs grab on their way out the door." McCain's bombshell comes as a new CNN "poll of polls" out of Virginia on Wednesday shows McCain with the slimmest of leads in a state that traditionally has been a safe bet for Republicans. The latest polls could be a warning sign for McCain that he still has work to do to lock down certain states where previous GOP nominees had to spend little time or effort doing so. VideoWatch more on where the candidates stand in the latest polls » In the new poll of polls, McCain holds a 1 percentage point lead over Obama (47 percent to 46 percent) in Virginia, while 7 percent remain undecided. The poll of polls is an average of three recent surveys of the state -- MSNBC/Mason-Dixon (September 17-22), ARG (September 17-20) and ABC/The Washington Post (September 18-21). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error."

9/24/2008 5:03:43 PM

later gramps

9/24/2008 5:04:38 PM

I think Obama should stay on the trail.

There are like 40 something days left in the campaign. We are in sad shape if the other 533 representatives cannot handle this.

Of course if he bucks McCain on this they are gonna say he is "not showing leadership".

9/24/2008 5:07:04 PM

Just make the beverly perdue ads stop. I was going to vote against her because her annoying ads, but her oppositions "negative ads" annoy me even more

9/24/2008 5:09:43 PM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/24/obama-fridays-debate-should-go-on/

Quote :

"Obama: Friday's debate should go on CLEARWATER, Florida (CNN) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he wants Friday's scheduled presidential debate to go ahead, despite John McCain's call for a suspension of campaigning to deal with the faltering economy. "It's 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," Obama said. He added, "I think that it is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once." "

I'm glad... if McCain had succeeded, I'm sure we would have ended up with less debates rather than a rescheduled debate.

9/24/2008 5:26:09 PM

I agree, lets all just wait 40 days to deal with the whole thing.

9/24/2008 5:27:48 PM

hahahahahahaha

nice attempt to get out of the debate, McCain

9/24/2008 5:28:07 PM

i was actually wondering if they would do this

i was all "wait, these guys are still on the clock right..? don't we kinda need em at their desks right now"

9/24/2008 5:28:33 PM

wait.

wat?

I'm walls1441 and i approved this message.

9/24/2008 5:29:20 PM

Quote :

"We are in sad shape if the other 533 representatives cannot handle this."

welcome to the United States Congress

btw apparently McCain's campaign = Russell Wilson

9/24/2008 5:29:46 PM

suspended?!

doug- kick him off the tour

9/24/2008 6:03:17 PM

Choosing a president, who will deal with many serious issues & not just one particular instance of one type of issue & more than one at once, is kind of important. McCain & Obama can both make all of their input on this issue very clear, they could use the debate (if it was refocused) to do much more to make their input loud and clear and to use it as a teaching moment for the American Public much more than they ever could by suspending campaigns and canceling debates in the home stretch.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportUC.aspx?g=54d651a7-a62b-4420-bb32-9dd6b2df8c02

The vast majority of people seem to want the debate to go on as scheduled, or to go on with more of a focus on the economy. Only 10% want it postponed. Similarly many people either want campaigns to continue as is, or to re-focus on the economy (as if they haven't already), and again suspending campaigns is very much in the minority. More than anything else this poll says people think not having a debate Friday would be bad for America.

9/24/2008 6:07:03 PM

Glad to see Obama didn't do this first.

What was Obama saying about change? He doesn't seem to be doing much changing as a Senator....

9/24/2008 7:13:04 PM

Votes missed.

McCain - 60%

Obama - 45%

STFU.

9/24/2008 7:14:34 PM

BUT WHAT HAS HE CHANGED?

9/24/2008 7:15:23 PM

Yeah, I guess you're right. We should elect a guy who's voted with Bush 90% of the time. THAT'S some change we can believe in. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

9/24/2008 7:16:46 PM

glad to see obama initiate this and let mccain try to score some political points...also glad mccain doesnt want to debate now...lololol

9/24/2008 7:17:53 PM

It's like a job interview. He should have examples of what he's done in the past. So what change has he made that made this a better country?

9/24/2008 7:18:00 PM

9/24/2008 7:20:25 PM

I can give you a whole list of change that McCain has made that has helped fuck up the country. Sometimes it's the things you don't do...

[Edited on September 24, 2008 at 7:22 PM. Reason : ]

9/24/2008 7:21:52 PM

You just proved a point of mine.

All you Obama people can talk about is McCain and/or Bush. You have no arguments/points. If the only argument you have is McCain this, Bush that, then you have no argument.

I'm asking about Obama, so answer with something that has to do with Obama, not McCain.

9/24/2008 7:29:19 PM

Ok... here's something about Obama. He's not a Republican. That's basically all I'm looking for at this point because the country has gone to hell in the 8 years since Republicans took power.

9/24/2008 7:35:41 PM

again, TELL ME SOMETHING USEFUL ABOUT OBAMA.

9/24/2008 7:38:47 PM

OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN
OBAMA IS NOT A REPUBLICAN

9/24/2008 7:39:34 PM

the lounge

9/24/2008 7:39:46 PM

Point proven. You have no real argument for Obama.

9/24/2008 7:40:20 PM

That is my argument. You have absolutely nothing to respond to the fact that Republicans have completely fucked America over over the past 8 years. That's why you're refusing to accept the argument that Obama is not a Republican which will assuredly result in some kind of change. Change that is anything but what has taken place over the past 8 years, which is good enough for me. No way in hell I am voting for the same people who got us to where we are today and if you are planning on voting Republican then you're obviously not using your brain to analyze the situation clearly.

9/24/2008 7:45:53 PM

Quote :

"hahahahahahaha nice attempt to get out of the debate, McCain"

9/24/2008 7:47:38 PM

Yeh, because no democrats have been involved in the political workings for the past 8 years. Don't forget that some of this started with Bill Clinton, a fact you democrats like to ignore.

9/24/2008 7:48:42 PM

Quote :

"Republicans completely fucked America over over the past 8 years."

try past 40 years. Watergate, etc.

[Edited on September 24, 2008 at 7:51 PM. Reason : dd]

9/24/2008 7:51:00 PM

^^ Clinton did not do anything to help us get to where we are. This is a flat out lie. When he left office the country was in arguably the best position it's ever been in. The first recession you can argue was not Bush's fault. But everything since then is a direct result of the failed policies of his administration and the Republican Congress. There is absolutely no way you can attribute all of the failings of the country to Clinton. It's all on Bush. You're a fucking liar or an idiot. Take your blinders off.

9/24/2008 7:55:04 PM

McCain, you are officially a pussy. I am now voting a Democratic straight ticket out of spite and renouncing my Republican affiliation.

9/24/2008 8:19:28 PM

Quote :

"McCain presidential campaign SUSPENDED."

did he piss off gunzz?

9/24/2008 8:20:53 PM

Winnar.

9/24/2008 8:22:01 PM

I think he was talking shit about NC State in ST after the Clemson loss or something...

9/24/2008 8:22:33 PM

He kept making Sarah Palin threads.

9/24/2008 8:31:31 PM

Lounge Plz.

9/24/2008 9:22:11 PM

hahahahahahaha

nice attempt to get out of the debate, McCain

9/24/2008 9:32:29 PM

Quote :

"Republicans completely fucked America over over the past 8 years"

um well if it sucked that bad why didnt he get voted out after the first 4 years?

9/24/2008 9:36:11 PM

people were slow to realize and the iraq war just started

9/24/2008 9:36:45 PM

Obama is a secret muslim.

It took both parties to fuck this country up. Dems and Reps are equally bad in my book.

9/24/2008 9:49:45 PM

pfft, that's like saying black people and white people are equally bad

9/24/2008 9:50:23 PM

^ exactly. Everyone knows black people are much MUCH worse.

9/24/2008 9:53:11 PM

MEXICANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9/24/2008 9:53:30 PM

WET-BACK NIGGERS ARE RUINING THE ECONOMY!!

THAT"S RIGHT, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM AFRICA.

9/24/2008 9:54:32 PM

FUCKING IRISH

9/24/2008 10:01:02 PM

Username : JohnMcCain
Status : Suspended

9/24/2008 10:37:22 PM

9/24/2008 10:38:29 PM

DONT FORGET ABOUT THEM DAMN CHINAMEN

9/24/2008 10:38:35 PM

set em up for the lounge already

9/24/2008 10:44:03 PM