Like, when did Obama's presence make a damn bit of difference on anything in the U.S. Senate?

Nothing could be better when deciding who should be president than unfettered access to how each man handles themselves at such a critical time.

Let the public see the results of each man's effort as individuals and as leaders of their team and the quality of the ideas/plans they each put forward to handle this crisis.

Let the public listen to their words so we can judge their knowledge, sincerity and thus get a glimpse of their motivations.

It's a once in a generation to judge the candidates for who they truly are, apart from their campaign.

I know Obama would say yes. He has nothing to fear.

The question is whether or not McCain's use of the crisis like this will accomodate using it to put him to the test personally - and include the VP choices.

Both Biden and Palin should have clear, visible input. They both say they are prepared to lead. Let them prove it.

Nothing could be better when deciding who should be president than unfettered access to how each man handles themselves at such a critical time.

Let the public see the results of each man's effort as individuals and as leaders of their team and the quality of the ideas/plans they each put forward to handle this crisis.

Let the public listen to their words so we can judge their knowledge, sincerity and thus get a glimpse of their motivations.

It's a once in a generation to judge the candidates for who they truly are, apart from their campaign.

I know Obama would say yes. He has nothing to fear.

The question is whether or not McCain's use of the crisis like this will accommodate using it to put him to the test personally - and include the VP choices.

Both Biden and Palin should have clear, visible input. They both say they are prepared to lead. Let them prove it.

Let the polls drop a little more and the next thing McCain will propose is to postpone the elections.

Take that old man.

I can almost smell McCain's flop-sweat from here.

McCain and his campaign manager, Rick Davis, need another week to wipe their fingerprints off the financial policies that led to this mess. The delay will also give Steve Schmidt time to work himself into another state of high dudgeon because the press dares to print the truth.

I'm willing to bet that the Deregulator, Screamin' Steve, and Rick the Lobbyist took stock of the campaign's internal polls and decided that now was no time for McCain to appear on a national stage with Obama. How presidential....

Seriously ridiculous for several reasons:

1) McCain and Obama are not on committees that have any jurisdiction in this matter and the committee that is handling it -- Banking -- is being very competently led by Dodd and Shelby.

2) Presidential campaigns haven't stopped for wars which are on an equivalent level of economic crises and last I checked we were involved in two wars.

3) The negotiations by all reports are going well and most of the points both Obama and McCain want are being incorporated into the final bill.

4) Obama reached out to McCain first on this in private and McCain actually thinks he can show leadership by being the first to declare something in public? Journalists are already picking up on the fact that Obama reached out first and this will just make McCain look unbelievable slimy.

5) Why doesn't McCain just send Palin to negotiate? They're a team, aren't they? Doesn't he have confidence in her abilities to negotiate on his behalf instead of suspending his campaign with 41 days to go to do it himself?

6) You can't just stop politics 41 days from a presidential election. It's impossible; everything will have a veneer of politics at this point.

But, regardless, I'm sure there's a certain segment of the population who will eat this up...

some prunes & Jello & then can get back to work...which is bombing the shit out of everything in site, then dying & letting the Vice-Bimbette destroy everything else.

The decision to spend $700 BILLION of the taxpayers’ money should not be made in a week. There should be a debate between Obama and McCain dedicated solely to this fiscal crisis. No two-minute sound bites. No moderator controlling the discussion. Give each of them time to outline a plan (say, 15 to 20 minutes) and then let them ask each other questions.

I know, I know. Won't happen. But it should. I'm furious when I think that $700 BILLION can't even buy some real answers.

I'm guessing that as news of this goes out, the number of people planning to watch the debate Friday night will go up significantly.

Let's just ask Al-Qaida to take a break from terrorism!

Its just one thing after another.

Now, not only do we have to fight the terrorists who hate us for our freedom (and freedom fries) now we have to battle commie nuclear seals with laser cannons for eyeballs!

I'm not quite as confident about Obama's ability to lay this all at the door of the Republicans as other folks here, but I do welcome an economics debate between the two candidates. Meanwhile I agree with haaaley. Let them take 15 minutes to explain their personal and parties economic and regulatory philosophies, then take it from there.

That's a debate I'd love to see!

It's not realistic at this point, but it's fun to think about the Obama campaign offering to change this debate to focus on domestic policy.

Actually, the fun part is thinking about what the private reaction of McCain and his staff would be.

The only reason McCain wants to postpone the debate is that he is not capable of debating Obama. The man has no platform!!! He is partially responsible for the economical fallout with the backing of big business at the demise of the American public. He is a criminal. His campaign manager has been receiving $30000 a month from Freddie Mac. Remember this is the candidate who said there's nothing wrong with our economy and doesn't know how to use a computer. The man is a fraud and a coward. I could debate him and win.