Obama acknowledged the seriousness of the financial crisis and agreed that a bailout bill needs to be enacted soon. But delaying the first debate of the general election, he argued, is the wrong thing to do.
"It is my belief that this is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be dealing with this mess," said the Democratic candidate.
Later yesterday, President Bush invited both candidates to the White House today as part of a session aimed at reaching a bipartisan agreement on a bill.
Also last night, the two candidates put out a joint statement saying that this was "a moment of economic crisis" for the nation, and that it was time for Democrats and Republicans to come together to resolve it. "The effort to protect the American economy must not fail," they said.
Supporters of McCain hailed their candidate's action earlier yesterday as a "country-first" act that exemplified the kind of president the Arizona senator would be. "I think what John is thinking is: 'What am I doing out on the campaign trail when my country is in danger?' " Sen. Joe Lieberman (I., Conn.) said in a television interview. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) called McCain's move "an outstanding idea."
But Obama's supporters dismissed McCain's move as a political maneuver, motivated largely by the Republican's weakening position in the polls. In a TV interview, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) called it "a bit of a gimmick." In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said he saw no benefit from "injecting presidential politics" into the legislative process. Several other Democrats used the term "Hail Mary pass."
