Barack Obama says the show must go on; Debate Commission agrees but McCain camp says whatever

(UPDATE: The McCain campaign responds below.)

Barack Obama rejected John McCain's proposal that the first presidential debate, scheduled Friday, be postponed to deal with the increasingly fragile prospects of the federal government bailout of financial firms.

"This is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who in about 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess," Obama said. "In my mind, [the debate] is more important then ever."

To read more of Obama's remarks, click here.

Senior advisor Robert Gibbs weighed in more bluntly: "My sense is there is going to be a stage, an audience, a moderator, and at least one presidential candidate."

The Commission on Presidential Debates agreed, issuing a statement that said the debate is moving forward as planned.

UPDATE: The McCain camp seemed unfazed by the commission's remarks. Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers told The Times' Bob Drogin that while the GOP nominee looks forward to going mano-a-mano with Obama, the meeting will just have to wait.

"Debates can be rescheduled," Rogers said. "Dealing with an urgent national crisis cannot be rescheduled."

" ... his only focus now is to bring people together to work out a deal to take some action to deal with the crisis we have," Rogers said. "If we can hammer out a deal by the time of the debate, sure, we'd love to do a debate."

Earlier today, McCain announced that he was putting his campaign on hold to return to Washington, and urged Obama to do the same, calling for the debate to be postponed.

The Obama campaign appeared to be caught off-guard by McCain's announcement, though a stream of comments criticizing McCain's proposal from high-ranking Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, appeared to indicate which way Obama was leaning.

— Seema Mehta

Comments

[Deborah harry]

You're right! McCain is so decisive and proactive. He's BLINDSIDED the new guy once again...sending him scrambling off course, again.

[B. Lowry]

John McCain has had the last eight years of the Bush Administration to be in Washington and "fix" the economic crisis before it happened. It is rather transparent and opportunistic to suddenly decide the problem needs his immediate presence in Congress. Besides a photo op, what does he figure a few days at his "regular job" will accomplish?

[MessengerBoy]

Hmmm. I guess we know who Terry is voting for. LOL!

[pete]

I guess if he were president and there were two major issues (say Katrina II and god forbid some other concurrent issue). McCain would have to deal with one at a time? Its a 2 hour debate in 48 hours. He is grandstanding and it is so obvious that he can look for a further drop in the polls. Multi-tasking is the term McCain.

[joni davis]

U GO OBAMA!!! THE DEBATE MUST GO ON. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SEVERAL WEEKS FOR THIS. OBAMA IS ACTING PRESIDENTAL IN LETTING HIS ADMINISTRATION RESOLVE THE ISSUES AT HAND. BRAVO. WE KNOW THE ELDERLY (SOME) CAN NO LONGER MULTI-TASK. I THINK MCCAIN FALLS INTO THAT CATAGORY. HIM AND HIS SIDE-KICK PALIN ARE JOKES TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE(SOME). ME. R U READY ALASKA, FOR PALIN TO COME HOME. THROW HER A PARTY SO SHE WON'T FEEL SO BAD ABOUT LOSING.

[Dan Nelson]

Once again Barack shows that he likes to talk more than he likes to take action when the country is in time of need. Sounds like a typical politician

[Kramer]

Debate is more important than fixing the nation's economic crisis and getting a bipartisan agreement on it? NO WAY AND NO HOW MR. OBAMA. We have had several debates already. McCain and Obama will say nothing new in this one. IS OBAMA ON CRACK COCAINE AGAIN? More than 8 years of crack cocaine use by Obama during high school and college. That must have caused serious brain damage to this guy.

[Obama is all talk]

McCain is doing what is right for the american people. Crossing party lines and working with others to come up with solutions.

Obama is doingwhat is best for him. Talking alot and doing nothing. He has done nothing in two years so why would he start now.

We do need change. McCain has crossed party lines 56% of his time in congress and worked with the democrats to pass real legislation. Obama has only crossed lines 17% of the time and earned the rank of the most liberal member of congress. The change we need is someone who can cross lines and unite the congress to get things done.

McCain has 22 years of experiance proving he is a maverick and can cross lines to get things done. Obama... well he talks a lot but let's face real facts. Talk is cheap and unfortunatly that is all he has... talk.

[Sloane M.]

I think that this financial issue is BI-PARTISAN. Since not many people, from either side, knows what that means I'll elaborate. This is a CRISIS. A SENATOR like Obama and McCain are STILL Senators despite their campaign. It is their responsibility to pass legislation to deal with this; because if something is not done soon, we will all be screwed; and not thinking about a debate. I think that McCain is fulfulling his duty as a Senator that he was elected for. I think that what he is doing is responsible and necessary.

[Joe]

As Senators, both should be in Congress doing their job at the moment.

[SDSims]

Desperation. Maybe if McCain acts like he's on top of this everyone will forget his week of gaffes. But remember this guy was denying there was even an issue last week. This is a deer-in-headlights moment for McCain, and further evidence that he is unfit to lead.

[JS]

Both these idiots are responsible for what is going on, just start printing more dollars baby. Money comes from the air anyways. We will soon be borrowing money from Mexico.

[Joe]

As Senators, both should be in Congress doing their job at the moment.

[Omidal]

Terry, you do not get. You are as clueless as glue.

We have a leadership in the white house, don't we?
We have a full congress, don't we?

If you go to school and let's day you are taking chemistry this semester. There is a quiz on Friday. You and your friend do not show up. Does your teacher cancel the quiz because two students are not present?

No.

[John advocate]

This is not a time for you Demoncrates to be participating in the retoric of the Demoncratic party. It is time for both of our Senators to be in Washing dealing with what may be the single most deciding issue in the history of our country. And, btw, it was the Demoncrates who got us into this mess. Check the facts and you will see that I am right.

[David Michaels]

It would seem that Barack Obama is the candidate who can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. Certainly, we cannot focus our entire attention to this effort. It is funny that the two campaigns discussed a joint statement in the morning and by early afternoon, McCain was calling for a delay and "suspending" his campaign.

It sounds like he was trying to steal the show and take the spotlight for himself. Talk about making a political football out of a terrible situation!

I'm sure that Obama would fly back if need be, to do his work. He has shown tremendous leadership while McCain has shown a lack thereof.

If I was on the fence before today, I;m not anymore.

[Bob Clarke]

McCain is just giving members of his staff the time they need to write the bailout legislation for Congress... What a guy.

[Bob Loblaw]

Bush is still the President until January, and the Congress will not miss two Senators for one night on Friday, when they already have been absent for campaigning purposes over the last 9 months. McCain just wants more time to get a crash course on the economy; the fact that he knows nothing about it is going to be obvious during the first debate. Next, you will see the McCain campaign try to delay the Vice Presidential debate so Palin can lend her expertise to Sec. Rice regarding the Russian tensions. Obama, for all his faults, made the right call here.

[Jim Zorn]

John McCain probably needs more time to prep for the debate. He just realized, two days before, that he won't be ready because he doesn't know jack about the economy by his own admission.

You know what else is FLIP-FLOPPING about him? Last week he said, "we should stop bailing these banks out." This week he wants to stand in agreement with Obama on the plan.

The McCain train really is losing its bearings. And so much for treating women equally by 1) being super "protective" of Palin; 2) opposing a woman's right to equal pay.

I don't know what's worse, John McCain or George Bush?

[TruAmerican]

This shows who really cares about us Americans. John McCain is serious! I like him.

[Monica]

I'd rather vote for a "weirdo" than someone who's basically abandoned his senator's seat since he's declared his candicacy. Obama's been noticiably absent for some VERY important votes (stimulus package ring a bell).

McCain realizes there is work to do and working on it (as a SENATOR in the LEGISLATIVE branch- where change can be made)

suspending his campaign to work on something in a capacity that he was elected to do (by the citizens of Arizona) - wow what a jerk, actually working for his paycheck.

Yes I'd love to see the debate go on, at the same time i'd rather see this matter get settled before we sink into another depression. thank you very much!

[Kaylen Addison]

So, as a student at the University of Mississippi AND a McCain supporter, this is a strange situation. We have been planning for a year to host this debate and we are not gonna let some "maverick" come mess it up. I think that McCain has good intentions, and I'm totally still voting for him, but (i can't believe i'm saying this) listen to Obama, and have the debate. You can go have your little Washington fun time later.

[Kathie Van Loh]

Senator McCain just demonstrated his lack of ability to multitask. Senator Obama did not sound at all as if he were caught off guard. He was decisive, as a President should be.

[Anol]

The financial crisis will certainly not be resolved within the next 40 days. So is McCain planning to suspend his campaign for 40 days and abandon all of the scheduled debates? If he is running away from the debates now, how do we know that he won't run away from fixing the financial mess after he becomes President (if at all)?

[Kathie Van Loh]

Senator McCain just demonstrated his lack of ability to multitask. Senator Obama did not sound at all as if he were caught off guard. He was decisive, as a President should be.