Republicans and Democrats agreed to a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry today but even that agreement didn’t persuade John McCain to continue with the presidential debate.
His campaign has said he wouldn’t participate unless there was consensus between Congress and the administration, and a spokesman said the afternoon developments had not changed his plans.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal. We’re optimistic but we want to get this thing done,” McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said.
Obama has stated that the debate should proceed because a president needs to be able to handle more than one issue at a time.
“Our election is in 40 days. Our economy is in crisis, and our nation is fighting two wars abroad. The American people deserve to hear directly from myself and Sen. McCain about how we intend to lead our country. The times are too serious to put our campaign on hold, or to ignore the full range of issues that the next president will face.”
At a news conference, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, said he expected the presidential debate to go ahead, though he said he had no inside information. “This is going to be a great debate tomorrow night. We’re excited about it,” Barbour said.
Television networks, too, were moving forward. “We’re proceeding as if it’s on and will until someone tells us that it’s not,” ABC spokeswoman Cathie Levine said.

I don’t think she’s pretty but John McCain’s campaign is using her as a prop because of her gender. Her job as his running mate is to keep quiet for 60 days, smile, wave, and show off her baby. Why? A woman will help McCain win the race. A woman needs to stand with him to make him look softer and gentler. A woman will make his side of the race be historical. Sarah Palin can transform John McCain into the change candidate. Meanwhile they won’t let her speak to anyone. She has done no interviews, no one on ones, nothing…. but a prepared speech that was written for her. Biden is going on Meet the Press Sunday. She will not appear anywhere. The goal is to keep Palin as quiet as possible for the next two months. The McCain camp is arguing with the media that she doesn’t have to do interviews and they’ll make those decisions at the appropriate time. Since when does someone who the public has never heard of….1- run for Vice Presdent of the United State of America and 2- not do interviews, so we can learn who may potentially be running this country? McCain has redefined the role of VP again. The VP’s job is to keep quiet, smile, and make his picture look perfect. To the McCain camp her job as his running mate is pretty much done.