Obama calls on McCain to keep Friday debate date
Barack Obama says voters 'deserve to hear' their views. Aides to John McCain now indicate he'll participate despite calls for a delay during the economic crisis.
WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama said today he intends to travel to Oxford, Miss., for Friday night's planned debate and called on Republican John McCain, who wants a delay of the debate, to join him there.
"The American people deserve to hear directly from myself and Sen. McCain about how we intend to lead our country," Obama said. "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."
There were indications today that McCain intends to attend the debate after all, despite his request Wednesday for its postponement. Campaign aides told reporters traveling with the candidate that there was the possibility of a flight to Mississippi after this afternoon's meeting about the bailout plan with President Bush at the White House.
And Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, welcoming reporters to Oxford in advance of the debate, said today that "I expect there to be a debate tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to it." He said he had he had no inside information on whether McCain will attend but said it was his "expectation" that the debate would take place.
Asked if he too will be in attendance, Barbour said, "I can't think of a bad day to be at Ole Miss." He also reminded reporters of the hurricane damage to Mississippi's coast, saying, "There's a whole lot more to cover" than just the debate.
Obama, speaking to the Clinton Global Initiative by satellite video from Florida, said he is pleased that McCain joined him in a joint statement about the economic crisis that has led to a proposed $700-billion bailout for Wall Street. The Illinois senator said he will be in Washington for today's 4 p.m. meeting at the White House with McCain and congressional leaders "to offer my help in getting this deal done." He reiterated the principles he has outlined for supporting the package, including a ban on huge CEO compensation and protections for taxpayers and homeowners.
McCain also spoke to the Clinton group, a nonpartisan forum headed by former President Bill Clinton that strives to battle malaria, global warming, poverty and other international ills. In his remarks, McCain portrayed his decision to temporarily suspend his campaign as motivated by a call to civic duty, not a political calculation that might benefit his campaign.
